Reading: Genesis 13, 14, and 19
Lot was the son of Abraham’s older brother Haran. While Lot was still a boy his father died, so uncle Abram (still a young man himself) adopted him into his household. So, when Abram packs up to travel from the town of Haran to Canaan, Lot comes along with the rest of Abram’s family, servants, and possessions. Although Lot also starts to herd flocks of sheep and goats, it becomes obvious that he has a different character than his uncle. He does not follow his uncle in his walk with God.
The contrast between Abraham and Lot becomes clear when the sparse vegetation of the area can no longer support both of their flocks. Abram generously gives Lot the choice, but his nephew chooses poorly. Without considering the spiritual danger, he eyes the material potential of the green valley lands. What appeared to be the best choice -from an agricultural management perspective- turned out to be a bad mistake. His family adopted the perverted practices of the community, his wife fell in love with the community despite its violent perversity, and Lot lost all his wealth- twice! The first time the town was raided by enemies; the second time it was destroyed by God.
Sodom raided by enemies. Lot made a poor choice; shortly after moving into town he is caught in the middle of Genesis’ first recorded battle. God uses an alliance of armies from a wide region to attack the fertile valley. Supposedly He uses it as a punishment and warning for their wickedness. The people of Sodom and surrounding places lose either their life or their freedom and possessions. Only because of Lot and his connections to ‘the friend of God’ is there restoration and recovery for Sodom.
The second time God will not spare the wicked communities on account of Lot. Rather, he wants to pull Lot and his family out before a full-scale destruction from which there will be no recovery. Abraham tries to negotiate with God, but God assures him that there are not even ten righteous people left in these wicked towns!
So, while God prepares to destroy the valley of sin, he sends his two angels to save Lot and his family. Here we experience what the society is like:
- Apparently it is the custom to force visiting men into homosexual activities.
- There is a violent mob, including young and old, who demand Lot’s visitors as objects for gang
- rape.
- Lot volunteers to have his daughters raped by the angry crowd.
- Lot’s wife ignores the warnings; she hates to leave ‘the good life’ behind.
- Lot is tired from the escape; he complains out of self-pity, rather than showing thankfulness.
Lot never seemed to recover from his social and economic losses after Sodom’s destruction. After his advancement from tent to house, but now he ends up in a cave! While Abraham prospered, his nephew dwelled as an old recluse, with two daughters. The daughters want to have children, yet they hate to leave their father, so they take turns to get him drunk, so they can get him to have sex with them. This is how two significant tribes came into being: the Moabites and the Ammonites.
Even though Lot has lived like a fool, God has still saved him and blessed him. Although Lot had been shaped by the Sodomite community, he did extend his hospitality and attempt of safe keeping to his
visitors. Yet, in the end God saved him because of Lot’s relationship with Abraham. He would not be the only one!
Sodom and Gomorrah became pictures of wickedness. Homosexual lust that becomes rampant in a society is described by the Bible as the consistent result of godliness and the self-inflicted curse of human wickedness. God allows such people to abandon natural desires, to lose all self-respect and decency, so that they burn with lust for people of the same sex (see Romans 1: 21 – 27).
Food for Thought
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1 In the past people in western countries would think it ridiculous that a marriage could exist between two people of the same sex. Yet, it became law in Canada and other western countries to ignore the differences. At that time we had Chinese friends coming to church who were very surprised about this new definition of marriage. One of them said, “I wonder how long it will take before a human can marry his pet animal?”
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2 This is the second judgment story. Compare the flood story with Noah (chapters 6 – 8) with the story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. How are they similar; how are they different?
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3 Read Jude 4. There is another judgment yet to come. How can we stand strong and overcome when our society becomes godless and corrupt?
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