This chapter depicts two things: The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and the future of Lot’s family.
“With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, ‘Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished… Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!’ Then the Lord rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah – from the Lord out of the heavens. Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, destroying all those living in the cities – and also the vegetation in the land. But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.” (v15,17b,24-26)
Unfortunately, Lot has a long history of making poor choices, by not listening to God (the angels) or even Abraham who are trying to lead him down a significantly better path. I could provide an itemized list of these choices, though I’m not going to criticize Lot (or his daughters, who also make poor choices). I’d rather talk about “a room full of second chances”.
One of my favorite bands (Disciple) has a lyric in one of their songs “There’s a place where the broken go; There’s a room full of second chances; You’re not stranded on your own.” (from “Invisible”). Over and over again, God provides rescue for Lot and his family, despite that fact they continue to make poor choices. This song lyric, along with multiple scripture passages, point toward a God who longs for people to be redeemed, not destroyed.
“The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” (2 Pet 3:9) “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” (Jn 3:17) “David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die.” (2 Sam 12:13) Also see Jonah 3:1-10 for another good example. There are exponentially more examples of God redeeming people, than there are of God destroying people for their sin, and every time He does destroy someone, they are “beyond redemption” because of their own free will, not because God won’t forgive them.
We find out later in this chapter that Lot’s daughters get him drunk and sleep with him (ew) so they can keep the family line going. That poor choice eventually leads to their descendants becoming the Moabite and Ammonite people, who are historically almost constantly at war with Israel (and sometimes each other). That being said, even though there end up being consequences to the Israelites for the decision of Lot’s daughters, redemption comes from this too – Ruth, a Moabite woman, marries an Israelite (Boaz) and becomes the great-grandmother of David, and is one of the five women mentioned in Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus (Mat 1:1-17).
In conclusion, I am encouraged to know that no matter how poor the choices are, our God who has infinite forgiveness and mercy will redeem us if we repent of our sin. There will still be consequences, but redemption is around the corner and will be far greater than the sin was (eg. Jesus coming from Lot’s lineage, despite Lot’s generationally bad choices).
Father, I praise you for your love, compassion and mercy. “Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.” (Mic 7:18-19) Thank you for sending your son to solve the problem of our sin and redeem us from our own poor choices.
~ Conqueror in Training