Replies

Thank you for your kind thanks.

I am going to write the Life Application notes that are in my Bible that give further insight into certain verses.

Lot and daughters, Genesis 19:8, How could any father give his daughters to be savaged by a mob of perverts, just to protect two strangers? Possibly Lot was scheming to save both the visitors and the girls, hoping the girls’ fiances (19:4) would rescue them or that the homosexual men would be uninterested in the girls and simply go away. Although it was the custom of the day to protect your guests at any cost, this terrible suggestion reveals how deeply sin had been absorbed into Lot’s life. He had become hardened to evil acts in an evil city. Whatever Lot’s motives were, we see here an illustration of Sodom’s terrible wickedness—a wickedness so great that God had to destroy the entire city.

Lot’s wife turned to salt, Genesis 19:26, Previously in Genesis 19:17 the angels told him (Lot), “Flee for your lives. And don’t look back (in italics in my bible). The notes for verse 19:26 says, Lot’s wife turned back to look at the smoldering city of Sodom. Clinging to the comforts of the past, she was unwilling to turn completely from sin. Are you looking back longingly at sin while trying to move forward with God? You can’t make progress with God as long as you are holding onto pieces of your old life. Jesus said it this way in Matthew 6:24, “You cannot serve two masters.”

My thought about the wife is that God could see what was in her heart, her turning back was the tip of the iceberg, and what she really wanted was to run back to her life in Sodom, not run to something unknown while trusting God. And since I believe God sees everything past, present, and future, He knew this was her true nature and did not withhold the immediate consequences of her action. I also think this was a very in-your-face reminder to Lot and the rest of his family that disobedience leads to death...in this case immediately. It reminds me of God’s similar dealings with Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5:5.

As far as Lot and his daughters, I don’t really have an opinion as to what was in his mind. The notes give the best reasons I could think of and my feeling is that the hardened heart toward sin and wickedness is what prompted him to say that. Scripture does not say so speculation is all we have.

Not many freepers are living in circumstances like Lot was and given the right circumstances I think any of us could succumb to a grievous sin like that. “There but for the grace of God go I” is my favorite quote.

I think Scripture is very clear in saying what God thinks of sin and Lot’s daughters definitely sinned. For reasons only God knows, they did not suffer a fate like their mother but don’t ever think God does not care about each and every sin...but He sees what we cannot and makes His judgments accordingly.

Lot’s daughters and incest, Genesis 19:30-38, Life Applications notes say “Why doesn’t the Bible openly condemn these sisters for what they did? In many cases, the Bible does not judge people for their actions. It simply reports the events. However, incest is clearly condemned in other parts of Scripture (Leviticus 18:6-18; 20:11, 12, 17, 19-21; Deut. 22:30; 27:20-23; Ezekiel 22:11; 1 Corinthians 5:1). Perhaps the consequences of their actions (Moab and Ammon became enemies of Israel) was God’s way of judging their sin.

Will stop here for now. If this has helped and you’d like this Bible it is called the The Living Bible, Life Application Bible, and is published by Tyndale.

On a final note, is there anything unresolved in your life that is hindering you moving forward with God, as said re: Lot’s wife in the notes: “Are you looking back longingly at sin while trying to move forward with God? You can’t make progress with God as long as you are holding onto pieces of your old life.”

Okay, and that’s it for me.

God bless you,
jodyel