Get Out or Die Trying

Think of your school. Think of the people that you hang out with. If the angels came down now, would you be considered part of the righteous? Not the perfect, but the striving righteous? How would the angels categorize you? If Abraham was interceding for your schools, what would he say about you? Would you be the one he was trying to save, or would you be part of the problem that was going to get the school destroyed in the first place?

Sodom had a big problem, and it was getting worse. God watches His creations, and He seeks to keep them as righteous as possible. Remember in the days of Noah the world was wicked and God destroyed them all say for on man and his family. God is faced with the similar scenarios but God has promised never to destroy the entire world with a flood again, and He sticks to His promises. God is also merciful, and there are a few more good men on this rock at this point, so God spares the world. He simply decides to destroy the cities.

Romans 1:24-27 “Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.”

This is where Sodom and Gomorrah were at, and God was trying to prevent the spread of their cancerous decease that is perverse immorality to the rest of the world.

When a society leaves God, God leaves society. He also pulls back His moral protection. Matthew 5:45 “... For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” God protects society…until He doesn’t.

But God stays with His children Deuteronomy 31:8 “It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”” God will never leave us, nor will He ever turn His back on us. He is in our corner. He is our protector. All we have to do is follow Him and have faith.

Lot had a seat at the city gate. This means that he was a businessman, or a sort of politician, he had a voice in society. This also means the Lot turned a blind eye to certain sins in order to remain in the seat that he was in. Had he not of turned a blind eye either the city would have followed the God of Lot, or he would have left his position because he could not stand their ways and he would not associate with their sinfulness.

VS 9 shows that he failed to convert the city, and when he actually tries to sway them he is shouted down by the angry mob.

Lot had screwed up. He allowed his greedy eye to choose the allure and attraction of Sodom, and when he settled he began to compromise his values. He failed to make a witness to those around him, but rather tried to fit in. God gave Lot a second chance because that’s what good fathers do for their children. God is the God of second chances.

Lot’s actions came with consequences though. He failed to lead his family well and it caused his wife’s heart to long for the city where they had lived. When she turned back to look on the city with sadness, against what the angels had instructed, she was turned to a pillar of salt and Lot lost his wife.

Lot was either afraid to live in another city because of what happened, or the little city of Zoar (which means little) kicked him out in fear that he is the reason Sodom and Gomorrah was destroyed. Regardless he is now in a cave in the mountains where he did not want to be.

Lot’s daughters, who were nearly married virgins, felt that they would never find love because of the situation they were in so their first course of action was to get their father drunk and sleep with him so that they may have a baby by someone. This was not their absolute last resort, but the very first thought that their mind conjured up. Incest. This is how perverse their minds had become because of the people that they kept company with in Sodom.

The children that the daughters had with Lot grew up and became the nations that were constantly at war with Israel.

This world is full of messed up people that do messed up things. You might be one of them, but God gives you second chances. Let me caution you. Lot was likely better than many of us, and he stilled failed then it came to picking poor friends to hangout with. If you are hanging out with people you should not be, or people who influence you to make poor choices, change your friend group. Find people who support moral choices, and encourage you to do good things. If you cannot find someone like that, separate yourself from your group, become that person, and help other people who are leaving their bad friends behind as well.

Walk forward in solidarity, and righteousness.