Often we decide and do things as our common sense guides us. Sometimes we even ignore God’s instructions in His Word and act in ways which seem best to our own eyes and thinking. In spite of our lack of understanding and hesitation to obey God’s Word, God has been graceful to us. The thought for our reflection this morning is, “Our God’s mercies endure for ever”.
“When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the Lord was merciful to them”
(Genesis 19:16).
The behaviour of Lot sometimes forces us to ask the question, “Did Lot really deserve the mercy of God”? The words “when he hesitated” in Genesis 19:16 seem to suggest that Lot’s attachment to Sodom could have been stronger than his desire to depart from Sodom in obedience to God’s command. Probably Lot was a man who would like to do things in ways that seemed right to his own thinking and understanding.
1. Lot delayed his departure from Sodom.
The urgency of the angels to leave Sodom was clearly revealed when they urged Lot with the following words:
“Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here or you will be swept away when the city is punished”
(Genesis 19:15).
But the Bible says that Lot hesitated. Lot was probably clinging on to his wealth in Sodom and found it difficult to make up his mind to leave it. Even though he had been told that the city was about to be destroyed, Lot needed further persuasion from the angels. Later the angels had to take him, his wife and daughters by force and lead them safely out of the city. Do we often hesitate and delay in obeying God’s Word in spite of His constant warning?
2. Lot disputed the advice to flee to the mountains.
The advice of the angels was that Lot and his familyt was not to stop anywhere in the plain but flee to the mountains. But in contrary to the angels’ advice Lot pleaded with them to be allowed to go the small city of Zoar:
“Look, here is a town near enough to run to, and it is small. Let me flee to it- it is small”
(Genesis 19:20).
Probably Lot thought that a smaller city would be less sinful than the larger city of Sodom. In response to Lot’s plea, the angels mercifully permitted Lot and his family to flee to Zoar, which was spared from God’s judgement. Do we constantly do things contrary to what the Word of God says?
It is shocking and surprising to see God’s patience and longsuffering in his dealings with Lot. It was not due to Lot’s merits but due to the mercy of God that he and his family were saved from destruction. It also reveals that the mercy of God always strives to overcome man’s slowness and delay in obeying His commands. Obedience to God must never be delayed! May we not take God’s mercy for granted! But decide not to hesitate or delay in obeying His Word! May His mercies which endure forever encourage and motivate us to obey His Word always!
Blessed weekend!