Decisions

DECISIONS
(Genesis 13:7-11)
“And the children of Israel did 
evil again in the sight of the LORD, 
and served Baalim, and Ashtaroth... 
and the gods of MOAB, and the 
gods of the children of AMMON... 
and forsook the LORD, and served 
not him.” -Judges 10:6
 
In this scripture, we see how the 
Israelites forsook God and served 
other gods. Some of these gods 
are the gods of the MOABITES 
and the AMMONITES.
 
“I have heard the reproach of MOAB, 
and the revilings of the children of 
AMMON, whereby they have 
reproached my people, and magnified 
themselves against their border. 
Therefore as I live, saith the LORD 
of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely 
MOAB shall be as Sodom, and the 
children of AMMON as Gomorrah, 
even the breeding of nettles, and 
saltpits, and a perpetual desolation: 
the residue of my people shall 
spoil them, and the remnant of my 
people shall possess them. 
This shall they have for their pride, 
because they have reproached and 
magnified themselves against the 
people of the LORD of hosts.” 
-Zephaniah 2:8-10.
 
Here, God gave a judgment against 
the MOABITES and the AMMONITES.
These folks have always been a 
thorn in the side of Israel. 
They were a very bad influence. 
They always brought out the worst 
in the Israelites. 
They were like a very bad habit, 
a toxic people you have to keep 
away from to preserve your sanity.
 
Now, who are these guys? 
Where do they come from? 
What is their origin?
In Genesis, we read the story of 
Abram and Lot, his nephew. Abram’s 
herdsmen and Lot’s were always 
quarreling and Abram didn’t like it. 
So he came up with an idea: let’s 
separate!
He told his nephew, “Let there be 
no strife, I pray thee, between me 
and thee, and between my herdmen 
and thy herdmen; for we be 
brethren. 
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 13:8,9.
 
Abram was magnanimous enough to 
allow Lot choose first. 
He was the elder, but he allowed the 
younger man decide where he wanted 
to go.
Lot took a decision in that moment: 
“And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld 
all the plain of Jordan, that it was 
well watered every where... even as 
the garden of the LORD, like the land 
of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar. 
Then Lot chose him all the plain of 
Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and 
they separated themselves the one 
from the other.” -Genesis 13: 10,11.
 
Lot’s decision was made by SIGHT. 
He SAW one area LOOKED good for 
cattle rearing. 
He SAW the parameters added up. 
He SAW his cattle business growing 
in leaps and bounds in that environment. 
He had done his Risk Analysis and 
Business Growth Analysis. 
He concluded his decision was good…
 
Fast forward a few years down the line: 
Lot lost ALL his cattle. 
He lost his wife. 
He ended up living in a cave with his 
two daughters. 
He ended up impregnating them both.
They both gave birth to boys: one was 
named MOAB, the other was named 
BEN-AMMI.
“Thus were both the daughters of 
Lot with child by their father. 
And the firstborn bare a son, and called 
his name Moab: the same is the father 
of the Moabites unto this day. 
And the younger, she also bare a son, 
and called his name Benammi: the 
same is the father of the children of 
Ammon unto this day.”- Genesis 19: 36-38.
 
Lot’s children by his daughters became 
one of the worst enemies of the Israelites. 
All because of a WRONG DECISION.
 
QUESTION: What do YOU consider 
when taking a decision? 
Do you look on the outward appearance 
like Lot? 
Do you have inner eyes to see beyond 
the physical?
“Do ye look on things after the outward 
appearance…?” -2nd Corinthians 10:7.
 
I have learned NEVER to take 
decisions based on what I SEE: 
it is always subject to change!
“While we look not at the things which 
are seen, but at the things which are 
not seen: for the things which are 
seen are TEMPORAL; but the things 
which are not seen are ETERNAL.”
May we not take decisions by sight 
and end up like Lot in Jesus’ Name.
Amen.
Shalom.
Haruna Daniels