SCRIPTURE: Genesis 19
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
It seems that when Lot chose the best land, he also put himself in a compromising place (13:8-13). Lot did not remain immune to their extreme wickedness. Sure, he welcomed and protected these strangers, but to offer his daughters to the men of the city??? That’s just horrible. We should not be fooled into thinking that we can immerse ourselves in a sinful environment and remain unaffected.
The judgment against Sodom and Gomorrah (whatever the natural explanations for this disaster) came about because the situation had deteriorated to a horrible state. God was not being unfair. We probably do not appreciate how bad things were, though this story sure gives us an indication of how bad it was.
Whatever happened to Lot’s wife, we need to see it as more than just a sneak peak at what was happening behind her. She hesitated, she was turning back to the life she was comfortable with. In her heart, she was still in Sodom and Gomorrah. She refused to see it as evil. Therefore she ended up experiencing the consequence of the lifestyle she loved.
Lot’s daughters were also raised in this corrupt place, and drunkenness and sexual immorality was commonplace to them. It’s amazing that they were still virgins at this time, seeing how the society they lived in, and even their father, treated them. So sleeping with their father to get pregnant was not out of line with what they had seen/experienced growing up.
This is what the world becomes when it follows through on its rebellion against God and His ways. God is patient and merciful, but He does allow us to experience at times the consequences of our sin.
And this is what happens when we tolerate and accommodate sin. Like Lot, many Jesus-followers today have become worldly. We dress like they do, we get drunk like they do, we laugh at the same jokes (no matter how immoral), we justify the same sins. And then we wonder why our lives are falling apart. You can’t dabble in sin without getting stained. And the stain touches our families too.
PRAYER:
Lord, forgive us for taking You and sin lightly, for not seeing how dangerous and destructive our attitudes, behaviours and choices are, to us, to others, and to You.
It would seem that Lot recognized these men, these ‘visitors’ as God’s messangers, as angels. He desires to protect them from the evil of this town- because he fears God? He offers his virgin daughters to be used instead? Is this because Lot desires to remain in good standing with these men from town?
With such perversion and wickedness why did Lot remain in such a town?
LORD, how often do believers today sacrifice those we love to meet the desires of this world? Do we do it for status? Do we do it to belong/ accepted? Are we people pleasers? Do we do it out fear? Is greed a factor? We may not offer our virgin daughters but we place our marriages, our children, the community of our fellow believers at risk when we ‘dabble’ in the ways of the world. Forgive us LORD. Help us LORD to see the truth of our lives / lifestyles in and through You so that we may see the things that we need to walk away from that our staining our lives, hurting those love, hindering / destroying our relationship with You.
As Lot’s life is threatened, the angels reach out to protect Lot despite his own perverse and wickedness.
Lot hears the warnings of the angels yet is slow to remove his family and himself? Lot is not taken seriously as he shares this warning from God with his family and their fiances? Had Lot fallen so far that they did not believe God would send Lot a warning? LORD, do people recognize how closely I walk with You? Does my relationship with You remain evident in all areas of my life- work, play, family? Does my life and lifestyle reflect at all times that I walk with You, I serve You, I live for You? Do I walk away/ remove myself from worldly things because I have chosen You over the world? LORD, please reveal anything in my life that places me in spiritual danger / of being as the world.
Once again, God shows mercy and patience as He literally steps in to remove Lot and His family from this place of evil as the angels take them by the hand and lead them out to save them. LORD, we can look around and see Your warning signs every where. Do we listen? Do we remove ourselves immediately? LORD, how many times You have shown mercy and patience, given us a way of escape, a way out? How often like Lot do we hesitate? Why does the way of the world have such a hold on us? Is it because we have become comfortable? Are we afraid to leave the sin behind? Why can we not see how much better our lives would be by choosing Your ways? LORD forgive us. LORD, give us eyes to see, hearts and minds to understand how much more You have for us, that nothing, absolutely nothing of this world can compare to what we have in You, through You and with You.
LORD, we also see that the prayers of Abraham for Lot and his family did not go unheard. You showed mercy to Lot and his family because of Abraham’s prayers and pleadings. This is the power of praying and interceeding and pleading for others. May we not grow weary in crying out to You for the sake of others. Thank You LORD that You respond to our prayers as we interceed. Thank You LORD that our prayers do make a difference, that if it matters to us, it matters to You!
LORD, once we have chosen You, may there be no looking back, only looking forward to all that lays ahead with You. Grant us the strength to walk away with no regrets.
LORD, how awful that Lot’s daughters did not see the perversion of such an act! They were virgins yet their lives were so corrupt from the environment and the lifestyles that they had been exposed to that this did not seem horrendous. God help us to protect our children, our families, our loved ones from things of this world that they might be exposed to. May they not become indifferent to the ways of the world but see it for the ugliness that it is. The world is seeping more and more into our lives even into our church communities as we become more and more indifferent, not taking a stand against the ways of the world. Satan is so good at disguising the evil of this world that at times we see things as being so harmless, not really affecting us and YET…… families are being torn apart, children are suffering from the results of our choices, believers are being divided….
God have mercy….
Lot did practice hospitality. He also was part of the lifestyle of the city since he sat at the city gate. How close to the edge can I come without being one of them? Almost but not quite? Living among the people and yet to be a separate people is difficult. The ways of the world influences all of us. Lot’s wife looked back to the lifestyle she lived and died. The girls practiced the lifestyle which was so prevalent in the society where they used to live. We are not immune to what happens in the world around us. And there are even times that we go it alone – without our God.
Oh how I need You every hour, Lord. Open my eyes that I may see the perils of today. Lead me on the narrow pathway of my pilgrim’s progress with You. May I continue to lead my household as a household of faith.following Your way in all they do and say. Lead us all by Your Spirit in the Way we should go, as truly separate people, Jesus followers – disciples – in all we do and say – a living witness also this day.
I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine can peace afford.
I need Thee, O I need Thee;
Every hour I need Thee;
O bless me now, my Savior,
I come to Thee.
I need Thee every hour, stay Thou nearby;
Temptations lose their power when Thou art nigh.
I need Thee every hour, in joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide, or life is in vain.
I need Thee every hour; teach me Thy will;
And Thy rich promises in me fulfill.
I need Thee every hour, most Holy One;
O make me Thine indeed, Thou blessèd Son.