Lot Escaped and Abraham Lied

GENESIS 19: Lot's Escape

OBSERVATIONS:

• The angel’s visit to Lot. Lot saw the two men (who just came from their visit with Abraham). Lot invited the men to stay with him as his guests. The 2 angels first said “No, thank you. We’ll just stretch out here in the street!” Lot insisted, they relented,  and he prepared a feast for them. As they were preparing to go to bed, the Sodomites demanded that Lot release the men for them to RAPE them!! Lot defended them and even offered his daughters to them instead. The Sodomites mocked Lot saying they allowed him to settle with them (being a foreigner) and now he is acting like an ingrate by being hoity-toity towards them. They threatened to rape him in a worse way than what they intended to do to the angels. They actually lunged at Lot.
• The angels pulled Lot to safety and blinded the clamoring men temporarily so that they can gather Lot and his family and flee. The angels told Lot what God had intended to do to Sodom. He told his sons-in-law to prepare to leave, but they did not take him seriously so Lot ended up dragging his daughters and wife with him. The angels specifically told them to run and escape to the mountains, and save themselves. They also told them NOT to look back.
• Lot begged to be allowed to run to a village close by than up the mountains. He was afraid to head for the mountain (either because he fears he will not be able to get there on time, or he might have been afraid of being up in the mountain!). The angels alluded to the fact that that same village was meant or destruction as well, but they were going to save it for his sake as they allowed him and his family to go there instead.
• As they were running towards it, the Lord started destroying every living thing in Sodom. Lot’s wife looked back and turned into salt.
• Abraham standing on the high place where he was with his tribe, watched as Sodom burned. Lot and his two daughters were saved.
• Lot became afraid of Zoar. Maybe he feared that the people will blame him for what happened in Sodom or perhaps Zoar being as evil as Sodom was not a place for a foreigner with 2 beautiful daughters to hide. He decided to go up the mountain and sought shelter under one for the mountain caves.
• Vs.30 to 38. Lot’s daughter thought and agreed to impregnate themselves with their father’s seed so they slept with him (after getting him drunk), and they both got pregnant with him. The older daughter’s was a son who was named Moab (who brought about the Moabites) and the youngest daughter had Benammi, who later became forefather to the Ammonites. These 2 tribes became Israel’s enemies. Ruth is a prominent person from Moab.

INTERPRETATIONS

1.  The Sodomites were ALL evil as evidenced by verse 4: “…all the men from every part of the city of Sodom—both young and old—surrounded the house.” I am sure it included fathers and sons! They must have been vicious!

2.  The tradition of Lot’s times was to treat guests well and to protect them in such a way that no harm happen to them. He even offered his own daughters to protect the guests, who were actually angels, (the passage seems to imply that Lot recognized that these were angels). As he told the Sodomites: “… don’t do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof.”

Of course, it was not right. However, in that moment Lot had to choose between 2 evils and I can totally understand how and why he’d chosen to sacrifice his 2 daughters to protect his guests. In the Filipino culture, we often would provide guests with the best room in the house should they need a place to sleep; would offer the only food available and at the expense of starving our own children to feed them – maybe not starving, but even if it would mean less food for the rest of the family.

Lot considered and called as “righteous Lot,” still subscribed to the norms of his day. I am not saying that Filipinos will go the same extent that Lot did. However, if fathers and sons prowl the city seeking for victims, is an indication of how messed up their culture was.

Some commentators theorize about Job’s motive for offering his own daughters  to be gang raped by the evil men trying to get at his guests.

Some commentators try to soften this by saying that Lot has no choice, for he has to protect his guests at all costs. Others concede that while his actions seem less than heroic, he needs to make some kind of compromise. Still others suggest that to the ancient sense of proprieties, his offer would not have been so shocking because women were held in low esteem. Perhaps…his daughters deserve as much protection as the strangers. Lot, however, seems to have a penchant for self-interest, and this is no exception. The offer of his daughters can only be seen as an act of wickedness.(Mary Jane Chaignot, Genesis, Sodom and Gomorrah, Biblewise.com, 2018).

       Some Bible commentaries say that Lot was a “bad” person from the get-go. Otherwise, why else would he choose to settle his family in Sodom and Gomorrah? They pose as well that the fact he was working as a town judge, sitting by the city gate simply meant he’s become immersed in the culture so that he’s truly become one of them. Wasn’t it that the townsmen called him hypocrite? If indeed Job was as evil as the Sodomites, then his decision to sacrifice his daughters, even if he could have offered himself and spare the guests and his daughters, just demonstrated his true nature.

       We should not neglect that in 2 Peter 2:7,”…he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless 8 (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard).”

No need to speculate, here he is described as “righteous,” plain and simple. Of course, this righteousness hinges on Genesis 15:6, where we find that Abraham believed God and this was, “counted to him as righteousness.” This same righteousness was imputed upon Lot as well, who believed as his uncle did.

3.  The angels intervened and saved Lot and his daughters, which was the very purpose for which they came anyway. This is a great illustration of how protect His people, regardless of their imperfections.

4.  The evil of Sodom and Gomorrah appears to have reached the “limit” that God allows and the judgment was total and equally horrific – God rained fire and brimstones upon them annihilating every living creature including men, women and children.

5.  As for the incestuous relationships his daughters had with him, one must remember that from Adam down on to when the Levitical laws were given, incestuous relationships were pretty common. Eventually, in keeping with God’s plan to treat Israel as his HOLY – called out nation, they eventually were instructed and expected to live different from the then existing, acceptable culture.

The daughters thought that the whole earth were in flames and the only way to perpetuate the human race was to have children by their father. They said: “Our father is old, and there is no man around here to give us children—as is the custom all over the earth” (verse 31).

APPLICATIONS

1.  God does have a limit in terms of how much room and time he allows evil to be on a rampage.  A day of reckoning is always inevitable. There will be a day of reckoning for terrorists who kill, steal and destroy minions of the father of all evil – Satan.

2.  It is encouraging and comforting to be reminded of how God takes care of His own – not because of how they live and deserve it, but simply because they are his. God is good!

CHAPTER 20: Abraham, caught in a lie!

OBSERVATIONS:

• Abraham moved to the region of Negev. And while there he got this hair-brained idea to tell everyone that Sarah is just his sister because he was afraid that they will get to him to get her!
• Got her King Abimelek did. However, before he can touch her, God appeared to him in a dream and told him the truth. Abimelek pleaded God for leniency as he did it out of ignorance.
• God promised Abimelek that his life will be spared if he returns Sarah to his husband ASAP. However, he was warned that if he does not do it, he will DIE!
• First thing in the morning he confronts Abraham for his lie and returned Sarah to him. Abraham defensively reasoned that he was not really lying as Sarah is his half-sister (same dad, different mother), and he was afraid for his life.
• To appease him, Abimelek gave him sheep, cattle and male and female slaves, plus 1 thousand shekels of silver to “cover the offense,” against Sarah.
• In return Abraham indeed prayed for the king and his wife and they were healed of infertility as well as their slaves.

INTERPRETATIONS:

1,  Abraham imperfect as he was put Sarah’s life under jeopardy to save his own skin! Nevertheless, again, as in the case of Lot, God stepped in to intervene and spare him, Sarah’s life and even the lives of the pagan king and his household. God though not condoning was understanding of human stupidity and propensity to sin. He is full of grace and mercy. As a result, they went loaded with goods! God does not only protect, He provides abundantly from the most unlikely sources!

2.  Abraham, the prophet of God prayed and his prayers were answered. Jesus promised the same privilege to those who serve him and are fruitful for Him.

John 14: 12-14 -  Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[i] have been called according to his purpose”.

APPLICATIONS:

1.  To make sure I don’t make any decisions out of fear and uncertainty, but to trust in God’s protection and provision at all times.

2.  Those of us who BELIEVE And DO the greater things He promises, were assured that prayers will be answered! Hallelujah!