Lot made it out of wicked Sodom by the skin of his teeth, and his dilly-dallying almost cost him his life. But to understand the source of his delay, we have to turn our attention back two generations to his grandfather, Terah.
The Bible tells us that Terah came from the city of Ur, and it was here that his son Haran died as an adult. Some time later, Terah uproots the remaining family – including Haran’s son Lot – to go to Canaan.
On their journey, they come to a city called by the same name as Terah’s lost son – Haran. Here in Haran, Terah sets up camp. Instead of continuing on his journey, he inexplicably ends up staying put. Could it be that the name of the city reminded him of the loss of his own son? Could this attachment from his past have hindered him from moving forward? The Bible calls Terah an idol-worshipper, and one way of looking at this is that he set other things before God. In this case, the memory of his son became more like an idol, and became more important than following God’s call. Interestingly, the name Haran means ‘delay’, and it was in this city that Terah delayed with his family until the day of his death.
Abraham is next to pick up the baton, following God’s call and heading to the land that God “will show” him. In sharp contrast to Terah, Abraham is marked by always obeying God’s instructions without delay. Even when later called by God to sacrifice his beloved son, Abraham rises up ‘very early’ the next day to perform God’s command. To Abraham, immediate obedience to God’s commands is absolutely essential and is a sign that God is first in his life. Perhaps he had learnt from the mistake of his father Terah?
Lot on the other hand chose to live in wealthy Sodom, despite its sinful reputation. When angels brought Lot warning of the impending destruction of Sodom, Lot lived up to the name of his father Haran – he delayed. Like Terah, Lot and his family keep on delaying all night long until finally the angels were out of time. The angels literally led them by their hands, pulling them out of town. But as they leave, Lot’s wife takes one last look back with longing eyes, paying the ultimate price for holding onto her old life.
The Bible calls both Abraham and Lot righteous people, but if we were to contrast the final outcome of their lives, the contrast couldn’t be greater. Lot ended up spending his last days living fearfully in a cave with his two daughters, while Abraham became wealthy, influential and blessed at long last with a son of his own. We learn from these two men that no matter how difficult it might seem, it truly pays to chose the path of Abraham, the path of immediate obedience to God’s voice and leading.
Recently, my wife and I were considering a significant decision, and although I knew deep down in my heart what God wanted, I was delaying deciding on a path of action. As we prayed, the Lord showed me a picture of a turtle – implying that I was the one putting on the brakes. I quickly repented of my delay tactics and confessed to God my personal hesitations. Within minutes, God began to open up the doors for us in regards to the decision we had just made. It was as if He was just waiting for me to get in line with His plan.
I believe God has called us all to be like Abraham, to learn to live the life of faith and to walk in the fullness of the plans He has for us. But if you and I are to enter into those plans, we must likewise repent of our delays, and commit to follow Him.
Do you have any area of your life where you are delaying obeying God? Will you repent of those delays and commit to following Him today?
Ps Enoch Lavender was born in Australia, raised in Norway, spent time living in China and is now based on the Gold Coast of Australia. He has been studying Hebrew and the Jewish roots of our faith for the past decade, and has a keen interest in the Middle East from a Bible prophecy perspective.
Contact Enoch and Olive Tree Ministries
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