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LastCall: Lot's Legacy -Bob Caldwell

Lot’s Legacy

  “Then Lot said to them, ‘Please, no, my lords!’” - Genesis 19:18

Lot’s legacy is a tragic one. In 19:1-16 we saw Lot had little godly influence in Sodom, as well as poor judgment in being able to judge between right and wrong. Here in v. 17-38 we see further evidence of what happens to a carnal believer – a person who believes in God but lives a life influenced by our fallen world.

Rather than obey when he is told by the angels to flee to the mountains, Lot says he can’t. In fact he could have, but he chose not to because he, no doubt, wanted to live in a city for its comforts and business opportunities. Then we see how little influence he had upon his wife, as she chooses to turn back to Sodom. Lastly, we see how confused his daughters were about their sexual relationships in that they had no problem getting Lot drunk so they could have sex with him to bear children.

If Lot’s life is not a warning to us all about living a carnal life as a believer, nothing is. God help us to instead follow the legacy of men and women like Abraham and Sarah. They weren’t perfect by any means. But they would face their failures and turn their hearts to God rather than grow increasingly dull to God’s voice and wisdom for life.

Genesis 19:17-38

  17 So it came to pass, when they had brought them outside, that he said, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed.”

18 Then Lot said to them, “Please, no, my lords! 19 Indeed now, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have increased your mercy which you have shown me by saving my life; but I cannot escape to the mountains, lest some evil overtake me and I die. 20 See now, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one; please let me escape there (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.”

21 And he said to him, “See, I have favored you concerning this thing also, in that I will not overthrow this city for which you have spoken. 22 Hurry, escape there. For I cannot do anything until you arrive there.”

Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.

23 The sun had risen upon the earth when Lot entered Zoar. 24 Then the LORD rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the LORD out of the heavens. 25 So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.

26 But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.

27 And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the LORD. 28 Then he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain; and he saw, and behold, the smoke of the land which went up like the smoke of a furnace. 29 And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when He overthrew the cities in which Lot had dwelt.

v. 19 We Cannot – It is amazing how easily these words roll off the tongue as an excuse for disobedience to God.

v. 22 Zoar – This city means little. Lot had no doubt come to know these nearby people in his business dealings and hoped to strengthen his position among them now that the primary users of his goods were to be destroyed. God grants Lot his request, seeing there is no way that Lot will choose the perfect will of God for his life.

v. 24 Rained Brimstone and Fire – In the New Testament, the Greek word for brimstone is “theion” and means literally “God’s Fire.” There is therefore reason to believe that this was a supernatural act of divine judgment. Some have speculated that the natural cause of this was an explosion of the sulphur in the ground at the bitumen pits (14:10) or an earthquake that released vast quantities of combustible hydrocarbons, accompanied by intense lightning.

v. 25 Those Cities – This included Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim (Deut. 29:23; Hosea 11:8).

v. 26 Pillar of Salt – Most likely this refers to her being covered in this sulfur-like substance when she failed to continue with Lot.

Abraham’s Concern (Verses 27-29)

v. 27 Abraham Went Early – The heart of the intercessor is seen in Abraham’s continued concern for Lot and the outcome of God’s judgment.

v. 29 God Remembered Abraham – We see the clear link between Lot’s deliverance and Abraham’s intercession.

The Descendants of Lot

30 Then Lot went up out of Zoar and dwelt in the mountains, and his two daughters were with him; for he was afraid to dwell in Zoar. And he and his two daughters dwelt in a cave. 31 Now the firstborn said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is no man on the earth to come in to us as is the custom of all the earth. 32 Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve the lineage of our father.” 33 So they made their father drink wine that night. And the firstborn went in and lay with her father, and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose.

34 It happened on the next day that the firstborn said to the younger, “Indeed I lay with my father last night; let us make him drink wine tonight also, and you go in and lie with him, that we may preserve the lineage of our father.” 35 Then they made their father drink wine that night also. And the younger arose and lay with him, and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose.

36 Thus both the daughters of Lot were with child by their father. 37 The firstborn bore a son and called his name Moab; he is the father of the Moabites to this day. 38 And the younger, she also bore a son and called his name Ben-Ammi; he is the father of the people of Ammon to this day.

v. 30 Went Out of Zoar – Why Lot left is not said. We can only speculate that he was not as well received as he had hoped he would be. Zoar was in the middle of all this destruction. The four cities destroyed were to the north and south.

v. 32 Preserve the Lineage – The protection of a person during their old age was their children. Therefore, they felt the need to insure a way to have children. In this isolated condition they sought to solve the problem with the social mores they had learned during their upbringing in Sodom, a city known for its extreme sin and perversion concerning sexuality.

v. 37 Moab – Along with the Ammonites they became bitter enemies of Israel.

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