This simple comparison is based on Genesis chapters 12-14;18-19. It shows Abraham’s character that could be a model for contemporary Christian men.
| Abraham | Lot |
|---|---|
| rich | rich |
| generous and conciliatory, offering Lot to be the first one to choose a place for settlement | grasping what he thinks is the best; the land he chose was like “the garden of Eden”, which means the place of disobedience, and like “the land of Egypt”, which means the place of slavery |
| remains in Canaan | goes to live among the arch-sinners in the eyes of God |
| God chooses for him: he “raises his eyes up” only when God tells him to do so | he chooses for himself: he himself “raises up his eyes” |
| the land of Canaan is promised to Abraham forever | the land Lot chose for himself will be destroyed in his lifetime |
| victorious – able to defend his own family | defeated – unable to protect himself and his own family (based on chapter 14) |
| offers a feast to the visited three men | offers a simple meal to the visiting men |
| but | |
| because of the fear of death, he lets his wife to act as his sister and be taken to the court of Pharaoh | Nothing is said about Lot doing similar thing (based on chapter 12) |
| despite his famous prayer, unable to save even one of the cities from the region of Sodom and Gomorrah | with his pleading able to save one town among those destined for destruction (based on chapters 18-19) |
Final note
- The name of the king of Sodom and the king of Gomorrah have special meaning. The first Bera means “in evil”; the second Birsha means “in wickedness”. After Abraham’s victory over those, who took his nephew and all his possessed, king of Sodom offered Abraham to split the booty. Abraham refused, he did not want even a penny coming from that king (see Gen 14:21-24). The lesson is clear: there is no compromise with evil.
- Abraham is a model of believing man, but he is not perfect. In the Bible only God is prefect.
Reading the Bible 