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Bible Story of Lot
The Bible story of Lot follows a man who walked closely enough with Abraham to be swept into blessing, yet settled close enough to Sodom to be nearly consumed by judgment. His life is a mixture of mercy, compromise, rescue, and tragedy—a mirror of what happens when a “righteous soul” tries to live on the edge of a corrupt world.
Lot’s Background and Journey with Abraham
Lot first appears in Genesis 11:27–31 (KJV) as the son of Haran and the nephew of Abram (later Abraham). After Haran dies in Ur of the Chaldees, Lot travels with his grandfather Terah and with Abram and Sarai toward Canaan. They pause in Haran until Terah’s death, and then, when God calls Abram to leave his country and kindred, Lot chooses to go with him (Genesis 12:4–5).
From the start, the Bible story of Lot shows him in the shadow of Abraham’s faith. Lot is not directly addressed in God’s promises, but he walks close to the one who is. Because Abram obeys God, Lot also enjoys protection, provision, and prosperity.
The Separation: Lot Chooses the Plain of Jordan
As God blesses both Abram and Lot, their flocks and herds multiply. Soon the land where they are dwelling together cannot easily support them. Strife rises between Abram’s herdsmen and Lot’s herdsmen (Genesis 13:6–7).
Abram, walking in humility and faith, offers Lot the first choice of land:
“Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me:
if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left.”
— Genesis 13:9, KJV
Lot lifts up his eyes and sees that the plain of Jordan is well-watered, “even as the garden of the LORD… like the land of Egypt” (Genesis 13:10). The Bible story of Lot turns at this moment. Instead of asking what will please God, Lot chooses what looks good to the eyes. He pitches his tent toward Sodom, a city the Bible describes as very wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly (Genesis 13:13).
Lot does not start inside Sodom; he edges closer. But living near sin soon pulls him into the middle of it.
War of the Kings: Lot Is Captured and Rescued
In Genesis 14, several kings from the east invade and conquer the cities of the plain, including Sodom. They carry away people and possessions—and Lot is taken captive because he dwells in Sodom (Genesis 14:12).
When Abram hears that his nephew has been taken, he arms 318 trained servants and pursues the invading kings as far as Dan. By God’s help, Abram defeats them and brings back Lot, along with all the goods and people (Genesis 14:14–16).
Here the Bible story of Lot shows a second warning: Lot is rescued out of Sodom’s judgment once already, yet he returns. Instead of rejoining Abraham or moving away from wickedness, he goes back into the city that will soon be destroyed.
The Visit of the Angels and the Sin of Sodom
By Genesis 19, Lot is no longer just near Sodom—he sits in the gate, a sign of status and leadership. Two angels arrive in the evening, and Lot urges them strongly to stay in his house rather than in the street (Genesis 19:1–3). He seems to know how dangerous the city is at night.
The men of Sodom surround the house and demand that Lot bring out the visitors “that we may know them” (Genesis 19:4–5). In a deeply troubling moment, Lot steps outside, closes the door behind him, and pleads with them not to act so wickedly. Yet he offers his two virgin daughters instead (Genesis 19:6–8).
The Bible story of Lot doesn’t hide his compromise and moral confusion. He is called “righteous” later in Scripture, but his decisions are often shaped by fear and the culture around him.
The mob grows hostile and threatens Lot. The angels pull him back into the house, shut the door, and strike the men outside with blindness so that they wear themselves out trying to find the door (Genesis 19:10–11).
Fleeing Sodom: Mercy, Lingering, and a Pillar of Salt
The angels then reveal why they have come:
“For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the LORD;
and the LORD hath sent us to destroy it.”
— Genesis 19:13, KJV
They tell Lot to gather any family members in the city and get them out. Lot warns his sons-in-law, but they think he is joking (Genesis 19:14).
As morning dawns, the angels urge Lot to hurry:
“Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here;
lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.”
— Genesis 19:15, KJV
Yet Lot lingers. In one of the clearest pictures of mercy in the Bible story of Lot, the angels literally take him, his wife, and his two daughters by the hand and bring them out of the city, “the LORD being merciful unto him” (Genesis 19:16).
They command him to flee for his life, not to look back, and to escape to the mountain (Genesis 19:17). Lot, still fearful, begs to flee to a small nearby city instead—Zoar—and God grants this request.
As Lot reaches Zoar, the LORD rains fire and brimstone out of heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah and overthrows the cities and all the plain (Genesis 19:23–25). But Lot’s wife looks back from behind him and becomes a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:26), a lasting warning Jesus later summarizes with three words: “Remember Lot’s wife” (Luke 17:32, KJV).
Lot and His Daughters: Moab and Ammon
Afterward, Lot leaves Zoar and lives in a cave with his two daughters (Genesis 19:30). Believing that there is no man left on earth to continue their family line, the daughters cause their father to drink wine on two successive nights and lie with him without his knowledge (Genesis 19:31–35).
Each daughter bears a son:
- The elder’s son is Moab, “from the father,” ancestor of the Moabites.
- The younger’s son is Ben-ammi, “son of my people,” ancestor of the Ammonites (Genesis 19:36–38).
The Bible story of Lot thus closes with a dark and painful episode. Yet even here, God later brings redemption; Ruth the Moabitess becomes part of the line of David and ultimately of Christ.
Lessons from the Bible Story of Lot
The Bible story of Lot holds several powerful lessons:
- Living near sin slowly pulls you into it. Lot first pitches his tent toward Sodom, then dwells in it, then sits in the gate. Proximity shapes character.
- You can be “vexed” by evil and still compromised. The New Testament calls him a “righteous man” whose righteous soul was vexed from day to day by the unlawful deeds around him (2 Peter 2:7–8, KJV), yet his choices often fell short of courage and clarity.
- God’s mercy can pull us out even when we hesitate. Lot lingered, but God still took him by the hand and led him out.
- Looking back can cost everything. Lot’s wife’s backward glance showed a heart still tied to Sodom.
- Even tangled, broken family stories can be woven into God’s larger plan. Moab and Ammon begin in shame, yet God still works through history to bring redemption.
Other Biblical References to Lot
Beyond Genesis, Lot appears or is referenced in several other places:
- Deuteronomy 2:9, 19 (KJV) – The Moabites and Ammonites are called “children of Lot,” and Israel is told not to disturb their land.
- Psalm 83:8 (KJV) – “The children of Lot” appear among the nations opposing Israel.
- Luke 17:28–32 (KJV) – Jesus compares the days of Lot to the day when the Son of Man is revealed (70 A.D.), “Remember Lot’s wife.”
- 2 Peter 2:6–8 (KJV) – Peter describes Lot as a “just” and “righteous man” whose soul was vexed by the filthy conversation of the wicked, using his rescue as an example of how the Lord delivers the godly out of temptations and reserves the unjust unto judgment.
All together, these passages show that the Bible story of Lot is not just about one man long ago—it is a living warning and encouragement for anyone trying to walk with God in a corrupt world.