Today's Scripture
Sodom and Gomora- GENESIS 19:1-21
Today’s Reading Schedule: Genesis 19-21(CEB)- Click to read
The two messengers entered Sodom in the evening. Lot, who was sitting at the gate of Sodom, saw them, got up to greet them, and bowed low. 2 He said, “Come to your servant’s house, spend the night, and wash your feet. Then you can get up early and go on your way.”
But they said, “No, we will spend the night in the town square.” 3 He pleaded earnestly with them, so they went with him and entered his house. He made a big meal for them, even baking unleavened bread, and they ate.
4 Before they went to bed, the men of the city of Sodom—everyone from the youngest to the oldest—surrounded the house 5 and called to Lot, “Where are the men who arrived tonight? Bring them out to us so that we may have sex with them.”
6 Lot went out toward the entrance, closed the door behind him, 7 and said, “My brothers, don’t do such an evil thing. 8 I’ve got two daughters who are virgins. Let me bring them out to you, and you may do to them whatever you wish. But don’t do anything to these men because they are now under the protection of my roof.”
9 They said, “Get out of the way!” And they continued, “Does this immigrant want to judge us? Now we will hurt you more than we will hurt them.” They pushed Lot back and came close to breaking down the door. 10 The men inside reached out and pulled Lot back into the house with them and slammed the door. 11 Then the messengers blinded the men near the entrance of the house, from the youngest to the oldest, so that they groped around trying to find the entrance.
12 The men said to Lot, “Who’s still with you here? Take away from this place your sons-in-law, your sons, your daughters, and everyone else you have in the city 13 because we are about to destroy this place. The Lord has found the cries of injustice so serious that the Lord sent us to destroy it.”
14 Lot went to speak to his sons-in-law, married to his daughters, and said, “Get up and get out of this place because the Lord is about to destroy the city.” But his sons-in-law thought he was joking.
15 When dawn broke, the messengers urged Lot, “Get up and take your wife and your two daughters who are here so that you are not swept away because of the evil in this city.” 16 He hesitated, but because the Lordintended to save him, the men grabbed him, his wife, and two daughters by the hand, took him out, and left him outside the city.
17 After getting them out, the men said, “Save your lives! Don’t look back! And don’t stay in the valley. Escape to the mountains so that you are not swept away.”
18 But Lot said to them, “No, my lords, please. 19 You’ve done me a favor and have been so kind to save my life. But I can’t escape to the mountains since the catastrophe might overtake me there and I’d die. 20 This city here is close enough to flee to, and it’s small. It’s small, right? Let me escape there, and my life will be saved.”
21 He said to Lot, “I’ll do this for you as well; I won’t overthrow the city that you have described. 22 Hurry! Escape to it! I can’t do anything until you get there.” That is why the name of the city is Zoar
RJ's Devotion
What Does the passage Mean to Me/US?
The story highlights how humankind can fall when they live according to their own wills.
We are called to live according to God’s will. When God called Abram, Lot was susceptible to that call.
Even though they part ways, to avoid conflict, Lot was still called to live according to God’s will.
Lot was living in the city full of people, who lived according to their own wicked ways, and I have to question how Lot would have pursued his call.
We see how God intervenes. The messengers of God entered into the city Lot lived as an immigrant.
Lot insist to have them over at their place because he knew the evil of the city.
As I was reading, a question came to me. ‘If Lot knew how wicked the city was, why didn’t Lot leave the city?’
Maybe because his livestock was there and it was hard to leave.
Maybe because all he had invested in the lively hood of this city might have prevented him to move.
However, we see through the story, how it seems like his family was too accustomed to the city.
We see how his (soon-to-be) sons-in-laws refuses to leave the city (v. 14).
We also see how his wife looks back at the city, despite the warning of not to look back at the city, but Lot’s wife does and turns into a pillar of salt.
Even Lot was not aware of how enculturated he was with the culture.
He might have justified him staying at the city, by saying, ‘At least, I try to live in a right way.’
What was the result? He lost everything he had. His daughter’s had to go an extra mile, something that is unimaginable to our knowledge, to continue the family name. Both grandchildren became the ancestors of nations, who became arch enemies of Israel. Even that decision was a result of taking manners according to our own understandings.
We are called to be God’s children, living according to God’s will.
This call does not put us better than anyone in the world, but the call pushes us to pursue holiness in this wicked world.
The Bible constantly says, ‘turn away from evil.’ We will need to look and see if we became enculturated to the worldly ways.
We will also have to ask, how we should live holy in this wicked world.
Prayer
Lord, give us the discernment to see the evil ways of the world. Do not let it deceive us, nor make us fear it. Be with us, today, so we can live as people following your will, in this world. In Christ Name, we pray, AMEN
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