Nearly every year since I've been married, I read the Bible through using The One Year Bible. Since January 1st, the heavens and the earth were created, Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord shortly before the world was flooded, Abram and his gorgeous wife Sarai are still without child, and Abram and his nephew Lot just parted company because their herds were too great for them to dwell together peacefully. Talk about a busy start 2013!
Here's what caught my attention from this morning's reading in Genesis 13:
Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom. But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.
Nothing in the Bible is just thrown in there. The scriptures were written purposefully and every word is in its place for a reason, for our instruction and admonition. Lot was drawn to Sodom. Something so fascinated him that he even pitched his tent toward the ancient city.
But the Lord described the men of Sodom as exceedingly wicked sinners. In fact, God singled out Sodom, along with its neighbor Gomorrha, and marked them as a perpetually stinging reminder of His fiery judgment. I haven't found a single positive reference to Sodom in the scriptures anywhere – and there are many references!
Ezekiel 16:49 Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.
2 Peter 2:6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;
Jude 1:7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom. But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.
Nothing in the Bible is just thrown in there. The scriptures were written purposefully and every word is in its place for a reason, for our instruction and admonition. Lot was drawn to Sodom. Something so fascinated him that he even pitched his tent toward the ancient city.
But the Lord described the men of Sodom as exceedingly wicked sinners. In fact, God singled out Sodom, along with its neighbor Gomorrha, and marked them as a perpetually stinging reminder of His fiery judgment. I haven't found a single positive reference to Sodom in the scriptures anywhere – and there are many references!
Ezekiel 16:49 Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.
2 Peter 2:6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;
Jude 1:7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
| For whatever reason, Lot chose to pitch his tent toward Sodom. Sodom was the first thing he saw in the morning and perhaps the last thing on his mind at night. Whatever the attraction was for Lot, God Almighty had an entirely different view Sodom. |  |
Fast forward to 2013, and it's very obvious that the sinfulness of Sodom didn't die with Sodom, nor have we advanced beyond the weaknesses of Lot. The Lot family is a twisted story of woe and today's reading gives a clue as to why: Lot didn't resist Sodom as Abram did. He lived toward it, tolerated it, later moved into it, and was nearly destroyed because of it. And it began with how he situated his life - toward Sodom.
And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) (2 Peter 2:6-8)
I wonder how many attractions might hold my attention today that God sees as vile? How much of my heart is pitched toward the bright lights of sin and worldly pleasures that may vex today, and doom tomorrow? How many “little things” to me are big deals to God? That should be a sobering question to all of us since "little things" have a way of becoming much bigger things later.
May we all consider our ways and remember that the Lord is coming soon.
Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalms 139:23-24)
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. (1 John 2:15-17)
Want to be more spiritually minded than Lot? Read about How To Get The Mind of Christ!
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