SEX, SALT, AND SODOM

THESE STORIES ARE NOT ABOUT THE PEOPLE OF GOD BUT THE GOD OF THE PEOPLE.

In stories like these, we are most susceptible to falling into the trap of thinking these stories are about the people of God. They’re not. These stories are about the God of the people, so let’s keep that in the forefront and try to figure out what in the world we learn about God’s character and nature from this story.

The Lord engaged Abraham in this conversation to show him He is not unreasonable.

He also wanted Abraham to know that He is not in a hurry to destroy cities and people because even just a few righteous people can make a difference in a city.

Terribly wicked people surrounded them, but they were supposed to act like leaven in their society.

This would be important for the descendants of Abraham to know as they begin the process of claiming their promised land. Terribly wicked people surrounded them, but they were supposed to act like leaven in their society. They would need this lesson later when the Babylonians captured them, too.

A few good people can make a difference in a nation of pagan people.

The early Christians would need to hear this, too. Imagine those folks coming together in Rome or Corinth to celebrate Jesus. They were under orders to go out into the wide world and share this message, but what hope was there of making an impact? Their cities were morally corrupt.

This story showed them they may be why God stayed His hand of judgment.

And finally, we need to hear this today. Sure, some of us live in places where everyone goes to one of the churches that appear on every single corner of town.

No matter the depth of the darkness, you may be one of the ten righteous people in town.

God has you there so you can make a difference. He believes it’s possible.

We also learn that there comes a time when God is done giving second chances.

Once things have reached a “point of no return”—once a person or a society has crossed the line from which there is no turning back, God will execute judgment, and while that judgment may not be hasty, it will be swift.

What about Lot and his daughters?

While the girls succeed in getting pregnant by their father, which is horrible, incest is looked down upon by even the most pagan societies of the time. The Bible never condones actions like this, but nor does the Bible condemn these girls either.

What about Lot and his daughters?

They were obviously traumatized and probably thought they were the last people on earth. Not that it makes it right, but it does provide possible insight into why they would initiate such actions.

MOAB AND AMMON

Their children are named Moab and Ammon, respectively; their descendants, obviously, become the Moabites and the Ammonites.

One of the Moabites will be

Ruth 1:4 ESV

These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. They lived there about ten years,

Matthew 1:1 ESV

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Matthew 1:5 ESV

and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse,

One of the Ammonites will be

1 Kings 14:21 ESV

Now Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city that the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there. His mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonite.

Matthew 1:7 ESV

and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph,

So, the lineage of Jesus contains Moabites and Ammonites—people who were born out of an incestuous event between two sisters and their father. My point here is this:

There is nothing God can’t redeem and use for His purposes—not even in cases of rape or incest.

God promises that everything gets wrapped up in His purposes, and—one day, in the distant future—we may see good come out of something that seems horrible.