Two angels showed up in Sodom at sundown. Genesis 19:1.
Lot, not knowing they were angels, invited them to spend the night.
At first, they declined, but then accepted after Lot insisted.
Before they settled in for the night, the males, young and old, from all
over Sodom, surrounded the house and demanded Lot send out the men, so
they could, “know,” them.
Lot offered his two virgin daughters instead. The perverse males
rejected his offer and pressed hard against him to the point of almost breaking
down the door.
The angels reached out, pulled Lot in, and closed the door.
That sealed the deal, for Sodom and Gomorrah and her surrounding cities.
The place is toast. Utter destruction is her eternal destination.
12 Then the men
said to Lot, “Have you anyone else here? Son-in-law, your sons, your
daughters, and whomever you have in the city—take them out
of this place!
Then the men, who are are actually, angels.
Angels are
mentioned in 34 books of the Bible; 17 in Old Testament and 17 in New
Testament. About 103 times in OT, and 165 times in NT.
Billy Graham described angels as,
God's secret agents.
Hebrews 1:14, tells us they’re
sent by God to minister to us who inherit salvation.
Angels are powerful. In 2 Kings 19:35, Hezekiah prayed for protection from the invading army; and in one night, one angel, killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers.
In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus
said He could call 12 legions of angels. A legion is about 6,000. (12
legions x 6,000 = 72,000). Wow.
You have angels around you,
watching, protecting. You just can’t see them, usually.
In our fiction novel, The Voice, angels are some of the main characters, and we describe how they are invisible because their cells are too small for human
eyes to see, so small that they can pass through walls, like smoke through a
screen. However, if they want to be seen, they expand their cells like a
balloon, and voilà they can be seen.
I don’t know if that’s really
how it works, but it worked for the novel.
“Have you anyone else here?”
Okay, no more feasting, no more small
talk.
Who do you have? Family? Whomever?
Who has God given you?
It’s time to get who you’ve
got, and go.
Are you ready? Are they? Are your
Go Bags ready?
Are you ready in the twinkling of
an eye, to fly?
Or, are your roots sunk deep into
a place that’s fixin’ to go up in smoke?
Take them out, not as
in, punch-them-out, but draw them out by the tender Love of Christ, or by the
fear of God.
Lord, we pray that to our last
breath we won’t weary in well doing but persevere until we can say that of all
those You’ve given us, none are lost.
13 For
we will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has
grown great before the face of the Lord,
and the Lord has
sent us to destroy it.”
We will destroy… This is
the judgement.
Because the outcry… This is
the reason.
The State of the Union, is clear.
Complete corruption.
The sentence is utter
destruction. Which is always the end result of sin.
Without intervention—it’s the eternal
destination for all of us.
14 So Lot
went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who had married his daughters, and
said, “Get up, get out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city!” But to his
sons-in-law he seemed to be joking.
So, Lot went out and spoke.
This was good. This took faith and
obedience. As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is
dead. James 2:26.
To his sons-in-law, who married his
daughters.
Wait… What? Didn’t Lot just say his daughters have never known a man, (they were virgins)? Genesis 19:8.
A
few possible scenarios:
1. Lot was lying.
2.
The guys weren’t into girls.
3.
Or, most likely:
They were betrothed, (engaged)
and the marriage was not yet consummated.
Get
up, get out, the Lord will destroy this city.
This
is good evangelism.
Ø
Warning with urgency, he went out at once.
Ø
Command, not a suggestion, get up, get out.
Ø
Consequence, clearly stated, the LORD will destroy this city!
Seemed
to be joking,
Ø
We are not responsible for their response,
(typically, Seed doesn’t immediately sprout. Keep planting, God gives the increase).
Ø
Lot’s lifestyle may have
contributed to the reason they didn’t listen.
Consider Abraham’s lifestyle, he
was taken seriously: Hey guys, God said we need to get circumcised;
and they did the self-same day. Even 13-year-old wild child Ismael.
Lord, help us walk joyfully, yet
soberly in your Love, and wisdom, and authority, in such a way that we are
taken seriously.
15 When the
morning dawned, the angels urged Lot to hurry, saying, “Arise, take your
wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the
punishment of the city.”
When the morning dawned. It was
evening (sunset) when the angels showed up. Now, it’s morning.
Why aren’t they gone already?
The angels had told them to get
who they’ve got and go, for the Lord has sent us to destroy this place!!!
And yet, here they sit. Still.
Lot had said to his sons in laws,
Get up! Get out! The place is gonna blow!
And yet, now the angels are
urging Lot tot hurry, telling him to “Arise…”
Did Lot, scream “Fire!” and then
yawn, and go to sleep?
Actions must match our words. If Lot
didn’t take it seriously, why would they?
Practice what we preach. Abraham was probably
the first to be circumcised.
Lest you be consumed, this
was not an empty threat. The danger is real.
Grace is great, amazing... but it’s not
a blank check.
Yeah but, you can’t threaten me,
I’m Abe’s nephew.
I said a prayer. I walked an
aisle. I’ve been baptized. I’m a good person…better than you. I’m a born-again believer. I can't lose my
salvation. Once saved always saved. So, I can live however the heck I want. You
can't judge me, so just shut up and leave me alone.
To that, John the Baptist says:
Produce fruit, then, in keeping
with repentance. And do not presume to
say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our
father.’ For I tell you that out
of these stones God can raise
up children for Abraham. The axe lies ready at the root of
the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and
thrown into the fire. Matthew 3:8-10.
16 And while
he lingered, the men took hold of his hand, his wife’s hand, and the hands
of his two daughters, the Lord being
merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the
city.
He lingered. Delayed
obedience is disobedience.
Revelation 3:15-16; I know your
deeds; you are neither cold nor hot. How I wish you were one or the
other! so because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to
vomit you out of My mouth!
Now, if you want to give Lot the benefit of the
doubt, maybe his lingering was longing for others, maybe he was waiting for his daughter’s
husbands, to wake up and show up.
Either way, the time came to go and like pulling a child off railroad tracks just in time to miss the train, the Lord, showed mercy and pulled them out of harm’s way.
Mercy triumphs over judgement, James
2:13.
17 So it
came to pass, when they had brought them outside, that he
said, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere
in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed.”
Escape… escape… don’t look back.
1 Corinthians 10:13; No
temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is
faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but
with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be
able to bear it.
He has made a way of escape, but
they must of their own free will, take it and run with it; without looking back
to the temptation, the seduction, of Sodom.
What’s your Sodom?
Escape to the mountains lest you
be destroyed. The warning and direction are crystal clear. Head
to the hills!
The only thing left to do is say
thank you Lord, and run; right?
So, let’s see what Lot does.
18 Then Lot said to them, “Please, no, my lords!
Please, no, my lords!
Oh, for Pete’s sake, Lot.
Now you know why we call him Lotta-Trouble-Lot.
The angels are probably thinking: “185,000 Assyrians were easier to
deal with than this guy.”
You might be thinking, Well I’d never do that.
Really?
The equivalent to Lot’s “Please, no…” is like saying, “Yeah but…”
Turn the other cheek… yeah but…
Forgive or you won’t be… yeah but…
Forsake not the assembling… yeah but…
Love like Jesus… yeah but…
Get your but….
19 Indeed
now, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have increased your
mercy which you have shown me by saving my life; but I cannot escape to the
mountains, lest some evil overtake me and I die.
I know you are messengers from
God.
I know you saved my life.
I know you showed me mercy.
I know you have the power to wipe
out several cities.
I know you take your orders
directly from God.
Yeah but…
Out there are, lions, and tigers,
and bears, oh my!
When we won’t listen to God, we
become stupid fools.
Then, one of the angels slapped Lot
upside the head and said, “That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.”
Well, maybe not, but wanted
to—or, at least I would’ve.
20 See now,
this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a
little one; please let me escape there (is it not a little one?) and my
soul shall live.”
Oh, so, Lot wants to go to a
city. Any city. Even a little city.
Perhaps he’s a city slicker.
Perhaps he’s not the outdoorsy
type like uncle Abe.
Plus, he’s got a wife, and two
girls—the girls he just offered to give to the perverse mob of males. Maybe he’s
scared they’ll feed him to the lions, and tigers, and bears—oh my.
I have a theory as to why he’s
adamant about going to a city. Lord willing, we’ll look at that next week after
we gather more information (remind me).
21 And he
said to him, “See, I have favored you concerning this thing also, in that
I will not overthrow this city for which you have spoken.
The angel extends God given grace,
and mercy; and actually doesn’t slap Lot upside the head (even though he deserved it).
22 Hurry,
escape there. For I cannot do anything until you arrive there.”
Therefore the name of the
city was called Zoar.
Hurry, again there is urgency in the directive.
Take your time you’ll get there
faster is often a good motto to follow; except when it comes to a
directive from the Lord.
Then, obey right away is
always the best way to go.
Now look at the angel’s
restriction.
I cannot do anything until you
arrive there…
Remember that. We’ll come back to
it in a couple verses.
23 The sun
had risen upon the earth when Lot entered Zoar.
They must be exhausted. They’ve
been awake for at least 24 hours. Remember, it was the previous morning when
the angel urged them to arise and get going.
Their arrival in the little city
of Zoar, triggers what the angels have been waiting for…
24 Then
the Lord rained brimstone
and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the Lord out of the heavens.
Then the LORD rained brimstone and
fire. Then, judgement fell.
Remember, the angel said: “I
cannot do anything until you arrive there”
This is a pattern and principle
we’ve seen repeated, and now established.
The rain from Noah’s flood, started
after God shut Noah and family safely in the ark
The rain of fire and brimstone,
started after, Lot and daughters safely entered Zoar.
In the next book, Exodus, the Lord
will safely protect His people (Israel), when He pours out plagues on Egypt.
Repeatedly through HIStory, the Lord
makes a difference between the righteous and the wicked—just as Abraham established
in intercession.
Genesis isn’t only about what did happen, but a preview of
what will happen
It won’t be long until God protects
Israel by a similar show of power, of fire and brimstone from Heaven.
Russia, Turkey, Iran, Libya, Sudan, (others?) will come
against Israel, the alliance is currently forming, the weapons are being set.
It won’t be long.
It’s called the Gog Magog War, or, the Ezekiel 38-39 War.
Ezekiel 38:22 and I will bring him to judgment with
pestilence and bloodshed; I will rain down on him, on his troops, and on the
many peoples who are with him, flooding rain, great hailstones,
fire, and brimstone.
Another
huge event will take place sometime near the Ezekiel War. It will dramatically change the entire
planet. God will make a global distinction between the righteous and the wicked.
He will once again, move His own to safety, before judgement falls.
1 Thessalonians
4:16-18
For the
Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an
archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise
first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught
up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus
we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these
words.
25 So
He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the
cities, and what grew on the ground.
What grew on the ground, was once
beautiful and fertile, and lush and green, like the Garden of Eden.
But not after that day; even to
this day.
If you’re on a tour bus, in
Israel, east of Jerusalem, near the Dead Sea, and all you see is barren
desolation, your tour guide is probably talking about the destruction of Sodom
and Gomorrah.
26 But his
wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.
Luke 9:62, Jesus
declared, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and then looks back is
fit for the kingdom of God.”
Lot’s wife, looked back with
longing, regretted leaving.
Mrs. Lot was out of Sodom, but Sodom
wasn’t out of her.
God showed mercy, made a way
of escape, but wouldn’t force her to accept it.
While your tour guide is still
talking about Sodom, your bus may ease by a sign that reads:
Lot’s Wife
Allow your eyes to follow the direction the sign is pointing to a rock formation, a pillar, the petrified, salty remains, of Mrs. Lot?
27 And
Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before
the Lord.
From there Abraham remembered the
conversation, the intercession, how he prayed for the righteous to be spared
from God’s judgement on the wicked.
He never mentioned Lot’s name,
but you can be sure that’s what he was thinking.
His nephew. His only blood
relative in the area.
From there he looked…
28 Then he
looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain; and he
saw, and behold, the smoke of the land which went up like the smoke of a
furnace.
Did he sigh, slowly shake his
head and whisper: “Not even ten…” Genesis 18:32.
29 And it
came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered
Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when He overthrew
the cities in which Lot had dwelt.
God remembered Abraham and sent Lot out.
Here is perhaps the most powerful moment of the whole story.
In a word: Intercession.
It started when God visited Abraham in Genesis 18.
Yes, to break the news about the birth of a babe, but also to birth the
heart of an intercessor in Abe.
Abraham stood in the gap and prayed for the righteous to be spared. God
knew his heart, and delivered, Lot.
And a whole lot more.
This
pattern and principle of intercession that still works for us today.
We can intercede deep into the heart of a sin filled city, and a lot of
trouble nephew.
Intercession can dispatch angels to reach in and pull out loved ones being crushed by evil.
Most of all, intercession can convict the heart, the mind, the soul.
2 Peter 2:7-9
And delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the
wicked 8 (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his
righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)— 9
then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve
the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment
Let’s intercede.
Lord, thank You for warning us of
the day of reckoning. Thank You for making a way of escape. Please give us the
heart of an intercessor. Help us to stand in the gap for all those You’ve given
us, so that as much as it depends on us, not one will be left behind.
We love You, forever.
Amen.
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