"Greetings in the Name of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ"
Today's Blog Title: "The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah"
Today's Scripture Reading: Genesis 19:1-38
Today's Key Verse: Genesis 19:17: "So it came to pass, when they had brought them outside, that he said, "Escape for your life! DO NOT LOOK BEHIND YOU nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed."
At the end of Chapter 18 as Abraham was pleading with the Lord to save Sodom, that went from 50 righteous down to the Lord agreeing to 10, that the two angels had departed, and were heading toward Sodom.
Chapter 19 starts as the two angels are approaching the gates of Sodom, and we see Lot sitting there. It would seem that things were going well for Lot, because the gate of a city was the place where the town elders would meet. Lot had become so involved in the city, the he himself had become a ruling elder. Lot shows an act of reverence by bowing to his special guests. The angels appeared to Lot as men, and he greeted them as such.
Lot then invites his visitor's into his house as an act of hospitality, and because perhaps of his sense of danger of what the city of Sodom might hold for them. The men of Sodom see the strangers go into Lot's house, and they call out to him to bring them out, that they might "know them". The word "know" here, is ordinarily used of normal sexual relations between a man and a woman, but the men of Sodom were aggressive homosexuals bent on raping innocent travelers. The word "know" then in this verse, is used to describe the perversion of homosexual sex between men.
The mob become quite unruly at this the point of wanting Lot's vistor's, that Lot offered his two daughters to them if they would just leave his visitor's alone. As the mob rushed the door of Lots house, the angels pulled Lot back inside, and struck the men at the door with blindness in that they could not find the door, and saved Lot, and his family from a vicious attack.
The angels have now completed there search, and were now going to bring down the judgment of God upon the city, because they could not find ten righteous men in the city. We see in verse 16 that Lot even after what had just happened, "lingered" and had mixed feelings about the destruction that was to come. The angels had to take ahold of Lot, and his family, and actually force them out of the city.
The angels tell Lot to "escape for your life, and do not look behind you. As they are safely out of the city, fire and brimstone, falls from heaven and destroys the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot and his family were instructed not to look back, but in verse 26, we see that Lot's wife disobeyed and looked back and she was turned into a pillar of salt. Her destruction was sudden. Nothing was left of her except for mineral salt pile. Jesus referred to her in his teachings on the sudden destruction that will come in the last days. In Luke 17:32 Jesus warned: "Remembers Lot's wife"
On the morning that that the cities were destroyed Abraham looked and saw the smoke and realized the truth that there were not even ten righteous in the city. Lot was saved, because God remembered Abraham, and if were not for Abraham, Lot would have died with those in the city.
Lot's experience stands as a warning to us all. He chose to live in the valley, because of the material advantages it provided. Lot preferred to stay there, and make a profit than to leave, and take a stand against evil. Lot's willingness to compromise his convictions, robbed him of influence with the men of Sodom.
In the closing verses of this Chapter, we also see his lack of integrity is revealed, in his daughters incestuous plan following the destruction of the city. What did Lot gain gain by compromising his convictions? The wealth and ease for which he sold them out? No, not at all. Our last glimpse of Lot, show him destitute and drunk lying senseless in a mountain cave, because he feared for his safety in the city of Zoar. The shameful acts of incest by Lot's daughters on there father while he was drunk, led to the birth of two sons who would later greatly trouble Israel Moab and Ben-Ammi.
Today's Question and Closing Comment: How does God feel about sin? Lot's wife turned back to look at the smoldering city of Sodom. Clinging to the past, she was unwilling to turn completely from sin. Are you looking back longingly at sin while trying to move forward with God? You can't make progress with God, as long as you are holding on to pieces of your old life. In Matthew 6:24 Jesus said it this way, "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and Mammom." (Mammon referes to wealth, money or property)
Over the mountains and the sea, Your river runs with love for me
And I will open up my heart, And let the Healer set me free
I'm happy to be in the truth, And I will daily lift my hands
For I will always sing, Of when Your love came down
I could sing of Your love forever
I could sing of Your love forever
Heavenly Father, Thank you freeing us of the burden of sin and setting us free when we accepted Jesus Christ into our lives. May we not focus on the material things of this world, but may we lay up treasures in heaven.
Amen
Have a God Filled and Spirit Led Day, and Keep Your Eyes Upon Jesus.
Yours In Christ
Cindi
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