“Genesis 19:17-22”

Friday, December 13, 2019

“When they had brought them outside, one said, ‘Escape for your life! Do not look behind you, and do not stay anywhere in the valley; escape to the mountains, or you will be swept away.’ But Lot said to them, ‘Oh no, my lords! 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; now behold, this town is near enough to flee to, and it is small. Please, let me escape there (is it not small?) that my life may be saved.’ He said to him, ‘Behold, I grant you this request also, not to overthrow the town of which you have spoken. Hurry, escape there, for I cannot do anything until you arrive there.’ Therefore the name of the town was called Zoar.”

---End of Scripture verses---

“Do not look behind you…” (verse 17) “This was not merely to prevent delay, but also showed that God demanded of them a total abandonment in heart and will of the condemned cities, and hence the severity with which the violation of the command was visited.” (Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers) When the Lord tells us to leave (the world, a sinful situation or relationship), we should not look back with uncertainty, longing, regret or even curiosity. This is a test of obedience and loyalty as much as it is anything else. “Another also said, ‘I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home.’ But Jesus said to him, ‘No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.’” (Luke 9:61)

“Escape for your life!” (verse 17) Or Literally, “Escape for your soul!” And it is for certain that Lot’s spiritual life was as much at stake as his physical flesh was. This serious situation was so far beyond urgent that the time for deliberation was nonexistent. Sometimes we find ourselves in (spiritual) life and death situations and we must run away and escape for our lives! Don’t flirt around with sin dear friends. “Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay.” In fact, it will cost you much more than you can ever imagine—nothing short of heaven itself! “Escape to the mountains…” This refers to the mountains of Moab, but our mountain of escape is Zion above—“But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.” (Hebrews 11:22-24)

“I cannot escape to the mountains…” (verse 19) He feared that his own strength now spent would cause him to falter, or his wife and daughters would not be able to keep up, or some other excuse of purely human reasoning and fear instead of just trusting that the Lord would make a way for him. “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.” (Isaiah 40:28-31)

“Is it not small?” (verse 20) “It is a ‘small’ concession to grant; or a ‘small’ distance to go. Evidently a play on the pronunciation of the word Zoar. Lot’s entreaty that he may take refuge in Zoar causes the exemption of that city from the catastrophe.” (Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges) “Therefore the name of the town was called Zoar.” (verse 22) “Hebrew mits‘ar is a play on tso‘ar(Zoar) in verse 22. It is intended to explain, by popular etymology, the change in place-name from the original Bela (14:2).” (Nahum Sarna)

“Behold, I grant you this request also, not to overthrow the town of which you have spoken.” (verse 21) The Lord was exceedingly longsuffering with Lot and all of his poor judgment, feeble reasoning and periodic, outright cowardice, and I for one am certainly glad that He was. This gives me great hope that the Lord God Almighty will not easily abandon or discard me for all of my recurrent weakness of the flesh and sinful thoughts and actions. I far too frequently require His forgiveness, and I am so very thankful that He abundantly and willingly pardons upon my confession and repentance. “If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared.” (Psalm 130:3-4)

Please read Genesis 19:23-29 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

- Louie Taylor

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