Luke 17:28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built.
29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.
30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.
The passages above teach us a few solemn facts as it pertains to Sodom, and to Lot and his family who were residing in the city. These facts are now worthy of utmost consideration, since according to the passage, history will be repeated.
The last day of Sodom began like every other day with the populace going about their daily rounds of duty. Traders went to the stock market in Sodom as usual, and the city’s financial sector opened up for business, as the hustle and bustle of daily life went on, without a trace, or any hint of incoming danger.
Parents got their children ready for school while the transportation and construction sectors began their hum drum of everyday business. And fruit markets, and groceries flung their doors wide open, as their customers came strolling in to see if there were any new bargains on tap.
God would have us to understand that the demise of Sodom did not take place in a vacuum, for it was a culmination of many years of grace being spurned, and the entire nation, with the exception of Mr. Lot, had dug in their heels in adopting the lifestyles, and practices of a nation gone rogue.
Thus, there are at least seven grim takeaways that should be observed closely, lest persons in our day make the very mistakes which did Sodom in. First up, we should know that destruction from God is never levelled against any nation arbitrarily, for the people are the purchase of Christ’s blood, and as such, all efforts to save are utterly exhausted first.
This leads us to the first grim fact about Sodom: [1] God had given to that nation unmistakable proof of His care for them, through the ministry of Abraham.
Earlier, when some of the surrounding nations had invaded Sodom and taken its citizens captive, it was Abraham who had interceded on behalf of Lot and his family, and together with all the captives, they were rescued and brought home safe and sound.
Thus, by this signal providence, and His kindness to the nation, God appealed to their better judgement so that they would, at the very least investigate the godly principles Abraham lived by, and The God he served.
His life was as an open book to them, and they had been given ample opportunity to see and know The only true God. But like so many others, the memory of God’s grace faded, and they dug in, even deeper than before, into the practices, and sins that finally sealed their doom. Let’s read:
Genesis 14: And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations;
2 That these made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, which is Zoar.
10 And the vale of Sodom was full of slime-pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there; and they that remained fled to the mountain.
11 And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their victuals, and went their way.
12 And they took Lot, Abram's brother's son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.
13 And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew; for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner: and these were confederate with Abram.
14 And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan.
15 And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus.
16 And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people.
17 And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's dale.
21 And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself.
22 And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lifted up mine hand unto the Lord, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth,
23 That I will not take from a thread even to a shoe latchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich.
Back in those days, when an army vanquished the enemy, as Abraham did, it was customary for the victors to plunder all the spoils of war, hence the reason why the king of Sodom asked Abraham to take the spoils. But he refused, and by doing so he displayed a noble unselfish spirit that should have caused something to click in the mind of the king.
But apparently, it did not make a lasting impression on either the king or his people, and therefore, the golden opportunity to inquire about Abraham’s God was lost, and they returned to their old ways, just as if God’s grace had meant nothing to them.
Similarly in our day, nations and individuals which follow in the footsteps of Sodom, are granted grace for grace with unmistakable manifestations of God’s love and care, but with many, these overtures don’t make a lasting impression, and before you know it, some sink back into the former errors, even worst, than before, in many instances.
This leads us to the next grim fact about Sodom: [2] The angels did not come to warn Sodom, for their probation had already been closed, though they knew it not. The angels came in to destroy Sodom.
When God sent the two mighty angels into the city, they passed trough the gates without saying a word to the people. It was Lot who started a conversation with them, because he had learned kindness under the influence and example of Abraham.
But the inhabitants of the city were long past their probationary period, and because of this, any warning from God would be rendered useless. It is worthy of note to whom God gave a heads-up, as to what was going to shortly come to pass.
The Lord first revealed what He was going to do to Abraham, who then interceded for the inhabitants of Sodom. But when this failed, God sent angels to Lot’s family, including his children, who had gotten married in Sodom. But the general population as a whole was never given a clue, because their day of grace was over. Let’s read:
Genesis 18:17 And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do.
20 And the Lord said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous.
Genesis 19: 12 And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place.
13 For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxed great before the face of the Lord and the Lord hath sent us to destroy it.
Abraham, together with Lot, and his immediate and extended family were all given a heads-up, but the citizens were not made aware of what was coming their way, and that’s because warning and entreaty at this point would have been redundant.
This leads us to the third grim fact about Sodom: [3] Difficult as it may be, some Christian parents might finally have to be reconciled to the sad possibility, that some of their kids may be lost eternally.
God has promised to fight for our kids, and He does, for He invests time and energy in wooing, calling, entreating, and making it as easy for our kids to be saved. But God does not, and cannot save persons who have come to the age of accountability against their own will, and His efforts do not cross the red line of one’s freedom of choice.
Many opportunities are granted, many prayers and intercessions are made, with groanings that cannot be uttered, and God gives grace for grace, especially to the children of the righteous, but some may have to be reconciled to this fact, that God cannot save a person if they do not desire to be saved. Let’s read:
Isaiah 49: 24 Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered?
25 But thus saith the Lord, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contends with thee, and I will save thy children.
Genesis 19:14 And Lot went out, and spoke unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law.
There is something quite sobering, in the previous verse we just read. The Bible says that Lot went out and spoke to his “sons in law” for, as the heads of their households, they would naturally have to take the lead in believing and acting upon God’s word.
But since they were citizens of Sodom, it seems as if they had developed a callous attitude to spiritual things, just as the Bible declares often takes place. Thus, as Lot came to preach his final sermon, they made fun of him, something that must never, ever be done.
When God sends a preacher to deliver a message to His people, there are persons who may not like the man’s style of preaching, or his accent, if he is from a foreign country, and some others may tend to find fault with his dress, his mannerisms or even with the very message he delivers.
One thing that must never ever be done is to make fun of the preacher, for it isn’t funny at all and who knows, doing so might very well seal one’s doom.
When Christ was finally taken captive by the Jews, He spoke and pleaded with Pilate, and He prayed for a special interference from heaven, if haply the governor would turn away from the act that was to seal his doom.
But when Jesus was brought before Herod, He had not a single word to say, because Herod had made a mockery of John, by slaying him in prison. Thus, as far as God was concerned, prayers and entreaty for Herod was an absolute non-starter for he had made light of the sacred truths God sent through John. Let’s read:
Luke 23: 8 And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him.
9 Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing.
Once upon a time, some kids made fun of Elisha on his way back from the translation of Elijah, and they joked about his bald head, and about the fact that he was not raptured like Elijah was. What followed next is history, for The Lord made manifest, in that instance that He is no respecter of persons whether the be young or old.
This is why this third grim fact is so important, for it was the mercy of God that was made fun of, as Lot warned his sons in law of the coming deluge. The scripture specifically says that Lot was mocked by his sons in law, not by his daughters, so it is possible that the daughters might at least, have taken Lot seriously, were it not for the mockery of the men.
It reminds us of those passages written in the Bible which speak against marriages with unbelievers, as the results of such unions can carry eternal risks. Let’s read:
Deuteronomy 7:3 Neither shalt you make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son.
4 For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the Lord be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly.
The following is to be understood in the context of the marriage of Lot’s daughters to those men of Sodom, who had apparently been trained from their youth to make light of religion.
That influence, and mindset can deliver one of the most blistering scourges to anything that resembles godliness, and, in retrospect, it would have been a good thing, if Lot’s daughters had read the following counsel first, before tying the knot. Let’s read:
[Testimonies Vol. 4 pp 505 > 506] The plea is sometimes made that the unbeliever is favorable to religion and is all that could be desired in a companion except in one thing—he is not a Christian.
Spiritual declension commences the moment the vow is made at the altar; religious fervor is dampened, and one stronghold after another is broken down, until both stand side by side under the black banner of Satan.
Even in the festivities of the wedding, the spirit of the world triumphs against conscience, faith, and truth. In the new home the hour of prayer is not respected. The bride and bridegroom have chosen each other and dismissed Jesus.
At first the unbelieving one may make no show of opposition in the new relation; but when the subject of Bible truth is presented for attention and consideration, the feeling at once arises: “You married me, knowing that I was what I am; I do not wish to be disturbed.
From henceforth let it be understood that conversation upon your peculiar views is to be interdicted.” If the believer should manifest any special earnestness in regard to his faith, it might seem like unkindness toward the one who has no interest in the Christian experience.
The believing one reasons that in his new relation he must concede somewhat to the companion of his choice. Social, worldly amusements are patronized.
At first there is great reluctance of feeling in doing this, but interest in the truth becomes less and less, and faith is exchanged for doubt and unbelief.
No one would have suspected that the once firm, conscientious believer and devoted follower of Christ could ever become the doubting, vacillating person that he now is. Oh, the change wrought by that unwise marriage!
This leads us to the fourth grim takeaway from the city of Sodom: [4] Husbands and wives are not saved in pairs, nor do they enter the ark by twos.
Every husband and every wife will have to make up their minds about serving God, for the relationship is not to be tethered to, or through another. The righteousness of one does not atone for the lack thereof in another, and thus, the decision to follow Christ becomes a personal one.
Encouragements are to be often given, the family altar is to be held sacred, and husbands and wives are to do all they can to help each other as they travel the straight and narrow path. But at the end of the day, each spouse must decide for himself or herself.
Before this very sudden encounter with the angels of God, in commanding them to leave immediately, we do not read anywhere in the scriptures of any disconnect in the relationship between Lot and his wife and God.
To the casual observer they were, for all intents and purposes, reading from the same script, for many years, and as such there was nothing done overtly to remotely suggest that the relationship with God was indeed fractured in one spouse.
It was only when crunch time came around, that the disconnect was exposed, and Lot and his wife had to make their own personal decision of whether to move forward on God’s command, or whether to turn back.
For very many years, some husbands and wives may have been in good and regular standing, attending church together, sitting in the pews, and singing the songs of praise with apparent earnestness. But like Lot, there may be a silent disconnect taking place in the mind of one, or both, of which either might not be cognizant.
Thus, we say by the grace of God, husbands, check on your wives, and wives, check on your husbands, for it may be that a small fracture in the relationship with God is happening imperceptibly, and as such, it may rupture in the open, at a time when both wife and husband should be on the same page.
And if so, your earnest prayers should be lifted up in their behalf, night and day, lest, at a moment when the decisive command from God comes down, one is weighed in the balances and found wanting. Let’s read:
Genesis 19:17 And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.
26 But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.
[Patriarchs & Prophets pp 161] She rebelled against God because His judgments involved her possessions and her children in the ruin. Although so greatly favored in being called out from the wicked city, she felt that she was severely dealt with”…
This leads us to the fifth grim takeaway from Sodom that we all should seriously consider: [5] Attachment to material things will result in the downfall of many persons in the church.
The material blessings of life are to enjoyed and shared by all who are thus blessed. And it is good to life comfortably in the place that God has lent to us. But it is a fact, that very often we might get more attached to the gifts than the Giver, and when this is the case, material blessings can become an idol to which we bow down, even if the blessings come from God.
Lot had amassed a considerable amount of wealth in Sodom. Several luxurious cars were parked in his garage, and his wife and family had access to all the heart could wish for. After years of toil, and diligent saving and management of material blessings, Lot could now sit back and relax, for he was very rich in silver, gold and sheep, as folks back then counted wealth.
That’s all well and good, but if at any given time, the material blessings begin to become more important than God, and His word, then persons are in serious jeopardy, for the focus is now on the blessing, and not on the Blesser. It was quite difficult for Lot and his wife to uproot from the luxurious life they had enjoyed over the years.
Country living now seemed to them to be so absurd and farfetched that they openly complained about the supposed hardships they would encounter. The devil often employs the slow-boil method, by which he attempts to get persons in a comfortable groove from which many are loathed to be dislocated.
What took place with Lot and his family, will again be repeated when the command of God for us to leave the cities, would once again seem absurd and very farfetched. Over the years we have become so accustomed to our I-phones, computers and other gizmos, that country living will be an absolute non- starter with many.
And like Lot’s wife very many would look back with deep yearning on the luxurious, comfortable life we once enjoyed. The study for this afternoon is meant to give us a reality check lest like Lot’s family we too become so ingratiated in the comforts, and luxuries of life, that the future command of God to leave the cities may seem absurd or even cruel. Let’s read:
Genesis 19: 17 And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.
18 And Lot said unto them, Oh, not so, my Lord:
19 Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die:
20 Behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one: Oh, let me escape thither, (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.
[Patriarchs & prophets pp 160] It was hard to forsake his luxurious home and all the wealth acquired by the labors of his whole life, to go forth a destitute wanderer. Stupefied with sorrow, he lingered, loath to depart. But for the angels of God, they would all have perished in the ruin of Sodom.
[Patriarchs & Prophets pp 161] Though so greatly favored in being called out from the wicked city, she felt that she was severely dealt with, because the wealth that it had taken years to accumulate must be left to destruction.
This leads us to the sixth grim takeaway from the city of Sodom: [6] The lasting effect of Lot’s earlier choice was manifest in his kids, who escaped with him.
By beholding we become changed and this principle applies to both good and evil. As the two daughters of Lot resided in Sodom, the values and immorality of the inhabitants all tended to rub off on them. And before you know it, iniquity became less, and less offensive in their sight, to the point where their ability to distinguish between right and wrong was severely blunted.
In our day, the constant barrage of distortions on gender and marriage is severely blunting the minds of many, and as a result, sin does not seem to be so sinful anymore. Lot’s daughters did not think it a big deal to sleep with their own father, something that would be looked upon as ridiculous in our day.
And the same slow-boil method of devils is actively being applied, and the fine sensibilities that should frown upon evil, have become so blunted, that not only are the distortions looked upon with approval, they are in many instances being incorporated into the modes of thought and action by more and more persons. Let’s read:
Genesis 19:35 And they made their father drink wine that night also: and the younger arose, and lay with him; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.
36 Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father.
37 And the first born bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day.
38 And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Benammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day.
This leads us to our final grim takeaway from the city of Sodom: [7] The history of Sodom is going to be repeated. Let’s read:
Luke 17: 28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built;
29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.
30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.
Like it was in the days of Lot, God has given grace for grace to the inhabitants of earth, so that we all could have ample opportunity to know His will. And there are yet many who are to become familiar with God’s requirements, before the final overtures of mercy are withdrawn.
But, as it was in Sodom, His kindness and mercies do not seem to make a lasting impression on the minds of many, and because of this, the day of His grace will come to a close, with many persons not being aware of what is taking place.
As it was in the days of Lot the final warning will be targeted primarily to those persons who have not a full understanding of the issues at stake, and some, like Lot’s daughters who have a faint knowledge of truth would be granted a final opportunity to cast in their lot with the people of God.
Again, as it was in the days of Lot, the gravitational pull of material possessions will drain the life-blood of many a would-be saint since over the years some have become so accustomed to a life of luxury and ease, that they would be loathed to depart, when it comes time to make their escape.
In our day, those who are watching for the return of Jesus, should often take time to read and study the prophecies which point us to His return, for in this way present truth would be front and center in our thoughts and our lives could be guided accordingly, to what is written.
But if like Lot’s family, we put the truth on the back burner, or worst yet, make fun of those preachers whom God has sent to alert us of the danger, Jesus will come, and probation will close, at a time when we least expect, and because of this, heaven will be a place of surprises.
Let us therefore awake to the moment, and make the best of the golden opportunity God has granted us to be saved, for at the end of the day this is what will have mattered the most in life. We will end with a passage of scripture that should enable persons to understand the signs of the times, and thus, live in readiness each day. Let’s read:
Romans 13: 11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.
13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.
14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.
God Bless!