There is one more thing that most people would think of when comparing Lot and Abraham, and that is that they actually understand Lot much better. In fact, his choices were quite logical, unlike Abraham's. Lot's desires matched what people of all eras desire. After all, living permanently in a tent is not comfortable, so Lot wanted a house that would provide him with comfort and, moreover, demonstrate his position. He did not like loneliness and therefore did not want to stay far from the people of his time, so he sought their company and acceptance. He did not want to be a stranger permanently, but he wanted to become one of them.

Lot behaved naturally, as anybody normally does when he tries to maximize utility, things pleasant, and minimize discomfort, pain, or loss in his actions. There was no arbiter over his desires other than himself, so he did what was profitable for him within his reasoning. It was not chance, but the desires of his heart that led him to where he now was: in the midst of Sodom, a wealthy city with a vibrant life, full of gaiety and fun, a city surrounded by fertile fields where the same amount of labor expended yielded far greater returns than it had before on the highlands.

We may justly suppose that in the early years after their separation he grew richer more than Abram, thanks to the easier harvest. But war intervened in his life, and when he was taken away by the conquerors, it must have dawned on him, at least at that moment, how literally everything could be lost in a moment. It was then when Abraham saved him and all of Sodom, but even this memento did not cause Lot to change his mind. On the contrary, people tend to be grudgingly grateful to those who rescue them from difficulties if they cannot admit that their situation was their own fault. It does not appear that Lot's intercourse with Abram was then considerable frequent. Once, for his sake, Abraham set out at once with his men to battle. But now that he had learned of the impending destruction of Sodom, Lot was still a precious kinsman to him, but perhaps more one who wanted to determine his own destiny and had no desire for anyone to interfere and set up a mirror for him. He does not go to Lot as he once did to warn him of his doom, and he does not mention him by name in his prayer, though he was certainly thinking of him first and foremost. Inwardly he left him in God's hand - he was for him one who must already stand with his own righteousness.

Lot ruled over his life alone, as most people naturally wish. In contrast, Abraham placed a higher arbiter over his choices, and therefore some of his actions would be incomprehensible to many. Why did he build so many altars - wouldn't just one be enough? Why did he spend so much energy and time worshipping God? Why did he voluntarily go to a worse place several times? Why did he let some opportunities for profit pass him by when a better deal was offered?

It was as if he was being guided by something higher that remained hidden to others. Symbolically, it was the time of God's judgment that revealed that in the end it was the most important thing that remained. Whereas the temporal gain that Lot had earned was something that passed away completely in one single moment.