Friday, March 4 [Lot] kept lingering.​—Gen. 19:16.

[Áine]

Friday, March 4

[Lot] kept lingering.—Gen. 19:16.

 

At a critical time in his life, Lot was slow to obey Jehovah’s instructions. We may judge Lot as being apathetic, even disobedient. However, Jehovah did not give up on him. “Because of Jehovah’s compassion for him,” the angels took the family by the hand and led them outside the city. (Gen. 19:15, 16) Jehovah might have felt compassion for Lot for a number of reasons. Lot may have been reluctant to leave his home because he feared the people outside the city. There were other dangers too. Lot likely knew of the two kings who had fallen into pits of bitumen, or asphalt, in a nearby valley. (Gen. 14:8-12) As a husband and father, Lot must have worried about his family. In addition, Lot was wealthy, so he may have owned a fine house in Sodom. (Gen. 13:5, 6) Of course, none of those factors excused Lot for failing to obey Jehovah immediately. However, Jehovah looked beyond Lot’s mistake and viewed him as a “righteous man.”—2 Pet. 2:7, 8. w20.04 18 ¶13-14

[BLEmom]

Aligns well with todays watchtower study. In the end, Lot did value his relationship with Jehovah more than his material possessions. His wife did not.