..To Ancient SDA's ............ To "What's New?"
by
Ron Parsons
The aim of this series:
“Then He said to them, ‘O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into His glory?’ And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded to them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself.” Luke 24:25-27.
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Genesis 19a:
Our three heavenly visitors moved on and eventually the two angels came to Sodom as the sun was setting. Jesus had obviously gone somewhere else.
1 And there came two angels to Sodom at even [l
ooking like two nice young ordinary tourists]; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom. And [the much older] Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground; 2 and he said, “Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and you shall rise up early, and go on your ways.”And they said, “No; but we will abide in the street all night
[they couldn’t afford a backpacker’s room?].”3 And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in to him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.
*************** (End quote)
The most fertile region for crops in all Palestine at that time was the Jordan valley. There were cities also, wealthy and beautiful, inviting great profits in their crowded markets. Dazzled with visions of worldly gain, Lot had overlooked the moral and spiritual evils that would be encountered there when he “chose him all the plain of Jordan,” and “pitched his tent toward Sodom.” How little did he foresee the terrible results of that selfish choice, especially to his children!
He had decided on the city for his home because he saw that from a worldly point of view there were advantages to be gained there. But after he had established himself, and grown rich in earthly treasure, he was convinced that he had made a mistake in not taking into consideration the moral standing of the community in which he had made his home, and so he made a practice of looking out for, and warning strangers of their peril.
*************** (Begin quote)
Genesis 19:
4 But before they
[the angels] lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter: 5 and they called to Lot, and said to him, “Where are the men which came in to you this night? Bring them out to us, that we may know them.”*************** (End quote)
The majority of the dwellers in Sodom were openly sexually corrupt, living a gay lifestyle, which is why they came to the house. Lot had obviously thought that he could keep the presence of his visitors quiet, but Satan had other ideas. The marriage of Lot, and his choice of Sodom for a home, were the first links in a well-planned chain of events filled with evil to the world for many generations, and Satan exulted in his success.
It is still his purpose to attract men and women to the cities, and to gain his object he invents every kind of novelty and amusement, every kind of excitement. When he can get a Christian to fall into his trap he is greatly heartened.
However, back to our story.
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Genesis 19:
6 And Lot went out at the door to them, and shut the door after him, 7 and said, “I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly. 8 Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out to you, and do you to them as is good in your eyes: only to these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof
[my protection].”*************** (End quote)
Many have queried why a good man could even contemplate such a horrible deed. But consider the case. Lot had spent years building up his own protection (money etc.) and was used to looking after himself. He was not in the habit of communing with the LORD on a daily basis. So, in this emergency, he tried HIS best which we can easily see was the worst he could have done, in our eyes. And stupid, too, for they were lovers of men and were not interested in his offer. But that’s how we get when we walk apart from the LORD. He was NOT operating under God’s way at all, but was an erring Christian.
*************** (Begin quote)
2 Peter 2:
6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an example unto those that after should live ungodly; 7 and delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation [conduct] of the wicked: 8 (for that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day today with their unlawful deeds.)
9
[But] the LORD knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust to the day of judgment to be punished.*************** (End quote)
Maybe we should not judge Lot too harshly? Very coarse language and sex scenes had greeted his eyes and ears daily, just as it does in our homes today through TV and magazines, and he had become partially hardened to the sinfulness of sin. True, his righteous soul was upset by the violence and crime he was powerless to prevent, as we have just read, but he did not know how to deal with it.
He knew his children were becoming like these wicked people, for association with them had perverted their morals (as happens to so many of our children today) but he still remained in the city.
Taking all these things into consideration, the worldly riches he had gained now seemed small and not worth the price he had paid for them. But his family connections were extensive, his older children having married among the Sodomites and he was reluctant to leave them and his grandchildren, unlike Christian in “Pilgrim’s Progress”.
The influence of his wife and the associations of that wicked city would have led him to apostatise completely from God had it not been for the faithful instruction he had early received from Abraham. So he compromised by giving warnings and making foolish gestures.
Are we doing the same?
Think on it.
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Genesis 19:
9 And they
[the gay lifers] said, “Stand back.” And they said again, “This one fellow came in to sojourn [he’s a new boy on the block], and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with you, than with them.” And they pressed sore [hard] upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door.10 But the men
[the angels] put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut the door. 11 And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door.*************** (End quote)
That’s an interesting point. Humans are given freewill, and this must include the men of Sodom, so why should they be punished for doing what they considered OK? The answer is of course, that they were NOT punished by God or His agents. Some how, and I don’t know for sure from this text, they brought this result upon themselves. Maybe it was like pharaoh’s army at the Red Sea when they chased after the Israelites all night.
*************** (Begin quote)
Exodus 13:
21 And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: 22 He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people . . .
Exodus 14:
9 But the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pihahiroth [the place where the reeds grow], before Baalzephon [Baal of the north – a place of worship]. 10 And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out to the LORD . . .
13 And Moses said to the people, “Fear you not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will show to you today: for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you shall see them again no more for ever. 14 The LORD shall fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” . . .
19 And the Angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud
[in which He appeared] went from before their face, and stood behind them: 20 and it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night.*************** (End quote)
Maybe the Son of God came and stood between the gays and Lot’s house. That’s how He “fought” for Israel at the sea. His very brightness, rejected, turned into darkness as He told us it would, and they couldn’t find the door. “But if your eye be evil, your whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you be darkness, how great is that darkness!” Matthew 6:23.
*************** (Begin quote)
Genesis 19:
12 And the men
[the angels] said to Lot, “Have you here any besides [those in the house]? Son in law, and your sons, and your daughters, and whatever [friends] you have in the city, bring them out of this place: 13 for we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxed great before the face of the LORD; and the LORD has sent us to destroy it.”*************** (End quote)
God has no favourites, right? So we are told below:
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2 Chronicles 19:
7 Wherefore now let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, NOR RESPECT OF PERSONS, nor taking of gifts.
*************** (End quote)
So why did some die in the catastrophe and others not? Notice that it was the obedient ones who survived. They listened to the warning given by the messengers of God and left the city. Our Saviour could not stop the destruction (Satan is the destroyer), and Jesus is the restorer, but He can protect the obedient no matter what is happening.
Thus it is written:
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1 Corinthians 10:
9 Neither let us tempt
[disobey] Christ, as some of them also tempted [disobeyed], and were destroyed of serpents. 10 Neither murmur you, as some of them also murmured [complained of His way], and were destroyed of the destroyer.Psalm 17:
4 Concerning the works of men, by the word of Your lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer. 5 Hold up my goings in Your paths, that my footsteps slip not.
*************** (End quote)
As the protection of God was rejected, so the attacks of the enemy increased until he was able to sweep away not just Sodom, but much of the neighbouring countryside as well.
How about that?
Bye,
Ron
Some of the comments in these readings are adapted from books in my library. No recognition is given because they are not intended as authorities, but are used because they express my understanding clearly. All the ideas expressed in these readings, right or wrong, are my own.
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