v.1-17
1. About Lot
a. Lot's position in Sodom: being the elder/judge
v.1 Lot was sitting in the city’s gateway (NET The expression sitting in the city’s gateway may mean that Lot was exercising some type of judicial function)
v.9 now he dares to judge us
b. Base on that position he told people what was wrong
7 He said, “No, my brothers! Don’t act so wickedly!
v.8 don’t do anything to these men
Summary: (BKC) Actually he was a judge, for he “was sitting in the gateway of the city” (v. 1; cf. v. 9). Judges usually sat by the city gates, public places (cf. Job 29:7, 12–17) where legal and business transactions were finalized (cf. Gen. 23:18). As a judge Lot sought to screen out the wickedness of his townfolk and to give advice on good living. He knew truth and justice, righteousness and evil. He was “a righteous man” (2 Peter 2:7–8).
c. His pathetic protections to his guests: He thought either his house or his position was enough to protect them
v. 6 Lot went outside to them, shutting the door behind him.
v.8 for they have come under the protection of my roof.”
d. His overboard offerings of his daughters
8 Look, I have two daughters who have never been intimate with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do to them whatever you please. (BKC To protect one’s guests was part of hospitality, but this was going too far! EBC-, Lot’s suggestion that the men of the city take his own daughters and do with them what they please can hardly be taken within the narrative as a sign of his good character (v.8).)
Summary: Later on, we will see that his protection was useless. He could not rescue his guests, but rather the angels would rescue him and his family. On the other hand, his overboard offerings of his daughters reflected his distorted worldview, which can be trace back by his choosing to live in Sodom, the wicked city Gen 13:10-11.
2. About God and the angels
a. They knew what they were doing, i.e. to check on the city (18:21) v.1-2 and they were strong enough to protect themselves and Lot's family v.10-11.
b. Their decision was very clear: God is going to destroy the city imminently v.12-17
Get them out of this place 13 because we are about to destroy it. The outcry against this place is so great before the LORD that he has sent us to destroy it.”
15 At dawn the angels hurried Lot along, saying, “Get going! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or else you will be destroyed when the city is judged!”
17 When they had brought them outside, they said, “Run for your lives! Don’t look behind you or stop anywhere in the valley! Escape to the mountains or you will be destroyed!”
c. Did Lot believe them?
v.14b He said, “Quick, get out of this place because the LORD is about to destroy the city!”
16 When Lot hesitated, the men grabbed his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters because the LORD had compassion on them.
Summary of 1 and 2: Lot was acting as a judge in a wicked city. He seemed to know what is right and wrong and his reason to live among them for the benefit of the fertilize soil. His worldview was badly distorted when he tried to offer his 2 daughters for his guests.
He seemed like a hypocrite believers who was a very weak witnesses and therefore, the people there did not really listen to his advice. Now when the message from God is very clear (the miracle of blinding the men who surrounding his house) he seemed to be convinced that he needed to trust God's message: leave immediately, but later on he hesitated.
A believer who can "only say but not do" will not trust God fully
Reflection: . What is in common between his "say but not do" and "trust-but-hesitate"? Disobedience. If I never really surrender to God and do what He said then when crisis come (in my case, my caner) then based on what relationship will I trust God totally? Because, I have never tasted how good it is to trust and obey. May God help me to do what He has said. Not just knowing but not doing.
Most important of all, God had compassion and has the angels to grab their hand and leave!
v.19-38
1. What the angel said in v.17 was very clear-run, "dont look, escape to the mountains."
17 When they had brought them outside, they said, “Run for your lives! Don’t look behind you or stop anywhere in the valley! Escape to the mountains or you will be destroyed!”
Lot responded showed that 1. He did not follow the command, "No" ; 2. He doubt the command, "I am not able to escape to the mountains because this disaster will overtake me and I’ll die"
Even though he said he was thankful in v.19, was he really??
Surprising, God also granted that wish for him to go to Zoar.
2. Why did God so gracious to Lot if he was not even a truly thankful person?
29 So when God destroyed the cities of the region, God honored Abraham’s request. He removed Lot from the midst of the destruction when he destroyed the cities Lot had lived in
Which Abraham’s request did God honor? Abraham did not ask God to rescue Lot when it was destroyed. He asked God to spare the city if there were 10 righteous person, and obvious there were not and that's why it was destroyed.
(NET-Abraham’s request (Gen 18:23–32) was that the LORD not destroy the righteous with the wicked. While the requisite minimum number of righteous people (ten, v. 32) needed for God to spare the cities was not found, God nevertheless rescued the righteous before destroying the wicked.)
3. The wife and daughters of Lot
26 But Lot’s wife looked back longingly and was turned into a pillar of salt.
(NET-Lot’s wife apparently identified with the doomed city and thereby showed lack of respect for God’s provision of salvation. She, like her daughters later, had allowed her thinking to be influenced by the culture of Sodom.)
31 Later the older daughter said to the younger, “there is no man...the way everyone does. 32 Come, let’s make our father...preserve our family line through our father"
What they cared about was they would not have no relationship with man like the way everyone does...and to have their family line preserves. Therefore, they made their own rules. God's rule of one husband and one wife was either not taught or not important to them. (BKC-Their acts of incest show Sodom’s influence on them)
4. Conclusion and reflection: Lot was not a really thankful person. A true thankful person would not disobey God command and doubt His command. How about me? If I really thankful for God's salvation, shall I still ignoring and doubting His command?
God saved Lot out of Abraham, and He did it above and beyond of what Abraham asked for. He was just a good God to Lot and to Abraham. God also gave me more than what I asked for.
The wicked world influences us to long for it and to follow its way and thinking it is the "normal way." In what way I long for this world? What is the "normal way" to me?
Questions
1. Sodom city's gateway
2. They were homosexual and they wanted to have relationship with Lot's godly friends
3. Lot tried to protect his guest, but could not
4. They did not believe in him. Perhaps he was not a trusted person
5. Very clearly from a distant people could tell they were judged by God
6. His family's moral standards are very low and his wife was identified with the city and lack of respect for her salvation from destruction. No
7. People I witness to usually appreciate my words although they did not accept the Gospel. As far as I aware they were not rejecting the Gospel because of my hypocrite or lack of trust.
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