Day seventy-three
My sons have finals today which always brings some nervous tension and an influx of prayer in the house. This morning when I asked who they would like to say the prayer they asked me too. I got the, "Mom you're such a spiritual person, it would be best if you did it." At first I thought this was a cop out statement, but then they smiled at me in a way that made me see that they really believe that statement. I don't see myself as more spiritual than them, but I was touched by their request. I am filled with gratitude that my children appreciate the person I try to be and feel that I have a close relationship with God, it is a great compliment. So my prayer this morning was focused on the needs of my sons.
I read Genesis Ch 19 as part of my scripture study today. This is a difficult chapter for me, I have a hard time understanding Lot. Why would someone who is described as 'just and righteous' choose to live in a place like Sodom where he is 'vexed with the wickedness of the people' (2 Pet 2:7-8)? And why would he need to be hastened by the angels to leave, and why linger so long that the angels had to take him and his family by the hand and remove them from the city? He would even haggle with the angels as to where he would go to find safety. I really wanted to understand, but as I began to study, the real lesson for me became apparent. It wasn't Lot that I should be focusing on, it was the three angels!
It is not clear who the three angels were, but they likely were the same three holy men that visited Abraham in Genesis chapter 18. I know the text in Genesis states that there were two, but in the JST Gen 19:1 it states that there were three angels, so I am going with that.
These three men cause quite a stir in the city of Sodom, the wicked men of the city surround Lot's house and demand that he send his guests out for them to be sexually abused. Lot tries to talk with the mob, but they refuse his efforts and the three men end up grabbing Lot and pulling him back into the house (Gen. 19:5-10). They even smote the men that were at the door with blindness (Gen. 19:11).
This got me thinking: What am I doing to help those that are good people, but have made a not-so-wise choice and find themselves in a bad situation? Am I seeking them out as the three men sought Lot? Would I be willing to stand up for them against others? All good questions that brought me to the answer that as a Christian these are things I should be doing.
The story goes on with the three men warning Lot to get his family out of Sodom: "And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city" (Gen. 19:15). The word hastened has a sense of urgency to it. Do I feel an urgency to warn others about the dangers of the world? Are there people in my life that need to hear a message of warning? Am I taking any action to warn them? Is there room for improvement on my part in warning others? Yikes! That last question really got to me. I am starting to see a message of warning to me in this verse.
The next part of the story really packs some punch. It appears that Lot is not in too big of a hurry to leave the city. In verse 16 it states that he 'lingered'. How many people do I know that are doing things they know they shouldn't, but linger in that lifestyle for whatever reason they have? I have not always been able to step out of a habit I know I should give up. I have been just as guilty as Lot of dragging my feet on important issues.
Luckily, Lot has the three men there who literally take him by the hand and lead him out of the city. I have been fortunate to have people in my life that have done this for me. And I have been blessed to have the opportunity to do this for others, but I can't say that I stepped up to the plate every time. There are times when I should have taken action, but for one reason or another I chose not to. Is there someone in my life that I need to take by the hand and lead them back to Christ? The answer is yes, there always is. This time I need to follow through, no excuses, just actions!
When I first started applying these verses to my own life I felt a little guilty about my lack of involvement, thoughts of 'I can do better' kept popping into my head. A I kept digging deeper I realized that this was an opportunity that the Spirit was taking to lead me by the hand. I should return the favor. The Lord has work for me to do and sometimes I get so caught up in my life that I linger there and forget to listen and be led. So today is a day for less hesitancy and more action on my part!
When I read and ponder on the story of Lot what comes to mind for me is that sometimes we try to save those who don't want to be saved. So, where is that line. At what point should we try to stay and save and at what point should we get ourselves away lest we be contaminated and begin to think that whatever it is that's going on is normal? During Lot's time horrible perversions were considered normal to one degree or another. Lot to my mind obviously cared about the people of sodom and the city itself. I think he had a great desire to continue teaching... to linger a little longer and perhaps save another soul.... So, my question is....do we ever refrain from acting as we know the lord would have us act because we think that WE on our own can somehow change the direction of wickedness? Does the Lord sometimes expect us to listen and allow the pattern that has started to follow through and for those who sin to receive the consequences of their choices? Is God simply trying to parent by teaching natural consequences and we're interfering?
ReplyDeleteThis is why I find this chapter a little difficult to study, there are so many questions that stem from this story and not always do I see a clear cut answer. It all comes down to letting the Lord guide you through the Spirit or through his representatives (the three angels in this story) and choosing to heed the warnings. It is too bad that we don't have the story of what happened to Lot after his daughters took advantage of him. Did he learn anything from this experince? Did he become more righteous and follow the Lord in exactness like Abraham? Did he listen to the Lord's voice and obey more? He lost the majority of his family becuase of his choices, you would think that that would have made an impact on him. His story is a great example of the consequences of one's choices. It really made me stop and think about how I listen to the promptings of the Spirit. As with Lot, there is room for improvement.
ReplyDeleteHmm... I've never given much thought to Lot. Food for thought.
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