Faithful During Distress

September 1, 2019 Background Scripture: Genesis 18:16 – 19:29 Lesson Passage: Genesis 19:1, 4, 5, 15 – 26, 29 During this next series of studies, our focus shifts from covenants to matters of faithfulness. If nothing else, the faithfulness of Christians should speak to our steadfastness during changing times and circumstances. Perhaps there’s no better place to start such a series than to look at Abraham, the father of the faithful. Abraham had many stressful events to unfold in his life according to the biblical record. Today’s lesson text presents one of those events. Abraham was warned by the Lord of the impending destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah because of the rampant immorality that was practiced there. Part of the distress for Abraham was the fact that his nephew, Lot, was a prominent resident of Sodom at the time. God is sovereign and omnipotent and has the right to destroy whatever He chooses whenever He chooses to do it. Abraham believed that there were righteous people living among the wicked. Abraham asked whether the Judge of the whole earth would destroy righteous people along with wicked people. To do that would count the righteous people as wicked. The Lord said that He would not destroy Sodom if He found fifty righteous people living there. Abraham suggested that the number of righteous people that should warrant a reprieve from the Lord should be less than fifty. Therefore, Abraham besought the Lord with a petition that the Lord would spare those places for the sake of the righteous who lived there—not just his nephew. The Lord told Abraham that if He found ten righteous persons living in Sodom, He would not destroy it for their sake. In the language of the Old Testament, then the Lord departed from the presence of Abraham. The Lord knew that there were not ten righteous people living in Sodom, but He would deliver Abraham’s nephew and family from the place before the destruction. Therefore, the Lord sent two angels to Sodom to bring Abraham’s nephew, Lot, and Lot’s family out of Sodom before the destruction commenced. This answered Abraham’s concern that only wicked people living in Sodom be destroyed and the righteous delivered or spared destruction. Divine justice ensued but the family of faithful Abraham was mercifully delivered out of Sodom. One would think that relocating the righteous in the face of impending doom would have been fairly simple. However, the angels had to grab Lot, his wife, and their daughters by their hands and pull them out of Sodom. The Lord’s mercy is sometimes shown when He literally drags the unwilling away from imminent disaster. We often speak of Lot as being blessed by association. Abraham’s relationship with the Lord had provided many divine benefits to him and his family. Lot was the recipient of many of those blessings. Today’s lesson is an example of it. Because of Abraham’s faith, Lot and his family were pulled from Sodom before the destruction of the city began. The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah still stands as a solemn warning that God’s mercy is great but His judgment is also sure to come. Such disasters will cause a lot of distress in the lives of those who are affected either directly or indirectly. Abraham was safe but his nephew, Lot, was in harm’s way. Abraham’s faithfulness to God became Lot’s salvation at a time of distress for Lot. Robert C. Hudson August 12, 2019