Questions for Littles: To where did the two angels come (v1)? What time was it? Where was Lot? How did he respond? Where did he ask them to spend the night (v2)? Where did they say they would spend the night? When did he suggest that they should then leave? Who won the argument (v3)? What did he do for them? Who came and surrounded the house (v4)? What did they want Lot to give them (v5)? Where did Lot go to talk (v6)? What does he call the people of Sodom in v7? What does he offer to give them in v8? What does he say the men of the city may do to them? What did they say they were about to do to him—then actually begin to do—in v9? Who end up saving Lot in v10? What do they do to the men of the city in the doorway (v11)?In the passage for this week’s Old Testament reading, we have the unfolding of the tragedy of Lot.
When he first pitched his tent toward Sodom, we wondered why he hadn’t just sold off some of his herd and valued being with God’s chosen man above having more earthly stuff.
Now, there’s no tent anymore. There’s a door. And, it turns out to be quite a necessary door… for an unnecessary situation. It would not have come to this for Lot if he hadn’t actually become a part of Sodom. He has a house in the city now. He calls the men of the city his brethren.
Yes, he pleads with them not to do evil, and the Holy Spirit tells us later, through Peter, that Lot’s righteous soul was tormented daily in that place.
But still, he's there. And look at how his situation has affected him! Can you imagine this man, whose duty it was to protect and defend not just his guests, but especially his daughters, with his own life… and he offers to bring them out to be abused by the men of the city of Sodom?!
He should rather have given himself up than do that to his daughters.
Sadly, the account of how his parenting affected his daughters is not going to get better, but only worse.
When we are overconfident in our spiritual ability, we fail like Lot did. Not only had he inched his way into the city, while thinking he could do so as a “missionary,” but even in our passage we see the ironic reversal: the “men” whom he had sought to protect end up having to be the ones to protect him!
Let us not put ourselves—and especially our families—in situations where their lives are spent under a saturation of devilish influence. Whatever ministry we conduct to the world, let us make sure that love to God is the hallmark of our primary companions and indeed the pervasive atmosphere of our entire homes.
And let us be grateful that our Redeemer is the One who was so patient and merciful, even with someone who had messed up as bad and for as long as Lot had.
How has pride gotten you into spiritual or earthly trouble? How do you fight it?Suggested songs: ARP73C “Yet Constantly I Am with You” or HB303 “Be Thou My Vision”
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