Comparing God’s salvation of Noah and Lot – Both righteous but different 🙏🏾

Noah and Lot were both saved by God before destruction was visited on the whole earth and on Sodom. But what are the similarities and differences we can find from the Bible about these two stories to help us get a clearer picture of the state of humanity and even righteous people in the end times? This study is critical because the Bible points back to Noah and Lot so many times that we Christians must study these stories in-depth and have them at the forefront of our minds as we navigate these end times. 

Similarities – Genesis 6-7, Genesis 19, Ezekiel 16:49-50; Jeremiah 23:14; Lamentations 4:6; Zephaniah 2:9, 2 Peter 2:7-8

• On the day that Lot went out of Sodom and after arriving in Zoar, destruction came on Sodom instantly
• On the very same day that Noah and his family entered the ark, the waters broke out of the deep and rains fell from heaven (btw did you know that all the waters were one consolidated body before the flood, and not separated by land as we have it today? Gen 1:9 🤓)
• God saved both men – Noah “walked with God”; Lot was called righteous (2 Pet 2:7-8)
• God always told someone before the destruction happened
• They were marrying and giving in marriage
• Abominations
• Gluttony
• Fullness of food
• Abundance of time
• Pride of heart and haughty
• Didn’t strengthen the hand of the needy
• Strengthened the hands of evil doers
• Adultery, sexual immorality, went after strange flesh (homosexuality)
• Completely destroyed
• For Sodom (and similar to Babylon), no-one resided there afterwards, over-run with weeds and salt pits
• Destroyed in a moment, swiftly
• Became a byword

Differences

• God spoke to Noah, who the Bible said “walked with God” and was righteous.
  • God didn’t speak to Lot and only sent holy angels who only told Lot what was going to happen one night before.

• Noah, by faith and godly fear, believed God and prepared an ark. He took time out of his regular life to do this work. He only moved into the ark when God told him to; specifically, He and his family only moved into it on the same day the calamity struck. All those years building the ark away from the city must have done something to solidify Noah’s faith and walk with God. Basically, Noah was forewarned and acted well in advance so that he was ready to move into a secure place with his family when the destruction came. There was food and God also took care of them. – Read Last Day Events by Ellen White.
  • Lot on the other hand was instructed to flee to the mountains with very short notice – one day’s notice. The city of Zoar where he preferred to run to, was an evil city similar to Sodom (Gen 14:2, 8), and he was scared to stay there, perhaps worried that God would soon visit same punishment as Sodom on Zoar. The challenge is that because Lot was only rescued/warned at the last minute, he had never prepared himself to live in the mountains. He chose to live in the city for all those years, tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds (2 Pet 2:8) and he even lingered when death was at the door. Noah on the other hand had many years to faithfully prepare and was ready when destruction came and God told him it was time to move in.

The study of the destruction by God of the earth in Noah’s time and Sodom in Lot’s time, tells me that there may be at least two kinds of righteous people in the end times:

1. One who prepared well in advance by having a place of abode away from the city, acting by faith and godly fear on God’s warnings (Heb 11:7), given either directly to them (like God to Noah and Abraham) or through messengers (angels to Lot or Jeremiah to the Israelites or Ellen White to Adventists).
   
2. Another will be saved by God’s mercy because they are deemed righteous but still live in the cities. They will have very short notice (like Lot had just one night). The notice will come just on the border of destruction happening and they will need to flee speedily (very little time to pack or put anything in order, panic would also likely prevail). Unfortunately, some will be like Lot’s wife and will tarry and perish, probably because their faith is weak (they just can’t believe this is finally happening) or because their minds are too attached to the things of the world and can’t imagine fleeing to the mountains/country, away from their city life. One of their primary concerns would also be like Lot’s – fearful of their lives in the mountains (Gen 19:19). Some may even prefer to find ways to avoid the mountains, including finding another city nearby to run to instead but they will quickly find out that they’re playing with fire, as the fear of the destruction they will see come on the cities will prompt them to finally flee into the mountains if they want to live. 

May God help us have true faith and godly fear so we are not found wanting despite the many warnings given to us for so many years. Choosing to be like Lot is the the riskier path to take. When what is at risk is destruction for all, Bible evidence shows us that Noah’s path is the more secure one to tread. The advise about country living has been there from God’s messengers for centuries, as there is evidence in God’s word about destruction that will unfailingly come on cities. Thus, country living is a work that Christians should be looking into now, even if still living in the city. It’s not just a potential safety abode which God will alert us of need to flee to at the right time, but also a place where we can start spending more time with God in nature and let our characters develop to become even more like His. God bless.