The Judgement on Sodom and Gomorrah.
Abraham 12
Read Genesis Chapter 19.
Lot, in choosing to live in the Jordan valley had chosen to live with some rather horrible people. So this isn't a very nice story. This should be a lesson to us to consider carefully what sort of company we keep.
In the Bible there is some strong teaching against God's people having close relationships with unbelievers and again I am compelled to come back to the words of:
KJV 2 Corinthians 6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Christians should never marry non Christians or choose to have any close relationship with unbelievers.
This passage in 2 Corinthians asks a number questions that have obvious answers.
1. What fellowship does what is right have with what is wrong? In other words how can what is right be friendly with what is wrong?
A) What are these things? They are opposites. They naturally oppose each other. Right and wrong are enemies.
2. How can light and darkness work together? . Again they can't they oppose each h other.
3 What agreement can Christ have with Belial? ( Belial is another name for the Devil) Clearly there can be no agreement. They oppose each other.
4. What part (that is how can these two work together?) has the believer with the Infidel? ( An infidel is someone who actively shows himself or herself not to believe in God.)
These are constantly seeking to attack believers. They are the opposition.
5. What agreement has the temple of God with idols? We see in the second commandment how God hates idols. They represent opposition to God.
This passage then goes on to talk about the believers as God's Temple. Christians are owned by God. They are his possessions.
KJV 1Co 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
KJV 1Co 6:20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
KJV 1Co 7:23 Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.
That Christians should be linked with anything that is opposed to God is an appalling idea.
Yet we see so many people who call themselves Christians who thoroughly involve themselves in activities and groups of people who have nothing to do with God.
Today we look at a man who felt keenly the pull of the world.
Lot Had chosen to live with ungodly people. These people were so ungodly that God had chosen to destroy them. Yet here was Lot living right there among them, and as we see later in the story, he enjoyed living there to the point where he really didn't want to leave despite the fact that the people of Sodom had not been nice to him. .
Lot had spent years living closely with Abraham. He had seen God at work in Abraham's life and his own, by walking a Godly way with Abraham he had gained many cattle. He was a man who was well off and the Bible speaks of him as a just man a righteous man.
KJV 2Pe 2:6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;
KJV 2Pe 2:7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:
KJV 2Pe 2:8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)
KJV 2Pe 2:9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
KJV 2Pe 2:10 But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.
It vexed righteous lot. The conversations Lot heard the things he saw around him in Sodom and Gomorrah troubled him, yet he stayed among them. He chose to live there.
But was that what God wanted for him? I would suggest not, for God led him out of that place and destroyed the place Lot wanted to live in.
Christians today send their children to ungodly state schools to be taught by non Christian teachers, who teach them things that are against God. Christians have their children mixing with ungodly and unruly children. Christian ministers have said to me "I deliberately send my children to a state school so they will influence others." I look at their children and I have to ask who is influencing who? Or who is kidding you brother. Likewise Christians on their own often involve themselves in groups that are otherwise made up of non Christian people and so much ungodliness rubs off on them unless they are constantly having fellowship with other Christians and immersing themselves in the Word of God.
There is a place for some involvement with unbelievers. Christians are to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. God uses his people to stand in contrast to worldly ways and approaches to life. God uses his own people to bring people to a knowledge of sin and their need of Salvation through Christ. That is the way God graciously works. But he works through strengthened people.
Abraham had his confederate links with tribes in the land. They would help him if he needed help and he would help them but he didn't live in their pockets neither did they live in his. Abraham lived differently to them, they knew it and kept their distance as a general rule and he kept his. They no doubt observed his Godly ways.
That likewise is the Christian way, among the ungodly, but not of them. Shining from a distance that the ungodly might see and be ashamed of their ways and become aware of their sin.
But we are dealing here with a man that like so many Christians lived too close to the enemy. Because of this he was weak.
The story opens with the arrival of the two angels of God in the city of Sodom. Clearly they just look like ordinary men. Lot sees these two strangers in town, and Lot knows what Sodom is like, so he offers them the protection of his house. We see that Lot is a hospitable man. He urges them to stay the night in his house. At first they decline his invitation, but we see that this troubles Lot. He knows it is dangerous to be out at night in this town that he has chosen to live in. So "he pressed upon them greatly; " . That is he really persisted.
Lot is determined to look after these men. He goes to a lot of trouble to put on a feast for them. No doubt good company is a rare thing in this town. Lot no doubt longed for a change of company, even though he was not prepared to move.
Likewise there are people in churches that are not following God's ways, yet people will not leave those churches even though God says
KJV 2Co 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
As darkness falls the town hots up, and everyone gathers around Lot's house. They want to ( sexually ) abuse these strangers in town. (To commit homosexual acts against them.) It is from this situation that the name "Sodomy" comes. It was what was done in Sodom.( A term referring to the Homosexual act.)
God speaks of this act as an abomination ( that is it is something that God hates.) see Leviticus 18:22.
(KJV Lev 18:22 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.
And in Leviticus 20:13
KJV Lev 20:13 If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.
we see that in the days of the Exodus God commanded the death penalty for homosexuals. That the death penalty is appropriate to such people is noted again also in the New testament in Romans 1:26-32..
KJV Rom 1:26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
KJV Rom 1:27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
KJV Rom 1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
KJV Rom 1:29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
KJV Rom 1:30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
KJV Rom 1:31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
KJV Rom 1:32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.)
1 Corinthians 6: 9,10, shows that there is no place for such people in God's kingdom.
KJV 1Co 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
KJV 1Co 6:10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
Of course if God brings such to repentance, they truly repent of this sin and clearly turn from it and oppose it, forgiveness is possible. To treat what they do as acceptable however, is to show oneself in opposition to God.. It is an indictment on the church today that there are few who will call this what it is. Sin against God and man.
Lot now feels the danger of the situation. He goes out the door of his house and urges the stirred up crowd not to act wickedly, but he can see that his words are falling on deaf ears.
Like so many. He casts pearls before swine and they trample them underfoot.
In desperation he offers his daughters to the crowd if they will leave his guests alone. He will put his daughters lives in danger rather than have any harm come to his guests.
Lot is standing as a man with man's answers. He is standing before the door of his house in his own strength. He stands no chance of defending his situation or his visitors.
So many like Lot will try to:
Defend God!
Defend the Word!
Claim God's protection for their own ideas.
Far to many want to tell God how they think he should do things and expect God's help when they confront evil and then wonder why they get hurt.
Christians are indeed more than conquerors Romans 8: 36-39. But as conquerors we may well be killed. KJV Rom 8:36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
KJV Rom 8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
(Not through our own strength or ideas but only through Christ.)
KJV Rom 8:38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
KJV Rom 8:39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
We are conquerors against anything that might attempt to separate us from God. There is nothing that can. The believer is secure for ever in Christ.
Our battles are not against flesh and blood: KJV Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Unfortunately too many want to fight against flesh and blood instead of letting God deal with the situation. God will anyway.
The battle against other people's sin is not ours. The Battle is the Lord's. He may use us in that battle but that must be at God's instigation not ours.
Lot did things his way. He was trying to teach those people to live right. Isn't that what we want to do. We want to change the world. We want to tell people how they should live and they do not want to listen? But this was not God's will in the situation. God's will was that Lot and his family leave town and that God should destroy those cities. Time is up for these people and Judgement must fall.
Lot has tried doing things his way and failed. His frailty and failure to protect is evidenced. It is now time for God to step in. Instantly God does so through his angels.
Fortunately Lot's guests are no ordinary guests.
2. What do the angels do to the crowd ? Zap! The people are struck with a blindness that keeps them from being able to find Lot's door that is right in front of them.
So much are they memorized that Lot is able to go out to see his son's in law and speak to them without coming to any harm.
In verse 14 the Authorised version of the Bible speaks of "Lot's sons in law who were married to his daughters". In those days marriage arrangements were made between parents, and while the actual marriage may not take place until some time after the agreement, this was a contract arrangement whereby the parties concerned were committed to one another as if they were married. In English terms this is sometimes called a betrothal or an engagement.
The Angels announce that they have been sent by God to destroy this wicked city. The sons in law are warned of the destruction to come but they refuse to take the matter seriously. Note that because of their commitment to Lot's daughters the sons in law are included as part of the family in the warning to escape from the Judgement that is to fall on the city. Note also though that Lot has chosen ungodly young men for his daughters. Something a Christian parent should never do.
When morning comes Lot is urged by the Angels to take his family quickly and get out of town.
Lot lingers. This place has been his home he does not want to leave it. There is this tension between Lot's will and God's will. The Angels have to take him and his family by the hands and keep them moving.
When God calls us to leave something or get on with something let us not be like Lot. Let us get on with what God wants straight away. Do not linger do not delay but move out at God's direction.
Lot is told to head for a mountain. To get right away from the situation, and not to look back. Often there will be situations that we have to put behind us. To forget about and move on. We must be sure that we do.
Lot's wife disobeyed the instruction not to turn back. She looked behind her and was turned into a pillar of salt. Let us take God's word seriously. He means what He says.
For those who would go God's way there is no turning back.
Jesus referring to his second coming and the Judgement to follow says: " KJV Luk 17:32 Remember Lot's wife.
KJV Luk 17:33 Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it."
Lot's wife is a warning to beware of the judgement to come.
The Angel has pointed Lot to the mountain for his safety, but Lot is more afraid of what might befall him in the mountain he is being directed to than being caught by the fire from heaven. Lot doesn't want to go as far as the mountain. He asks if he can go to a little nearby town instead of going to the mountain. If God calls you to go somewhere or do something don't be like Lot and choose less than God asks.
The angel accepts his plea but urges him to hurry, for the destruction cannot take place until Lot is safely out of the situation. How patient God is with our weaknesses.
Lot finally goes. At Last!!!!! After Lot goes to the little town for safety the town is called Zoar which means insignificance .
The Angel was just getting a little tired of Lot's procrastination and wanted him out of there pronto. God's patience with Lot yet again. When Lot got to Zoar he must have thought the place pretty insignificant too, because he didn't stay there long he soon moved to a cave in the mountain where God had told him to go in the first place. Sometimes God let's us have our own way for a moment so we can see that His way is better.
Once Lot was safely at Zoar God poured out his judgement on Sodom and Gomorrah and all the area around those cities. Brimstone or sulphur and fire out of heaven. Not a person survived and everything that grew on the ground burnt up. It must have been an incredible blaze and the smoke and fumes, no doubt seen and smelt from afar. A warning to others that God could deal powerfully with all who disregarded Him.
An immediate warning for those who lived in that time near that area but also a warning of the judgement to come.
KJV 2Pe 3:7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
KJV 2Pe 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
KJV 2Pe 3:11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
KJV 2Pe 3:12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
I won't dwell on what went on in the cave. No doubt Lot was depressed at having had to leave the Sodom, he loved and at having lost his wife so it was not hard for his daughters to encourage him to drown his sorrows with alcohol.
The Moabites and The Ammonites both became tribes that caused problems for the people of God later on in Old Testament History.
Lot was Abraham's Nephew, the Bible speaks of Lot as righteous and Just but because he chose to mix with ungodly people the commitment to God was not there in his wife or his daughters and his daughters sin led to a people who would be a thorn in the side of the holy people of God in years to come.
We see this problem coming to the for on a number of occasions but let one example suffice for today.
In the time of Ezra - Nehemiah when the holy people of God returned from captivity in Babylon, they were there because of their sin, when they arrive back in the promised land sin begins almost immediately and it happens because they do not know the word of God. The will of God.
KJV Ezr 9:1 Now when these things were done, the princes came to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the people of the lands, doing according to their abominations, even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites.
KJV Ezr 9:2 For they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons: so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those lands: yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass.
Time and again we must morn before God that the people of God have mixed it with the people of the land the people of iniquity and in so doing have sinned greatly against God who saved them.
Lot was a just man and a Righteous man, but he brought up his family among unbelievers, The result was that his wife disobeyed God and was turned into a pillar of salt and his daughters used their father to enable then to carry out their answer to their problem in a sinful way instead of them trusting God.
The Holiness of God's people is paramount. They are not to immerse themselves among ungodly people.
Questions:
1. Can you think of a situation where a Christian might involve him or herself, that would show them to be consorting with the enemy?
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2. What do the angels do to the crowd ?
3. Look back over the story again and see if you can make a list of lessons we should learn from Lot's story:
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1. What was the name of the wicked city where Lot lived?
2. Who did God send to rescue Lot and his family?
3. What did the Angels do to the wicked men outside Lot's house?
4. What were Lot and his family not to do as they went away from the city?
5. Who did what she was told not to do?
6. What did she turn into for disobeying God?
7. What did God do to the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah?
8. Where did the angels tell Lot to go?
9. Where did he want to go?
10. Instead of staying where he wanted to go where did Lot eventually go?
He went where God had _ _ _ _ him to go in the first place.