Genesis 19:21-26
New International Version
He said to him, “Very well, I will grant this request too; I will not overthrow the town you speak of … By the time Lot reached Zoar, the sun had risen over the land. Then God rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah … Thus, He overthrew those cities and the entire plains, including 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.”
For Meditation
Did Lot choose wisely to settle in Zoar after God mercifully rescued him? Whatever his reasons, it came down to the result of his choice, whether it advanced his course or otherwise. How about our choices after God delivers us from trouble? Does it help us grow in Christ? First, let us survey the land after Sodom’s destruction, and we will realize our past leaves nothing profitable for the redeemed (Gen 19:24).
Annihilation of humans, cities, and vegetation. God spared nothing in the plains except the small town of Zoar, which mercy preserved. Abraham saw only dense smoke rising from the land the following day when God poured His wrath on Sodom and Gomorrah (28). Lot and his daughters escaped the fire, but not the corruption of the people of the plains. The lush green vegetation, its lucrative agriculture, and its beauty were gone. With the cities went trade and commerce. Did Lot expect anything after that, living in Zoar?
The Day of the Lord promises destruction. We better believe it will be total, with no pleasure to it (2 Pt. 1:20; 2:5-10; 3:6-7). That makes the gospel call urgent, and we must pay attention, flee, and proclaim the urgency to the world.
The plight of Lot’s wife: a symbol of indecision (26). God told Lot and his family to escape and not look back, but Lot’s wife did and became a pillar of salt (Gen. 19:26). She exposed her unpreparedness to leave the pleasures of Sodom, but the time of indecision had passed. Judgment came, swept her away, and made her a symbol of indecision and halfhearted commitment to God and a warning to all of us.
Today, many have approached the Lord with divided attention—serving two masters, as Jesus warned (Matt. 6:24). He calls His redeemed to abstain from looking back and giving occasion to return to our past ways (1 Kings 19:20-21).
Fleeing the plains at last. Lot and his two daughters realized their mistake quickly after fighting to settle in Zoar. They finally left for the mountains when they realized that life in Zoar did not differ from Sodom. Out of fear for their lives, they left and lived in a cave (30). How interesting we are! They considered Zoar a haven before the devastation, but soon recognized their mistake as the people and conditions there threatened them.
Nowhere is better for us than the place God has called us away to live. May we therefore learn to listen the first time rather than wait until fear drives us away.
Dwelling in the cave. Though the angels pointed to the mountains, God had a specific place for them and not just anywhere. Lot’s responsibility was to seek further instruction when they finally fled the plains for the mountains. The cave had no life for them. They needed community. Abraham and his family were further up the mountains, and they could have gone up there if they had learned anything and were willing to live under God’s security. But his pride may have kept him from returning. He chose a middle ground and settled in the cave. The result was catastrophic. Isolation led to the corrupt lifestyle they had witnessed in Sodom: deception, drunkenness, and incest (Gen. 19: 30-36). Their descendants became enemies of Israel.
God’s call to turn from sin demands a total breakaway from the pollution of our past and full commitment to a new life in Jesus. Going halfway with Him is too dangerous a risk. May we, therefore, hate every hint of sin and stay away from it, but seek the full meaning of our salvation and live it through Christ Jesus our Savior and Lord. Amen.
Let Us Pray Together
Heavenly Father, we thank you that when you deliver us; you do not leave us guessing; by your Spirit, you direct us in your ways, according to your word, into your good, pleasing, and perfect will and plan for our lives. May we open our hearts to His teachings and remain sensitive to His promptings along the way. Amen.
