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Read This Week: Genesis 19
Early the next morning, Abraham got up and returned to the place where he had stood before the Lord. He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah, toward all the land of the plain, and he saw dense smoke rising from the land, like smoke from a furnace. So when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Abraham and brought Lot out of the catastrophe. – Genesis 19:27-29 NIV
Throughout our study of the Bible in A Week in the Life, we have unpacked, commentated on, and discussed several stories and passages that are not only known to the believer but to those outside of the Christian community. Biblical accounts that, for one reason or the other, are famous in sacred and secular circles alike. Accounts like the birth of Christ, the Sermon on the Mount, the first miracle of Jesus, the crucifixion, the resurrection, creation, and the Flood. This week, we read the story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19. It is a graphic and challenging read, and difficult to take in the wickedness and evil in these cities that forced God to destroy them. Followers of Jesus should ingest this story with humility and seriousness.
In the last chapter, God tells Abraham that the cries of the victims in Sodom and Gomorrah are deafening, and the sin of those cities is immense. He also tells him that He is going down to see for himself if what they’re doing is as bad as it sounds (18:20-21 MSG). Then Abraham converses with God and proposes that He consider not destroying those who are righteous in the cities while judging those who are wicked. He undoubtedly had his nephew, Lot, in mind when he made this plea to the Lord, as Lot and his family were citizens of this corrupt place. Abraham even established a principle with God: a specific number of honest, good people for whom He would spare the city. They talked about particular numbers and not just a broad figure. Abraham began with 50 people and convinced God to lower the number of righteous required to spare the city to 10. Just the presence of 10 faithful people would stop the destruction.
Fast forward to this chapter, and Lot sits at the gate of the city and greets the two angels that Abraham had encountered. He, like Abraham, offers them hospitality and care while inviting them to his home. While they are there, the wicked men of Sodom want to do unspeakable things to these angels, confirming that what God said about the depth of depravity and sin among the people was accurate. Its people are disturbingly sinful, and this shows that the whole culture is consumed with violence and immorality. Their behavior isn’t out of the norm but seems to be accepted. Lot tries to defend his houseguests against the mob but is nearly overtaken by the men of Sodom and has to be rescued by the angels.
The rest of this passage is harrowing and points to the urgency of removing oneself from sin and sinful environments. It teaches us that no matter how strong or spiritual we believe ourselves or our families and friends to be, we must be mindful of our settings and intentional about where we spend our time and who we surround ourselves with. The Scriptures are clear that we should not only avoid evil and its appearances but that we should run from it. The two men tell Lot in verses 12-13 of the fate of the cities and that he must leave without hesitation:
Do you have anyone else here—sons-in-law, sons or daughters, or anyone else in the city who belongs to you? Get them out of here, because we are going to destroy this place. The outcry to the Lord against its people is so great that he has sent us to destroy it.
What happens next is cringeworthy. Abraham asked God to spare the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah if ten righteous people were found there. Because ten could not be found, God did not spare them. However, verse 29 tells us that when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Abraham, and he brought Lot out of the catastrophe that overthrew the cities where Lot had lived. The Lord still answered Abraham’s prayer by sparing and allowing Lot and his family to escape Sodom. Tragically, despite an explicit warning not to, Lot’s wife looked back and became a pillar of salt (v.26).
God allowed them to run even though Lot was initially resistant. It has been said that “the angels seemed far more urgent to rescue Lot and his family than they were to be rescued.” This statement can also be true for us sometimes. God pursues us with His love, grace, and mercy and wants so much for our lives, but we can be resistant by not wanting to run from the things that will hold us back and to His best for us. May we always be on the run. On the run from sin and environments where it is perpetuated and to the arms of Christ and the securing comfort of His word.
What a powerful chapter with so much to learn. God had me focus my attention on Genesis 19 Verses 6-8
6 Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him 7 and said, “No, my friends. Don’t do this wicked thing. 8 Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them. But don’t do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof.”
God said to me:
“Don’t make decisions or sacrifices without My guidance as often times these decisions are based on worldly ideas. Solving one problem does nothing when the cost is an equally similar problem.”
Jumping to conclusions, making rash decisions, and desperately clinging on to strings will never yield results. It’s when we take that extra second to be with God and hear Him; truly hear Him, that we avoid making more problems or making other problems worse like Lot did here. To help us remember think of this dad joke, “Well things could be a LOT worse.” 🙂
Genesis 19:29 Now when God ravaged and destroyed the cities of the plain [of Siddim], He remembered Abraham [and for that reason], and He sent [Abraham’s nephew] Lot out of the midst of the destruction, when He destroyed the cities in which Lot had lived.
God was saying to me
My daughter,
Just like Abraham loved his nephew, he was concerned about his life, I know how you love your loved ones too!
It ‘s important to continue to talk to Me about them, I love it when you talk to Me about them, how we can help them, you can count on Jesus too, He intercedes on your behalf and those you love.
You can count on Jesus to give you guidance and to help you in any challenging circumstance , the Holy Spirit will give you strength because we care for you and love you very much!
So keep praying for your loved ones because we are listening ❤️
What this means to me is God cares for those who love Him and He cares for those who we love too.
God rescued lot because Abraham loved him and cared about his life!
It says in Romans 8:34 that Jesus, who is at the right hand of God, is interceding with the Father for us.
It also says in 1 Timothy 2:1 First of all, I urge you to pray for all people. Talk to God about them. Ask God to help and bless them, and thank Him for each of them.
We are called to pray (talk to God) about people especially the ones we love, the ones in our family and we can pray and bless them for God as He leads us.
God does know what we need and what our loved ones need and need to hear.
He loves it when we come to Him, talk to Him for whoever He puts on our heart to pray for!
Thank you Father, Jesus and Your Holy Spirit that You love us, and You care for us! And your all praying for us to respond to Your love, Your instructions and guidance ❤️
I love you
Genesis Chapter 19 Verse 10
But the men [the angels] reached out and pulled lot into the house to them and shut the door after him..
Genesis Chapter 19 Verse 11
And they struck the men who were at the door of the house with blindness [which dazzled them], from the youths to the old men, so that they wearied themselves [groping] to find the door.
~God Verses Evil~
God Is Saying To Me:
My child, I sent my angels and representatives from Me to survey the wickedness and immorality in Sodom. I too, send angels before you to survey and clear the pathway so that you and I can journey this life together. You are protected just like I protected a Lot from the wicked. Don’t doubt my omnipotent power to rescue you from the hands of evilness. Don’t continue to struggle even in blindness or darkness to dismiss me and the depth of my love for you to satisfy the greed and evilness of your flesh because I am your Father and Father Knows Best.
What This Means To Me:
No matter how far we have strayed from Father God, He is always ready and able to rescue us and desires for us to respond to him in an urgent manner. Don’t.
God wait or put off God’s directions until a later time because evil lurks around us. Respond with an open heart that is pleasing to God and eager to please. Turn away from darkness of the flesh, be quick to dissolve wickedness and wait on God’s instruction. Thank you Father God that we are protected through your grace and mercy and surrounded by the deep longevity of love that only you can give! ❤️❤️❤️
This is what I got from God in Genesis 19. In this chapter, Lot was grieved by all the sin he saw around him but compromise destroyed Lot’s testimony. Lot and the men of Sodom had a completely different standard for deciding what was wicked and what was not. When the angels struck the men with physical blindness, that matched their moral blindness. The angels told Lot they were there to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. Sodom was destined for judgement but I wanted to spare Lot and his family. The life of Lot shows you that it is possible to have a saved soul and a wasted life. A lack of urgency to obey Me is a sign of compromise in your life. You can have too much of the world in your life, to be happy in Me. I want you to have less of the world in your life. Focus more on Me in your life. Look forward to your deliverance and not back at a world ripe for judgement. As a believer, I want you to humbly submit to My will and have gratitude for being rescued through Jesus. Lot’s life ended in ruin, all because of his love for the world, and the compromise that came from that love. Do not compromise your moral standards that I have given you. Don’t accept standards that are lower than what I want for you. Remember I will help you fight your battles, but your mind has to be open to listen and learn from Me.
What this said to me was God does not want me to compromise on what I know to be true, as a Christian. He doesn’t want me to settle for less. I do not want my life to be wasted. God has a plan for me and I need to follow His directions, and be obedient. He wants me to intercede for others, and help bring others to Him. He wants me to be bold and courageous.
This week in Genesis chapter 19 I got a song
Praise
We praise you we praise you we are praising you our Lord coming together to worship you. You are our teacher our counselor, our comfort the one who loves us, guides us who helps us through Sometimes life can be a like a roller coaster, with many ups and downs, but when you are doing it with Jesus, he helped us through. We all need Jesus and everything we do Yes, we all need Jesus in everything we do so let’s come together to worship our Lord worship our Lord lifting our hands singing Hallelujah. Hallelujah we Believe
amen.
Our Lord is amazing he lives in us surrounds us with his Love. Let’s seek him more and more and share his love and Word.
This Week in the Life: Genesis 19
For the best experience, we suggest you listen to the first song, the message, and the second song.
1. Sunday Worship – First Song: https://reachchurch.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/20231119-Worship1.wav
2. Sunday Message: https://reachchurch.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/20231119-Message.wav
3. Sunday Worship – Second Song: https://reachchurch.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/20231119-Worship2.wav
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