Tabor Baptist Church

Introduction

• "Now ?all these things happened to them as examples, and ?they were written for our ?admonition, ?upon whom the ends of the ages have come." - 1 Cor 10:11
• These passages in the Old Testament about judgement have relevance for us today
• We looked last week at God's judgement
• Where is the outcry coming from?
• "...and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly..." 2 Peter 2:6
• Sodom and Gomorrah is an example to all who would live without God
• and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked
• "...(for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)— then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment..." 2 Peter 2:10
• A reminder of God's mercy
• Lot hated the wickedness and was tormentedby it

Lot

• Lingered in the city
• The angels took him by the hand
• God was merciful to him
• Recognised that God had saved him (v19)
• Felt that he could not go to the mountains
• Maybe he was concerned they wouldn't make it
• Maybe it was the fear of the mountains (wild animals)
• He was weak in faith
• He didn't feel he could obey God's word
• v19
• Example of the woman from Neath serving despite her fears
• God favours Lot and protects the city (v21)
• This teaches us faith, it shows us God's graciousness and kindness
• Think of the blessing upon the city
• The city was not destroyed because the servant of God was there
• God delays His temporal judgements because of believers
• God is often very kind to unbelievers as His people are amongst them
• Abraham saw everything (v27)
• What went through his mind?
• There were not 10 righteous people in the city
• Perhaps he was fearful for Lot
• God answered Abraham's prayer
• Maybe not in the way he had thought
• God had mercy on Lot and his family
• God destroyed the wicked
• The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah
• The Lord did this - "brimstone and fire"
• Maybe through a huge earthquake due to fault line that was present in the area
• It is possible that God used natural means
• God does not need to use natural means - consider the example of the man reviving after falling into Elisha's tomb
• This is a picture of the coming judgement
• Malachi 4:1-2a
• How are we living?
• Are we living for self and sin?
• Do we trust in Jesus Christ?
• How we live today determines what our future will be
• Remember Lot who was saved by a whisker

Lot's Wife

• Jesus says remember Lot's wife
• "But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt." (v26)
• Was Lot's wife a Canaanite or from Sodom?
• She looked back
• She looked back behind Lot
• She was lingering
• She didn't look back because of the judgement
• The word was 'escape and do not look back'
• Judgement for looking back - God knows what is in the heart
• God knew what was in Lot's wife's heart
• Her longing:
• For the people of Sodom
• Luke 17:28-32
• On that day of judgement - look to me (look to Jesus)
• She was too concerned with possession, with the easy life
• Where is your heart?
• "Where you heart is there your treasure will be also"
• Is your heart on pleasures, family relationships, money, lusts?
• 'Do not love the world or things in the world'
• Love people, love sinners
• Be in the world, not of the world
• Outwardly Lot's wife looked respectable but there was something desperately wrong in her heart
• She came so far out of the city yet was struck
• She had a righteous husband
• She heard of the promised blessings
• She had entertained angels
• The Lord had been very gracious to her
• Yet for all her advantages she perished - this is a great warning to us

Lot's Daughters

• Lot moves from Zoar to the mountains
• Why do they do this?
• Lot's daughters are infected with carnal thinking
• Perhaps they had been affected by living in Sodom
• They both have relations and become pregnant by their own father
• The sons: Moab and Ben-Ammi, the Moabites and Ammonites
• God's curse was upon these nations
• Think how both these nations began - with incest
• Was Lot responsible?
• Lot had chosen to live in Sodom
• Lot offered his daughters to the men of the city
• It is a very sad and unhappy episode
• What can we learn from this?
• If we live in this world - it will taint us, it will affect us
• We are called to be Holy
• It is a fearful thing to love the world
• There needs to be separation - we cannot be unequally yoked
• We are not to become like the Pharisees

Closing remarks