Post by Cindy on Sept 3, 2015 11:47:41 GMT -5
I fell apart watching the news last night and began sobbing telling the Lord how sorry I was for all the sin and how far the world had sunk in it's depravity, and how I too had been a part of it. The Lord consoled me and reminded me of a scripture. “if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)—” (2 Peter 2:6–8) A number of things from this caught my attention and I spoke to the Lord about them, and have spent the morning studying them.
First as I thought about Lot and how he felt, it seemed very much like the way I'd been feeling, and as many of us have been. Last night, I was very distressed by it, partly because I knew that it was going to continue to get even worse. I kept wondering how the Lord could stand it, because it must greatly hurt His heart. He hates sin because He knows what it will do to us, and knows what the end of the story will be for those who don't turn from it. I was amazed again to realize that His love was so great that just as He put up with the torture of the cross for us, He now puts up with the torture of watching us destroy ourselves, while working toward drawing everyone to Himself that He can. It would be so much easier for Him to just end it all now, but He doesn't, so that yet more can be saved. He will wait till the very last second and snatch that last sinner from the fire, just as He snatched the thief on the cross next to Him from the flames before he died. What great love that is!
Then, as I thought more about Lot, I realized that I'd never considered him a "righteous" man before. Knowing his story, I'd always looked at him pretty much as a failure, yet I knew that Peter had called him righteous. When I studied it today, I saw my memory was right. Everything I read about Lot, seemed to indicate that he wasn't all that good of a person. Abraham was always teaching him (or trying to) giving to him, praying for him, and rescuing him from something. You'd think with Abraham as a role model that Lot would have been a better man, yet he wasn't. So it's kind of a surprise to hear Peter call him righteous. As I re-read the story of Sodom, I began to realize that Lot is very much a picture of many Christians today. No, he's not a very good person, but he's considered righteous because he did one thing right. He had faith in God, so God imputed righteous to him, by grace through faith, just as He does for us.
Let's look closer at Lot to see how he's like many in the church today. If you read Genesis 19 you see Lot sitting as an elder at the city gate. That's where the most respected elders sat to judge any problems that came up in the city. Instead of going to a court house, they went to the city gates and the elders there would deal with the problems. So apparently Lot had risen to a position of authority in Sodom. That sounds good at first doesn't it? After all, he must be at least trying to do good for the people there. Compared to Abraham though, it's not quite as good. Abraham was in his tent, not settled down in a wicked city. We know that's because he knew he was a stranger in this world, that it wasn't really his home, therefore he wasn't planning on settling down anywhere permanently as he knew God had something better for him. Abraham lived by faith. But Lot first moved his tent near Sodom, a city full of evil, but also full of many wonderful worldly things that entice us. Lot began to live by sight instead of faith, finally moving into Sodom itself. (Gen. 13:10–12)
Notice the time element too, for every word is important. When the angels came to Abraham it was early afternoon (Gen 18:1). When they went to Lot it was evening (Gen 19:1) Knowing what we do about both Abraham and Lot, we can also see this as showing us that Abraham was walking in the light, while Lot was walking in darkness.
There's another big difference in the visits. When the angels visited Abraham, the Lord was with them, but He wasn't with them when they went to see Lot. Sin separates us from the Lord. We don't lose our salvation, we can see this here because the Lord still sent the angels to rescue him and did save him, but the Lord Himself remained distant. Also, Abraham had an altar, but Lot did not. Note too that Abraham had prayed for Lot but we're not told anything about Lot praying. So Lot's rescue was largely due to Abraham's intercession. That alone should be a great encouragement for us to pray for our loved ones! There was even a difference in how the two men greeted the angels. Abraham got up and rushed to meet them, while Lot simply got up when they arrived. Again it shows how the world and sin had affected Lot.
Finally we see what happens when the angels go into the city to stay in Lot's home. That's a very uncomfortable part of the story to say the least. We see how wicked the people were when we're told that every single male in the city came to Lot's house to try and have sex with the angels. How totally disgusting! This is what I was thinking of when I saw the news last night, realizing how much worse it's going to get. But then Lot does something totally unexpected, and just as totally distasteful and evil! He offers his two daughters to the men instead! How in the world do we reconcile that with a man who's supposedly righteous??? He probably figured it would be the lesser of two evils, and as he didn't have any time to actually think about how to deal with the situation, it was probably the only thing he could think of at the time. We know though that God hates rape, adultery and any kind of sexual sin, so what Lot offered was not something that God would have approved of! However, during those days, as it is in our day, sexual sin was very prevalent and not at all hidden. The people thought nothing of it at all and probably would have considered having sex with women boring as opposed to their obvious preference. What was Lot really trying to do? Well, he desperately wanted to protect his guests as that was considered to be of the highest priority in those days, but he also wanted to find some way to compromise with the wicked people he lived among. He didn't want to ruin his life there either, after all, it was his home. Notice how in Genesis 19:7 he calls the men in the mob "his friends"?
This whole scenario is even more uncomfortable if we compare what he did or attempted to do, with what we do or attempt to do at times, which is yet another way this is a picture of many Christians today. How often do we try to compromise with the world, with our neighbors, our employer, our town or city, or even our country and their views, while at the same time, not entirely giving up what we know to be right? Money, sex, power, being considered important, and just being liked and accepted pulls at all of us, and sadly we often choose to compromise rather then standing firm with the Lord. Again we see the difference between Lot and Abraham. Lot offered the mob his daughters, Abraham offered God his son.
What happens next shows us more of just how low these people had fallen, and tells us more about Lot too. The mob tried to push past Lot to get to the angels who they saw as men. They made fun of Lot and his position as an "elder" showing us just how little influence Lot really had. His influence for good was only in his mind, not in reality. The angles intervened, blinded the men so they couldn't find the door and pulled Lot back inside his home. They then told Lot that God was going to destroy the cities in the area because of the sin but that they would bring him and his family to safety first. So Lot goes and tells the men his daughters were planning to marry about it, but they too make fun of him and figure it's all just a big joke. Again we see the Lot has no influence at all. Not with anyone. Lot tried to convince them but couldn't and finally the angels told him they had to leave immediately, they couldn't wait any longer. What does Lot do? He still hesitates! The angles have to literally grab hold of him, his wife, and his daughters and drag them out of the city!
How many people do you know that say they're Christians, yet who don't want the Lord to come now because there's things they still want to do? Just like the article about how the younger generation today doesn't want to hear the message that the Lord is coming, so many people today really don't want the Lord to come. They'd much rather stay here, get married, make more money, have fun, have children, raise their children, or whatever. It really shows what their priorities are, just as Lot and family members showed where theirs lay. Their minds were locked on their life here and now, not on what the Lord had for them or wanted for them.
When they finally get them out of the city itself, Lot still stalled! What gall! Here the angels are doing all they can to rescue this man and his family and he's fighting them every step of the way! They want him to flee to the mountains, but he begs them to let them go to a near by small town instead. He still doesn't want to give up the world. He tells them that he's afraid that if he takes his family to the mountains like they've told him too, that they'll all die. Talk about doubting God! Here He has sent angels to rescue him and his family, they've kept him safe and are still doing so, and yet the man still doubts! Amazingly the angles agree to allow it and say they will spare that town for his sake. I would be shaking in my boots at that, because often one of the worst things that can happen to us is when God finally gives in and lets us have our own way. How can we be so stupid to think that we know more then He does about what's good for us, or what will make us happy or safe? Yet this is something we often do in both small and big ways, just like Lot. Or, if we don't do it before hand, we do it when we don't get what we want, arguing with God because He didn't give us what we asked for, like when we don't get that job, or the raise, or bonus, or when we or a loved one don't get healed, or so many other things.
Lot had so little influence that even his wife rebelled and looked back. Now that doesn't sound all that bad at first, really. But what really happened? They had been specifically told not to look back toward Sodom, but she disobeyed. It wouldn't have been all that easy to do either, considering the angels had hold of her as did her husband. The words translated "looked back" show that it wasn't a casual glance. It means to look intently, longingly. She turned and looked longingly back at Sodom. She didn't want to leave. Therefore God instantly turned her into a pillar of salt to be a warning passed down even to our day. This is yet another warning to us not to become attached to the world or the things of this world as so many of us are.
The very next verse takes us back to Abraham, telling us that he sees the smoke and realizes that God couldn't find even 10 righteous people in the cities and they've been destroyed. The last verse in the chapter says: “So when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Abraham, and he brought Lot out of the catastrophe that overthrew the cities where Lot had lived.” (Genesis 19:29) We're reminded at the end that God rescued Lot not because he was so good, but because Abraham had interceded for him. He didn't just say a simple prayer for Lot but persevered in prayer. Because of that, Lot was saved from the destruction of the cities. We know that bad things happen to good people, and while it would have been hard to call Lot a "good person", he certainly wasn't as wicked as the rest of the population. We know too that Lot was saved, for Peter tells us that God counted him as righteous. Saved doesn't mean that we will not see hard times or even lose our life here. If Abraham had not prayed for Lot, it's quite possible that he would not have been rescued before the cities were destroyed. He would still be saved and go to heaven, but his life on earth would have ended. As James tells us, “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16) Something for us all to keep in mind.
There's so much about this that I see even more now why our Lord compared the times we're living in with the time Lot lived. ““Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all. “It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. “It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed.” (Luke 17:26–30)
The Lord showed me more about this, but I know it's already way too long for most folks, so perhaps I'll add to it tomorrow, if the Lord wills it.
First as I thought about Lot and how he felt, it seemed very much like the way I'd been feeling, and as many of us have been. Last night, I was very distressed by it, partly because I knew that it was going to continue to get even worse. I kept wondering how the Lord could stand it, because it must greatly hurt His heart. He hates sin because He knows what it will do to us, and knows what the end of the story will be for those who don't turn from it. I was amazed again to realize that His love was so great that just as He put up with the torture of the cross for us, He now puts up with the torture of watching us destroy ourselves, while working toward drawing everyone to Himself that He can. It would be so much easier for Him to just end it all now, but He doesn't, so that yet more can be saved. He will wait till the very last second and snatch that last sinner from the fire, just as He snatched the thief on the cross next to Him from the flames before he died. What great love that is!
Then, as I thought more about Lot, I realized that I'd never considered him a "righteous" man before. Knowing his story, I'd always looked at him pretty much as a failure, yet I knew that Peter had called him righteous. When I studied it today, I saw my memory was right. Everything I read about Lot, seemed to indicate that he wasn't all that good of a person. Abraham was always teaching him (or trying to) giving to him, praying for him, and rescuing him from something. You'd think with Abraham as a role model that Lot would have been a better man, yet he wasn't. So it's kind of a surprise to hear Peter call him righteous. As I re-read the story of Sodom, I began to realize that Lot is very much a picture of many Christians today. No, he's not a very good person, but he's considered righteous because he did one thing right. He had faith in God, so God imputed righteous to him, by grace through faith, just as He does for us.
Let's look closer at Lot to see how he's like many in the church today. If you read Genesis 19 you see Lot sitting as an elder at the city gate. That's where the most respected elders sat to judge any problems that came up in the city. Instead of going to a court house, they went to the city gates and the elders there would deal with the problems. So apparently Lot had risen to a position of authority in Sodom. That sounds good at first doesn't it? After all, he must be at least trying to do good for the people there. Compared to Abraham though, it's not quite as good. Abraham was in his tent, not settled down in a wicked city. We know that's because he knew he was a stranger in this world, that it wasn't really his home, therefore he wasn't planning on settling down anywhere permanently as he knew God had something better for him. Abraham lived by faith. But Lot first moved his tent near Sodom, a city full of evil, but also full of many wonderful worldly things that entice us. Lot began to live by sight instead of faith, finally moving into Sodom itself. (Gen. 13:10–12)
Notice the time element too, for every word is important. When the angels came to Abraham it was early afternoon (Gen 18:1). When they went to Lot it was evening (Gen 19:1) Knowing what we do about both Abraham and Lot, we can also see this as showing us that Abraham was walking in the light, while Lot was walking in darkness.
There's another big difference in the visits. When the angels visited Abraham, the Lord was with them, but He wasn't with them when they went to see Lot. Sin separates us from the Lord. We don't lose our salvation, we can see this here because the Lord still sent the angels to rescue him and did save him, but the Lord Himself remained distant. Also, Abraham had an altar, but Lot did not. Note too that Abraham had prayed for Lot but we're not told anything about Lot praying. So Lot's rescue was largely due to Abraham's intercession. That alone should be a great encouragement for us to pray for our loved ones! There was even a difference in how the two men greeted the angels. Abraham got up and rushed to meet them, while Lot simply got up when they arrived. Again it shows how the world and sin had affected Lot.
Finally we see what happens when the angels go into the city to stay in Lot's home. That's a very uncomfortable part of the story to say the least. We see how wicked the people were when we're told that every single male in the city came to Lot's house to try and have sex with the angels. How totally disgusting! This is what I was thinking of when I saw the news last night, realizing how much worse it's going to get. But then Lot does something totally unexpected, and just as totally distasteful and evil! He offers his two daughters to the men instead! How in the world do we reconcile that with a man who's supposedly righteous??? He probably figured it would be the lesser of two evils, and as he didn't have any time to actually think about how to deal with the situation, it was probably the only thing he could think of at the time. We know though that God hates rape, adultery and any kind of sexual sin, so what Lot offered was not something that God would have approved of! However, during those days, as it is in our day, sexual sin was very prevalent and not at all hidden. The people thought nothing of it at all and probably would have considered having sex with women boring as opposed to their obvious preference. What was Lot really trying to do? Well, he desperately wanted to protect his guests as that was considered to be of the highest priority in those days, but he also wanted to find some way to compromise with the wicked people he lived among. He didn't want to ruin his life there either, after all, it was his home. Notice how in Genesis 19:7 he calls the men in the mob "his friends"?
This whole scenario is even more uncomfortable if we compare what he did or attempted to do, with what we do or attempt to do at times, which is yet another way this is a picture of many Christians today. How often do we try to compromise with the world, with our neighbors, our employer, our town or city, or even our country and their views, while at the same time, not entirely giving up what we know to be right? Money, sex, power, being considered important, and just being liked and accepted pulls at all of us, and sadly we often choose to compromise rather then standing firm with the Lord. Again we see the difference between Lot and Abraham. Lot offered the mob his daughters, Abraham offered God his son.
What happens next shows us more of just how low these people had fallen, and tells us more about Lot too. The mob tried to push past Lot to get to the angels who they saw as men. They made fun of Lot and his position as an "elder" showing us just how little influence Lot really had. His influence for good was only in his mind, not in reality. The angles intervened, blinded the men so they couldn't find the door and pulled Lot back inside his home. They then told Lot that God was going to destroy the cities in the area because of the sin but that they would bring him and his family to safety first. So Lot goes and tells the men his daughters were planning to marry about it, but they too make fun of him and figure it's all just a big joke. Again we see the Lot has no influence at all. Not with anyone. Lot tried to convince them but couldn't and finally the angels told him they had to leave immediately, they couldn't wait any longer. What does Lot do? He still hesitates! The angles have to literally grab hold of him, his wife, and his daughters and drag them out of the city!
How many people do you know that say they're Christians, yet who don't want the Lord to come now because there's things they still want to do? Just like the article about how the younger generation today doesn't want to hear the message that the Lord is coming, so many people today really don't want the Lord to come. They'd much rather stay here, get married, make more money, have fun, have children, raise their children, or whatever. It really shows what their priorities are, just as Lot and family members showed where theirs lay. Their minds were locked on their life here and now, not on what the Lord had for them or wanted for them.
When they finally get them out of the city itself, Lot still stalled! What gall! Here the angels are doing all they can to rescue this man and his family and he's fighting them every step of the way! They want him to flee to the mountains, but he begs them to let them go to a near by small town instead. He still doesn't want to give up the world. He tells them that he's afraid that if he takes his family to the mountains like they've told him too, that they'll all die. Talk about doubting God! Here He has sent angels to rescue him and his family, they've kept him safe and are still doing so, and yet the man still doubts! Amazingly the angles agree to allow it and say they will spare that town for his sake. I would be shaking in my boots at that, because often one of the worst things that can happen to us is when God finally gives in and lets us have our own way. How can we be so stupid to think that we know more then He does about what's good for us, or what will make us happy or safe? Yet this is something we often do in both small and big ways, just like Lot. Or, if we don't do it before hand, we do it when we don't get what we want, arguing with God because He didn't give us what we asked for, like when we don't get that job, or the raise, or bonus, or when we or a loved one don't get healed, or so many other things.
Lot had so little influence that even his wife rebelled and looked back. Now that doesn't sound all that bad at first, really. But what really happened? They had been specifically told not to look back toward Sodom, but she disobeyed. It wouldn't have been all that easy to do either, considering the angels had hold of her as did her husband. The words translated "looked back" show that it wasn't a casual glance. It means to look intently, longingly. She turned and looked longingly back at Sodom. She didn't want to leave. Therefore God instantly turned her into a pillar of salt to be a warning passed down even to our day. This is yet another warning to us not to become attached to the world or the things of this world as so many of us are.
The very next verse takes us back to Abraham, telling us that he sees the smoke and realizes that God couldn't find even 10 righteous people in the cities and they've been destroyed. The last verse in the chapter says: “So when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Abraham, and he brought Lot out of the catastrophe that overthrew the cities where Lot had lived.” (Genesis 19:29) We're reminded at the end that God rescued Lot not because he was so good, but because Abraham had interceded for him. He didn't just say a simple prayer for Lot but persevered in prayer. Because of that, Lot was saved from the destruction of the cities. We know that bad things happen to good people, and while it would have been hard to call Lot a "good person", he certainly wasn't as wicked as the rest of the population. We know too that Lot was saved, for Peter tells us that God counted him as righteous. Saved doesn't mean that we will not see hard times or even lose our life here. If Abraham had not prayed for Lot, it's quite possible that he would not have been rescued before the cities were destroyed. He would still be saved and go to heaven, but his life on earth would have ended. As James tells us, “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16) Something for us all to keep in mind.
There's so much about this that I see even more now why our Lord compared the times we're living in with the time Lot lived. ““Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all. “It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. “It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed.” (Luke 17:26–30)
The Lord showed me more about this, but I know it's already way too long for most folks, so perhaps I'll add to it tomorrow, if the Lord wills it.