November 1 Sermon: Divine Rescue

Consider these questions as you listen to this week’s message from Genesis 19:1-11:

1. How does Lot's hospitality in the story reflect the importance of hospitality in the ancient world and its significance in this context?

2. In what ways does the sinfulness of Sodom, as depicted in the story, highlight the importance of adhering to God's created order and His moral standards?

3. What does the divine rescue of Lot and his family in this passage reveal about God's character and His willingness to save His covenant people from judgment and sin?

Transcript:

There have been a lot of themes that have developed for us as we have been in the book of Genesis. We are familiar with the stories but if we weren’t there are narratives that would have us on the edge of our seat. Creation followed by rebellion against a holy God but even though they deserved punishment, God showed mercy. We see the first offspring of this couple who should be the one who will be in the line to the promised messiah but instead of being holy he murders his own brother. We see an unrighteous world and the people of the promise are being polluted by sin and so God is going to destroy the world but he keeps one of the promised ones safe from the waters of the flood. We’ve even seen recently how Abraham was in some sticky circumstances usually because of his own sin but still God rescues. It is what he does.‌

And so we’ve landed in an interesting spot in our journey through Genesis haven’t we and we’ve known it is coming. The last Sunday that I was here we saw Abraham interceding for the people of Sodom. Abraham knew what God was going to find and so he asked him to spare his judgment if there were 50 righteous in the city. Through a very repetitive passage he whittles God down to saying that if he finds 10 righteous he will spare the city. But we know how the story goes and we know that judgment is in fact coming to the people of Sodom. We didn’t read all the way through the story today and so we don’t get to the moment of judgment. What we want to look at today is what is bringing the judgment and how God once again rescues his people.‌

This is a difficult passage. It is uncomfortable and alarming but it is a part of God’s holy word and so it is of benefit for us to dig into it and find application for our lives from it.‌

As we come to the text we are going to break it up into three points to help us navigate it.‌

First, we are going to see that Lot greets the men and is shown to be righteous by his hospitality. Lot is an interesting person in the story of Abraham and we are going to see that over the course of the next few weeks. Several weeks back we saw Lot needing to be rescued but he has moved back east to Sodom and he is at the center of this story. While in places Lot is seen as not following the righteous path as he should in this story he is set up as someone who is righteous in the midst of unrighteousness.‌

Our second point is that we see the sinfulness of Sodom on display. When the angels come to the house of Lot they are threatened and we see on display the issue that has caused the angels to come an assess the situation here in Sodom.‌

Lastly, we see that the angels of the Lord rescue Lot. Once again we are going to see that God finds his people and he rescues them from the wrath that is to come. We didn’t read the full destruction and escape today but we see what God is going to do. He will divinely step in and keep his people safe.‌

We start off with our first point this morning putting us in verses 1-3.‌​

Genesis 19:1–3

 ESV

The two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them and bowed himself with his face to the earth and said, “My lords, please turn aside to your servant’s house and spend the night and wash your feet. Then you may rise up early and go on your way.” They said, “No; we will spend the night in the town square.” But he pressed them strongly; so they turned aside to him and entered his house. And he made them a feast and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.‌

As I mentioned, in the previous chapter we saw that the angels were headed away from Abraham to examine the situation over in Sodom. Now, remember there were three angels in the previous chapter but now we are down to two. It would seem that the angel that would have been a manifestation of the LORD himself has departed from them. These two angels travel to Sodom and arrive in the evening. This significant because if you arrive in the evening you clearly need a plan on where you are going to sleep for the night. This little detail gives a little hint at where the story is going.‌

As we see this story develop we find a familiar person who is in Sodom. Now, last we knew Lot had to be rescued from that little skirmish between the kings but he must have had himself a nice little dwelling in Sodom that he wasn’t ready to give up because he has moved back there with his family. Remember what we know about the movement of people in Genesis. Remember that when people move east the idea we are meant to see is that they are moving from the presence of God. When Adam and Eve were banished from the garden they were east of Eden and after Cain murdered his brother he moved even further east. We saw this back a few weeks ago when we talked about Lot. He moved east to the region of Sodom and we are meant to understand that he went that direction because he was moving away from the presence and his connection to the promises of God.‌

And the angels find Lot here and for us it might seem a little odd that Lot is sitting in the gate. Like I said that doesn’t make sense to us but Lot is actually in a place of importance by being at the gate. In that time to be at the gate like that meant that Lot was a respected member of the community. Business is done there and decisions are made there.‌

Lot greets these angels and gives them honor and respect. This was important in the ancient world. Hospitality is an important virtue in that culture and notice that he bows his face to the earth and he also offers himself as a servant. He offers them a place to stay but the angels instead want to stay in the town square.‌

It’s important that we understand how the story is being told here. While Lot has been suspect in some ways and he has left the covenant people he is being set up as being virtuous here because of his hospitality. We saw this also with how Abraham greeted the angels in the last chapter. His hospitality was on display and I said back then that it was a contrast to what we were going to see happen in Sodom.‌

His hospitality is emphasized over and over in his being incessant in having them stay at his home but we find out from the continuing story why that is. You get a sense here that there is more going on than just Lot not wanting these gentlemen to have to sleep out under the stars. He is concerned with their safety.‌

And as we move on to our second point we see the sinfulness of Sodom on display.‌​

Genesis 19:4–9

 ESV

But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, all the people to the last man, surrounded the house. And they called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, that we may know them.” Lot went out to the men at the entrance, shut the door after him, and said, “I beg you, my brothers, do not act so wickedly. Behold, I have two daughters who have not known any man. Let me bring them out to you, and do to them as you please. Only do nothing to these men, for they have come under the shelter of my roof.” But they said, “Stand back!” And they said, “This fellow came to sojourn, and he has become the judge! Now we will deal worse with you than with them.” Then they pressed hard against the man Lot, and drew near to break the door down.‌

This is a little difficult for us to work through. It’s uncomfortable to read because we don’t like to think that something like this can happen.‌

It is important that we acknowledge that while we have not seen a overt command against homosexual acts and rape in the book of Genesis we have already seen that the created order reveals the sinfulness of these things. Back in Genesis 2 when God placed the man and woman together and made them husband and wife we saw a godly sexual ethic on display for us. The man and woman are united and they are one flesh. The created order reveals this to us and it also reveals that it is a complementary relationship. Sexual relations are not forced but instead they are to happen in this one flesh union between a man and woman who are husband and wife. And as I mentioned when we were in Genesis 2 earlier this year this also lets us know that any sexual activity outside of marriage is sin and outside of God’s intentions for sex.‌

That ethic is working at the foundation of the story here. Even though we haven’t gotten to the commands of God on these things yet there is an understanding that this is understood to be sinful and against the righteous nature of God because it is contrary to the created order.‌

With that underpinning we come to verse four and see that Lot clearly had an agenda by insisting that these men stay in his home. He was not only protecting from the elements but he was protecting them from these people who would do them harm.‌

As we look at this part of the passage we see that clearly people saw the men come to Lot’s house and now they want them to come out. When we see what they want to do to them we fully understand the reason that the angels have come to survey what is going on in Sodom. This is about more than just hospitality. They aren’t just rude to visitors and so God wants to reduce their city to rubble. As I said what is beneath the surface here is that their lack of hospitality goes much deeper it also denies the created order that God had put in place. But we also see other elements of our sinful human nature on display here. There is a mob mentality here and feeling as though they can do whatever they want. They are overcome with sinfulness.‌

I want us to stop for a moment and consider our own desires and our own sinfulness. In this story it is very easy to point fingers and feel self righteous because we aren’t going to do anything that we see here but anytime we see a passage that is dealing with the judgment of God it is absolutely important that we don’t just assume that it only applies to someone else. Any story of impending judgment should cut through us because, as we will see next week, God judges sin and even though it might not look like the rebellion we see in certain Bible stories, our sin is still rebellion against a holy God, and we need to assess our lives and realize that without the grace of God we are without hope.‌

And we are going to see a glimpse of that grace when we come to the end of the story but right now we have to deal with a really difficult part of this passage.‌

What do we do with Lot offering his virgin daughters to the crowd? That is absolutely horrifying for us to read. Who would do something like that? Right?‌

We can’t even begin to understand this but in the ancient near east you were bound to protect the guests in your home. He risks his own family to protect them.‌

As I said, we read this and we think he is out of his mind and that what he offers here is wicked but it seems as though he is trying to offer a lesser of two evils. We rightly look down on Lot for this but imagine trying to navigate this situation without modern secure homes with locks and modern weapons to stop a mob.‌

Yeah, it’s an awful situation all around and it seems to be without a good solution. And that is what we are meant to feel once again.‌

This is a situation from which there is no escape. Lot is wanting to do anything he can to get out of the situation and he is willing to protect these men at any cost but it turns around on him. They acknowledge that even though Lot was clearly respected because he is at the city gate when it comes to their lusts and their mob mentality they care little for that respect.‌

Look at what they say here. He is an outsider and now he is judging them? Who do you think you are outsider to tell us what we can and can’t do? How dare you tell us what we are doing is wicked? And so they decide to deal with him more terribly than they would with the visitors.‌

You can feel the descent here into hopelessness for Lot. This is a bad situation and there is no way out. Period. They can’t keep a mob out of their home and they can’t fight their way out. What are they going to do?‌

This feeling of being without any hope is what leads us to our final point today. The angels rescue Lot.‌​

Genesis 19:10–11

 ESV

But the men reached out their hands and brought Lot into the house with them and shut the door. And they struck with blindness the men who were at the entrance of the house, both small and great, so that they wore themselves out groping for the door.‌

We see that they risk themselves and grab Lot from their hands. When they bring him in we see some familiar language that we have seen in a previous passage about judgment. Notice that they bring him in and what does the passage say. They shut the door. If you are a Hebrew having this story told to you about the history of your people you are going to recognize it right away but because we are breaking this up and because it was quite a few chapters back I’ll clue you in just in case you aren’t getting the reference. Remember back to Noah and his family. They were shut up in the ark and God shut the door. The flood could not get Noah and his family because God had personally ensured that they were safe and they were closed in the ark. It was divine rescue and that is exactly what we are meant to feel here. The only thing keeping Lot from wickedness and judgment is the rescue of God.‌

And we see that this is a divine rescue because it isn’t just a story about someone snatching someone out of the way of harm. The people outside the house are struck with blindness. That is divine. These are clearly not ordinary men. They are servants of the most high God who are rescuing the covenant people of God.‌

Every time I read Genesis and come to this part of the story I am struck by the last part of this final verse that we read this morning. They wore themselves groping for the door. Think about the level of depravity at work in the hearts of these people. They don’t quit even when they are made blind. They just won’t stop. The reason I’m struck by that part of the passage is because I believe we all have been to that point in our sin at some time in our lives. We didn’t care about God’s law. We don’t care if we will be judged. Nothing. Absolutely nothing is going to stop us. We are blind. That is our state in our sin and what we need is what Lot needed. Divine rescue.‌

As we think about this rescue we have to think about what we are going to see next week. God is going to rain down judgment on Sodom and Lot and his family are going to be spared.‌

In our passage today we see Lot and he is desperate to rescue the angels from the men but what we see from the angels is the greater concern that Lot needs to be saved from the wrath of God. That is the real concern and in a world of sin and depravity it is vital that we understand how we are saved from his wrath.‌

This part of the Genesis that we’ve looked at definitely stands on its own but at the same time it reminds me of those television episodes where we realize there is no way the whole story can be wrapped up in the next few minutes and so we know the word “to be continued” are going to pop up on the screen.‌

Next week we see the conclusion of the story and this is just a glimpse of what is coming but the one theme that will come through both passages is that God rescues his people.‌

And as we finish up this week we are confronted with this passage and we want to come away from it with something we can apply to our lives.‌

I believe there are two applications that stand out for us here.‌

The first is that we need think about where we are at. Lot went to Sodom and put himself in this predicament. He had problems there before but still he returned and separated himself from the rest of the covenant people. Now perhaps we can impute good motives to him and think that maybe he didn’t think he would be polluted Sodom or that maybe he could be a good influence but there is a line that needs to be drawn. By the way Lot adamantly petitioned the angels not to stay in the courtyard he knew what was going on in Sodom. My point is that Lot should have fled from the sin in Sodom long before this.‌

I’m not suggesting that we should flee from every circumstance where we are in the presence of sin. We are called to be a light in darkness but it is also important to know our circumstances and understand that perhaps we are called to move away from those places before we are sucked into going on. Whether that is by succumbing to the sin ourselves or by suffering the consequences of being in the presence of it.‌

May God, in his mercy grant us the wisdom to discern where we are and know how to protect ourselves from sin and the consequences of it, whether that be our falling into it ourselves or our proximity to it.‌

Secondly, find comfort in the God who rescues. Lot got himself into this but yet God shows up. He didn’t need to send angels to assess the situation and rescue Lot and his family. The sin of Sodom was well known and it deserved judgment but God, in his mercy, goes after his covenant people even when Lot had moved east and away from the presence of the Lord.‌

This is our hope as those who were born dead in our trespasses and sins. We were without hope. We were east of Eden and God would have been just in punishing us in our sin and unbelief but instead he has rescued us. We were blind and groping at the door in our sin but in Jesus our eyes have been opened and this is unbelievably good news for us. We have been spared from his wrath by his grace because we have been given the gift of faith and we trust that the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ is enough to save us from our sin and depravity.‌

And so, may we go into the world this week mindful of this passage. It is a difficult passage but it clearly shows us sinfulness and our need for rescued and no matter what the world around us looks like may we rest in the truth that when we are in Christ, we are the covenant people of God and we have been rescued, and so may we proclaim this good news to those around us that by his Word and Spirit the blind will see the grace and mercy of our great Lord Jesus Christ who has saved us from our sin. Amen.