Towards Sodom


Abram was called by God to leave his country, his family, and his father’s house to go to the land of Canaan.  Abram obeyed God and left with his wife Sarai and his nephew Lot.  Before long, Abram became very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold.  Lot also became rich with many livestock.  There was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock.  Genesis 13:8-13 “So Abram said to Lot, ‘Please let there be no strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are brethren.  Is not the whole land before you?  Please separate from me.  If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or, if you go to the right, then I will go to the left.’  And Lot lifted his eyes and saw all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere (before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah) like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt as you go toward Zoar.  Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east. And they separated from each other.  Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent even as far as Sodom.  But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the Lord.”

Abram gave Lot the choice of where he would go with his livestock.  Lot thought he made a good financial decision to take his livestock where there was plenty of water and plenty of good pasture for food.  What he didn’t consider was the wickedness and sinfulness of the people of the area.  As the story unfolds, we find that the Lord heard about the sinfulness of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah.  The Lord spoke with Abraham in Genesis 18:20-21 “And the Lord said, ‘Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave, I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know.’” Abraham knew that Lot lived in Sodom and he wanted to save Lot.  Genesis 18:23-24 “And Abraham came near and said, ‘Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked?  Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it?’”  The Lord agreed not to destroy the place if He found fifty righteous there.  Abraham continued to bargain with the Lord by reducing the number of righteous found there until the Lord agreed to not destroy the place if he found ten righteous there.  But there were not even ten righteous found there.  The Lord allowed righteous Lot to escape the city before He destroyed the area with brimstone and fire.  Lot lost all of his possessions and his wife. 

From Lot, we are reminded that there are consequences for our decisions.  You might decide to move to a location where there is no church or where the people are known for their wickedness or where the people condone sinful practices.  Such a decision might have negative spiritual consequences for you and your family.  I’m not suggesting that God will destroy the place with fire and brimstone, but you might be tormented by the wickedness that you see and influenced to accept some of their practices.  1 Corinthians 15:33-34 “Do not be deceived: ‘Evil company corrupts good habits.’  Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.”

Some Christians decide to marry non-Christians.  There are negative consequences for such a decision.  As a Christian, you live by the principles laid out in the Bible whereas a non-Christian does not.  This difference will cause conflict and potentially end in divorce.  2 Corinthians 6:14-15 “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?  And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?”  We have instruction for a widow to only marry in the Lord.  1 Corinthians 7:39 “A wife is bound by law as long as her husband lives; but if her husband dies, she is at liberty to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord.”  I think this is also good guidance for those being married for the first time.  I believe that the guidance to not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers applies to marriage but it can also apply to other partnerships, companionships, places of employment. or other things that you may join yourself to.  If you are careless in this area, you may suffer negative consequences for your decisions.

Since wrong decisions that you make can have negative consequences in your life, I encourage you to seek guidance from the Lord.  James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”  Let God lead you in the decisions that you make, especially the major decisions in life.

Abraham was different from Lot.  Abraham listened to the direction from God.  He walked in faith and trusted in God.  As a result, God blessed Abraham.  Direction you receive from God may not bring you the most immediate financial success or comfort.  But God cares for you (1 Peter 5:7).  He will work all things for your good if you love Him.  Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

My encouragement to you is to ask for God’s direction in the decisions that you make.  Trust Him that He will lead you in the best way that you should go.  Do not move towards Sodom.


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