Latest / Bible in a Year with Jack Graham / Sodom and Gomorrah - The Book of Genesis

Transcript

Sodom and Gomorrah - The Book of Genesis · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: And there came two angels to Sodom at even. And
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: Lot sat in the gate of Sodom. And Lot, seeing them,
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: rose up to meet them. And he bowed himself with
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: his face toward the ground. Genesis 19.1 My Lord, thank
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: you for constantly showing me grace when I'm surrounded and
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: tempted with the pleasures of this world. Thank you for
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: protecting me from myself, and from foolish decisions I've made
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: when I wasn't thinking in alignment with your word. Help
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: me to move with critical obedience when you give a command.
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: I will no longer hesitate when I know the direction
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: you're calling me to go. I will no longer look
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: back at my past, longing for the things that move
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: me off the path of my destiny. Thank you, Lord,
• 0:53
  Speaker 1: that when you close one season of my life, like
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: Lot and his family, you will provide a safe space
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: for me and my loved ones to dwell in. I
• 1:06
  Speaker 1: thank you for your protection, your justice, and your mercy
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: towards me. I can move in full confidence knowing that
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: you've placed your angels like a fence around my life.
• 1:22
  Speaker 1: I am protected because I am yours. In Jesus' name, amen.
• 1:32
  Speaker 1: Listening to these daily prayers strengthens your relationship with God.
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: Continue hearing from the Lord by listening to today's Bible
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: in a Year. Brought to you by Bibleinayear.com.
• 1:53
  Speaker 2: Sodom and Gomorrah Before this story, we learned about how
• 1:59
  Speaker 2: God visited Abraham and they talked about the cities of
• 2:02
  Speaker 2: Sodom and Gomorrah. God alluded to Abraham his plans to
• 2:07
  Speaker 2: destroy the city for its wickedness. Abraham asked again and
• 2:12
  Speaker 2: again about God's mercy, if there are any righteous left
• 2:16
  Speaker 2: in the city. God promised he would not destroy Sodom
• 2:20
  Speaker 2: and Gomorrah if there were any righteous still living in
• 2:23
  Speaker 2: the city. Now we will learn about how God will
• 2:27
  Speaker 2: bring justice to the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, inspired
• 2:31
  Speaker 2: by the book of Genesis.
• 2:36
  Speaker 3: Hello, I'm Pastor Jack Graham with today's episode of the
• 2:39
  Speaker 3: Bible in a Year podcast. Last time we heard about
• 2:43
  Speaker 3: God's visit to Abraham and how Abraham pleaded for Sodom
• 2:47
  Speaker 3: and Gomorrah to be spared from destruction. The evil in
• 2:51
  Speaker 3: these cities has simply gone way, way too far. And
• 2:55
  Speaker 3: God is going to bring judgment upon them, destroying them
• 2:58
  Speaker 3: completely and all within the cities. But Abraham intervened and
• 3:04
  Speaker 3: God agreed to relent if just 10 righteous people could
• 3:07
  Speaker 3: be found in those places. Today, we pick back up
• 3:11
  Speaker 3: as two angels who were with God arrive in Sodom,
• 3:15
  Speaker 3: the place where Abraham's nephew Lot was still living. They're
• 3:19
  Speaker 3: going to try to find righteous men who could spare
• 3:22
  Speaker 3: the cities from annihilation. Notice as Lot greets them, knowing
• 3:27
  Speaker 3: as Abraham knew that these visitors were not of this world.
• 3:32
  Speaker 3: Listen as he pleads with them, knowing that they are
• 3:35
  Speaker 3: not safe in a very wicked town. So just think
• 3:38
  Speaker 3: about what this recognition of the evil around him signals
• 3:42
  Speaker 3: about Lot's unwillingness to distance himself from corruptive influences, terrible, awful,
• 3:49
  Speaker 3: wicked influence upon his life and family. Is this the
• 3:54
  Speaker 3: kind of leader his family needs? Finally, as you hear
• 3:57
  Speaker 3: this passage and the things the townspeople do to these angels,
• 4:00
  Speaker 3: imagine how much this grieved God's heart to see the
• 4:04
  Speaker 3: depth of depravity in the hearts of those he created
• 4:07
  Speaker 3: in his own image, now defiled by sin. You will
• 4:11
  Speaker 3: surely see that God's righteous anger against Sodom and Gomorrah
• 4:15
  Speaker 3: was more than warranted. But consider also that our hearts
• 4:18
  Speaker 3: are not so different and prone to sin and evil
• 4:21
  Speaker 3: as and this also grieves the heart of the Father. Soberly,
• 4:27
  Speaker 3: let us hear today's passage.
• 4:30
  Speaker 2: Lot, Abraham's nephew, was still living in the city of
• 4:33
  Speaker 2: Sodom with his family. He was sitting outside of Sodom
• 4:37
  Speaker 2: in the gateway when two angels arrived. Lot walked up
• 4:41
  Speaker 2: to them, bowed down with his face to the ground.
• 4:45
  Speaker 2: He said to them, Come with me where you can
• 4:47
  Speaker 2: wash your feet, spend the night, and leave in the morning.
• 4:51
  Speaker 2: FOR LOT KNEW THAT THE TWO ANGELS WOULD NOT BE
• 4:54
  Speaker 2: SAFE IN THE CITY AT NIGHT. THE ANGELS RESPONDED SAYING,
• 4:58
  Speaker 2: WE WILL STAY THE NIGHT IN THE SQUARE. LOT INSISTED,
• 5:03
  Speaker 2: SO THEY WENT WITH HIM TO HIS HOME. LOT PREPARED
• 5:06
  Speaker 2: A MEAL FOR THEM BY BAKING BREAD WITHOUT YEAST AND
• 5:09
  Speaker 2: THEY ATE. DARKNESS BEGAN TO FALL OVER THE CITY AND
• 5:13
  Speaker 2: THE SHROUD OF NIGHT PROVIDED A COVERING FOR THE WICKED
• 5:17
  Speaker 2: MEN OF THE CITY TO EMERGE. Every man from the
• 5:20
  Speaker 2: city of all ages surrounded Lot's house. This horde of
• 5:25
  Speaker 2: Sodom knocked on Lot's door, demanding that he deliver the
• 5:29
  Speaker 2: angels into their hands. Bring them out here, so that
• 5:33
  Speaker 2: we might have our way with them. For they desired
• 5:36
  Speaker 2: to take turns with them, brutalizing and raping them. Lot
• 5:42
  Speaker 2: came outside instead. Frantic, AND NOT IN HIS RIGHT MIND,
• 5:46
  Speaker 2: HE SAID, PLEASE, BROTHERS, DO NOT TAKE THEM FROM MY HOUSE.
• 5:50
  Speaker 2: THEY ARE RIGHTEOUS GUESTS AND ARE PROTECTED UNDER MY ROOF. HERE,
• 5:55
  Speaker 2: I HAVE TWO VIRGIN DAUGHTERS. I WILL GIVE THEM TO
• 5:57
  Speaker 2: YOU AND YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU WANT TO THEM.
• 6:00
  Speaker 2: JUST DO NOT TAKE THESE MEN IN MY HOUSE. THERE
• 6:04
  Speaker 2: LOT STOOD, FEELING AS IF HE HAD NO CHOICE BUT
• 6:08
  Speaker 2: TO SELL OUT HIS OWN DAUGHTERS. GROWING LOUDER AND MORE IMPATIENT,
• 6:12
  Speaker 2: THE MEN OUTSIDE YELLED TOWARDS LOT, Get back! You are
• 6:16
  Speaker 2: a sojourner here in our land, and now you want
• 6:19
  Speaker 2: to judge us? Move, or we will do worse things
• 6:23
  Speaker 2: to you than we will to your guests. The men
• 6:26
  Speaker 2: came closer to Lot, ready to break down the doors. Then,
• 6:31
  Speaker 2: from behind Lot, the two angels grabbed him and drew
• 6:34
  Speaker 2: him back into the house, closing the door behind them.
• 6:38
  Speaker 2: The two angels stood before Lot and looked outward and
• 6:41
  Speaker 2: struck the men outside with blindness. However, It did not
• 6:45
  Speaker 2: stop the men from trying to get inside. Disoriented and blinded,
• 6:50
  Speaker 2: the men eventually wore themselves out, groping for the door.
• 6:54
  Speaker 2: The angels said to Lot, Do you have any other
• 6:57
  Speaker 2: family members here in the city? If so, flee with them,
• 7:01
  Speaker 2: for we are going to destroy this city. The Lord
• 7:05
  Speaker 2: has sent us because of the outcries against it. So
• 7:09
  Speaker 2: Lot went to go warn his family, including the men
• 7:12
  Speaker 2: supposed to marry his daughter's. Flailing and frantic, the son-in-laws
• 7:17
  Speaker 2: thought he was joking, so they did not listen and
• 7:20
  Speaker 2: went to bed. Morning came, and the angels came again
• 7:24
  Speaker 2: to Lot, yelling, Take your wife and your daughters and
• 7:27
  Speaker 2: flee the city. You will be destroyed if you linger
• 7:31
  Speaker 2: any longer. But Lot did linger, indecisive and afraid, and
• 7:36
  Speaker 2: was unable to help himself or his family. He was
• 7:39
  Speaker 2: cowardly to offer up his daughter's. and now he stood
• 7:43
  Speaker 2: equally a coward for not saving them. Yet God was
• 7:47
  Speaker 2: still merciful to them, and promised he would not destroy
• 7:50
  Speaker 2: the city unless all the righteous were gone. So the
• 7:54
  Speaker 2: angels seized him and his wife and his two daughters
• 7:57
  Speaker 2: by the hand, and they brought him out and set
• 8:00
  Speaker 2: him outside the city. They commanded again, Escape for your life,
• 8:05
  Speaker 2: do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley.
• 8:09
  Speaker 2: Escape to the hills, lest you be destroyed with the city.
• 8:13
  Speaker 2: Lot responded to them and said, Please, do me another
• 8:17
  Speaker 2: great kindness. Spare the neighboring town Zoar so we can
• 8:21
  Speaker 2: settle there. The angel said to him again, I will
• 8:25
  Speaker 2: do as you ask. Now flee. Judgment is coming. When
• 8:29
  Speaker 2: Lot reached Zoar, the sun had risen and the Lord
• 8:32
  Speaker 2: caused fire, ash, and sulfur to fall on Sodom and Gomorrah.
• 8:39
  Speaker 2: In the distance, Lot and his family could hear the
• 8:42
  Speaker 2: cries of those in the city. The city of Sodom,
• 8:46
  Speaker 2: a nest of rape, murder, and wickedness, fell under the
• 8:50
  Speaker 2: fist of the Almighty. Lot's wife, longing for the city
• 8:55
  Speaker 2: of wickedness again, looked back despite the angel's warning. There,
• 9:00
  Speaker 2: Lot's wife turned to a pillar of salt and died,
• 9:04
  Speaker 2: eventually crumbling beneath the ash and fire. Early the next morning,
• 9:09
  Speaker 2: Abraham went to the place where he had stood before
• 9:12
  Speaker 2: the Lord. He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and
• 9:16
  Speaker 2: toward the valley. Behold, the smoke of the land went
• 9:20
  Speaker 2: up like a furnace. Lot's story would not end here,
• 9:25
  Speaker 2: yet he would rise to repentance like his uncle Abraham. No,
• 9:29
  Speaker 2: Lot's story does not end with him as the hero.
• 9:33
  Speaker 2: Yet God continues to be faithful, and God is the
• 9:37
  Speaker 2: ultimate hero.
• 9:40
  Speaker 3: Just as Abraham did when he saw the travelers approaching
• 9:43
  Speaker 3: his tent, Lot saw the two angels coming and went
• 9:46
  Speaker 3: out to meet them, bowing down to show reverence and
• 9:49
  Speaker 3: honor to them. But that is where the similarities end
• 9:53
  Speaker 3: between Abraham and Lot. He didn't prepare a feast for
• 9:57
  Speaker 3: these men. He fed them just some unleavened bread but
• 10:00
  Speaker 3: no fatted calf, no milk, no curds. They didn't sit
• 10:04
  Speaker 3: in the shade of a tree enjoying fellowship with each other.
• 10:07
  Speaker 3: Lot's first instinct, rather, born out of his knowledge of
• 10:11
  Speaker 3: this place in which he had remained with his family, compromise,
• 10:15
  Speaker 3: was to hide these divine beings. But the angels were
• 10:18
  Speaker 3: not there to be safe or to hide. They were
• 10:22
  Speaker 3: there to see just how evil this city had become.
• 10:26
  Speaker 3: And remember, according to the scriptures, angels are holy beings.
• 10:31
  Speaker 3: Of course, God did not need firsthand evidence or for
• 10:35
  Speaker 3: angel scouts to find righteous men. He knows all. He
• 10:38
  Speaker 3: sees the instincts and the sins of every heart. But
• 10:42
  Speaker 3: he had an agreement with Abraham. So the angels were
• 10:46
  Speaker 3: there to witness the evil. They were in effect on
• 10:50
  Speaker 3: a mission of espionage. Lot knew very well that he
• 10:54
  Speaker 3: was in an evil place. So why didn't he leave?
• 10:58
  Speaker 3: Why didn't he pick up his family and get out
• 11:00
  Speaker 3: of this place? Or maybe we should ask ourselves, why
• 11:04
  Speaker 3: don't we flee an evil situation when we have the chance?
• 11:09
  Speaker 3: What's the problem here? Why did he stay? Was it
• 11:12
  Speaker 3: for comfort? Was it wealth? Was it familiarity? No, Lot
• 11:16
  Speaker 3: had given up protecting his family a long time ago,
• 11:19
  Speaker 3: it seems, but he was intent on protecting these visitors,
• 11:23
  Speaker 3: even to the point of sacrificing his own daughters, virgins,
• 11:26
  Speaker 3: to the wicked, wretched men who were trying to rape
• 11:30
  Speaker 3: and abuse the angelic beings. We see that even this
• 11:34
  Speaker 3: is not a deterrent for the men of Sodom. Their
• 11:37
  Speaker 3: desires are so depraved gone from what God created them
• 11:41
  Speaker 3: to be, that they reject Lot's offer. This is a shocking,
• 11:47
  Speaker 3: stunning display of the nature of sin gone completely out
• 11:51
  Speaker 3: of control, unrestrained. They do not know it yet, but
• 11:56
  Speaker 3: this is going to have devastating consequences for their city.
• 12:01
  Speaker 3: Not only could God not find 10 righteous men, he
• 12:03
  Speaker 3: could barely find one. The least evil man in the
• 12:06
  Speaker 3: town was Lot, who had offered his flesh and blood
• 12:09
  Speaker 3: to be brutalized by these wicked men. Lot is severely
• 12:13
  Speaker 3: compromised at every level. Somehow this was enough to save
• 12:17
  Speaker 3: Lot because the angels tell him to gather his family
• 12:21
  Speaker 3: and leave, never looking back. Did you catch what is
• 12:25
  Speaker 3: happening here? The towns were going to be destroyed completely.
• 12:28
  Speaker 3: God's justice would be served because of the great evil
• 12:31
  Speaker 3: in the area. Lot should have wanted to flee to
• 12:35
  Speaker 3: get as far away as possible, as soon as possible.
• 12:39
  Speaker 3: He was told to flee to the mountains, but what
• 12:41
  Speaker 3: did he do? Genesis 19 verses 18 and 19 gives
• 12:45
  Speaker 3: us the response. But Lot said to them, Failing to
• 12:50
  Speaker 3: trust to deliver him through his escape, he asked them
• 12:52
  Speaker 3: to spare the nearest town of Zoar so he could
• 12:54
  Speaker 3: settle there. When we flee from sin, when we run
• 12:56
  Speaker 3: away from wickedness and evil, we must get away as
• 12:59
  Speaker 3: far as possible, as soon as possible. But how often
• 13:24
  Speaker 3: do we keep sin close, cherishing it even in our hearts?
• 13:29
  Speaker 3: They agree to let him go there, so Lot takes
• 13:31
  Speaker 3: his family and they go to Zoar. They've been warned
• 13:35
  Speaker 3: not to look back on the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah,
• 13:39
  Speaker 3: but Lot's wife is so seduced by the city where
• 13:41
  Speaker 3: sin abounded that she had to take one last, was
• 13:46
  Speaker 3: it a longing look? It was her last act as
• 13:50
  Speaker 3: she turned into a pillar of salt, crumbling into oblivion
• 13:54
  Speaker 3: just as the city she had fled. When God gives
• 13:57
  Speaker 3: you an escape, a chance to sever your ties with sin,
• 14:01
  Speaker 3: to break away, don't look back. Don't go there again.
• 14:05
  Speaker 3: For the old life of sin will paralyze you and
• 14:09
  Speaker 3: Satan himself will destroy you. The judgment of God will
• 14:13
  Speaker 3: fall upon you. Heavenly Father, Thank you for rescuing us
• 14:18
  Speaker 3: from our sin. Thank you for the story today, which
• 14:21
  Speaker 3: so vividly shows the wickedness of our hearts and how
• 14:24
  Speaker 3: your justice cannot be avoided. Thank you for your son, Jesus,
• 14:30
  Speaker 3: who took the penalty of our sin and wickedness upon
• 14:33
  Speaker 3: his own life at the cross so that we could
• 14:36
  Speaker 3: have a brand new life in the power of the resurrection. Amen.
• 14:42
  Speaker 3: Thank you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast.
• 14:46
  Speaker 3: I'm Pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Download the Pray.com
• 14:50
  Speaker 3: app and make prayer a priority in your life. If
• 14:54
  Speaker 3: you enjoyed this podcast, share it with someone you know,
• 14:56
  Speaker 3: someone you love, because by sharing this podcast, you can
• 15:00
  Speaker 3: make a big difference in someone's life. And if you
• 15:03
  Speaker 3: want more resources as to how to live the Christian life,
• 15:06
  Speaker 3: how to know God and experience His presence in your life,
• 15:10
  Speaker 3: be sure to visit jackgraham.org. God bless you.
• 15:19
  Speaker 1: This episode is sponsored by MediShare, an innovative health care
• 15:23
  Speaker 1: solution for Christians to save money without sacrificing quality.