Gênesis 19
Steven Cole · Citado em PreceptAustin
Gênesis 19
Cole - Signs of conformity to the world (from The Tragedy Of Worldly Believers) (ED: I WOULD ADD THESE COULD ALSO BE SEEN AS SIGNS OF BACKSLIDING). (1) You’re living for the same goals as the world. Lot moved to Sodom for the same reason other people moved to Sodom: to get ahead financially. He didn’t go there to reach Sodom for God. He went there to get rich just like everyone else. But Paul warned: “Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction (1 Tim. 6:9+). Wrong goals! Tom Sine has observed that often the only difference between Christians and their pagan neighbors is that we hang around church buildings a little more. We’ve reduced Christianity “to little more than a spiritual crutch to help us through the minefields of the upwardly mobile life. God is there to help us get our promotions, our house in the suburbs, and our bills paid. Somehow God has become a co-conspirator in our agendas instead of our becoming a co-conspirator in His” (Christianity Today [3/17/89], p. 52). Each of us needs to ask, “How are my goals in life different than those of the guy next door who doesn’t know Jesus Christ?” The Lord said that unbelievers eagerly seek for material prosperity, but His followers are to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Mt 6:31–33+). So check out your goals. If, like everybody else in the world, you’re just living to become financially secure, to make a comfortable living, you’re being conformed to the world. If you’re living for the world’s goals, sooner or later you’ll be tainted by the world’s moral corruption. (2) You’re expedient in morals. At first, it looks as if Lot has avoided the moral pollution of Sodom. When the men of the city try to force the two visitors outside, Lot goes out and says, “Please, my brothers, do not act wickedly” (Ge 19:7). But what he says next is unbelievable: He offers them his two virgin daughters to rape as they please (Ge 19:8)! He was trying to prevent one awful sin by suggesting another! He was setting aside morality because of a pressing emergency. He wouldn’t normally sacrifice his daughters, but what else could he do? His daughters learned from him (Ge 19:31–38); once they saw their situation in the cave as an emergency, then getting their father drunk and getting pregnant by him was not a moral problem. What else could they do in such a predicament? It’s easy to have moral standards when the pressure is off. But what about when the pressure is on? Then it’s easy to make up excuses for why what formerly was wrong is now O.K. What is wrong for everyone else is all right for you, because of your unique situation. Look out! If you change your morals to adapt to the situation, you’re blending in with the world! (3) You’re more concerned for your status than for your family. Lot was willing to sacrifice his daughters to save his guests because there was a strong social custom which said that you had to protect those who came under your roof as guests. But in Sodom, there wasn’t much social stigma connected with sexual immorality. So to protect his status in the community, Lot tried to protect his guests at the expense of his daughters. I’m sure none of us would do what Lot did, but we often do other things to protect our status at the expense of our families. We work long hours to try to succeed financially, even though it means neglecting the family. Why do we do that? We want the status that comes from success. What do you think of when you hear that someone is successful? That he raised his family to fear the Lord or that he made it financially? Success with your family just doesn’t carry the same weight in our culture as financial success. When we buy into that view of status, we’re being conformed to the world. (4) You’re not respected by the world for your beliefs. In all these years that Lot had lived in Sodom, there may have been a few times when he had tried to tell them about God. But now when he weakly tries to tell the Sodomites they’re wrong, they don’t respect him (19:9). He doesn’t even have any credibility with his future sons-in-law, who think he’s joking about God judging Sodom (19:14). The reason they didn’t believe him was that it was so out of character for him to get alarmed about spiritual matters. For years he had lived quietly in Sodom, pursuing the same goals as everyone else. So when he “gets religion,” nobody believes him. Of course, there always will be mockers in the world. No committed Christian will win a popularity contest on the job. But there’s a difference between being liked and being respected. When the world doesn’t respect you for your Christian stand, it may be because you’ve lived like them for so long that it seems out of character for you to suddenly be so concerned about God and morality. The world may not like your viewpoint, but if you live consistently before them, usually they will respect you. (5) You’re not sure you want to give up the world, even when it’s going to cost you your life. Lot had to flee so that he wouldn’t be destroyed with that wicked city. And yet he hesitated (Ge 19:15–16)! He couldn’t have saved anything if he had remained behind. He would have lost even his own life; and yet he hesitated. It reminds me of the gag Jack Benny used to do, where a robber sticks a gun in his face and says, “Your money or your life!” Jack hesitates. The gunman snarls, “Well?” Jack says, “Don’t rush me! I’m thinking about it.” Why did Lot hesitate? Because, as Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matt. 6:21+). Your heart always follows your treasure. If your treasure is in your things, then you won’t want to give them up, even if it costs you your life to hang on to them. The doctor may tell you that if you keep working at the pace you’re going at now, you’ll have a heart attack. But you’re not sure you want to slow down, even though it will cost you your life, because you want all the things you can get with your money. That’s a sign of conformity to the world. (6) You attempt to keep a little bit of sin in your life, even when God is dealing severely with you. The Lord will let you hang onto your sinful way if you insist on it. Lot and his wife and two daughters reluctantly leave Sodom, dragged out by the two angels. The angels urgently tell him to flee for his life, and incredibly, Lot wants to barter with them to keep a bit of his old way of life intact. He thanks them for their mercy in saving him, but then he protests that he can’t flee to the mountains as they tell him to do. That would be just a bit too much. Instead, he wants permission to go to a small town nearby, the implication being that since the town was small (Zoar means “small”), its sins won’t be too bad. Derek Kidner observes, “Not even brimstone will make a pilgrim of him: he must have his little Sodom again if life is to be supportable” (Borrow Genesis p. 135). Note that God didn’t prevent him. The Lord will let you hang onto your sinful way if you insist on it. It’s easy to do as Lot did. You become a Christian, and God begins to confront you with things in your life that have to go if you want to follow Him. You can find yourself scrambling to preserve as much of the old life as possible, even while God is in the process of stripping you of it: “Lord, I’ll go to church on Sunday morning; just let me spend the rest of my week as I choose. I’ll even give 10 percent, just so I can spend 90 percent as I please. I’ll be outwardly moral; just let me indulge in my mental sins. I’ll give up Sodom; just let me move to Zoar.” Genesis 19:2 And he said, “Now behold, my lords, please turn aside into your servant’s house, and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise early and go on your way.” They said however, “No, but we shall spend the night in the square.” please turn aside into your servant’s house: Heb 13:2 wash your feet: Ge 18:4 No, but we shall spend the night in the square Knowing the disposition of the inhabitants, and appearing in the character of mere travellers, they preferred the open street to any house; but not yet willing to make themselves known, as Lot pressed them vehemently, and as they knew him to be a righteous man, they consented to take shelter under his hospitable roof. Judges 19:17-21 Lu 24:28,29 Ac 16:15 Genesis 19 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries Related Passage: Genesis 18:4 “Please let a little water be brought and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree; LOT OFFERS LODGING If you doubt that Sodom deserved the outpouring of God's wrath, you need to carefully read Ge 19:2-11 which give you a sense of the cesspool Lot was living in! And he said, “Now behold, (hinneh: Lxx - idou) my lords, please turn aside into your servant’s house, and spend the night, and wash your feet - This is the first mention of a house in the Bible. Lot knew a lot about Sodom and he knew 2 men staying in the city square would be "mincemeat" in the hands of the sordid Sodomites! Or at least so he thought, because clearly he does not understand that these men are not mere men but "super men!" and they had come to make "mincemeat" of Sodom and Gomorrah! But as a righteous man, Lot was literally fulfilling the command in Hebrews 13:2+ "Do not neglect (present imperative with a negative) to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it." Paul Apple Godly Virtues (Like Hospitality) Cannot Protect Against Compromise with Moral Depravity. John Walton - When a host offered a guest the opportunity to spend the night, he was also accepting responsibility for the safety and well-being of his guest. The offer generally extended for a total of three days. Then you may rise early and go on your way.” - Clearly he had no clue as to the nature of their mission. He did not sense any need of being rescued from this horrible city! Wenstrom - Although Lot fails miserably in dealing with the situation to follow, his hospitality at least demonstrates his desire to do righteousness and manifested him as a believer in the midst of unbelievers (cf. 2 Pet. 2:6-8). They said however, “No, but we shall spend the night in the square.” - A city square would have been a large open space near the main city gate (see 2Ch 32:6) where public gatherings were held. Important cities like Jerusalem could have two or more squares (see Ne 8:16). This clearly gets Lot's attention for he knows what their fate potentially would have been -- gang rape! Behold (02009) hinneh is an interjection meaning behold, look, now; if. "It is used often and expresses strong feelings, surprise, hope, expectation, certainty, thus giving vividness depending on its surrounding context." (Baker) Hinneh generally directs our mind to the text, imploring the reader to give it special attention. In short, the Spirit is trying to arrest our attention! And so hinneh is used as an exclamation of vivid immediacy (e.g., read Ge 6:13)! Hinneh is a marker used to enliven a narrative, to express a change a scene, to emphasize an idea, to call attention to a detail or an important fact or action that follows (Isa 65:17, Ge 17:20, 41:17). The first use of hinneh in Ge 1:29 and second in Ge 1:31 - "And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day." Hinneh is oftn used in the idiom "Here I am" in Ge 22:1, 7,11 Ge 27:1,18, Ge 31:11, Ge 46:2 Ex 3:4 1Sa 3:4, 3:16, 12:3, 2Sa 1:7, Isa 52:6, Isa 58:9. Hinneh is used most often to point out people but also to point out things (Ge 31:41, 17:4). God uses hinneh to grab man's attention before He brings destruction (Ge 6:13, 17). God uses hinneh when He establishes covenants (Ge 9:9, 15:12, 17 [when Jehovah cut the Abrahamic covenant], Ge 17:4, cp Ge 28:13, 15), when He provided a sacrificial substitute for Isaac (foreshadowing His giving us His only Son!) (Ge 22:13). Hinneh marks the "chance (The Providence of God)" arrival of Boaz at the field where Ruth was gleaning (Ru 2:4-read about this "chance romance" - Indeed, "Behold!"). Hinneh is used to announce the Lord’s sending of a child as a sign and a prophecy of Immanuel-Emmanuel, the Messiah (Isa. 7:14+). In fact W E Vine says that it is notable that when behold (hinneh) is used in Isaiah, it always introduces something relating to future circumstances. Hinneh is translated in the Septuagint with the interjection idou (strictly speaking a command in the second person aorist imperative, middle voice) a demonstrative particle (used 1377 times in the Septuagint and NT) which is found especially in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke "and giving a peculiar vivacity to the style by bidding the reader or hearer to attend to what is said Genesis 19:3 Yet he urged them strongly, so they turned aside to him and entered his house; and he prepared a feast for them, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. Yet he urged them strongly: 2Ki 4:8 Lu 11:8 14:23 24:28,29 2Co 5:14 a feast: Ge 18:6-8 21:8 Lu 5:29 Joh 12:2 Heb 13:2 unleavened: Ge 18:6 Ex 12:15,39 Judges 6:19 1Sa 28:24 1Co 5:8 Genesis 19 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries THE ANGELS AGREE TO LOT'S REQUEST Yet (term of contrast) he urged (patsar; Lxx - katabiazo) them strongly - Urged is the same verb Moses uses in Ge 19:9 describing the Sodomites as "they pressed hard (patsar; Lxx - parabiazomai use force, urge strongly) against Lot. This indicates that Lot still did not yet recognize the two were angelic, supernatural beings with supernatural power. It also indicates he knew the danger of two attractive men staying in the square all night. Lot knew and yet he tolerated the sin of Sodom. He could have moved his family but he was too comfortable with his affluent life in Sodom and so he compromised even though the lifestyle of Sodom oppressed and tormented him (2Pe 2:7-8+). As we learn later, he is even hesitant to leave after hearing the angel's warn of Sodom's doom! That's when you know you have become tethered to the world and not heaven! THOUGHT - Dear saint beloved by Your Father (1Jn 3:1+, 1Th 1:4+), would you describe yourself as tethered to heaven or earth? John gives this command to all followers of Jesus - "Do not love (present imperative with a negative see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey) the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does (present tense - speaks of direction, not perfection) the will of God lives forever. ." (1John 2:15-17+) So (term of conclusion) they turned aside (sur; Lxx - ekklino) to him and entered his house - CSB = "he urged them so strongly that they followed him and went into his house." Note that Lot was living in a house, while Abraham was still living in a tent. Are we surprised? and he prepared a feast (mishteh) for them, and baked unleavened (matsah; Lxx - azumos) bread, and they ate ('akal) - Interesting that Lot seems to be the primary preparer whereas Abraham had his wife bake bread. At least Lot exhibits hospitality and the angels now eat their second meal of the day. It makes one wonder if the angels felt full after eating two feasts? That's a question for heaven! This is first mention of unleavened (matsah; Lxx - azumos) bread in Scripture and Bob Utley shows how the Jewish sages misinterpreted this verse - baked unleavened bread" The Rabbinical Midrash say this shows that this was the Passover, therefore, Isaac was born on the Passover (the next year). However, this is reading too much into the phrase, "unleavened bread." Earlier in the day Abraham had cooked bread that was not unleavened. Apparently Lot's servants or family prepared the meal quickly (cf. Jdg. 6:19). Urged (pressed) (06484) patsar means to push, to press, to peck at. It can describe a literal pushing (Ge 19:9). Figuratively it means to urge someone to do something (Ge 33:11, Jdg 19:7). Negatively it means to rebel against someone - defiance to authority, refusal to obey orders (it is like "spiritual mutiny"). Urged in the Septuagint of Ge 19:3 is translated with katabiazo (imperfect tense = pictures Lot urging again and again) means to constrain, to subdue by for, to contend. Only in Ge 19:3 and Ex 12:33. Gilbrant - Pātsar occurs in relation to one person or group urging on another to a particular action. For example, Lot urged the two angels to stay with him instead of spending the night in downtown Sodom (Gen. 19:3); the homosexual men of Sodom then urged Lot to bring out his guests so they could have sexual relations with them (v. 9); Jacob urged Esau to accept his gift and make peace between them (33:11); the company of prophets persisted in urging Elisha to search for Elijah, who had been taken away (2 Ki. 2:17). Finally, Elisha rejected Naaman's gift of money after he was healed of leprosy (2Ki 5:16). Brown-Driver-Briggs maintains that the only instance of pātsar in the Hiphil stem, found in 1 Sam. 15:23, gives the sense of arrogance and presumption, or literally, "to display pushing." The context of this passage is that because Saul rejected the commands of the Lord, the Lord, in turn, would reject Saul as king. Samuel stated that the offerings and sacrifices of Saul were in vain, because his heart was full of rebellion and arrogance (vv. 22f). (Complete Biblical Library) Patsar - 7v - Gen. 19:3; Gen. 19:9; Gen. 33:11; Jdg. 19:7; 1 Sam. 15:23; 2 Ki. 2:17; 2 Ki. 5:16 Unleavened (04682) massa/matsah from matsats = to drain out) not raised by leaven (yeast). Bread made without yeast, bread quickly made, without waiting for the dough to rise. The Lxx translates matstsah with the adjective azumos which means without fermentation and thus describes bread which is made without yeast. The phrase "ta azuma" represents unleavened bread made into flat cakes (Hebrew matzoth) eaten by Jews at Passover season; metaphorically in 1Cor 5:7-8, referring to a life free from sinful corruption. These were eaten by Israel at the Passover when they had to leave Egypt quickly, not having time for their bread to rise (Ex 12:8, 15, 17-18 - Lxx = azumos). Matsot is used in the phrase "Feast of Unleavened Bread" (Ex 12:17), which followed Passover and lasted for 7 or 8 days (Lev 23:6). The first use in Ge 19:3 refers to the meal Lot shared with the 2 angels before the fire and brimstone fell. This Hebrew word is familiar to most of us because of the unleavened crackers (matzo) used by Jews at Passover. NIDOTTE - Unleavened bread was a basic food that could be prepared quickly. When a person received important visitors, he immediately prepared a festive meal by slaughtering an animal and baking unleavened bread. Lot prepared such a meal for the two heavenly messengers who visited him at Sodom (Ge 19:3; cf. 1Sa 28:24–25). Similarly Gideon prepared such a meal along with some broth for the Angel of the LORD (Jdg 6:19). That Angel instructed Gideon to place these materials on a rock. The angel touched them, and a fire sprang forth and consumed them (Jdg 6:20). Clearly it was appropriate to serve unleavened bread at any function. NET Note - The etymology of מַצּוֹת (matsot, “unleavened bread,” i.e., “bread made without yeast”) is uncertain. Suggested connections to known verbs include “to squeeze, press,” “to depart, go out,” “to ransom,” or to an Egyptian word “food, cake, evening meal.” NET Note - Bread made without yeast could be baked quickly, not requiring time for the use of a leavening ingredient to make the dough rise. In Deut 16:3 the unleavened cakes are called "the bread of affliction," which alludes to the alarm and haste of the Israelites. In later Judaism and in the writings of Paul, leaven came to be a symbol of evil or corruption, and so "unleavened bread" – bread made without yeast – was interpreted to be a picture of purity or freedom from corruption or defilement (S. R. Driver, Exodus, 90–91). Genesis 19:4 Before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, both young and old, all the people from every quarter; CEB Before they went to bed, the men of the city of Sodom—everyone from the youngest to the oldest—surrounded the house CJB But before they could go to bed, the men of the city surrounded the house — young and old, everyone from every neighborhood of S’dom. CEV Before Lot and his guests could go to bed, every man in Sodom, young and old, came and stood outside his house HCSB Before they went to bed, the men of the city of Sodom, both young and old, the whole population, surrounded the house. TLB as they were preparing to retire for the night, the men of the city—yes, Sodomites, young and old from all over the city—surrounded the house MSG Before they went to bed, men from all over the city of Sodom, young and old, descended on the house from all sides and boxed them in. Before they lay down: Pr 4:16 6:18 Mic 7:3 Ro 3:15 all the people: Ge 13:13 18:20 Ex 16:2 23:2 Jer 5:1-6,31 Mt 27:20-25 Genesis 19 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries Related Passages: Ezekiel 16:48-50 (NOTE: The sins of Israel compared to Sodom) “As I live,” declares the Lord GOD, “Sodom, your sister and her daughters have not done as you and your daughters have done. 49 “Behold (hinneh), this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: (DESCRIPTION OF SODOM WHICH IS WHY LOT WAS SEDUCED) she and her daughters had arrogance, abundant food and careless ease, but she did not help the poor and needy. 50 “Thus they were haughty and committed abominations before Me. Therefore I removed them when I saw it (ANOTHER PASSAGE AUTHENTICATING THE DESTRUCTION OF SODOM IN GENESIS 19!) Luke 17:28-30+ “It was the same as happened in the days of Lot: they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building; 29 but on the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 “It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed. (IN OTHER WORDS THE SINS OF SODOM WILL BE ON FULL PARADE IN THE LAST 7 YEARS OF THIS AGE. NOTE THAT THE WORD "IMMORALITY" IS A KEY WORD IN THE DESCRIPTION OF BEHAVIOR ON EARTH DURING THIS TIME. Rev. 2:14; Rev. 2:20; Rev. 2:21; Rev. 9:21; Rev. 14:8; Rev. 17:2; Rev. 17:4; Rev. 18:3; Rev. 18:9; Rev. 19:2) CITY CONVERGES ON LOT'S HOUSE Before they lay down - The angels don't even have time to get into bed. The men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house ("and boxed them in"), both young and old, all the people from every quarter (from all parts of town) - Notice that twice it says men, clearly emphasizing the homosexual orientation (because they desire the 2 men in Lot's house) of the men of Sodom. It is surprising that the men of Sodom did not send a messenger to Gomorrah to invite them to their take part in their perverted party! This is an amazing description of the mob and is very specific (1) men...men of Sodom, (2) surrounded (3) young and old (4) from every quarter. Note the word traveled fast in this sin-filled city so that the whole city knew about these two men (and surely Sodom's population was in the 1000's, although we do not know for certain). Thus we see this not just one or two homosexual men, but was essentially a mob of all ages which is a picture of the widespread nature of Sodom’s moral perversion. James Strahan said: “The revelers of Sodom beset his house like a swarm of demons let loose from hell” (Hebrew Ideals In Genesis, p. 128). Wenstrom - The fact that both the old and young were involved in this attempted homosexual gang rape indicates that the lifestyle of homosexuality was promoted and practiced up to the third and fourth generation. This illustrates the principle taught many times in Scripture that God visits the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation. (Nu 14:18+). Bob
Gênesis 19
Cole - Sodom shows us the world without God. On one level, it is an ugly, repulsive picture. It was a city where it wasn’t safe to be on the streets after dark, where not only the young men, but even the old (19:4) were living to satisfy their lusts, even if it meant homosexually raping two visitors. But on another level, Sodom, like our society, had its attractive side. It was sophisticated and prosperous. (The Tragedy Of Worldly Believers) James Freeman - Borrow Manners & customs of the Bible page 29 - HOUSES - In Mesopotamia, Abraham lived in houses made of mud brick (see Genesis 11:3), but then became a tent dweller because God gave him no permanent place of his own to live. “By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise” (Hebrews 11:9+). Tents were normally made of goat hair, which shed water and could be easily bundled and carried to the next camp site. They were quite suitable for a wandering life. Except for individuals like Lot who joined themselves with a people other than those of Abraham, it wasn’t until the Israelites went to Egypt in Joseph’s time that they lived in houses, and at some point during the 400 years there probably had to build the houses they lived in. At the time of the Exodus we can see that they lived in houses, “Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the door frames of the houses where they eat the lambs” (Exodus 12:7). When they left Egypt, however, and wandered in the wilderness for 40 years they once more lived in tents. “Who went in the way before you, to search you out a place to pitch your tents in, in fire by night, to show you by what way ye should go, and in a cloud by day” (Deuteronomy 1:33, KJV). It wasn’t until the time of Joshua, however, when they captured Canaan, that they began to build houses like the Canaanites. In those areas where stone was plentiful, they built stone houses, and where there were no stones, they built mud-brick houses, and where trees were plentiful, they built wood houses. They used whatever building materials were plentiful or available where they lived. “The bricks have fallen down, but we will rebuild with dressed stone; the fig trees have been felled, but we will replace them with cedars” (Isaiah 9:10). Genesis 19:5 and they called to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may have relations with them.” Lev 18:22 Lev 20:13 Judges 19:22 Isa 1:9 3:9 Jer 3:3 6:15 Eze 16:49,51 Mt 11:23,24 Ro 1:23,24,26,27 1Co 6:9 1Ti 1:10 2Ti 3:13 Jude 1:7 Genesis 19 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries Related Passages: Leviticus 18:22+ You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination. Leviticus 20:13+ If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death. Their bloodguiltiness is upon them. 1 Corinthians 6:9+ Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals SODOMITES SEEK SEX WITH THE TWO MEN and they called to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? - The word had spread throughout all quarters of Sodom that two attractive men are on the scene. Bring them out to us that we may have relations (yada) with them - This description is tantamount of the Sodomite's desire for gang rape! The Sodomites command Lot to bring them out. While the description have relations is somewhat euphemistic, it leaves no doubt in the mind of the intelligent reader what the nature of the relations were! These men did not just want to shake hands and have a congenial conversation! Their willingness to carry out their sodomy publicly indicates that they were no longer ashamed of their sin, theirs consciences having become seared to the heinous nature of their abominable practice. They had long ago exchanged the truth of God for the lie "and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen." (Ro 1:25+) God had given them over to the sexual lusts (Ro 1:26-27+). THOUGHT - Someone who would like to defend their premise that homosexuality is not described in this passage might use this verse to support their argument. Why? Because the Hebrew word yada is translated in the KJV "that we may know them." They would say yada is used over 900 times in the OT and usually means to know someone or something and that is all that was transpiring in these verses! The problem with that interpretation is that it removes yada from the context and context is always king in interpretation. The context clearly indicates that yada has a sexual meaning. (See Heitizg's logic) Have relations is the common (872 verses) Hebrew verb yada which is used in Ge 4:1+ where "the man (Adam) had relations (yada; Lxx - ginosko - experiential knowing) with his wife Eve and she conceived." The Lxx translates have relations (yada) using the verb suggignomai which means to come together, to have sexual intercourse as shown by its use in Ge 39:10 where Potiphar's wife "spoke to Joseph day after day," BUT "he did not listen to her to lie beside her or be with (suggignomai) her. The behavior of the Sodomites would have confirmed to the angels that they were justified in destroying all in the city (recall the detail "ALL the people from every quarter" so that the sin of homosexuality was present throughout the city). Bob
Gênesis 19
Cole - When a society openly flaunts sin, it has become thoroughly corrupt. When it openly accepts and practices homosexuality, it is a sign that God has given that society over to degrading passions (Rom. 1:26–27). It is in the final stages of corruption. (The Tragedy Of Worldly Believers Genesis 19:1-29) Alien(01481) gur means a temporary stay, to reside temporarily, to dwell as a foreigner; a short stay somewhere. In the reflexive sense, to seek hospitality with. The first use of gur is Ge 12:10 of the Abram (cp use with other patriarchs - Ge 20:1, 21:23, 34, 26:3, 32:4, 25:27, 47:4). The term is commonly used of the patriarchs who sojourned in Canaan (Gen. 26:3; 35:27); places outside Canaan (Gen. 12:10; 20:1; 21:23; 32:4[5]; 47:4); Naomi and her family in Moab (Ruth 1:1); the exiles in Babylonia (Jer. 42:15). Break (07665) shabar means to break in pieces, to shatter, to smash. The first biblical occurrence of shabar is in Ge 19:9, where the men of Sodom "pressed hard against Lot and came near to break the door." In another use, God says "I will also break down your pride of power" (Lev 26:19). In Ezekiel 6:9 God describes how He has "been hurt (broken) by their adulterous hearts which turned away from" Him "and by their eyes which played the harlot after their idols" (describing faithless Judah now in captivity in Babylon). The Lxxtranslates shabar with suntribo which means to cause destruction of something by making it come apart (by shattering, smashing or crushing) and figuratively to be severely damaged psychologically and thus to be broken (as used in Lxx to describe the "brokenhearted" in Isa 61:1, Ps 34:18, Ps 147:3) Genesis 19:10 But the men reached out their hands and brought Lot into the house with them, and shut the door. Genesis 19 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries ANGELS TO THE RESCUE But the men reached out their hands and brought Lot into the house with them, and shut the door - The two angels come to the rescue of Lot who was probably in danger of being trampled to death! The one attempting to rescue the angels is himself rescued by the angels! Wenstrom has an interesting comment - The wickedness of the Sodomites has been confirmed by two credible witnesses as required by divine jurisprudence as recorded in the Mosaic Law, namely, the two elect angels (Deut. 17:6+). The angels have confirmed that the inhabitants of Sodom are indeed wicked and unrepentant and have therefore been ordered by the Lord to destroy the place. Genesis 19:11 They struck the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they wearied themselves trying to find the doorway. blindness: 2Ki 6:18 Ac 13:11 So that they: Ec 10:15 Isa 57:10 Jer 2:36 Genesis 19 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries SODOMITES STRUCK BLIND BUT DON'T STOP! If you do not think that Sin is powerful, then you either have not read this verse or do not understand it! They struck (nāḵāh; Lxx = patasso) the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness (sanverim; Lxx - aorasia - inability to see), both small and great, so that they wearied (laah; Lxx - paraluo ) themselves trying to find the doorway - The door was shut in Ge 19:10 but that did not prevent the angels from striking the men. Struck...with blindness is in the perfect tense which suggest more than just simple, temporary blindness. In any event their blindness was temporary in the sense that Sodom would soon be obliterated by God. Their next sight in fact would be the hot side of Hades! One might consider the blindness as a "warning shot over the bow" so to speak, this sudden blindness giving them pause to ponder their perversion and even repent. But that clearly was not to be! And recall that God had used His man Abraham to save them from the Four Eastern Mesopotamian Kings who had defeated them. Surely they had noticed that Abraham accomplished this feat with only 318 men! And they also saw Melchizedek! So they had no excuse to continue unrepentant and in their sins! The LORD was patient with them as Peter describes "The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance." (2Pe 3:9+). Their cup of iniquity was now full and their time was up! One commentator said "the angels intervene and stop this mob in its tracks by striking it with blindness," but actually it did not stop them in their tracks. Apparently it did confuse them so that they were unable to find Lot's doorway, but they persisted driven by their perverted lusts. Skip Heitzig quips - Remember years ago that television show Touched by an Angel? You could call this Punched by an Angel. You don't want to mess with an angel! By the way, angels are mentioned in 34 books of the Bible. 34 different books, 17 books of the Old Testament, 17 of the New Testament, mention angels. About 103 times in the Old Testament, about 165 times in the New Testament angels are mentioned. Billy Graham used to call them God's secret agents. Great name for them. The book of Hebrews describes them as ministering spirits, angels are ministering spirits, Hebrews chapter one tells us, sent by God to minister to us who will inherit salvation (Heb 1:14+). You have angels that protect you; you have angels that watch over you, the Bible teaches that. (See Angels — Article Index | GotQuestions.org) Wenstrom - The Bible also records other sins committed by both Sodom and Gomorrah such as social oppression (Isa. 1:10, 17), adultery, lying and abetting criminals (Jer. 23:14), arrogance, complacency and showing no pity on the poor and needy (Ezek. 16:49). Bob
Gênesis 19
Cole: Lot wants to barter with them to keep a bit of his old way of life intact. He thanks them for their mercy in saving him, but then he protests that he can’t flee to the mountains as they tell him to do. That would be just a bit too much. Instead, he wants permission to go to a small town nearby, the implication being that since the town was small (Zoar means “small ”), its sins won’t be too bad....Note that God didn’t prevent him. The Lord will let you hang onto your sinful way if you insist on it. (The Tragedy Of Worldly Believers) Derek Kidner observes, “Not even brimstone will make a pilgrim of him: he must have his little Sodom again if life is to be supportable” (Borrow Genesis page 135) Genesis 19:19 “Now behold, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have magnified your lovingkindness, which you have shown me by saving my life; but I cannot escape to the mountains, for the disaster will overtake me and I will die; and you: Ps 18:1-50 40:1-17 103:1-22 106:1-107:43 116:1-19 1Ti 1:14-16 for the disaster will overtake me: Ge 12:13 De 31:17 1Sa 27:1 1Ki 9:9 Ps 77:7-11 116:11 Mt 8:25,26 Mk 9:19 Ro 8:31 Genesis 19 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries LOT'S WHIMPERING SPEECH Now behold, your servant ('ebed) has found favor (chen/hen; Lxx = eleos) in your sight, and you have magnified your lovingkindness (hesed), which you have shown me by saving my life - This part of his speech is an appropriate response to God's salvation. He had indeed found favor (chen/hen), which in the Septuagint is the word eleos, which describes the outward manifestation of pity and assumes (1) a need on the part of the recipient (certainly true in Lot's case) and (2) the One bestowing mercy had sufficient resources to meet that need. But - Term of contrast. Marks a significant change of direction in Lot's speech! I cannot escape (malat; diasozo - be saved thoroughly) to the mountains - Remember that the angels had told him to escape to the mountains in Ge 19:17 but here he says he cannot. He is blatantly disobeying their instruction. We would be justified in changing his "I cannot" to "I will not!" His statement is a "smoke screen," because in the context he wants to go to a small town, not to the mountains. He has become accustomed to life in the city, so is willing to settle for even a small city. For (term of explanation) the disaster will overtake me and I will die - This rationalization indicates Lot doubts God's ability to save him from destruction. Not even brimstone will make a pilgrim of him: he must have his little Sodom again if life is to be supportable.” -- Derek Kidner R Kent
Gênesis 19
Cole - Big sins always begin with little compromises. Lot’s downward path began with the choice to take the best land for himself (Gen. 13:1–13). It was a choice based on selfishness and greed, with no regard for Abraham or for the will of God. It resulted in Lot moving his tents near the wicked city of Sodom. In making this move, Lot was acting on the same goals as those in the world: he was trying to get ahead financially, with no concern for furthering God’s purpose.About this time, the Lord gave Lot a warning which should have jarred him into re-thinking his priorities. Four kings from the east swept into Sodom and captured everyone, including Lot, his family, and all his possessions. He should have gotten the message, that to pursue the things of this world is to chase a soap bubble. But he didn’t listen. As soon as Abraham rescued him and (to Lot’s shock) refused all the spoils of Sodom, Lot moved back to Sodom. We next find him sitting in the gate and living in a house in Sodom (Gen. 19:1, 2). Things have gone well for Lot; he’s achieving his financial goals. He has provided a comfortable lifestyle for his family. But we also find that his moral standards have become blurred, as he offers his two daughters to the perverted men of the city, in an attempt to protect his two angelic visitors. Because he had invested in Sodom, Lot was hesitant to leave, even when the angels warned that he would be swept away in the judgment of the city. But the angels dragged him and his family out of the city and urged him to flee to the mountains. Even then Lot wanted to preserve as much of the old life as he could, bartering with the angels about fleeing to a small city nearby, even as the brimstone was about to fall from heaven. His wife, who could not quite pull herself away from the things she left behind, perished. Lot and his two daughters fled, first to Zoar, then to a cave in the mountains. Everything he had lived for in Sodom was gone. So Lot’s final degradation with his daughters was really just the cumulative result of many little compromises with the world that he had been making for years. Greed had led him to Sodom and kept him there in spite of God’s warning. In the Bible, greed is often mentioned next to sexual immorality, because it’s a sin of desiring the things of the flesh. So Lot’s children readily learned the greed and sexual sins of Sodom. (A Father Who Failed - Genesis 19:30-38) Worldliness Contrasted to Godliness Materialistic Orientation – need to seek first God’s Kingdom Pleasure-seeking Obsession – need to live to please our Lord Jesus Christ Entertainment Driven – our food is to do the work of the Father who sent us Conformity to the Ungodly Culture – be transformed by the renewing of our mind Addicted to the Lusts of the Flesh – controlled by the Spirit of God Genesis 19:32 “Come, let us make our father drink wine, and let us lie with him that we may preserve our family through our father.” Come: Ge 11:3 drink: Ge 9:21 Pr 23:31-33 Hab 2:15,16 that we may preserve our family: Lev 18:6,7 Mk 12:19 Genesis 19 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries Related Passages: Genesis 11:3+ They said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly.” And they used brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar. Genesis 9:21 He drank of the wine and became drunk, and uncovered himself inside his tent. Proverbs 23:31-33 Do not look on the wine when it is red, When it sparkles in the cup, When it goes down smoothly; 32 At the last it bites like a serpent And stings like a viper. 33 Your eyes will see strange things And your mind will utter perverse things. THE PERVERTED PLOT TO PRESERVE Come, let us make our father drink wine - For the second time in Genesis we see the danger of too much alcohol. First Noah slipped resulting in his son's sin. Now they seek to make Lot slip up by numbing his senses and his self-control. Note the fleshly rationalization proceeds from bad (drunkenness) to worse (incest)! THOUGHT- Don't be deceived beloved. Sin unconfessed and unkilled (Ro 8:13+) always gravitates toward more sin. and let us lie with him that (term of purpose = their ungodly goal) we may preserve our family through our father - Lie with him is another euphemistic description of intercourse. And then they toss in their version of "situational ethics" that the end (preserve our family) justified the means (incest with Lot). The situation called for their version of "ethics." One writer has quipped "Is this a family worth preserving?" Related Resources: What does the Bible say about drinking alcohol / wine? Is it a sin for a Christian to drink alcohol / wine? | GotQuestions.org Genesis 19:33 So they made their father drink wine that night, and the firstborn went in and lay with her father; and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose. drink: Lev 18:6,7 Pr 20:1 23:29-35 Hab 2:15,16 Genesis 19 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries THE PLOT TO PRESERVE TAKES PLACE So - Therefore is a term of conclusion. Their need is sensed. Their plot is planned. Now it is to be "hatched" so to speak. They made their father drink wine that night, and the firstborn went in and lay with her father - First they got Lot drunk, very, very drunk. Then the oldest has relations with him. and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose - NLT = "He was unaware of her lying down or getting up again." This is a sad description of Lot as basically so drunk he had no knowledge of what was transpiring! William MacDonald sums up the "lot" of Lot's life - Because of his worldliness he lost his testimony (Ge 19:14), his wife (Ge 19:26), his sons-in-law, his friends, his communion (there was none in Sodom), his property (he went in rich but came out poor), his character (Ge 19:35), his life’s work, and nearly his life (Ge 19:22). The depraved behavior of his daughters shows that they had been influenced by Sodom’s vile standards. (Borrow Believer's Bible Commentary page 56) Steven Cole offers an interesting analysis of Lot's moves after the destruction of Sodom - First, note the connection between alcohol and sexual immorality. If Lot had refused the wine, he probably would have refused the immorality. Isn’t it interesting that even though the family had just lost everything, they managed to have plenty of wine! People enslaved to alcohol may not have rent money, but they manage to buy their booze! If you choose to drink, you need to know that you’re playing with a dangerous weapon, which Satan has used repeatedly to destroy people. Nobody chooses up front to become addicted to alcohol. They begin by drinking a little; it helps them relax. They would never have a problem if they didn’t start in the first place. Second, note that when a father is passive, his family members often get frustrated and move in to take the leadership he should have been exercising. Often they go in a wrong direction. Lot’s daughters were frustrated because, due to their father’s passivity and sin, they found themselves sitting in a cave with no prospects for marriage in sight. So they decided on this shameful method of having children. If you are a passive father, just letting your own and your family’s spiritual life drift, you are creating frustration in them that is likely to result in them taking charge of the situation and moving in the wrong direction. So big sins always begin with little compromises. Big sins always follow previously unconfessed sins. At first glance, when Lot moves from Zoar to the mountains, you might think he was obeying God. The angels had first told him to flee to the mountains, but he got them to agree not to destroy Zoar, where he fled. But here we read that he moved to the mountains. Was he now obeying God? I don’t think so. (ED: I AGREE BECAUSE ZOAR WAS NUMBERED WITH THE DOOMED 4 CITIES [Ge 14:2-3+] AND THUS VERY LIKELY WAS JUST A SMALLER VERSION OF SODOM, SO THAT LOT COULD CONTINUE COMPROMISING WITH THE WORLD). While I cannot be dogmatic, it seems that Lot was continuing his pattern of disobedience and refusal to confess his sins. In fact, it is likely that by going to the mountains at this point, Lot was deliberately refusing to confess his sins. You have to ask, Why didn’t Lot return to Abraham? He no longer had too many livestock to live near Abraham; all his possessions had been wiped out in the destruction of Sodom. When the angels told him to flee to the mountains, it is likely that they would have pointed in the direction of the mountains to the west, where they had just come from their visit with Abraham. That was the land God had promised to give to Abraham. Lot had lived there before. Abraham would be a good spiritual influence on Lot. But we read that Lot’s daughters named their sons Moab and Ben-Ammi, because they were the fathers of the Moabites and Ammonites (Ge 19:37, 38). If we assume that Lot was living in a cave in the mountains of the region that later would be the territory of Moab and Ammon, then it means that he had gone to the east of Zoar, not to the west. He had moved deliberately in the opposite direction from which the angels had told him to go, in the opposite direction from where Abraham lived. Why did Lot do that? Because if he returned to Abraham, he would have to confess his sin and face up to the wrong choices he had made over the last 15 or 20 years. He would have to humble his pride and receive help from Abraham. Lot would rather live destitute in a cave, without admitting his sin, than to confess his sin and dwell with Abraham’s abundance. A lot of people refuse to come to God for salvation for the same reason. They don’t want to humble themselves and confess their sin. If they would do that, they could enjoy all the abundance Christ offers, just as Lot could have feasted at Abraham’s table. But like Lot, they go in the opposite direction and live in a cave, destitute and fearful, but clinging to their pride. When you keep a little bit of sin in your life and refuse to obey God, fear results. There is no security or peace or rest, when your trust is in this world. Lot probably was afraid that Zoar would be destroyed for its sins, just as Sodom had been. He didn’t have to fear that, because he had the angels’ promise that he would be safe there. But when you don’t confess your sins, you can’t trust God, so you are hounded by fears of your own making. As Isaiah 57:21 says, “‘There is no peace,’ says my God, ‘for the wicked.’” If Lot had just confessed his sins, he would have been safe in Abraham’s company, not cowering in fear in a cave in the mountains of Moab. His refusal to confess his sins led directly to the gross sins which culminate his sordid story. It’s so much better to confess your sins. Proverbs 28:13 states, “He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion.” Big sins always begin with little compromises and they always follow previously unconfessed sins. Big sins are often rationalized away. Lot’s daughters dishonor their father by making him drunk and then add the sin of immorality through incest. It wasn’t accidental; they carefully planned their strategy. And it wasn’t enough that one would sin in this manner; they collaborated together and both committed this terrible sin. But note how they not only justify their sin (Ge 19:31–32), but they repeat their reason before the second sister commits her sin (Ge 19:34), to convince themselves that it’s okay. First they create a false crisis, a worst case scenario: “There aren’t any men on earth we can marry!” It shouldn’t have been all that difficult to match the caliber of the men in Sodom! But they’re pushing the panic button. Then they add a noble reason to make it sound spiritual: “We need to preserve our family line.” But they’re just rationalizing gross sin. Lot had a pattern of rationalizing his sin. His daughters had learned well. Of course they had learned that trick from their father. He had engaged his daughters to men of Sodom. “Where else will I find husbands for them?” he probably asked. He was ready to give his daughters to be raped by the evil Sodomites to spare his guests from the same fate. It was a noble cause, and besides, what else could he do? He disobeyed God by bartering with the angels to stay in Zoar with the excuse that he would die if he fled to the mountains. Never mind that God said he would be safe there. And besides, Zoar was just a little town; its sins wouldn’t be too bad. Lot had a pattern of rationalizing his sin. His daughters had learned well. It never occurred to them that they could pray and wait on God to provide them the husbands they desired. They never mention the Lord. They had never seen their father seek the Lord for anything. They had never seen him wait on God in prayer. (ED: WE HAVE TO CAREFUL WITH STATEMENTS LIKE THIS WHEN SCRIPTURE IS SILENT. WHILE IT MAY BE TRUE, IT'S HARD TO IMAGINE A RIGHTEOUS MAN NEVER CONVERSING WITH THE RIGHTEOUS ONE). He hadn’t sought the Lord about the decision to move to Sodom or, more recently, to the mountains. He never sought the Lord for any decisions in his life (ED: THIS CERTAINLY WAS TRUE). So his daughters learned from him how to make up excuses for doing what you want to do, and to make it sound spiritual in the process. A few years ago a well-known author and Bible teacher left his wife and moved in with a younger woman, whom he subsequently married. A speaker at our men’s retreat said that he had seen this man, whom he knew, at a taping of a television show. When he spoke to the man about his sin, the man said that everyone has an area of weakness, and his just happened to be women. And, the other man shouldn’t judge him, since he had his own areas of weakness, too! He was rationalizing his sin! Big sins begin with little compromises; they follow previous unconfessed sins; they are often rationalized away. Big sins always spread and persist. Lot’s sin spread to his daughters. So did his fears. He feared staying in Zoar; they feared that they wouldn’t find husbands. But isn’t it interesting that nobody feared the Lord, in spite of what they had just witnessed with regard to Sodom! The older daughter, who should have been an example, instead led her younger sister into sin (Ge 19:31). The result was Moab and Ammon, two perpetual enemies of Israel. Moab’s king would later hire Balaam who counseled them to seduce Israelite men with their women (Numbers 25+). The Ammonites worshiped a god named “Molech.” Part of their religious devotion involved sacrificing their children to their god by throwing them into a raging fire. Israel itself was judged by God for following this detestable practice. Unconfessed sins spread and persist, sometimes for generations. If you’re not continually confronting your life, beginning with your thoughts, by the holy standard of God’s Word (ED: 2Co 10:5+, Phil 4:8+), you begin to evaluate your behavior as Lot’s daughters did, “after the manner of the earth” (Ge 19:31). Compared to what they were used to seeing in Sodom, drunkenness and incest were no big deal, especially if it served a noble purpose! By degrees, a culture that is living after “the manner of the earth” degenerates into increasingly abhorrent corruption, but it doesn’t regard it as bad! When I grew up, my parents would not allow me to attend movies or go to school dances, because they thought these activities were opposed to Christian standards. If you know anything about the movies from the 1950’s and early ‘60’s, you know that now you can find far worse language, sexual perversion, nudity, violence, and evil plots on network TV any night of the week than those movies contained. Hollywood keeps pushing the limits of corruption. Just when you think things couldn’t get any worse, they introduce something “new,” like cannibalism or incest or child molestation. Three years ago, it was reported that a San Francisco State psychology professor serves as an advisor to a Dutch journal that advocates pedophilia. He told Newsweek [11/1/93] that pedophilia is “not intrinsically” wrong and that U.S. views are skewed by cases of adults preying on children: “Are we going to let the sickos run society? Are we going to deny children, and adults, freedom to enjoy in life what could benefit them?” He said that his interest in the journal is “purely academic.” If you throw out God’s standards, who is to say that the man is wrong? Little sins that are not dealt with spread into big sins. Big sins spread to others and persist for years. Lot’s daughters succeeded all too well in “preserving their family” through their father. They not only preserved their father’s family, but also their father’s sins! Conclusion Repair the cracks beneath the surface before the dam bursts! If you want to honor God and avoid the failures that ruined Lot and his family, you’ve got to confront your sin on the thought level. Concerning lust, Jesus said that if your eye “makes you stumble, tear it out, and throw it from you; for it is better for you that one of the parts of your body perish, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell” (Matt. 5:29+)! Those are extreme words! He’s saying that we must get radical in judging our sin, starting on the thought level. Unjudged sins like lust, pride, bitterness, and greed are like cracks below the water line in the dam. You can put up a good front for a long time, but you’re heading for a major disaster, both personally and with your family. As Paul put it, we must take “every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5+). Luis Palau writes, Immorality begins with tiny habits sown in your youth. Little things, little attitudes, little habits. Maybe some casual petting on a date, maybe some pornography that fell into your hands, maybe a fascination with sensual novels and stories. Little things. Yet if you don’t crucify them--if you don’t bring them to judgment--if you don’t face up to them for what they are--SIN--they can destroy you. They can blur your moral judgment at a critical, irreversible juncture in life....Nobody falls into sex sin by chance. Nobody commits fornication, adultery, or homosexuality out of one sudden blast hitting him from somewhere. It builds slowly, slowly, slowly. Falling is just the effect of the cumulative bundle of temptation and passion that has been piling up and has not been crucified. (Borrow A Heart After God, page 72) So my word to all, but especially to fathers, is: Deal with the little sins, the ones nobody else can see, before they result in big sins which everyone sees, sins which destroy you and your family. Repair the cracks beneath the surface before the dam bursts! (A Father Who Failed - Genesis 19:30-38) QUESTION - Why did God allow incest in the Bible? Watch the Video ANSWER - There are numerous examples of incest in the Bible. The most commonly thought-of examples are the sons/daughters of Adam and Eve (Genesis 4), Abraham marrying his half-sister Sarah (Genesis 20:12), Lot and his daughters (Genesis 19), Moses’ father Amram who married his aunt Jochebed (Exodus 6:20), and David’s son Amnon with his half-sister Tamar (2 Samuel 13). It is important to note, however, that in two of the above instances (Tamar and Lot), one of the parties involved was an unwilling participant in the incest—better described as rape in those cases. It is important to distinguish between incestuous relationships prior to God commanding against them (Leviticus 18:6–18) and incest that occurred after God’s commands had been revealed. Until God commanded against it, it was not incest. It was just marrying a close relative. It is undeniable that God allowed “incest” in the early centuries of humanity. Since Adam and Eve were the only two human beings on earth, their sons and daughters had no choice but to marry and reproduce with their siblings and close relatives. The second generation had to marry their cousins, just as after the flood the grandchildren of Noah had to intermarry amongst their cousins. One reason that incest is so strongly discouraged in the world today is the understanding that reproduction between closely related individuals has a much higher risk of causing genetic abnormalities. In the early days of humanity, though, this was not a risk due to the fact that the human genetic code was relatively free of defects. Another consideration is that incest today almost always involves a pre-pubescent or powerless victim, and the perpetrator is abusing his or her authority with the goal of unilateral sexual pleasure. By that standard, the “incest” of the Bible has nothing whatsoever in common with modern-day incest. There was no power difference between Cain and his wife, for example; the goal of Abraham and Sarah’s marriage was to create a family. Intermarriage among close family members was a necessity in the generations immediately following Adam and Noah and was not a sinful perversion of sex. It seems that, by the time of Moses, the human genetic code had become polluted enough that close intermarriage was no longer safe. So, God commanded against sexual relations with siblings, half-siblings, parents, and aunts/uncles (Genesis 2:24 seems to indicate that marriage and sexual relations between parents and children were never allowed by God). It was not until many centuries later that humanity discovered the genetic reason that incest is unsafe and unwise. Genetics was not an issue in the early centuries of humanity, and the marriages that occurred between Adam and Eve’s children, Abraham and Sarah, and Amram and Jochebed were not selfish pursuits of sexual gratification or abuses of authority; accordingly, those relationships should not be viewed as incestuous. The key is that sexual relations between close relatives were viewed differently pre-Law and post-Law. It did not become “incest” until God commanded against it. GotQuestions.org QUESTION - How should a Christian view alcoholics? What does the Bible say about drunkards? ANSWER - Alcoholism is just one of many addictions that can take control of someone’s life. Because its effects are obvious, drunkenness can appear to be a worse sin than others. However, the Bible makes no such distinctions. It often equates the sin of drunkenness with sins we would consider “less important,” such as envy and selfish ambition (Galatians 5:19; 1 Corinthians 6:10). It is easy to pass judgment on someone who is falling-down drunk, while secretly excusing sins of the heart that God considers equally repulsive. The right response is to view people as God sees them and agree with Him that we are all sinners in need of saving. The Bible is clear that drunkenness is sin (Isaiah 5:11; Proverbs 23:20–21; Habakkuk 2:15). Proverbs 20:1 says, “Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is intoxicated by it is not wise.” Ephesians 5:18 says, “Do not be drunk with wine, but be filled with the Holy Spirit.” It is interesting that this verse contrasts the power of alcohol with the power of the Holy Spirit. It is saying that if we want to be controlled by the Spirit of God we cannot also be controlled by alcohol. The two cannot simultaneously hold sway. When we choose one, we eliminate the influence of the other. As Christians, we are to always “walk in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16, 25; Romans 8:1, 14). So drunkenness for a Christian is never an option on any occasion because there is no occasion when we should not be walking in the Spirit. Alcoholism is a form of idolatry, as is any addiction. Anything we are using besides God to meet or medicate deep heart needs is an idol. When we rely on ourselves, someone else, or something else to meet our needs for value, worth, or significance, we have erected an idol that takes the place of the real God in our lives. God views it as such and has strong words for idol worshipers (Exodus 20:3; 34:14; 1 John 5:21; 1 Corinthians 12:2). Alcoholism is not a disease; it is a choice. God holds us accountable for our choices (Romans 14:12; Ecclesiastes 11:9; Hebrews 4:13). Followers of Christ should strive to love their neighbors as themselves, regardless of the problems or addictions those neighbors may have (Matthew 22:29). But contrary to our modern idea that equates love with tolerance, real love does not tolerate or excuse the very sin that is destroying someone (James 5:20). To enable or excuse alcohol addiction in someone we love is to tacitly participate in their sin. There are several ways Christians can respond in Christlike love to alcoholics: 1. We can encourage the alcoholics in our lives to get help. A person caught in the trap of addiction needs help and accountability. There are many Christ-centered recovery programs such as Celebrate Recovery that are helping thousands of people break free from the chains of addiction. 2. We can set boundaries in order not to in any way condone the drunkenness. Minimizing the consequences that alcohol abuse brings is not helping. Sometimes the only way addicts will seek help is when they reach the end of their options. 3. We can be careful not to cause others to stumble by limiting our own alcohol use while in the presence of those struggling with it (1 Corinthians 8:9–13). It is for this reason that many Christians choose to abstain from all alcohol consumption in order to avoid any appearance of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22, KJV) and to not put a stumbling block in a brother’s way. Since alcohol in its many forms has such a negative association in our culture, the potential for causing offense in weaker Christians is great. We must weigh our freedom against the possibility of causing others to sin or confusing unbelievers who associate alcohol with their own sinful lifestyles. We must show compassion to everyone, including those whose choices have led them into strong addiction. However, we do alcoholics no favors by excusing or justifying their addiction. Jesus said we cannot serve two masters (Luke 16:13). Even though the context of His statement is money, the same principle applies to anything that controls us other than God. We must do everything we can to help people break free of whatever sin stronghold binds them so that they can serve and worship God with their whole heart. GotQuestions.org Genesis 19:34 On the following day, the firstborn said to the younger, “Behold, I lay last night with my father; let us make him drink wine tonight also; then you go in and lie with him, that we may preserve our family through our father.” Isa 3:9 Jer 3:3 5:3 6:15 8:12 Genesis 19 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries THE SUCCESSFUL PLOT REPEATED TO PRESERVE On the following day, the firstborn said to the younger, “Behold, I lay last night with my father - The older says the wine worked and their father had intercourse with her. There is no word from Lot so clearly he had no memory of the incestuous event. let us make him drink wine tonight also; then you go in and lie with him - It worked the first time so they get our father drunk again! One would have thought Lot might have had a slight "hangover" and would have been hesitant to drink wine two days in a row. Clearly the daughters were persuasive and the thought of more wine appealed to Lot. He was oblivious to the sexual relations that accompanied the wine! that we may preserve our family through our father - That is a term of purpose. Here we see their purpose, or better their justification for their incest was to keep the family line intact. Sadly they would preserve Lot's line but both offspring would become continual thorns in Israel's side. It would have been better for Israel if Lot's line had not been preserved! Genesis 19:35 So they made their father drink wine that night also, and the younger arose and lay with him; and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose. Ps 8:4 Pr 24:16 Ec 7:26 Lu 21:34 1Co 10:11,12 1Pe 4:7 Genesis 19 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries SAME SONG SECOND VERSE So - Term of conclusion. It worked the first time, so why not try it again? Which they did. They made their father drink wine that night also, and the younger arose and lay with him; and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose - This verse is a mirror image of Ge 19:33. The added phrase the younger arose suggests they waited in the night until he was completely inebriated. The younger daughter also succeeds to seduce her probably almost "semi-comatose" father. Genesis 19:36 Thus both the daughters of Lot were with child by their father. Ge 19:8 Lev 18:6,7 Judges 1:7 1Sa 15:33 Hab 2:15 Mt 7:2 Genesis 19 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries BOTH DAUGHTERS BECOME PREGNANT We could subtitle this passage "How do you become a father and a grandfather at the same time?" Thus both the daughters of Lot were with child by their father - Since children are a gift of the LORD, He allowed them to become pregnant. The text does not say that the first time worked for both daughters, but in the end their plan did succeed. Can you imagine Lot's surprised reaction when he saw the girth of their abdomens increasing? Henry