To: en & others
My dearest beloved children, shalom:
Today's reading covers from Gen 18:16 to Gen:19:26.
In Gen 18:16 we read how Abraham sees off his angelic visitors. The angel of the Lord reveals to Abraham how Sodom and Gomorrah are slated for evaluation and destruction because of their wickedness. Gen 18:20-21.
Abraham feels for the people of Sodom. He probably is thinking of his nephew Lot. He is being loving and charitable to the possible good people that may possibly exist in Sodom. Why should righteous people be destroyed with the bad people? Why throw out the baby with the bath water? Through pleading and negotiating (clever Jewish bargaining) he manages to get a promise for the city to be saved ifZ!0 righteous people can be found (Gen 18:32).
But the situation is grim. The men of Sodom are wicked and intend to bugger Lot's angelic visitors. Their evil lives on in the eponymous verb of present day English language, even though the original city is long gone. Not even the offer of Lot's virgin daughters will suffice (Gen 19:4-11) (Lot was not very loving to offer his daughters was he? Would it not have been more righteous to protect his visitors with his own body and life?).
Not even 10 good people can be found in Sodom. The city has to be destroyed. The angels advise Lot to pull his family out Gen 18: 12-13. The sons-in law think it is a big joke and refused to move. Lot and his family flee to nearby Zoar, Lot declining to flee to the mountains. Sodom and Gomorrah are destroyed.
Gem 19:26 is a strong lesson to us of what happens when we do not five up our love for the sins and vices which we put aside. Pausing for one last longing look at the objects of lust and desire may cause us to get sucked up into the vortex that pulls us down into the sewers of the underworld. If we intend to give up bad behaviour we must make a clean break, cold turkey. Whether smoking, drugs, inappropriate sex, alcohol, whatever: if we decide to stop, stop we must. No turning back. To do so would be to emulate Lot's wife, who remains nameless and who remains a pillar of salt, unless it has been washed away by the rain...
Perhaps Lot's wife is an object lesson for us.
God promises us in 2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people which are called by my name
shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways,
then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and will heal their lands.
God accepts us as His people, called by his name. He desires us to humble ourselves and pray and seek His face, and turn from our wicked ways. If we obey He will forgive our sins, if we do not we probably will be exposed to the same fate as Lot's wife.
Shall we close in prayer.
From: Su Min
Subject: Sodom & Gomorrah
Almighty Father,
Love dad
thank you for the lesson today.
Thank you God for speaking to us and meeting each one of us at our point of need.
Thank you father for saving us from sin. Thank you for sending Jesus to pay the price for us.
Teach us to live as you would want us to live.
In Jesus' name.
Amen
For any comments or enquiries please write to Dr. Lim Su Min
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