God Rescue's Righteous Lot

Read Genesis 19:1-13

Here we begin another very famous story in history, so much so that we have entire word derived from the story, sodomy or to sodomize. A word that is as vile as the citizens of this city.

Lot had moved into the valley, last we heard he had pitched his tents on the outskirts of the city, now it appears he has moved into the city, and has a house within its walls. He has settled down among the people.

Lot has put himself in a very dangerous place, settling down, making his home and life among the people sodom, among sinners. Now this didn’t mean Lot had renounced God as we can clearly see the difference between him and Sodomites, he believes the guests where the Sodomites do not.

They sodomites speak in anger against Lot, saying he is a sojourner, yet he has made himself a judge, showing they do not see him as one of them. Plus Peter himself attests,

2 Peter 2:7–8 (ESV)
⁷ God rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked ⁸ (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard.)

Lot was a believer, but he had made some very dumb decisions. But Abraham had interceded and God would now spare him if only he would listen to God’s warning. This a warning to us, of the dangers of settling down in the world. We can believe as Christians that it isn’t such a big issue that our lives don’t seem to appear that different from those who don’t know God.

But truthfully this is a massive problem, because the world always has same effect, our soul becomes tormented by the evil around us, so to cope our heart becomes harder, our eyes know what to avoid, our mind knows what not to dwell on. But slowly and surely we are becoming more and more like the world till before long we are more of the world than we are of God.

My friends, like Lot must flee from the world and its desire, the love of money, possessions, fame, influence, popularity, anything that belongs to this life only. We must not love these things, we must flee from the love of them lest we be destroyed along with them just as Sodom and Gomorrah were.

Questions:

How do you feel the realities of the world tormenting your soul or have you become calloused and indifferent to the evils of the world?

What benefit is there in having our souls be tormented by this world? What might it make us seek?