Why did a pious man like Lot behave so badly? Why did the righteous Lot offer his daughters to be reviled by a crowd of lechers? Lot bible how many relatives there were.

Lot and his daughters. Goltzius Hendrik, 1616

It may seem surprising, but the plot of such ambiguous works of art is taken from ancient parts christian bible- Old Testament.

The book of Genesis (the first book of the Bible) tells the following story:

Once, two angels came to the righteous old man Lot to check whether such great sins and lewdness were really happening in the city of Sodom, as they say.

The angels wanted to stay on the street, but the elder invited them to his home and very hospitably begged them to spend the night under the roof, and not under the open sky. But as soon as the guests were about to go to rest, the inhabitants of the infamous Sodom gathered at the house of Lot and began to demand that the guests be handed over so that the Sodomites could “know” them.

To the great displeasure of the inhabitants, the elder refused their request and did not allow them to do indecency with the guests, but instead offered two of his innocent daughters so that the townspeople could satisfy their lust and do whatever they please with them.

Certainly in modern world such "courtesy" looks extremely strange and even disgusting, but we should not forget that in the Old Testament times people had somewhat different views.

However, the inhabitants of Sodom did not like the idea with their daughters and they began to threaten the elder himself. But the angels blinded the angry inhabitants, and Lot was ordered to urgently flee the city with his family.

The fate of Sodom itself was already sealed.

As a result, the elder, his wife and two daughters were able to escape from the sinful city. The angels told them to run up the mountain and not look back. But Lot's wife disobeyed the angels, turned around and immediately turned into a pillar of salt.

Some time after the miraculous salvation, Lot, along with his daughters, settled in a cave under the mountain.

And perhaps this story would have ended quite happily if his daughters had not decided that all the rest of the people in the world had died.

Having accepted this delusion as a great mission, they planned to make their father drunk with wine, seduce, go to incest and produce descendants from him in order to save the human race.

The plan succeeded. The eldest gave birth to the son of Moab, who is considered the ancestor of all the Moabites, and the youngest - Ben-Ammi, the progenitor of the Ammonites.

It is noteworthy that the act of Lot and his daughters is not considered so sinful.

As a rule, the Church interpreted this event as a “delusion in good intentions” (which is, to put it mildly, strange from a modern point of view) and the story itself was especially popular among both the clergy and ordinary believers.

It is not surprising that since the Renaissance, the exciting story of Lot and his daughters has become one of the most popular themes in painting, as it made it possible to create completely charitable frank works based on biblical motives.

It is noteworthy that the customers of world-famous masterpieces were often prominent religious figures.

One such place is verses 30-38 of chapter 19 of Genesis, which tells of Lot and his daughters. This place is really a challenge for many and, unfortunately, there are people who say, citing these verses as an example: “Here is YOUR Bible: one debauchery!”.

Lot, his wife and daughters are taken out of Sodom, after which Sodom and Gomorrah experience the wrath of the Lord and perish. The wife of Lot also turns into a pillar of salt, who turns to Sodom, despite the fact that it was said: “... save your soul; do not look back, and do not stop anywhere in the vicinity” (Genesis 19:17).

Lot and his daughters are living in a cave (Gen. 19:30) and something is happening. Eldest daughter says to the youngest, “... therefore, let us give our father wine to drink, and sleep with him ...” (Genesis 19:32).

It would seem a sin, incest, as they often talk about it completely thoughtlessly. However, if we look at further events, we will see that the children of the daughters of Lot formed the nations of Moab and Ammon, who continually fought against the sons of Israel. At the same time, however, Ruth the Moabite was the great-grandmother of David, that is, the daughters of Lot also participated in the genealogy of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:5). Thus, we see that there was some lasting meaning in the actions of the daughters of Lot.

And again, you need to turn to the Holy Scriptures. “And the older one said to the younger one: Our father is old, and there is no man on earth who would come in to us according to the custom of all the earth” (Genesis 19:31). Very short, right? Scripture does not say that the sisters were driven by lust, perversion. Not at all, the sisters are talking about the custom of the whole earth. Obviously, this is understood as the sacred duty of a woman to give birth. At the same time, the sisters come to the conclusion that a) they have an obligation to give birth; b) there is no one to be their husband; c) there is a father who is old. That is, it is conceivable only from the father to give birth to a child, and then only for a short time, since he is old and it is not known whether he will be alive tomorrow. Here is the sister's dilemma. And for them, duty is not an empty word, they saw with their own eyes what the sin of not fulfilling duty is and what it leads to. What did they know? They knew that their father had left Ur of the Chaldees, because there is Babylon, debauchery, horror, they saw that where they lived, there was also depravity and horror. Everywhere death and destruction. Yet the Lord saves them. This means that the Lord favors them, which means that they have this mission to continue life on earth.

Lot's daughters were religious and morality was not an empty phrase for them. And they did what they did, not for themselves, and not to satisfy their desires, and it was bitter to make such a decision, and the elder sister then behaved, as befits the elder, she had boldness, had determination.

Lot, in this case, did not know what had happened, for he was drunk. And chapter 19 talks about it twice. When Scripture repeats twice, it is very important. Twice it is written: did not know, did not know.

One might think that the act of intoxication in itself is not very positive. However, for example, John Chrysostom says: “And that this happened not simply and not without a reason, but the excessive grief of the soul, through the use of wine, brought him to complete insensibility.”

And it is no accident that the same John Chrysostom says: “So, let no one dare to condemn the righteous man, or his daughters. And would it not be extreme recklessness and unreason - those whom the divine Scripture frees from all condemnation, and even offers such an excuse for them, to condemn us, burdened with the immeasurable gravity of sins, not listening to the words of the anist. Paul, who says, "God justify, whoever condemns" (Rom. 8:33-34)?"

Summing up what has been said, it must be remembered that Lot and his daughters found themselves in a situation that is not ordinary, ordinary. Not everyone, probably, will be able to overcome such difficult situations. They nevertheless overcame; it is not for us to say that in a difficult situation they behaved incorrectly, and we would have done better. If there were no daughters of Lot, their children, would there have been David, would there have been Jesus Christ?

1. Two angels - The Hebrew original says: "These two angels came." The above words testify that they were angels who visited Abraham on the same day (Gen. 18:22). It is not explicitly stated that they came on the same day, but it is evident from verse 27. The distance from Hebron to Sodom was at least 27 miles over mountainous terrain, and their journey could take 7 to 8 hours. Since the angels left Abraham in the afternoon, they could only reach the night by walking.

Lot was sitting at the gate - Lot, who had previously set up his tents near Sodom (Gen.13:12), by this time had managed to build a house inside the city. In ancient cities public life concentrated at the city gates. The marketplaces were located here (2 Kings 7:1, Nehemiah 13:19) and the elders of the city sat right there (Deut. 21:19, 22:15, 25:7, Is. :1 etc.). So David sat at the gate, wanting to speak with the people (2 Sam. 19:8), the events of the day were also discussed at the gate (Ps. 69:12, Pr. 31:31) and all public announcements were made (Pr. 1:21, 8:3). Why Lot sat at the gates of the city is not said. One thing is clear, that he expected strangers to whom he could show hospitality, and whom he could protect from the Sodomites. Some interpreters believe that he was made a judge in this city. Such a conclusion does not necessarily follow from Genesis 19:19, but it is quite possible, especially considering his family ties with Abraham, who once saved the entire city from slavery.

Lot saw and stood up - Seeing the strangers, Lot, like Abraham, immediately offered them his hospitality. His greeting was like Abraham's in every way (Gen. 18:2-5).

2. We spend the night on the street - The angels immediately accepted Abraham's invitation, but they hesitated at Lot's invitation. They tested Lot, wanting to see if his invitation was dictated by cold courtesy or heartfelt desire. It can be seen from ancient chronicles that wanderers often spent the night in an open area (Gen. 23:11). If it were not for the inhabitants of Sodom, then sleeping on the street would not have been a great inconvenience, since in the cities of the valley there was subtropical climate. Lot's concern for others became the means of his own salvation. He manifested a spirit opposite to the spirit of the inhabitants of Sodom (Mat. 25:34-40).

3. He strongly entreated them - Seeing in Lot a righteous man, but not wanting to reveal himself to him yet, the angels agreed to remain under his hospitable shelter. For many centuries after that, Christ also did not reveal himself on the road to Emaeus to two disciples going there (Luke 24:28-30).

4. All people - This expression probably symbolizes a large number of people, representatives of all classes of society.

5. Where are the people - Wicked inhabitants of Sodom, which is evident from their actions (Gen.13:18,21). The news of the arrival of the wanderers quickly spread throughout the city. The inhabitants of the city gathered around the house of Lot, intending to trample on the Oriental custom of hospitality for the sake of satisfying their base passions. For the meaning of the word "know" see Genesis 4:1. The word used here refers to the disgusting debauchery described by the Apostle Paul in Romans 1:27. According to archaeological data, this sin, which according to the Mosaic law is punishable by death (Lev.18:22), was very common among the Canaanites. The words of Moses, that from young to old - all gathered at the door of Lot's house, shows how righteous God was, who decided to betray these cities to complete destruction (Genesis 6:5-8).

7. Do no evil - Lot left the house, carefully locking the door behind him so that the wicked crowd could not enter and began to earnestly ask his fellow citizens not to do any evil.

8. I have two daughters - Seeing that his words do not affect them, he decided to go to extremes to save his guests from dishonor. His faith in the high duty of hospitality, so highly revered among Eastern peoples explains, but does not justify his decision. The one who took the wanderer under his roof had to protect him even with the sacrifice of his life. In some countries in the Middle East, the duty of hospitality is still regarded very highly. Lot's attitude towards his guests can be justified, or at least excused, by referring only to Eastern custom. The chastity and chastity of his two daughters in a city like Sodom is a testament to the care he showed in their upbringing and proof that this proposal it was hard for him to say. The Eastern custom of protecting women from dishonor is illustrated by the example of the sons of Jacob (cf. Gen. 34). The fact that Lot made a rash proposal proves that he tried means to avoid evil and was in a desperate proposal. He was well aware of the depravity and wickedness of the inhabitants of the city (2 Peter 2:7-8).

9. Here is a stranger and wants to judge - Lot's attempt to frustrate their evil intentions aroused even greater rage in them. They did not allow anyone to teach them, and especially a stranger. If Lot was their judge, v. 2, they now saw that the moment had come to get rid of him. From their words it is clear that Lot, as a judge or simply as a citizen of the city, called for them to leave their evil ways. In their blind fury, they began to threaten Lot with even greater retribution for this than with his guests, if he continued to interfere with them. Only the restraining power of God, and the hesitation to lay hands on one whose godly example aroused a sense of respect in their corrupt souls, prevented the angry mob from tearing him to pieces.

11. By blindness - God allowed Lot to try to change the evil intentions of the Sodomites so that he could be convinced of the extent of their fall. When everything led him nowhere, then the divine messengers intervened, protecting him and themselves from trouble. The Hebrew word here translated "blindness" is found in Old Testament just one more time (2 Kings 6:18-20). In both cases it signifies supernatural blindness. Apparently it wasn't irretrievable loss vision, but only temporary darkness that enveloped their eyes. The expression, "They were exhausted, looking for a way out," indicates not only their physical blindness, but also their mental confusion. If they had been blinded in the literal sense, they would hardly have persisted in their wicked intention.

12. Who else do you have here? - Now Lot was convinced of the supernatural nature of his visitors. The time had come to reveal to him the intentions of God, and they revealed to him in the clearest way the impending danger of the destruction of the whole city. Although Lot's family children seemed to have become accustomed to the way of life of the Sodomites, however, the angels wanted to save them for Lot's sake, if they wished to leave the city. Although they participated in the sins of Sodom, it was only their personal choice that made their destruction inevitable.

14. Lot came out - The absence of mention of sons and daughters here does not mean that Lot had only sons-in-law, nor does it say that these sons-in-law were young men preparing to marry his two unmarried daughters. Lot believed the words of the angels and made every effort to convince the children to leave the city for their salvation. But they only laughed at his words that God could destroy an entire city.

15. The dawn came - Lot apparently persuaded his children at night. When the dawn came, sky Angels began to hurry him along with his wife and two daughters to leave the city. The expression: “Which you have” indicates that Lot had other daughters who did not want to go out with him from the wicked city.

16. How he hesitated - Lot and his wife believed the angels, but it was difficult for them to part with their possessions. Confused, Lot hesitated, not knowing what to take with him. The angels, who did not show any interest in their possessions, with force brought them out and "by the mercy of the Lord to him." The weakness of human nature can be extremely great, so that even a pious person can be so attached to that world that it is impossible for him to tear himself away from it. He is likened to a traveler, caught in a snowstorm, feeling his body stiffen, and yet ready to submit to a deadly sleep. It is necessary that someone shake him and take him to a safe place.

17. Save your soul - The one before whom Abraham interceded the day before now joins the angels outside the gates of the city and persistently warns them to be saved. If Christ Himself had to join the angels to convince Lot and his wife, this shows that Lot and his wife had not yet decided to leave everything and go out of the city. Can't extermination be delayed for a while in order to save wealth? Given time, they will try to persuade others to follow them. Why such a hurry? But Christ commands: "Save your soul."

Don't Look Back - Since there was barely enough time to avoid the fire, it was no longer possible to delay. If Lot had been given additional time at his request, it would have been extremely difficult for him to part with his accumulated wealth. Unless, with such wealth, he would decide to stay at all. His only salvation lay in an immediate and final break with that which had bound his heart to Sodom. The same is true now.

Save yourself to the mountain - The area that was once so attractive to the sight and fertile has become the most dangerous place on the ground. From here it was necessary to run. How fateful was Lot's decision to make this area his residence! (Gen.13:11) Now he had to seek refuge in the mountains (Ps.122:1). Here in the mountains and clefts of the rocks he will be safe from the avalanche of fire, which will soon overflow into the beautiful valley.

18. No, sir - Instead of happily cooperating with God's plan to save him own life, Lot had to rely on the great mercy of God. Speaking about the fact that he cannot escape to the mountains, he asks permission to take refuge in the small neighboring city of Bela (Gen.14:2), the current Sigor. Lot did not want to change the comfortable and prosperous city life for an unsettled and indefinite existence.

22. Sigor - The only remains of the ruins of the time of Abraham found in the Sodom valley are the ruins of Babed Dar. This site was discovered by an archaeological expedition led by Kyle and Albright in 1924 near the southeast coast Dead Sea, apparently there is the former Sigor.

24. Brimstone and fire - Judgment pronounced by angels happened unexpectedly (Luke 17:28-29). Although only Sodom and Gomorrah are mentioned here, it is clear that other cities of the valley, including Adma and Seboim, were also destroyed (Deut. 29:33, Hos. 11:8, Jude. 1:7). Only the small city of Bela (Sigor) was spared, and then only for a short time (Gen. 19:30).

The expression "fire and brimstone" is common idiomatic expression in Hebrew meaning "burning brimstone". The miracles by which God intervenes from time to time in natural phenomena consist in the use of natural forces and elements. in an unusual way. And still southern region The Dead Sea is rich in asphalt (see Gen. 14:3-10). Easily flammable gases continue to escape from cracks in the ground. Asphalt rising to the surface in the southern part of the Dead Sea was the reason in classical times to call this lake "asphalt lake". Massive blocks of asphalt floating on the surface are often able to keep several people in the water at once. Asphalt, sulfur and other hot substances have been mined in this area for a long time and exported to other countries. Arabs living in the neighborhood use asphalt to protect gardens from various pests, as well as for medical purposes. Whatever means was used to set the cities on fire, one thing is clear, that this fire was supernatural, for the destruction came at the exact time appointed by God. For centuries, the arid landscape of this area has remained a silent witness to the catastrophe that turned the once flourishing valley into a place of desolation. Using the example of Sodom, Moses shows what Israel can become as a result of disobedience (Deut. 29:21-24). The writers of the classical period give us an eloquent description of the area in the southern part of the Dead Sea, which is now a lump of scorched earth and ash. They also mention the ruined cities of the valley. What is now part of the Dead Sea was dry land in biblical times. Per end times, specific years - the level of the sea, which has no flow, has risen significantly and covered most territory. Bare trees stick out of the water, like a transparent forest. Some researchers try to identify the exterminated cities with the ruins at Temlat el-Ghassul on the northern coast of the Dead Sea. But on the basis of numerous data, it is clear that the disaster occurred in the southern part of the Dead Sea. The memory of the terrible event has been preserved among the people of this region to this day. This can be seen, for example, from the Arabic name of the Dead Sea "Baret Lut", which means "Lake of Lot", as well as from the name of the mountain range bordering the southwestern coast of the lake "Jevel Usdum", meaning "Mountain of Sodom".

25. He overthrew these cities - This expression resembles an earthquake, but is also used to describe cities so destroyed that they are likened to Sodom and Gomorrah (Kings 10:3, Is. 13:19). This catastrophe is repeatedly mentioned in the Old Testament (Deut.29:23, Is.1:9, Jer.49:18, 50:40, Am.4:11).

The destruction of the city is an example of the final punishment by fire of all the wicked (2 Peter 2:6, Jude 7).

26. Lot's wife looked back - the angels led all four out of the doomed city and gave them a clear indication of what to do and what to avoid in order to save their lives. Just leaving the city was not enough, it was necessary to follow all the instructions. Lot's wife looked back to see where her house, wealth, and some of her children were. Her hardened heart has become a constant warning to those who, wanting to be saved, are content with half-measures, who seem ready to leave the world, but their hearts are attached to it. Not having passed the test to the end, they cannot receive salvation (Mat. 24:12, Phil. 1:6). We need to remember our Lord's solemn call: "Remember Lot's wife" (Luke 17:32). If Lot had immediately listened to the angels and shown great firmness in this, this would have led to the salvation of his wife. The angels took her out of the city, but they could not, despite her desire, save her. She was a person far from religion, a nee Canaanite, she preferred to die rather than leave Sodom. Today we mourn her fate. Let's learn from her example.

Pillar of Salt - It's hard to say how long this pillar of salt formed from her body remained a visible pillar. In some places of the southwestern coast of the Dead Sea there are salt blocks, some of them resemble human figures. One or the other of them reminds travelers of "Lot's wife", but it would be wrong to say that one of them is "like Lot's wife".

27. Early in the morning - Eager to know the results of his intercession with God, Abraham returned to the northeast of Hebron, to the place where he parted from the Lord. How great must have been his disappointment when he saw the valley engulfed in flames, where the smoke rose to the sky!

29. God remembered Abraham - Not being able to save the cities for which Abraham interceded, the Lord nevertheless rewarded his sincere prayer, sparing those who wished to leave the city. For Abraham's sake, as it says here, Lot's family was given salvation.

30. And Lot went out of Segor - In fear, Lot soon left Segor, fearing that he would suffer the same fate as the four cities of Sodom.

36. Pregnant by their father - This state of the daughters of Lot testifies to the perverted influence of Sodom. They grew up in a country where drunkenness and all kinds of depravity flourished. As a result, their ministry was dulled, their conscience died. Lot managed to protect his daughters from the invasion of the Sadomites (see ch. 8), but he failed to instill sound principles in their hearts. They cause us pity rather than condemnation, because Lot himself became a participant in their sin. He was guilty of not hindering what led to sin and even agreed to drink the wine served to him by his daughters (Gen. 9:21). The few years Lot spent in Sodom cost him dearly: he lost his entire family. His descendants became the Moabites and the Amalekites - pagan peoples.

37. Moab - "From my father" - literally this is the name according to the translation of seventy. Moab is the ancestor of the Moabites. As brethren of the Israelites, the Moabites, however, always remained at enmity with them. They originally lived between Arnon and Shared, east of the Dead Sea. From the days of David to the days of Ahab, they remained tributaries to their western neighbors, but gained independence under King Mesa (2 Kings 3:4-5), who expanded the limits of his kingdom to the north.

38. Ben-Ammi - The name of the ancestor of the Ammonites, probably means: "son of my people." With these words, his mother shows that his father and mother were from the same family. Her son was in reality her only brother. But their ancestors were feisty. The Amonites became a nomadic people. They lived in the eastern part of the region located between Yavvok and Arnon. The name of their main fortress city is "Rabbat Ammon", which is currently the capital of the Kingdom of Jordan.

The story of Lot and his family is tragic. The shameful stain in his life serves as a reminder to all generations. His sin is forgiven, but his many years of commitment to pleasure and gain remained for a long time live in his descendants.

According to the materials of the biblical commentary of the SDA

Question: "Why did such a pious man as Lot drink for more than one day, so much so that he managed to own daughters sleep over? after all, in the essence of the whole scripture, such a person, already strengthened in faith, could not afford such a thing!

The story of Lot contains many lessons, but in connection with your question, we will focus on only two.

One of these lessons is that the righteous shall live by faith, and not by the works of his righteousness. The righteous is not the one who does everything absolutely right, but the one who believes in God and walks with God according to the extent of the light revealed to him. God saves a person not for the deeds of righteousness that he does for the glory of God, but for FAITH in His word.

Among the corrupted inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot was the only person, who still somehow remembered the True God, and therefore his actions, which became a continuation of his faith, turned out to be correct.

Lot was the only person in the city who called strangers to his house, thereby calling salvation to his house.

Lot was the only one of all his relatives who believed the Word of God and therefore was saved.

See? Lot was saved not because he was absolutely righteous, but because he believed the Word of God, which in his case sounded like this: "Who else do you have here? son-in-law, whether your sons, whether your daughters, and whoever you have in the city, bring everyone out of this place, for we will destroy this place, because the cry is great against its inhabitants to the Lord, and the Lord has sent us to destroy it. (). It was not for righteousness that Lot was led out of the city destined for destruction, but because of his faith in the Word of God.

It is precisely because of his faith that Scripture calls Lot a righteous man. By the way, pay attention to the fact that after the Scripture called Abraham righteous, he fell several times, re-read the story of David, and you will definitely see that this righteous man of God also fell more than once, and not only them ... Of course, it does not mean that God approved of their falls, their unrighteous thoughts and wrong behavior, God will never approve of sin. However, God loves a person and, knowing his weak, nasty nature, saves a person not because of his (her) righteousness, but simply because a person believes His word and desires the fulfillment of His word in his life.

Another lesson we see in Lot's story is that we should not be deceived: bad communities indeed corrupt good morals (). When Lot separated from Abram to live in a fertile and beautiful land, he did not pay much attention to the fact that the people among whom he would have to live were very, very inclined to evil.

“Lot lifted up his eyes and saw all the region around the Jordan, that it ... all the way to Sigor was watered with water, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt; and Lot chose for himself all the region around the Jordan; and Lot moved towards the east. ... Lot began to live in the cities of the surrounding area and pitched his tents to Sodom. The inhabitants of Sodom were evil and very sinful before the Lord» ().

Being a man who knew the True God through his uncle Abram, Lot still decided that he could keep this knowledge alive by living in the midst of impurity and depravity. However, he was mistaken, and although in his God-believing soul, he was constantly tormented by what was happening in Sodom and Gomorrah, he managed to cleave his heart to the external comfort of that life so much that he managed to cleave to many sins of this “comfort”. Lot just wasn't "strong in faith" as you say about him. He was a man losing his faith... and had it not been for the strangers who literally took him by the hand () and brought their cities out, Lot would have perished just like the rest of the inhabitants of those cities. Out of His mercy, the Lord came with punishment for the cities corrupted to the foundation, before the last rays of Lot's faith (righteousness) were swallowed up by the darkness of worldly comfort. Had the Lord lingered for a while, and Lot would have completely assimilated into the environment to which he clung ... and there would be no one to save. This is why the warning to end-time believers sounds so serious:

“Do not bow under the yoke of others with the unbelievers, for what fellowship is there between righteousness and iniquity? What does light have in common with darkness? What agreement is there between Christ and Belial? Or what is the partnership of the faithful with the unbelievers? What is the compatibility of the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God, as God said: I will dwell in them and walk [in them]; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And that's why come out from among them and separate yourself, says the Lord, and do not touch the unclean; and I will receive you. And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty "().

“And I heard another voice from heaven, saying: come out from her, my people, so that you do not share in her sins and suffer from her plagues; for her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.

Yes, the minds of Lot and his daughters were perverted. Coming out of the physical destruction that befell Sodom and Gomorrah, they came out with a nasty legacy that didn't fail to manifest itself. Lot could not deny himself the joy alcohol intoxication, and his daughters could not deny themselves the desire to be mothers at all costs. Life in the midst of debauchery and lawlessness never contributes to the growth of righteousness.

Sad story? Yes. It is also sad that the children born of this unnatural union became the fathers of peoples who constantly resisted God and His saving will. The Bible is trustworthy because it does not hide from us the truth about what we all really are, about how terribly our nature is susceptible to evil, how easily it clings to it, and how difficult it is for a person who believes in the One True God, unstick from evil and begin to walk in the ways of good. Therefore, let's study the lessons from the life of our forefathers so as not to repeat them in our lives.

Sincerely,
Sasha.

When Lot settled in Sodom, he intended to decisively protect himself from iniquity and command this to his house after him. But he was gravely mistaken. The perverse environment had a detrimental effect on his own faith, and the association of his children with the inhabitants of Sodom led to the emergence of common interests. We know the consequences of all this.

Many people still make the same mistake. When choosing a place of residence, they take into account temporary advantages rather than the moral and social atmosphere in which they will have to live. They choose a beautiful fertile place, or go to some prosperous city in the hope of getting rich; but temptations surround their children, who, as often happens, make such acquaintances, which are most unfavorably reflected in the development of religious feelings and the formation of character.

The atmosphere of unbridled immorality of unbelief, indifference to religious issues nullifies the influence of parents. Before the eyes of youth there is always an example of rebellion against parental and divine authority. Many enter into intimate relations with the wicked, and consequently throw their lot into the hands of the enemies of God.

God desires that when choosing a place of residence, we first of all take into account the moral and religious influence what our family will experience. We may be in a critical situation, for many cannot have the environment we would like, but if duty calls us, God will help us to remain spotless, if only we will watch and pray, relying on the grace of Christ. But unnecessarily we must not expose ourselves to such influences as may adversely affect the development of our Christian character.

If we are voluntarily in the company of the godless, then we grieve God and drive the holy angels out of our homes. Those who provide their children with earthly wealth and worldly honor at the cost of eternal interests will later realize that these gains have turned out to be a terrible loss. Like Lot, many will see their children lost and themselves barely saved. Their life's work is lost, their life is a sad failure. If they had acted truly prudently, then although their children would have had less earthly goods, there would have been confidence in an immortal inheritance.

The inheritance promised by God to His people does not exist on this earth. Abraham had no wealth in this world: "And he did not give him an inheritance on her, not even a foot" (). He possessed a huge fortune, but he used it for the glory of God and for the benefit of his compatriots. But he did not consider this land his homeland. ( , chapter 14)

Read more on the topic "Interpretation of Scripture":

What prompted you to write this article? The fact is that this was not the first time I had to read an insulting note in relation to one of the Biblical righteous. This time, the righteous Lot became the object of attacks from the side of another impudent-tongued “wise guy”. Moreover, the bones of this righteous man undertook to wash, not some pagan, but a man who calls himself a Christian, and he did this, guided by the Bible.
Before, I had heard damning sermons based on Pharisaic logic directed not only at Lot. Christians who did not shine with their minds (although they probably really wanted to “shine”), “digged into the linen” of Abraham, looking for his unbelief! They stuck out their tongue against Jacob, the grandson of Abraham. Noah got it, and Moses, and Samson. Even the apostles Peter and Paul got it! Moreover, you often hear these bold sermons from the lips of seminarians, all of whose literacy is Greek with a dictionary.
These unfortunate preachers, whose reasoning is based mainly on emotions and ignorance, humiliated the memory of people whom the Scripture calls - RIGHTEOUS! The good memory of which people kept and passed from mouth to mouth, from generation to generation. Their names are in the book of books, not on the black list, but inscribed in Holy Bible golden letters.

“They look for lies, make investigation after investigation”

Before I start talking about Lot, it is worth touching on such a topic as respect for elders. This theme runs like a red thread through almost the entire Bible. Respect for elders is the basics! This is the foundation, relying on which you can properly build relationships in the family, in society, and, most importantly, with God. It is He who wants us to revere Him, who gave the commandments to respect the elders, since the oldest in this chain is He Himself. And is it really necessary to treat only the living with respect? And to the memory of the righteous who have left this life?

Lot went with him

We find the first mention of Lot on the pages of Holy Scripture, which tells us about Abram, who intends to go to an unknown land for him, obeying the voice of God. In general, when it comes to Lot, one involuntarily has to mention Abram as well. Lot and Abram are relatives. Lot is the son of Aaran and the nephew of Abraham. Abraham is Lot's uncle. The fates of these people are connected. They are connected not only by blood ties, but also by something more:
“And the Lord said to Abram, Get out of your country, out of your kindred, and out of your father's house, to a land that I will show you;
And Abram went as the Lord told him” (Gen. 12:1-4).
God spoke to Abram and commands him to leave his land, from his kinship and go to a land completely unknown to him. Abram obeys Him by faith. Abram was a living person and various thoughts and experiences were rushing through his mind. What will be the path? Where is this land? What are the customs of the tribes living there? After all, this journey was fraught with danger.
This narrative is followed by lines that speak of our hero: “and Lot went with him” (Gen. 12:4).
Obviously, Abram told Lot about the command of God. Lot deliberately followed Abram. But he could have stayed. God personally did not say anything to him (there was no special invitation). But Lot decided to follow with Abram to an unknown land, not embarrassed by the danger of the path, rather than remain with pagan kinship. Several millennia later, the apostle Paul wrote the following lines about the followers of Jesus: “walking in the footsteps of the faith of our father Abram” (Rom. 4:12). Now, the first of these followers was Lot. He did not stay in his homeland, but preferred to be a wanderer and a stranger with Abram.

“The inhabitants of Sodom were evil and very sinful before the Lord”

Abram and Lot wander through the promised land. Famine sets in and Abram has to go to Egypt. The Egyptians did not shine with good morals, they took away Abram's wife. Lot was in Egypt with Abram, and he saw how God stood up for the righteous Abram: “But the Lord smote with heavy blows Pharaoh and his house for Sarai the wife of Abram” (Gen. 12:17) I think he remembered this lesson, the essence of which was that God does not leave friends in trouble.
After this event, a story follows that tells us about the dispute that arose between the shepherds of Abraham and Lot. Note that the dispute was not between Abraham and Lot. Abraham, as the elder, takes the initiative and invites Lot to separate from him: “Is not the whole earth before you? separate yourself from me: if you are to the left, then I am to the right; and if you are to the right, then I am to the left. (Gen. 13:9)
Lot chose the Jordan region. For this choice, Lot is groundlessly reproached by some critics: “Lot sought to get rich! He was driven by the spirit of profit!” But let me! Abraham, was he from the poor ten? What is the fault of Lot, to whom Abraham, his uncle, offers the right to choose. If Lot had chosen the other side, then Abraham would have been in his place.
Lot's accusers, who consider him unspiritual, love to quote lines of Scripture that seem to confirm their accusatory fervor: “The inhabitants of Sodom were evil and very sinful before the Lord” (Gen. 13:13) That is, Lot knew about this, but being driven by the spirit of gain, he nevertheless chose this area. In this regard, I have a simple question: were the inhabitants of Egypt, who took Sarah from Abram, very righteous? Or maybe the inhabitants of the Philistines were distinguished by a good disposition when they had views of Rebekah? All the tribes among which Abraham wandered were subsequently destroyed by God. They were all "very sinful" and very immoral.

Then Lot has an accident. During the war between the pagan kings, he will be captured: And they took Lot, Abram's nephew, who lived in Sodom, and his property, and departed. (Gen. 14:12) On the basis of which our “investigators for special important matters” guided by what seems to be a primitive “prosperity gospel” template, they say something like this: “he went where he shouldn’t, that’s why trouble happened to him.”
But what exactly is Lot's sin? That he was robbed and taken prisoner? Now, if he robbed someone, then we can talk about his sin (at the same time, it would not be superfluous to recall how Abraham's great-grandson, Joseph, was also captured. Is he also guilty?)
Abram, having learned about what had happened, rescued Lot, just as God rescued Abraham when his wife was taken from him. This bold act of Abram speaks eloquently of his friendship and spiritual intimacy with Lot.

"Will the Judge of all the earth act unjustly?"

Before we begin to comprehend the events that happened to Lot in Sodom, let's remember what preceded this. And preceded the burning of cities, the conversation of God and Abraham. Abraham says: “It cannot be that You did so that You would destroy the righteous with the wicked, so that it would be the same with the righteous as with the wicked; can't be from you! Will the judge of all the earth do wrong? (Gen. 18:25)
For whom does the chosen one of God intercede? Whom does he call the RIGHTEOUS, separating him from the wicked? Abraham clearly cares about Lot and his family. After all, he knew that his pious nephew lives precisely in Sodom.
When two angels came to the city, and Lot did not know who they were, he acts like a true righteous man. He hospitably invites them to spend the night in his house. When they do not agree, he still persuades them, knowing what trouble can happen to them. The Apostolic Letter to the Hebrews contains the following lines: “Do not forget hospitality, for through it some, not knowing, showed hospitality to angels” (Heb. 13:2). For some reason, in this case, they usually remember only the story of Abraham. But why? For it is written here: "some". Some are at least two, not one. Lot treats the angels, not knowing who they are, just as hospitably as Abraham.
Moreover, when the Sodomites approach his house with criminal intent, Lot is ready to sacrifice his daughters rather than betray the guests. (Do not rush to condemn Lot for these words about your daughters. It is difficult for us from the 21st century, with our emancipation, to understand the culture of that time. The life and honor of a man was then valued much higher than the honor of a woman. Remember the actions of Abraham and Isaac, in relation to their When Sarah is taken away from Abraham, he prays, and when Lot is taken captive, Abraham immediately gathers a detachment, arms the people, and fearlessly attacks the army of several kings.)
But that's not all. Lot courageously risks himself for the sake of his guests. At the same time, pay attention to the speech of the citizens of Sodom! They call it: "stranger" (Genesis 19:9). Lot has always been a stranger to them.
The Apostle Peter, recalling these events, wrote: “For this righteous man, living among them, daily suffered in a righteous soul, seeing and hearing lawless deeds” (2 Peter 2:8). Righteous Lot is an example for us, worthy of emulation. We, like him, are surrounded by sinners: in the family, at work, in society. And there is no place on earth where we Christians could move and get rid of them. And what happened next to Sodom, where Lot lived, is not a punishment for Lot, but salvation. Yes, yes, precisely by SALVING him from the wicked:
“For if God ... the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, condemning to destruction, turned into ashes, setting an example for the future wicked, and the righteous Lot, weary of the conversion between violently depraved people, SAVED ... then, of course, the Lord knows how to deliver the pious from temptation. » (2 Peter 4:9)
By destroying Sodom, God thus delivered and saved the righteous Lot from the depraved Sodomites, although the way of salvation was quite original, as in the case of the righteous Noah. However, God does what He wants and how He wants, and does not report to anyone about this.

"save your soul"

When Lot was already outside Sodom, he asks for the right to run not to the mountain where the angels pointed him, but to the small nearby city of Segor. Just look at what God's answer is to this request of the righteous: “And he said to him, Behold, I will do this also to please you; I will not overthrow the city of which you speak” (Gen. 19:21). For the sake of the righteous Lot, God does not destroy the city in which Lot wanted to receive shelter. The Creator would not stand on ceremony with the wicked.
After the burning of Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot did not stay in the city of Segor. Apparently he was afraid that the same fate would befall this city, since the manners of the inhabitants of this city, apparently, were similar to the manners of the Sodomites.
“And Lot went out of Segor and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him, for he was afraid to dwell in Segor. And he dwelt in a cave, and with him his two daughters” (Gen. 19:30).
Further, an event happened to Lot, for which many people condemn him and, starting from this condemnation, they begin with the suspicion of a biased investigator, to look for knots and hitches in Lot’s previous life: “That’s what I’ve come to! But it started small!”
So, what… Lot withdrew from the city of Sigor, believing that Hiroshima would be followed by Nagasaki. He fears that the wrath of God may soon fall upon this city as well. His fears were not unfounded. His two daughters also knew about it. Here are the reasonings of his daughters: “And the older one said to the younger one: Our father is old, and there is no man on earth who would come in to us according to the custom of all the earth.” (Gen. 19:31)
The adult daughters of Lot sincerely thought that there were no men left on earth except their father. They care about the continuation of the human race. You say: "But God did not burn the whole earth, but only a few cities." And how could they know that! Add to this the scale of the disaster. They haven't recovered from the shock yet. They had a memory of the flood in the days of Noah, when Noah and his family were left. And here is a similar situation. Only the flood is fiery.
Daughters are in a hurry "our father is old". They have the idea of ​​procreation. From whom? Only from a man. Of all the men, in their opinion, only their father remained. Therefore, they decide on a well-known act, having previously given their father a good drink of wine. For what? Because sober, Lot obviously would not have done this. You ask: "why did he drink wine?" People have always drunk wine. Prohibition was not introduced even by Moses in his strict legislation. Yes, and Lot, clearly did not suspect the intentions of his daughters. Given all these nuances and take into account, then psychological condition in which they were, then I personally have no complaints against Lot.

“So it will be on the day when the Son of Man appears”

This concludes the story of Lot in Genesis. And then his name reminds us and not only us of Jesus Christ. When Jesus was asked: “What is the sign of your coming and the end of the age?”, then He recalls two events from ancient times. The Messiah of Israel recalls the events that everyone knew about. These events are the flood in the days of Noah and the burning of Sodom in the days of Lot.
“And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the days of the Son of Man:
they ate, they drank, they married, they were given in marriage, until the day Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.
Just as it was in the days of Lot: they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built;
but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all; so it will be on the day when the Son of Man appears” (Luke 17:26-31).
Both in the first and in the second case, the same picture is observed. On the one hand - the death of sinners, on the other - the salvation of the righteous. For some, anger, for others, mercy. One is death, the other is life. The only difference is that in the first case, God uses water for destruction, and in the second, fire.
Jesus, in the examples he gives, equates the status of Noah and Lot. Lot finds himself on the same saving side next to the righteous Noah. These two pious men are teachers to the whole world. Just as God gave life to Noah and Lot, so God will give salvation and eternal life to all who believe in Jesus. Just as God punished sinners in water and fire, so all those who do not believe in the Gospel will reap death.

“I will go down and see if they are doing exactly what the cry against them is going up to Me, or not; recognize"

In conclusion, I will give one piece of advice to beginning preachers. If you decide to expose someone's sin, and you need a living example from the Bible. In this case, there are enough characters from the “black list” in Scripture. Criticize Cain, rebuke Eli and his sons, wash Saul's bones. There are enough defendants in Scripture who have shown with their lives that it is impossible to live like this.
Do not touch the people whom Scripture calls the righteous. Can't you see the difference between them? She is colossal! And if the righteous committed a sin, for example, like David, then Scripture directly and frankly evaluates such an act as a crime. God has no partiality. Holy Scripture is an honest book. If some act of the saint does not seem plausible to you, then do not rush to conclusions. If Scripture doesn't directly and unequivocally condemn, don't condemn either. Don't be drunk with emotion. Read serious books about the culture and customs of the time. An educated preacher is better than an uneducated one. Learn from God. See how the Judge of all the earth speaks, giving us a lesson: “I will go down and see if they are doing exactly what the cry against them is going up to Me, or not; I will know” (Gen. 18:21)
In jurisprudence, there is such a thing as the “presumption of innocence”. ("Presumed" - that is, assumed.) Anyone accused of a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. Irremovable doubts about the guilt of a person are interpreted in favor of the accused.
Do not rush to blame the righteous if their actions are not yet clear to you. If Scripture (God) does not clearly and unequivocally condemn any act that at first glance seems not good to you, then do not condemn you either. God is the judge or you?! If the football referee doesn't blow the whistle, you never know what the fan might think of on TV. And if sports judges sometimes make mistakes, then God - NEVER!
Remember the story when David counted the people of Israel. If Scripture had not condemned his actions, then we would not even have guessed that David did something objectionable in the eyes of God. Well, I counted ... so what? What's bad about it? However, according to the reaction of the Lord, reflected in the Scriptures, we understood that David did not do well. In the same way, we need to reason in the case when it seems to us that the act of a biblical character is not good, from our point of view. We have to look at the reaction of the Judge. If God does not condemn, then everything is fine. If the Heavenly Arbiter does not blow the whistle, then there is no violation of the rules. As the ancient Romans said, "silence is a sign of consent." Otherwise, we become smarter than God.

BRING TO THE RIGHTEOUS! JOIN FOR THEM! BE GRATEFUL!