Genesis 11-19
Abraham-walked by faith
Lot-walked by sight
Abraham-settled in the land
Lot-settled in the cities
Abraham-built an altar, memorial to God 13:18
Lot-built a house, memorial to man 19:4
Lot chose to live in a house and Abraham lived in tents 13:13, 19:4
Living in a tent was God's will because his people needed to be able to move at any given time. Living in a house kept them tied to an area and it was harder to leave if there was danger or sin. Having a home also caused them to collect more "things".
The men of Sodom, whom Lot associated with, were exceedingly wicked AND sinners against the Lord but "God spared Lot for Abraham's sake" 19:29.
War was made against the Kings of Sodom and Gomorrah and Lot was taken captive. It is important to note that "the owner of the house is first taken captive, then the inhabitants" as Jesus said. When we associate with sin, many things take us captive.
Abraham rescued Lot. Instead of dwelling under the protection of an elder man, Lot returned to the city and had to be rescued again.
In chapter 19, the angels came to the city.
Lot saw an opportunity for hospitality. The men of the city saw an opportunity for sensuality.
Do we ever do this?
Late in the evening, Lot prepared a feast for the angels. The men, young and old, sought the men for relations. It is important to note that we too are more susceptible to fall to lust in the late hours.
The Destruction of Sodom
When Lot was warned of the destruction, he was told to get the men promised to his daughters. He appeared to these young me to be joking. What was Lot's relationship with them and others that they couldn't detect his sincerity. Was he always a joker?
This is the next warning in this study, "dead flies make the perfumer's oil stink, so a little foolishness outweighs wisdom and honor"-proverbs.
The result: these men were destroyed because they did not believe the man who was to be their father-in-law.
In 19:15, Lot was urged to flee but he hesitated. Was this because he was too attached to his possessions or was he acclimated to the sin? Even after men of the city surrounded his home, attempt to run him over and rape his guests, having to offer his daughters up to save his guests, he was not alarmed. He was desensitized to sin and corruption. Again, a warning to the believer, don't live in sin that you get accustomed to it.
The angels said, "flee, lest you be swept away in the iniquity of the city" and in fact, his family did fall to this lower level of depravity 19:35. At first sight, this verse seems to say that they will be swept away by the physical destruction but in reality, they foresaw the result of his living in that debased society, they were 'swept away in the sin' and his daughters later slept with their father.
And he hesitated.
Next blog: The escape.
