Thursday Night Bible Study

Genesis 19

"It All Comes Down" • 3.18.10 • Thursday Night Bible Study

Intro

- The angels of God have taken a walk down the road to Sodom and Gommorah, words which are synonymous with wickedness.

- The first comment regarding Sodom and Gomorrah that Moses makes regarding their existence, coincides with Lot's decision to make that area his home.

• Genesis 13:13 : "But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the Lord."

- This is the moral benchmark of their society. Wickedness was their specialty, sinfulness their goal! It's baffling that anyone would want to choose to live there, but Lot did.

- Lot ignored the spiritual depravity for the sake of worldly gain. When he first set his eyes on Sodom, he saw a land of opportunity.

• Genesis 13:10 : "And Lot lifted his eyes and saw all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere (before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah) like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt as you go toward Zoar."

- For a herdsman, this was a dream opportunity! As a result, Genesis 13:12 tells us that Lot pitched his tent on the border of, near Sodom.

- One chapter later, in Genesis 14:12, we find that he dwelt in Sodom. Even after Abraham rescued him, he chose to return.

- Lot has made his choice and he is about to find out just how bad that choice was. According to II Peter 2, Lot was a righteous man, but this chapter is a portrait of a compromised Christian.

- It's the picture of a person who is too worldly to be useful to God and too godly to be loved in the world. I want us to note seven statements regarding the compromised Christian. He or she

I. Lacks Awareness Of God's Plan (v.1-3)

II. Lacks Authority In The World (v.4-11)

III. Lacks Authority With Their Family (v.12-14)

IV. Lacks Appropriate Action In Times Of Crisis (v.15-17)

V. Lacks A Confidence In God For Full Deliverance (v.18-23)

VI. Lacks A Proper Leadership In Their Marriage (v.24-26)

VIII. Lacks Assurance Of A Godly Heritage (v.27-38)

Text

I. Lacks Awareness Of God's Plan (v.1-3)

• Genesis 19:1-3 : "Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them, and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground. And he said, 'Here now, my lords, please turn in to your servant’s house and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise early and go on your way.' And they said, 'No, but we will spend the night in the open square.' But he insisted strongly; so they turned in to him and entered his house. Then he made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate." : The angels that had left Abraham, were now coming into town. They came into town in the evening.

- The evening hours represent the true nature of any given city. This is when the Angels chose their time of visitation.

- Lot is the first to see them. Notice where he is when he does: The Gate of Sodom. He is sitting there, quite comfortably.

- The city gate was more than just the entrance. It was more like a long series of cubed areas. Business, such as trades and disputes were handled there. It was akin to our city hall.

- The city gate was home to the pseudo-politician and those with an eye toward taking advantage of business opportunities. There is our friend Lot, the business man.

- He had become a civic leader of Sodom!

- He sees the angels and immediately bows himself before them. This is a normal way of greeting, showing great respect. He uses the word "lords" which is a better way to say "Sirs."

In the ancient world, if you came late in the evening without knowing somebody, you would just spend the night in the square. Lot understands that their options are limited and one is untenable.

- He immediately offers them the hospitality that Abraham would have offered, except that he is more urgent. Lot knows what dangers are just around the corner.

- He offers his house and asks that they come and go quickly.

- The angels were just following protocol. Lot insisted strongly, literally, he was excessively pushy about this.

- It is debatable whether Lot knew that these were angels. If he did not, his actions make sense, in that he did not want harm to come to these "men."

- On the other hand, if he did know, then you can imagine that he did not want them to see the true nature of Sodomite culture.

- "Come in quickly, don't look around, and then leave before you can see anything out of order!" If that's the case, we can relate.

- "God I want you in my life, just don't look here or here...and don't touch that either!"

- I am of the opinion that he was completely unaware of who he was greeting. He has no idea what God is doing. He is in the dark, unlike Abraham, who is given a preview to what He is doing.

- The compromised Christian is usually surprised at God's activities.

- The angels consented and Lot presented them with a great feast, but the trouble that Lot sought to avoid came to find them anyway.

II. Lacks Authority In The World (v.4-11)

• Genesis 19:4,5 : "Now before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house. And they called to Lot and said to him, 'Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally.'" : They had a great meal and it was time to sleep. Meanwhile, a crowd gathered outside the house.

- Lot's hope for secrecy had obviously failed. The men of the city had noticed.

- These are men, old and young, from every quarter of the city. The word for "old" is elder and the word for "young" is what would be used to describe a boy.

- This was a generationally shared experience. Moses lets us know that this was not a behavior that was confined to one quarter of the city. They came from every quarter.

- They surrounded the house and demanded that Lot bring out the men so that they might engage with them sexually. There is no guise. They are straightforward in their desires.

- The scene cannot be more disgusting. Old men and young boys are all here to participate in a homosexual orgy. The debauchery was shared by every generation in every part of the city.

• Genesis 19:6-11 : "So Lot went out to them through the doorway, shut the door behind him, and said, 'Please, my brethren, do not do so wickedly! See now, I have two daughters who have not known a man; please, let me bring them out to you, and you may do to them as you wish; only do nothing to these men, since this is the reason they have come under the shadow of my roof.' And they said, 'Stand back!' Then they said, 'This one came in to stay here, and he keeps acting as a judge; now we will deal worse with you than with them.' So they pressed hard against the man Lot, and came near to break down the door. But the men reached out their hands and pulled Lot into the house with them, and shut the door. And they struck the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they became weary trying to find the door." : Lot had a chance to stand for God and prophecy to these people. “The Almighty God calls this city to repent or else disaster will befall you!”

- Instead, we see him offer up a worldly solution that might placate their sexual ambition.

- He calls them out and says "Don't do this wickedness!" To injure a guest in that ancient world was a deep offense. This is what is meant by the shadow of his roof.

- But then Lot blows it big time: Take my virgin daughters instead! As a Father with daughters, I cannot fathom this sentence. Lot is saying, "Don't do this wickedness. Do this one instead!"

- The words "do to them as you wish" stand out in a horrible way. What was Lot thinking? He wasn't. He was desperate to stop this from happening.

- This did not make a dent in the mob's thinking. This speech infuriated them even further.

- They did not want a moral compass. They were not attracted to righteousness. They resented that Lot had come to live there and was now seeking to change them.

- His voice lacks any kind of authority, any kind of power to bring about conviction of their sin.

- The Sodomites pressed in. Understand that this is an urgent desire, a frenzied environment.

- They were not going to allow social protocol, moral urging or even physical barriers to stop their quest.

- They were driven by their unholy lusts. There was no word, no substitute, no societal norm that was powerful enough to stop them.

- What was powerful enough were these angels. They pulled Lot in and struck the entire horde with blindness. Angels, as it turns out, are fairly powerful beings!

- Could it have been that they allowed just a little of their light to shine in that dark place? Perhaps it was the same phenomena that occurs when you come out of a dark theatre midday.

- Whatever happened, the surprising thing is that it did not dissuade the masses. In fact, they kept coming until they wore themselves out trying to find the door!

- We are talking about the kind of sickness that accompanies an addict. Even the loss of their sight did not deter them from their mission!

- Before we move on, let's understand that homosexuality was just one of the many sins that Sodom was known for, but it was not the only sin.

- It's tempting to jump on the bandwagon and say that homosexuality was the cause of the fall of Sodom. It's toleration and celebration in any society is a great sign of wickedness that's pervasive.

- However, let's be real careful not to condemn this on a greater level than any other sin.

- Turn over to I Corinthians 6. Look at the list of sins that are found there.

• I Corinthians 6:9-11 : "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God."

- Paul puts homosexuality and sodomy in the same category as heterosexual activity outside of marriage, drunkenness and adultery!

- The beauty comes in verse 11. "But such WERE some of you! You were washed, sanctified and justified!" Thank you Lord that no sin is to great that you cannot clean and turn the sinner!

III. Lacks Authority With His Family (v.12-14)

• Genesis 19:12,13 : "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! 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.'" : If Lot did not know about the nature of the angels and their business, he certainly did now! In this moment, all that Lot had built, all that he had valued, was suddenly without value!

- It was on the queue for destruction. His home, his business, his possessions are all literally going to go up in smoke! God has seen the condition of Sodom and the decree is destruction.

- He has located the righteous. There are less than 10 and they are told to get out!

• Genesis 19:14-18 : "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. 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.' 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. 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.'" : Lot had two other daughters who were married. Lot told them the message first.

- To them, it seemed like he was joking. His conversation was so bizzare and out of the ordinary for Lot, that they guys just concluded that he was kidding them. "You're joking right!?"

- One commentator mentions that they did not take Lot seriously because what he was speaking about had never been mentioned before! Lot had not spoken about his faith with them!

˚ “His words were not a repetition of his life-long warnings of sin and Judgment—they are something totally new and novel.” Bob Deffinbaugh

- It is strange to hear somebody who never talks about God, suddenly make mention of Him. Lot was not one of "those kind" of Christians. He figured that his life spoke best!

- Such a person lacks authority in his own home when his life and words do not match!

IV. Lacks Appropriate Action In Times Of Crisis (v.15-17)

- As the sun was climbing the sky, the angels that have told Lot of their intentions are actually having to hurry Lot up! This is amazing.

- If I heard this news, I would not even let the angels finish telling me! I'd be out the door!

- Lot just lingered about!

- He does not know what he should do. He is paralyzed, afraid to stay and afraid to move.

- Finally, the angels just grabbed them and forcibly removed them to the outskirts of the city. Consider that for a moment.

- The angels had to physically remove Lot from a city that was about to be destroyed!

- I am grateful that when I have been in this situation, in this type of mindset, that God has sent someone to grab me out as well!

V. Lacks A Confidence In God For Full Deliverance (v.18-23)

• Genesis 19:18-23 : "Then Lot said to them, 'Please, no, my lords! 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. 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.' 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. Hurry, escape there. For I cannot do anything until you arrive there.' Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar. The sun had risen upon the earth when Lot entered Zoar." : Lot was lazy and out of shape. He cannot fathom making it to the mountains. He knows nothing of the power that Abraham lived in!

- Abraham had chased Lot's captors all night for miles and miles. Here, Lot is unable to even think about it. He has no confidence in the God that is trying to deliver him!

- Instead, he offers what he was used to: A compromise!

- He imagines that he can make it to the city of Zoar. It took just a short time, just a few hours, and Lot had entered Zoar. It seems that this last phrase would denote a few hours had passed.

VI. Lacks A Proper Leadership In Their Marriage (v.24-26)

• Genesis 19:24-26 : "Then the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the Lord out of the heavens. So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt." : The Lord is responsible for this judgment upon Sodom. Everything that was once lush and full of life is now lifeless.

- How did this happen? You'll recall from Genesis 14 that there were tar pits all over the Sodomite valley. One Pastor I listened to this week postulated that a lightning strike set off a chain reaction. Whatever the case, this was supernaturally engineered.

- Among the casualties: Lot's wife. The angels had given one message that could be summarized in 5 words: "Get out, don't look back!"

- Lot had to be hurried out and it's obvious that Mrs. Lot was also fond of her home.

- The connotation behind the words “looked back” seem to indicate more than just a quick glance. It was more like a look of longing.

- Why did she look back? What could have been so pressing?

- We might have a clued from the New Testament. Turn with me to Luke 17. Jesus is using Sodom and Gomorrah as an illustration of His own return.

• Luke 17:31-33 : "In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away. And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back. Remember Lot’s wife. Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it."

- The suddeness of Christ's coming will leave you with no time to turn back. Likewise with Lot, something from what was being destroyed called to her.

- She wanted to preserve it. She wanted to possess it. In the end, the love of it destroyed her!

- Whatever "it" was has come to represent that which we would lose life for. What could it be for you? Jesus spends three words to remind us that nothing is worth losing our real lives for!

VIII. Lacks Assurance Of A Godly Heritage (v.27-38)

• Genesis 19:27-29 : "And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the Lord. 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. 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." : Imagine Abraham's heart as he saw this horrific sight. He knew now that there had not been even 10 righteous people in that place.

- Verse 29 is an interesting verse. God sent Lot out on account of Abraham, not Lot!

- That is an interesting thought. It was Abraham's relationship with God that once again spared Lot from the destruction that a life in Sodom produces.

• Genesis 19:30-36 : "Then Lot went up out of Zoar and dwelt in the mountains, and his two daughters were with him; for he was afraid to dwell in Zoar. And he and his two daughters dwelt in a cave. Now the firstborn said to the younger, 'Our father is old, and there is no man on the earth to come in to us as is the custom of all the earth. Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve the lineage of our father.' So they made their father drink wine that night. And the firstborn went in and lay with her father, and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose. It happened on the next day that the firstborn said to the younger, 'Indeed I lay with my father last night; let us make him drink wine tonight also, and you go in and lie with him, that we may preserve the lineage of our father.' Then they made their father drink wine that night also. And the younger arose and lay with him, and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose. Thus both the daughters of Lot were with child by their father. The firstborn bore a son and called his name Moab; he is the father of the Moabites to this day. And the younger, she also bore a son and called his name Ben-Ammi; he is the father of the people of Ammon to this day." : What a scene. Lot was a man without confidence in the Lord whatsoever! He did not want to dwell in Zoar, perhaps in fear of further judgments from the Lord, or his own safety without a house.

- He began this chapter in the city gate of Sodom, with a wife, 4 daughters and 2 sons-in-law. Now he is living in a cave with his two unmarried daughters. From Councilman to Cave Dweller!

- Apparently they had time to gather some wine! Ironically, I am glad that wine was involved! At least Lot did not know what was happening.

- You wish that by destroying Sodom, you could destroy the Sodom in people, but that is just not the case. Lot’s daughters took Sodom with them.

- The world behind them had been destroyed, but the principles of that world continued to live on, even dominate their hearts.

- This conspiracy of Lot's older and younger daughters to be impregnated, is a tragic story of how far a family can fall.

- Notice that her reasoning is that this is the custom of all the earth. When you allow children to grow up in Sodom, their moral compass will inevitably be at odds with true north.

- Both nights, Lot loses his faculties and is able to impregnate both daughters. Their children will later become national enemies of Israel and godless people.

Conclusion

- Tonight, we are to beware of loving the world, anxious instead for the deliverance of our souls. I pray that these principles will guide our decisions and goals as we walk out of here.