19
1.Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening,
and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw
them, he rose to meet them, and he bowed himself with his
face towards the ground. 18: 1-5
I have anticipated coming to this verse above, and I
have pondered where I should put my thoughts, in
regards to the two angels that the Lord sent to Sodom. I had
thought about talking about this back in chapter eighteen
where they are first introduced to us, but I felt it would be
more appropriate here. So let me now consider these two
angels. I am reminded of the laws of God; which were
expanded on in the book of Deuteronomy by Moses’s in his
farewell address; if you will, to the people of Israel (who
have survived through the wilderness journey), and are now
about to enter the promised land ( Deut 17:6). God is about to judge the people of Sodom and Gomorrah and sentence them to death for their sins. By Gods own laws (Which He too is bound to) sends two witnesses in the
form of angels to testify against them. We must remember what the Lord said earlier in chapter eighteen (Gen 18:20-21). We do truly have a righteous and merciful God. Our Lord is slow to anger and He does not! Take satisfaction in putting to death any of His children (including the wicked). The Lord has heard the cry against them but He wants to know with certainty of their guilt before He cast sentence against
them. In my opinion this Grieved God greatly for what He was about to do, just like in the time of Noah when He was sorely grieved at what His creation had come to (Gen 6:6).
2 And he said, “Here now my lords, please turn into your
servant’s house and spend the night, and wash your feet;
then you may rise early and go on your way.” And they said,
“No, but we will spend the night in the open square.”
3 But he insisted strongly; so they turned in to him and
entered his house. Then he made them a feast, and baked
unleavened bread, and they ate. 18:6-8; Heb. 13:2
At the end of verse one we see that just like Abraham Lot
bowed his face to the ground upon greeting the two angels.
Again in my opinion Lot see s these two men for what they
are (angels of the Lord), which is why he bows down to
them. Also as Abraham he ask them to enter his house and
stay and wash their feet. Even though Lot has lived
amongst people who probably do not live according to the
customs he was brought up in, or even worship the same
God as Abraham, he has not let their evil ways corrupt him.
If Lot were as the people of Sodom then he would not have
been spared from the destruction. At first the angels are
prepared to spend the night in the middle of the city. In my
opinion it is so they can witness first hand how the people
are, to see if they truly are deserving of the death penalty.
Because Lot is so persistent with them they take him up on
his offer and decide to dwell with him. One last thing I
would like to point out here is the fact that Lot made them a
feast and baked unleavened bread. Let me just say first of
all that I believe Abraham knew of the laws of God and of
His Holy days, so I feel that I can safely assume that Lot
was brought up in these teachings while he dwelt with
Abraham.. I get this belief from what the bible says of
Abraham in genesis chapter twenty six (Compare Gen 26:1-5), with emphasis on verse five. The bible does not say that the destruction of Sodom occurred during the days of unleavened bread, irregardless, the fact that God tells Moses to write this down (remember it was God Himself who inspired Moses
what to write down in the first five books), I believe it is of great importance to the reader what God is revealing here. Let me explain. The Days Of Unleavened Bread is a commanded holy day of God that not only the Israelite nation is to observe yearly from generation to generation
but is also to be observed by us gentiles (non Israelis). During the Days Of Unleavened Bread we are told by God to purge out the old man in us (which is sin) so that we may be a new lump, as we are leavened (full of sin). (Compare 1 Co 5:6-8, Exo 13:6-9). Just as we are told to purge out the old leaven of malice and wickedness, by the partaken of eating unleavened bread by Lot and the angels, reveals to me that this is what God is
doing with Lot. The Lord is taken Lot away from the wickedness that surrounds him (purging him) and bringing him into a new life (unleavened bread of sincerity and truth), and also, just as the Lord brought the Hebrew people out of Egypt with His strong hand, so to God is delivering Lot out of the bondage of Sodom that he has been in.
This is one significant factor I see in the story of Lot, and of
Sodom and Gomorrah, and why God mentions that they ate
unleavened bread.
4 Now before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house.
5 And they called to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally.” Judg. 19:22; Rom. 1:24-27
It is now late in the evening and all the men of Sodom both young and old came to Lots house to have sex with the two angels whom the Lord sent to be a witness against them, and to save Lot and his family from the destruction to come. This reveals to us the wickedness of the people of
Sodom who can only have thoughts of evil continuously. The people are so wicked that even the children are brought up in this way of life, and so to the young this is normal behavior. This has been going on from generation to generation, and so they see no wrong in this type of lifestyle. Because of this, the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all the people from generation to generation, till the great day of judgment will not be condemned for their actions at this time (For they do not know the truth and the sinful life they are living). This will happen at the great white throne judgment, when people will have their first true chance to know God and repent of their ways (Compare Matt 11:20- 24). Because the people of Sodom were not brought up in the ways of the one true God and of His ways, and were blind to their sin, God will have mercy on them more so than to those who do know of Him and His truth, but yet still refuse to accept Him. It’s hard for me to explain to the unbeliever what God is doing is actually an act of love and mercy on the creators part. I will refer the reader back to my comments in Genesis. 18:18 in regards to this matter.
6 So Lot went out to them through the doorway, shut the
door behind him,
7 And said, “Please my brethren, do not do so wickedly!
Judg. 19:23
8 “”See now, I have two daughters who have not known a
man; please, let me bring them out to you, and you may do
to them as you wish; only do nothing to these men, since
this is the reason they have come under the shadow of my
roof.” Judg. 19:24
I am having a real hard time with verse eight here, in trying
understand Lots behavior, and how we are to learn from
this (2 Ti 3:16-17).I have read all the commentaries on this verse, I have gone to the United Church of Gods website, and I have even gone
to a Jewish website called Chabad.org to help give me some
insight as to what i’m suppose to take from verse eight.
Some commentaries say that Lot was merely acting on the
beliefs of the Asiatic customs of the times and still practiced
to this day let me quote from Adam Clarke s commentary,
(which seems to be a census to all who ascribe to this belief)
Behold now, I have two daughters – Nothing but that sacred light in which the rights of hospitality were regarded among the eastern nations, could either justify or palliate this proposal of Lot. A man who had taken a stranger under his care and protection, was bound to defend him even at the expense of his own life. In this light the rights of hospitality are still regarded in Asiatic countries; and on these high notions only, the influence of which an Asiatic mind alone can properly appreciate, Lot’s conduct on this occasion can be at all excused: but even then, it was not only the language of anxious solicitude, but of unwarrantable haste.
If this be the case then why does Lot offer up his two daughters and not himself in order to protect his guests? After the Asiatic custom is to defend his guest at the expense of his own life and not that of his family s life. We see no action of Lot here ready to lay down his life for his guests. After all it was Jesus who said that no man has a greater love than one who lays down his own life for a friend (John 15:12-13). The core issue I have with Lot here is this: How is he justified by his actions with God? Let me stop here for a second and just say this, it is not God who I am questioning here (I would never do that), on the contrary I am trying to understand my Father just as Abraham was doing when he was told of God s intentions in regards to Sodom and Gomorrah. God told Abraham that if he found ten righteous he would not destroy the cities for the sake of ten.
The actions of Lot seem to go against someone who is righteous. So then why was Lot sparred? To me, in my opinion his action is not worthy of this salvation, because to me Lot has become as the people of Sodom by offering up his daughters for sexual gratification, and we are never
told in the bible that unlike king David, Lot never repented for this action. In a sense (and I know these are harsh words) but he was essentially pimping out his own flesh and blood (who were still virgins). Also I do not want to be judgmental in my words, for it is God who knows the hearts
of men I am but a mere mortal man trying to understand my God and His word. Could it be that it is my faith that is being tested here? Should I just let this verse go and have the faith of Abraham; that God knows what he is doing with Lot and leave it at that? I have meditated on this for the
past two weeks and as I said earlier I even went to well known commentaries and my own church to help me understand my Father. I have finally put down on paper my thoughts on this matter for purpose of working this out in my head but to no avail, but I also have written down my thoughts while they are fresh on my mind and true to what I am thinking so I can then read my feelings back to myself as they have been revealed in my mind. This way I don’t have to try and explain this again, because know it won’t come out the same way I want it to.
9 And they said, “Stand back!” Then they said, “This one
came in to stay here, and he keeps acting as a judge; now
we will deal worse with you than with them.” So they
pressed hard against the man Lot, and came near to break
down the door.
Now that I look at this verse, it could to explain my
dilemma with Lot actions. All I need to do here is to read
between the lines. The people of Sodom make a telling
statement: they say among themselves “He (Lot) keeps
acting as a judge” Apparently during Lots stay in Sodom he
would act as judge for the sins of the people, which would
mean that he was basically witnessing against them and
also condemning them. How would he judge them? On
what basis would he use? Lot could only judge and
condemn them by the morals he himself was raised on.
Lot used Gods own statutes, laws, and commandments
which were taught to him by his uncle Abraham (Gen 26:4-5). Just as Abraham was blessed because he obeyed God and
kept all his statutes, and laws, and his commandments, so
to Lot followed in his uncles footsteps and obeyed God and
all his laws, statutes, and commandments, and was blessed
by God and was saved from the destruction of Sodom.
Lot was surrounded daily by the evil temptations of this
city and its people yet he stayed true to Gods word and
never succumbed to the desires of the wicked. I believe also
That in Lots judgment, that the people of Sodom said he
cast on them (and this is my opinion which there is nothing
in the bible that I can base this upon), that one of the
reasons he judged them was for their salvation. Just as
Abraham toiled with God about destroying the righteous
with the wicked and was concerned about the wicked also,
so to was Lot concerned with the path that the people of
Sodom were on, and his intent was to rescue them from
their own demise, not to act as if he were somehow better
than them. Like I have said many of times already, “God
knows the hearts of men” and He found Lot to have the
kind of heart that pleases Him. Now this still doesn’t justify
Lots action with his two daughters, but who hasn’t
stumbled in one way or another from time to time? Lot is
only human which means like all humans we are born with
the sin nature in us. There was only one human that ever
existed that was born without sin and never sinned and
that is our Lord Jesus Christ. Lot was caught up in the
moment, and out of desperation he did what he thought
was best for everyone concerned. In those type of situations
you have but seconds to react. So I ask myself; how would I
have reacted? What would I have done? I hope I never have
to find out for fear of failing not only myself, or my family,
but also failing God.
10 But the men reached out their hands and pulled Lot into the house with them, and shut the door.
Lot had been caught up in the ways of Sodom so much so
that he could not even see his own sin in his proposal that
he made with the people in regards to two of his daughters.
The angels of the Lord had to rescue him not only from the
people that were right outside his door, but also from
himself (so to speak)
11 And they struck the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that
they became weary trying to find the door. Acts 13:11
Out of all the things that the angels could have done to the
people at this point it is only fitting that they were struck
with blindness. The people of Sodom were spiritually
blinded to their wickedness. What they were wanting to do
to the two angels was not out of the ordinary for them when
strangers came to town. It was who they were as a people.
This is why Jesus said that it would be more tolerable for
the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment.
And again as Jesus said on the cross “Father forgive them
for they know not what they do” The people of Sodom
didn’t know any better because God had not revealed
Himself, His statutes, laws or commands to them (Matt 10:15, Luke 23:34).
12 Then the men said to Lot, “Have you anyone else here?
Son-in-law, your sons, your daughters, and whomever
you have in the city-take them out of this place! 2 Pet. 2:7-9
13 “For we will destroy this place, because the outcry
against them has grown great before the face of the Lord,
and the Lord has sent us to destroy it.” v. 24: 18-20
These two verses have such a profound impact on my
beliefs in regards to the end times and how my family will
be impacted. As I am writing this I am the only one in my
immediate family who has been baptized; with the laying
on of hands and hold the testimony of our Lord Jesus
Christ. It is my understanding of the scriptures that it is
only those who are like-minded as I, which will escape the
the trials and tribulation that is soon to come to the whole
world. As we see and read here that it is through the
righteousness of Lot that his family has been sanctified,
and has been granted mercy from the destruction to come
to Sodom, even though they are not of the faith of Lot, or practicing the faith, It brings to mind Noah and the flood. His family too was saved from the flood because of Noah’s righteousness. Now the families of both Noah and Lot were saved from the destruction at the time, but when it comes to their salvation this is a different issue. We all are responsible for our own salvation. Even If my family is sanctified thru me because of my righteousness, and are spared from God’s wrath in the latter day, they will not be a part of the saints that are caught up with our Lord Jesus Christ at the sound of the trumpet, if they have not truly repented of their own sins, and confess them before God, and been baptized. They will still be of the flesh during the 1000 year reign of Christ and their salvation would still be in question. consider 1 Co 7:12-14. I think it is important to show what the Thayer’s Greek definition of sanctified means:
Sanctified: (G37): ἁγιάζω: hagiazō
Thayer Definition:
1) to render or acknowledge, or to be venerable or hallow
2) to separate from profane things and dedicate to God
2a) consecrate things to God
2b) dedicate people to God
3) to purify
3a) to cleanse externally
3b) to purify by expiation: free from the guilt of sin
3c) to purify internally by renewing of the soul
I pray every day that I am found to be worthy to escape the tribulation of the end times, and that my family will be sanctified through me and likewise will be able to escape with me. I do not believe as probably most people do: in, that the church will be taken away before the tribulation. I believe that there will be some who will be martyrs for their belief in Jesus Christ, and that there will be those whom the Lord will take to a place of safety. I hope and pray I will be part of the latter. The promise made to John the apostle in the book of revelation by Jesus Christ is overlooked by many, and as the book is called; He reveals to John what is to happen to those who hold fast the testimony of Jesus Christ (Rev 3:10). So as Abraham was, I too have faith in my God that his word is true, and I look forward; to the promise that is ahead of me.
14 So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-laws, who had
married his daughters, and said, “Get up, get out of this
place; for the Lord will destroy this city! “But to his sons-in-
law he seemed to be joking.
So it appears to me that Lot has more than the two
daughters that he offered up to the people of Sodom. This is
only my opinion and there is nothing in the bible which
supports my theory. I have read a few commentaries and
there is some who say he only had the two daughters, while
others agree with my theory. I get my belief from what I
take from vs 12 where the angels ask Lot if he has anyone
else in the house with him. The men use the singular when
asking if he had a son-in-law somewhere else, maybe in the
city, whereas in this verse we see the term sons-in-law used
in the plural sense. So was there three daughters in Lots
house? But only the two he offered up were still virgins and
were not married? We must go back to verse eight where we
see that Lot describes these two daughters as not having
known a man inferring that they were not married, yet we
see in this verse that Lot speaks to at least two sons-in-laws
warning them of Gods plan to destroy the city but these
sons-in-laws thought that Lot was just joking and so they
ignored his warning. Then the last supporting evidence I
have in in the next verse (15) where the angels of the Lord
tell Lot to take the two daughters that are “HERE” meaning
that he had more daughters in the city. And that there was
only two of his daughters with him in his home.
15 When the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot to
hurry, saying, “Arise, take your wife and your two
daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the
punishment of the city.” 18:22
16 And while he lingered, the men took hold of his hand,
his wife’s hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the
Lord being merciful to him, and they brought him out and
set him outside the city. 2 Pet. 2:7
From what I see here right off is that the angels of the Lord
Stayed overnight in the city of Sodom after they had
blinded the people. What was the purpose for them to stay
so long? The bible is not clear on this. My thought is to give
Lot proper time to go out in the city and gather his family,
and his people who had been with him since he left
Abraham, that have not been corrupted by the sins of the
city. I say this because of what I read in verse twelve, where
the Angels tell Lot to get family, AND whomever he has in
the city. Lot basically has to be dragged from the city along
with his wife and two daughters by the two angels. It
appears that Lot is reluctant to leave all that he has behind
even though he knows that God himself is about to cast
punishment and destroy the city. It must have been a real
struggle for Lot. On the one hand we know that Lot has
found favor from the Lord, which tells us that he is a
righteous man who followed Gods laws, commands, and
statutes. Then on the other hand, even though the people
of Sodom were wicked he most surely had close friends,
and even family amongst them and i’m sure his heart
was grieving for them, for he knew what was about to come.
Lot knew he would never see these people again. There
were probably all kinds of thoughts going through his
mind. One of these could have been that he figured as long
as he stayed God would not destroy the city (“for the
righteous sake” as Abraham said to God). It’s kind of like
Lot has Satan in one ear saying “God will will not destroy
this city as long as you are here” and the angels are in the
other ear saying “GET OUT!” For the Lord has spoken and
His will, will be done. This is just one example (from my
point of view), of what Lot was struggling with.
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.” v. 26
The mountains, the place of safety. We see the same
scenario is to be played out in the latter days (Compare Matt 24:15-18), then again in Luke Jesus warns not to look back, just as the angels tell Lot and his family. (Luke 17:26-32).
18 Then Lot said to them, “Please, no, my Lords!
19 “Indeed now, your servant has found favor in your
sight, and you have increased your mercy which you have shown
me by saving my life; but I cannot escape to the mountains,
lest some evil overtake me and I die.
20 “See now, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a
little one; please let me escape there (is it not a little one?)
and my soul shall live.”
There are two facets of these verses I would like to discuss
here; one is faith, or the lack thereof, secondly the
temptations and the desires of the world. I will begin with
the subject of faith. Most commentaries I have read point to
the lack of faith that Lot had in God for his salvation from
the destruction about to come. Lot has already been
assured by The Lords angels that he has found favor in
Gods eyes which is why the angels were sent to rescue him
and his family from the destruction of Sodom. Why would
God warn Lot, take him away from the city, just to kill him
while he was fleeing? My God is not a liar! And He would
not mislead Lot, nor any of His children. So if Lot was so
concerned about being consumed in his flight, then in a
sense he is telling God, “I don’t know Lord, I think I will
put my fate into my own hands, and I think it be better if
went to this place where I would be safer.” oh ye of little
faith. This is the lesson that I believe most draw from these
verses, and I would have to say that this is the first thing
that came to my mind when I first read them.
As I meditated on these verses (which I did for sometime)
something else came to mind about what we can learn here.
I’m not in any way saying that faith isn’t the lesson we
ought to draw from these verses but that there could be
another aspect to this story, and that brings me to the
second facet of this story, which is the temptations and
desires of this world. So let me pose this thought to the
reader. Could it possibly be that just as Lot lingered about
in Sodom: not wanting to leave all the worldly possessions
he had accumulated, nor the ways of the world that he had
grown accustomed to, That when he looks to the mountains
he is told to flee to he sees no value in them. What is there
to gain from by living in these mountains? What worldly
treasures can he attain there? So when he looks to the city
of Zoar he sees a reflection of Sodom and all that it
represents, and all the worldly things that Satan loves to
tempt us with so he can manipulate us and lead us further
away from God the father and our relationship with Him
(Compare Gen 13:10-12). So then, maybe in the back of the mind of Lot he was actually not concerned with his life so much as he was
concerned with the cares of the world and all that it has to
offer. Lot still wanted to chose his own path, which leads
man to death and destruction, and not the ways of God.
Maybe Lot wanted to compromise with God and was not
ready to fully surrender himself to the Lord. We must not
forget though that God saw something good in Lot, for He
and only He knows the hearts of men. This is just one mans
opinion for whatever it is worth to the reader. One thing we
do know when we read a little further in this chapter is that
in the end, Gods will be done, and it will not be
circumvented by anyone. We see that Lot does not stay too
long living in Zoar and ends up living remainder of his life
in the same mountains that he tried to avoid. When the
time comes, at the last trumpet, when we are called to flee
to a place of safety, we must not look back but ahead, ahead
to the future kingdom of God and all its glory. Knowing that
all things work together for the good of those that love God (Rom 8:28, Matt 6:33).
21 And he said to him, “See I have favored you concerning
this thing also, in that I will not overthrow this city for
which you have spoken.
22 “Hurry, escape there. For I cannot do anything until you
arrive there.” therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.
13:10; 14:2
First off let me try to explain who it is that is talking to Lot
here. When we read in the bible and see the pronoun he,
sometimes the word is capitalized and other times it is not.
When this pronoun is capitalized it is referring to the divine
nature of God, and also our Lord Jesus Christ because
Jesus is the only begotten son of God the father He has the
distinction also of being of the divine nature. So when we
read in verse 21 “And he said to him” the he part is referring
to the angel that has come to rescue Lot and his family. So
then the him has to be referring to Lot. I would like to refer
to a pamphlet titled Is God a Trinity? That is published by
the united Church of God in it we see the distinction
between the angels, God, Jesus Christ, and man (who was
created in the image of God):
Note again Paul’s words in Romans 8:16: “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God” (KJV). And through that Spirit it becomes possible for us to be “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4), the very nature of God. Returning to the book of Hebrews, we should understand that the language of being begotten by God, while not applicable to the angels, is applicable not just to Jesus Christ but also to His followers. “Angels,” we are told, “are only servants—spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation” (Hebrews 1:14, NLT).
The reason I point this out is because when I first read
these two verses it was the next statement after “he said to
him” which confused me; which reads “see I have favored
you concerning this thing also” it’s as if the he talking here
is the Lord himself, yet “he” was not capitalized, and it was
as the angel himself had the authority to decide the fate of
Lot. I must also point out that in the KJV strongs version of
these verses the word favored is not used and I believe is a
poor substitution for the original word that was used, let
me quote from the KJV strongs version:
Gen 19:21 And he saidH559 untoH413 him, See, H2009 I have acceptedH5375 H6440 thee concerning thisH2088 thingH1697 also, H1571 that I will notH1115 overthrowH2015 (H853) this city, H5892 for the whichH834 thou hast spoken. H1696
We see that the original word used is “accepted” I
personally can now see why I was confused in the
understanding of this verse upon reading it in the English
translated version. In the modern day world the words
“favored” and “accept” can mean two different things:
ACCEPT’ED:, pp. Kindly received; regarded; agreed to; understood; received as a bill of exchange.
FA’VORED:, pp.
1. Countenanced; supported; aided; supplied with advantages; eased; spared. 2. a. Regarded with kindness; as a favored friend.
I hope that after seeing the definitions of these two words
it will help simple minded people like me, not well versed in
the bible, not to get confused as I did. As we read in verse 22 we see that the angel here makes this statement, “For I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” this helps clear things up as to who is actually in control, and it’s not the angels.
23 The sun had risen upon the earth when Lot entered Zoar.
We are told in verse 15 that the morning had dawned when the angels took Lot and his family out of Sodom. We see here in this verse that the sun is now risen when lot entered into Zoar. So by comparing verse 15 along with verse 20 (where Lot tells the angels that Zoar is “.near enough to flee”) we must conclude that Zoar was only miles a few miles from Sodom.
24 Then the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the Lord out of the heavens.
25 So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.
Once Lot entered into Zoar God destroyed not only destroyed Sodom but the other cities in the general vicinity.
God also killed all life in the area from mankind to the animal kind and also the plant kind just as he did back in the days of Noah and the flood. It had only been a little less than four hundred years since the flood that God destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.
26 But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.
In verse seventeen the Angels warned Lot and his family not to look back as they fled, but Lot’s wife did not obey and she paid with her life in not obeying God. Some may ask, “why did Lots wife had to die just for merely looking back?” In my opinion, One reason is because she disobeyed God. Another reason is because the action of what Lots wife was doing is a reflection of the character of Lots wife herself. By looking back it shows a reflection of her wanting to not give up the life she had in Sodom (which as we are told is full of wickedness), so she had to be destroyed as part of the wicked people of this city. Why a pillar of salt? Why couldn’t she have just fell down and died? No one can give an explanation for this because this is all we are told of her fate and there is no other place in the Bible that we can go to for a reason. So we are left with out own conclusions. This being said, let me put in my own two cents worth here (Matt 5:13), from my understanding of this verse; we are to be examples to the world forever and a light to mankind always shining. By God turning Lots wife into a pillar of salt He is using her as a light to the world or warning to all mankind of what can become of your fate when you disobey God. Think about it for a moment, even those who do not go to church regularly have heard of this story and it has been a salt to the world to this day of what happens to those who disobey God. I believe that this is also an example of will happen to those in the latter days who are told to flee to the mountains and not look back when they see the abomination of desolation taken place in the holy city (Matt 24:15-22), we saints, who alive and remain, in the latter days we will be taken to a place of safety in the wilderness, where we are to go we do not know, but we must be ready, and when we are told to go to this place of safety we should not hasten as Lot did, nor look back as Lots wife did, but we must look ahead to the promise that is to come, and not veer to the left or the right but straight ahead to the promised land (Rev 12:13-14)
27 And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the Lord. 18:22
28 Then he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain; and he saw, and behold, the smoke of the land which went up like the smoke of a furnace.
The place where he stood before the Lord spoken of here is where Abraham pleaded with the Lord that He would not destroy the righteous with the wicked. One can only imagine what went through Abraham s mind when he saw all the smoke toward Sodom and Gomorrah. One thing he knew for certain is that God did what He said he was going to do. There is no need for Abraham to go and investigate. Abraham had to have wondered about the fate of his nephew Lot. Abraham was probably hoping that after Lot left Abraham years before that he did not forget the God of Abraham and remained a righteous man before the Lord. When Abraham was asking the Lord if He would destroy the righteous with the wicked he had to be thinking of Lot at the time. As far as we know from the scriptures Abraham never knew what became of Lot or his descendants. If this is the case, Abraham will, at the resurrection know that Lot remained faithful to the Lord during this time, and did not suffer the consequences of Sodom and Gomorrah.
29 And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when He overthrew the cities in which Lot had dwelt. 8:1; 18:23
God made a promise to Abraham and he did not break that promise. He saved Lot from the destruction as He said He said He would (in a round about way, if you will), And we who have the faith of Abraham can be rest assured that when God makes a promise to us that He will not break that promise. This is wherein our faith lies.
30 Then Lot went up out of Zoar and dwelt in the mountains, and his two daughters were with him; for he was afraid to dwell in Zoar. And he and his two daughters dwelt in a cave.
Gods will be done. Lot was told to flee to the mountains but he thought he new better and thwarted Gods plan, but only with Gods approval was he able to delay his fate. I believe that the Lord is the one who put the fear in Lots heart and thus made him afraid to dwell in Zoar. We are not told what he feared, just that he did not feel safe in Zoar. I believe the message that God is giving us hear is that his will, will be done, and no matter how far we run from God he will always pull us back to Him and His purpose for us. It reminds me of the story of Jonah. God told Jonah to go and warn the people of Nineveh but Jonah would not listen and he ran from God only to be brought back to the shores close to Nineveh where he was spit out from the belly of a great whale. You can run but you cannot hide. There is no place too far, no ocean too wide, no cave too deep, that can you can run to from God when he calls on you for His purpose.
31 Now the firstborn said to the younger, “Our father is old and there is no man on the earth to come into us as is the custom of all the earth.
32 “Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve the lineage of our father.” Lev. 18:6-18
These two daughters were raised in Sodom and were accustomed to the customs of the people of Sodom. Even though Lot was a righteous man and undoubtedly he tried to raise his children in the ways of God, the children were probably influenced by their surroundings as well, which in this case was that of a life of wickedness. Lot was only one righteous man among many unrighteous people. His influence on his children could only go so far amongst the desires of the world, that the daughters might have found pleasing to their hearts and minds. Just as Eve found the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil pleasing to her eyes, so to the daughters of Lot had to contend with this temptation. the daughters felt as though they would spend the remainder of their lives in the caves away from civilization, never having the opportunity to have children of their own. One thing they knew was that it was a custom for a man to lie with a woman in order to have offspring, and the only man that was around was their father. So the daughters succumbed to the influence of the sin nature. They knew that what they were about to do with their father was wrong which is why they had to get him drunk in order for them to carry out their wicked deed. This is the outcome of poor decision making on Lots part: to think that he could live amongst the wicked and not be affected by these surroundings. The decisions he made was not only a detriment to him but his family as well. I have always told my own children that the decisions they make in life will affect their lives forever so they need to really think about their actions before they carry them out. So, when a man marries a woman and the two become one; they have to think about what is best for the family as a whole and not be selfish to their own needs and desires.
33 So they made their father drink wine that night. And the firstborn went in and lay with her father, and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose.
34 It happened on the next day that the firstborn said to the younger, “Indeed I lay with my father last night; let us make him drink wine tonight also, and you go in and lie with him, that we may preserve the lineage of our father.” v. 22
35 Then they made their father drink wine that night also. And the younger arose and lay with him, and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose.
Verses 33-34 are a testament to the evils of alcohol. I know that most people who drink always go the New Testament verse where Jesus turned the water to wine to justify their desire to drink alcohol. And then in the old testament we are told in Deut. 14:26 to eat and drink during the Feast of Tabernacles. There are times when God gives His blessings on drinking wine and even strong drink. drinking is not a sin in and of itself, it is the overindulgence that is the sin. King Solomon, the wisest man there ever was speaks of this in Ecclesiastes:
Ecc 3:1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
We are also given instruction as to how we are to drink and the dangers of drinking too much (Compare Pro 23:20-21, 29-35), and for those who think that the Old Testament is not relevant then lets see what the New Testament has to say about the subject (Luke 12:45-46, 21:34-36, Gal 5:17-21), as I have shown here drinking can be a stumbling-block to
those who drink to get drunk and not to be merry. Drinking
Alcohol itself is not a sin. It is the misuse of it that is a sin.
There is limit we should put on the amount of alcohol we
consume, and there are certain times which God ordained it
okay to drink (again in moderation), I would suggest that
for those who have no self control and are what we would
term as alcoholics that they should refrain from it all
together. Then there are those like me who made a promise
to God that if He would deliver us from our trouble that we
would stop drinking all together. When you make a promise
to God you ought not break it, for there will be a price to
pay. I personally only drink wine during the celebration of
the Passover ceremony. For Jesus said to do this in
remembrance of Him. We are also told in the passover
that Jesus he would not drink of the cup until he is in the
fathers kingdom with us (Matt 26:27-29), this too is my commitment to God; that I will not drink any alcohol except for the Passover ceremony. But in Gods kingdom, at the marriage supper of the Lamb, There will be such joy and feasting going on I believe it will then be appropriate to partake fully in this feast. But I must digress here and get back to Lot and his two daughters. They had to Get Lot drunk in order for him to do this wicked act. No good can come from drunkenness. In my opinion, the two
daughters that we read about hear are the same two daughters whom Lot was willing to give up to the people of Sodom, when they were wanting Lot to give up the two angels to them so they could have sex with them. If this be the case, how ironic is it then that Lot would be the one who
would be subjected to this kind of wickedness. In the end we are told that Lot did not know when his daughters lay down with him or when they arose. Does this leave Lot blameless? After all he did drink heavily that night, so heavily that he couldn’t even remember what transpired.
Gods word seems to indicate that He found him blameless.
I will not even try to judge Lot here or in any other actions
that he did which are recorded in the scriptures; It really
only matters what God thinks, and no one should question
Him.
36 Thus both the daughters of Lot were with child by their father.
37 The firstborn bore a son and called his name Moab; he is the father of the Moabites to this day.
38 And the younger, she also bore a son and called his name Ben-Ammi; he is the father of the people of Ammon to this day. Deut. 23:3; Ruth 1:4
Lots two daughters both had sons fathered by him. The eldest daughters son is the father of the Moabites, and the youngest daughters son is the father of the Ammonites; while Lot is the patriarch of both these nations. We never hear again of Lot or his daughters as far as what became of them in the scriptures, however there are plenty of prophecies concerning the fate of the Moabites and the Ammonites in the past and in the latter days. There are times when God blesses these nations and there are times when he curses them just like the Descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I look at these people in this way: just as Lot is the nephew of Abraham, then the descendants of Lot are the cousins of Issac and Jacob. The descendants of Lot were settled in the land of modern day Jordan. If we go back to the book of Deuteronomy (when the Israelites are coming into the promised land) we read in chapter two that God warns the people not to take possession of the land of the Moabites or the Ammonites for he gave the land to the children of Lot (Deut 2:9, 19), this tells me that God Blessed Lot and has had a special purpose for his descendants throughout time. He is not finished with them either; we can look at future prophecies concerning these nations and see that God has a special purpose for them in the end times. We can find these prophecies in the books of Jeremiah, Amos, Micah, Isaiah, and Ezekial for the most part.
