Jan 18: Genesis 19-21

Jan 18, Gen 19-21

Genesis 19. The 2 angels came to Sodom where Lot was and Lot wanted to hide them in his home and he did and then he fed them. This is when the men from the town came to his door and revealed just how wicked this town really was. Every man in the city, both young and old, surrounded Lots house and demanded that Lot send the men (angels) out so that they could rape them - kind of a gang/orgy/disgusting group of wicked men. Lot refused the men and offered up his 2 virgin daughters to them instead. They refused and tried to break into the house - so the angels came out and struck all the men of the city with blindness. The angels then tell Lot, with urgency, that the city is going to be destroyed for its wickedness. Lot’s future son-in-laws thought he was joking and would not leave when Lot told them to. In the morning, Lot, his 2 daughters, and his wife left with the angels before the city was destroyed by God. They were told not to look back on the destruction, but to keep going away from it. When the sun rose, God fired down sulfur and fire from heaven and destroyed both Sodom and Gomorrah. Unfortunately, Lot’s wife didn't listen, and she turned around to look at the destruction and immediately turned into a pillar of salt. This is an example of God’s righteous wrath against sin and how he has mercy on those who love him. When God tells you to run from your sin (repent), don’t look back! Look to Him and where He is leading you.

Then the story gets almost Jerry Springer like… Lot and his daughters bunk up in a cave for safety to live for a while. The young daughters believes a lie that there is no more men anywhere to give them kids, which wasn't true, but that didn't stop them. So, they both get their dad, Lot, drunk and have sex with him on separate nights and both become pregnant with a boy. Jewish scholars believe the daughters name are withheld because of condeming judgment for such a thing. Apparently living in Sodom rubbed off of them. And we need to realize that our surrounding affect the way that we think. We will learn later that their kids become the Moabites and the Ammonites. Not the best of nations! 

Genesis 20 - back to Abraham…he does the ‘she’s my sister’ act again. Abraham and Sarah are traveling and ended up in Gerar. Again, God has to intervene for Abraham’s stupidity/insecurity/selfishness by sending a dream to King Abimelech that he is a dead man because of Sarah. The King hadn't slept with Sarah yet, and God spared Abimelech's life and kept him from sleeping with her - even though both Abraham and Sarah lied to him about the situation. Here we get to see that God kept Abimelech the King from sinning. Once it is all revealed, Abraham prays for him and all his people, the King gives them a bunch of goods and materials, as a sign of Sarah’s innocence. Interesting to note - The Lord had closed all the wombs of the Kings house because of Sarah - how long were they there? You don't notice that you cannot have kids in a weekend? We are talking months here… Instead of fully trusting in God, again, Abraham has to take matters into his own hands and try to save the day (and his own life). This is the wrong approach. Instead of being a ‘Pimp’ to your wife, men are to protect our wives and not put them in harms way. 

Genesis 21 is much less dramatic. The Lord kept his promise and Sarah conceived and had a baby boy, Isaac, in their old age. Abraham obeyed and circumcised Isaac on the 8th day. Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born! God can do anything He wants to and no human physical limitations can stop His plans. When Isaac was about 2 or 3 years old, Sarah saw Ishmael laughing (Obviously it wasn't a fun laugh, but a mocking, contemptuous laugh...) and wanted Hagar cast out of the community, with her son Ishmael. Abraham was worried about her and God assured Abraham that it would be alright. So, he gave her supplies and sent her and her teenage son on their way. When Hagar ran out of food and water for the both of them, she distanced herself from Ishmael, as to not watch him die in the desert, and an angel of God came to her. Fear not - God had heard his voice and will not let them die, and make him into a nation! God opened her eyes and there before her was a well with water in it, and they lived. Ishmael lived in the wilderness and became a great bow hunter and Hagar got an Egyptian wife for him, because if you remember she was an Egyptian herself. Going back to their roots.

Then we are brought back into the world of King Abimelech - who we previously read about in chapter 20 above - and the King wants to make a treaty with Abraham to protect both of them. There was a conflict over a well that supposedly the Kings men took from Abraham, and they settled that over an exchange of seven animals. They made an oath that day about the well and an allegiance with each other; and called it Beersheba (either means well of 7 or well of oath). Then Abraham lived in the land of the Philistines for many days…

To sum it all up:

• When repenting or turning from your sin - don't look back and admire your sin or even be curious about it. Flee and run towards God. 
• If you believe a lie, you will act on it. 
• God Sovereignly and supernaturally will have His way, even if we are sinning in the middle of it. 
• Don’t Pimp your wife out. Or give your wife as a sacrifice in order to save your skin. Instead take your responsibility, even if your reputation or life is at stake. 
• Stay obedient to what God has called you to and don’t stray from it when life gets hard.