Fear is a Liar

Read Genesis 20

Abraham took his household to Gerar, where Abimelech was king.

To everyone who asked, he told them that Sarah was his sister, because she was beautiful, and he was afraid the men of the area would kill him to get to her otherwise.

Fear makes you do stupid things.

It was stupid, because it gave King Abimelech an open invitation to take her without fighting for her. And, take her, he did.

Abraham didn't know, when he got there, what kind of man Abimelech was. He could have been dangerous, for all he knew. So, once again, he took matters into his own hands and tried to fix something that wasn't broken before it was. He did something God didn't approve of because he thought it would protect them all. He told a half-truth in order to deceive the strangers.

Thankfully, Abimelech was God fearing enough to hear when God was speaking to him.

God told Abimelech, "If you touch her, you die."

Simple enough. And, scary enough that Abimelech pleaded for mercy. "I am innocent! I have done nothing wrong! He lied to me! How was I supposed to know the truth?"

God calmed him down and told him, "I understand that. That is why I have not allowed you to touch her yet. And, that is why you are still alive. But, if you don't give her back to him, I will kill you and all of your household. Abraham is my prophet. Give her back, and he will pray and you will live."

God had come to Abimelech in a dream with all of this. So, when he woke up the next morning, he called in all of his household and told them what he had dreamed, and they were very worried about it all.

Abimelech then called Abraham to him. He asked Abraham, "What have I ever done that made you so afraid that you couldn't be truthful toward me? Why do you fear me so badly that you would set me up for destruction when I have done NOTHING to harm you in any way, or your household?"

Abraham explained that he thought that the people before him were not god-fearing people, and that alone was cause for concern.

"And, besides, I didn't REALLY lie! She IS my half-sister!"

Abimelech paid Abraham with cattle, servants and gave Sarah back to him, and even gave him a thousand pieces of silver. He basically made him rich. Not only that, but he also gave Abraham permission to hang out in any part of his kingdom without being bothered or afraid. Abraham had his protection from there on out.

Abimelech probably felt like that if God thought enough of Abraham to protect him that way, he needed to make sure that God wasn't mad at him any longer, and that Abraham prayed for his forgiveness, even though he was acting in the integrity of his heart.

Besides, his whole family had been made barren and childless until this matter could be settled.

Abimelech had good reason to be angry with Abraham, and good reason to be afraid. Abraham's lie could have cost him his kingdom and his life, and any chance of having prodigy to inherit what was his!

So, when you tell a lie because YOU want to be protected, especially if you are a child of God, you need to think about the consequences your lie will have on others who are innocent.

God protected Abraham, and brought Abraham's mistake to light before any real harm could be done, but that didn't mean He excused it or condoned it. Abraham would now have to live with this attack on his own integrity for the rest of his life. Even today, we know Abraham as a liar who God used and loved.

If Fear can't make you lie, it will lie to you.

Mistakes

Read Genesis 19:30-38

30 And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar: and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters.
31 And the firstborn said unto the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth:
32 Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.
33 And they made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.
34 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the firstborn said unto the younger, Behold, I lay yesternight with my father: let us make him drink wine this night also; and go thou in, and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.
35 And they made their father drink wine that night also: and the younger arose, and lay with him; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.
36 Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father.
37 And the firstborn bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day.
38 And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Benammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day.

After all that, Lot was still afraid. So, instead of staying where he was supposed to stay, he decided to take matters into his own hands and go up into the mountains, after all.

The problem with this is that God had not made provision for Lot to be where he was when he got there. And, since Lot took matters into his own hands, his daughters decided to take matters into their own hands, as well.

They felt that Lot's seed would die with him when he died, if they didn't have children.

So, they got their father so drunk that he had no idea what he was doing, and he committed incest with both of them.

They had children who's descendents became the Moabites and the Ammonites.

These people had their purpose in the plan of God for the future. We will see as we go further into the Word of God through our studies.

When you become afraid, even after the Lord has saved you, and you decide to be fickle in your decision making, you should be prepared to wreap a harvest among a crop of thorns and rocks. Life is not going to be easy, and your actions could birth hardship for those you love in the future - as we will soon see.

But, there is no mistake you can make that God can't use for His glory if you are His child!

My Prayer for You

Read Genesis 19:27-29

27 And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the LORD:
28 And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.
29 And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt.

Here it is! Lot was not saved because he was righteous in God's eyes.

After all, Lot CHOSE to live in the squallor of those cities, amongst the evil that surrounded him.

He was saved from destruction because Abraham had asked to have him spared.

God knew Abraham's heart. And, when God has a good relationship with you, He will protect not only YOU, but those who mean the most to you.

When God sets you aside for service, He not only sets YOU aside, but all those who are closest to you.

Please remember to pray for those in your circle. Remind God that, just as He wants to protect you, you want others protected as well!

God will listen with His heart, as He asks you to do, also!

Abraham had no idea if Lot was saved. He saw the destruction. For all he knew, Lot could be among the destruction.

But, God heard. God knew. And, so did Lot. He was alive! And all because Abraham had faith, loved God, and prayed!

Don't Look Back

Read Genesis 19:23-26

23 The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar.
24 Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;
25 And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.
26 But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.

When God says something will happen, it happens.

God said He would take care of you.

God said He would protect you.

God said He would deliver you.

And, God said, He would hear your prayers.

But, when God tells you to move in your life, you should never, EVER, look back!

When you look back, you will find yourself stuck right where you are. You can't move forward if you are looking back. You might as well just turn into a pillar of salt that erodes over time to become a pile of minerals to look at. You have no use, and you ARE no use looking back!

It's okay to reflect on how far you've come, but you should never be concerned with what you left behind! Doing so only holds you back. Being held back puts you in danger of the same destruction your past has faced.

Protector

Read Genesis 19:12-22

12 And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place:
13 For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the LORD; and the LORD hath sent us to destroy it.
14 And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law.
15 And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.
16 And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city.
17 And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.
18 And Lot said unto them, Oh, not so, my Lord:
19 Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die:
20 Behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one: Oh, let me escape thither, (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.
21 And he said unto him, See, I have accepted thee concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow this city, for the which thou hast spoken.
22 Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.

The visitors gave Lot instructions to go and get the rest of his family who are in the city and leave. They told Lot that the city was about to be destroyed, so he had to act fast.

We have been told that the time is short, that the earth will one day be destroyed, that Jesus is coming back one day, and that we must go and tell others and warn them, so that they can be safe from all of the harm that is coming when God's judgment finally comes down.

When Lot went out to do what the angels told him to do, his sons-in-law laughed at him and dismissed him as being a crazy old man. They ignored him.

Sound familiar?

Time was shorter, still. The next morning, they could wait no longer. The angels told Lot to take his wife and two daughters that he had with him and leave immediately!

But, Lot didn't immediately take action. He knew and heard what the angels were saying, but in his mind, he must have rationalized that there was still time.

Don't we all do that?

Praise God for His mercy! The angels took Lot and his family and dragged them outside of the city. They had no chance to pack or anything. It was time.

When you are sanctified, set apart to be a part of God's family, God will take action when you don't! You may not have all you could have had, had you taken action when warned, but at least you will be safe!

They told Lot and his family to run for their lives and not look back. They were told to flee to the mountains.

But, Lot was afraid of the mountains, so he petitioned the strangers to let them go to Zoar, a small city on the plains, instead.

The Angel of the Lord agreed not to destroy that small little city, for Lot's sake.

But, Lot needed to go NOW, because he could not enact his destruction until Lot was safe.

Sometimes, when you are ripped out of the life you once knew as "normal", it is not because you have done something bad, or that God is punishing you. It could be that God needs to get you out of there so He can work to punish and destroy anyone who stands against Him. Sometimes, what seems like God's wrath in your life is actually God's protection of you.

How many times in life have you looked back at your past, only to say, "I am so glad God brought me out of all that! It was hard, but I am so glad to be here today, and not there!"

The God Who Fights For Me

Read Genesis 19:1-11

1 And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;
2 And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night.
3 And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.
4 But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter:
5 And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them.
6 And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him,
7 And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly.
8 Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof.
9 And they said, Stand back. And they said again, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door.
10 But the men put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut to the door.
11 And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door.

When you are in a city, a town, or a home where others who are there do not know the Lord, it is your duty to maintain your relationship with him - in spite of all that is going on around you.

When the men showed up at the gates of Sodom, Lot knew they were strangers who had never been there before.

As has already been discussed in previous lessons, hospitality is of the utmost importance, even when the culture around you is inhospitable.

Lot invited them into his home, offering them food and comfort during their visit, asking nothing in return.

They turned him down at first, but he was not easy to say no to. He kept trying to talk them into it, so they finally gave in and went to Lot's home with him.

It was a good thing they did!

Before they even had the chance to get comfortable enough to go to bed, all the people of the city came to Lot's door demanding to see the visitors.

The angels of the Lord were very fine specimens of creatures that had caught the eye of all those around them as they went into Lot's home. The people of the city wanted to rape and violate them, as was their regular practice and lifestyle. They wanted to defile the men with homosexual acts that were horrifying!

Lot went outside to fend them off, being someone who was familiar with the territory and the people around him. He thought he could reason with them.

But, when Lot could not reason with them to get them to go away, he was faced with a choice: protect his family, or protect the men of God.

Obviously, God should ALWAYS come first, even before your family! If you follow God, God will take care of your family!

Lot offered the vile men of the city his two virgin daughters. They could do whatever they had to do, if they would just leave the visitors alone!

The men of the city declined the offer, accusing Lot of judging them. After all, he did not agree with them. He was against their actions. Therefore, he thought he was better than they were and was judgmental and offensive.

Sound familiar?

Because of their accusation against Lot, they threatened to do worse to Lot if he didn't let them have the visitors!

You must remember that God does not need your protection. He only wants to know if you will stand up for him when the time comes. Lot stood up for the men of God, even offering to relinquish the safety of his family for their sakes.

They pulled him into the house and smote the crowd with blindness to protect Lot and his family.

It took a lot of courage to do what Lot did. Lot stood up for the visitors until it nearly cost him his life! And God stepped in to save him!

Somebody's Praying for Me

Read Genesis 18:17-33
17 And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;
18 Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?
19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.
20 And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;
21 I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.
22 And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.
23 And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?
24 Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?
25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
26 And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.
27 And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes:
28 Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it.
29 And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty's sake.
30 And he said unto him, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there.
31 And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake.
32 And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake.
33 And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.

When someone is struggling with sin, it is our job as Christians to intervene on their behalf. Abraham was, in his own way, intervening on behalf of all those in the cities that were to be destroyed.

He knew his nephew, Lot was there with his family and his household. He didn't wish to see them destroyed. So, he pressed the matter as far as he could press it with the Angels of the Lord.

The Lord never said He was going to destroy the cities. It was something that was understood. If you do not follow the commandments of the Lord, destruction is inevitable.

Abraham might very well have saved the two cities by his reasoning with the Lord, had there been more than ten righteous men therein.

Never mind the disagreements or struggles you have had with them. The important thing is that they have the chance to turn around. They cannot do that if they are destroyed!

When our families and friends drift to the wayside, it is our duty to pray for them, to intervene on their behalf.

We must reason with the Lord for their souls, for their lives. He hears. He listens. He wants nothing more than for His children to be happy. But, He will not tolerate sin forever.

There is nothing more destitute in this life than someone who is not prayed for!