Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of North America

Wednesday after the Second Sunday after the Epiphany of our Lord

Posted on January 23, 2019 by Pastor Dulas under Devotions
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Scripture: Genesis 19:1-29 (NKJV)
 
19:1 Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them, and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground. 2 And he said, “Here now, my lords, please turn in to your servant’s house and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise early and go on your way.”
 
And they said, “No, but we will spend the night in the open square.”
 
3 But he insisted strongly; so they turned in to him and entered his house. Then he made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. 4 Now before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house. 5 And they called to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally.”
 
6 So Lot went out to them through the doorway, shut the door behind him, 7 and said, “Please, my brethren, do not do so wickedly! 8 See now, I have two daughters who have not known a man; please, let me bring them out to you, and you may do to them as you wish; only do nothing to these men, since this is the reason they have come under the shadow of my roof.”
 
9 And they said, “Stand back!” Then they said, “This one came in to stay here, and he keeps acting as a judge; now we will deal worse with you than with them.” So they pressed hard against the man Lot, and came near to break down the door.
 
10 But the men reached out their hands and pulled Lot into the house with them, and shut the door. 11 And they struck the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they became weary trying to find the door.
 
12 Then the men said to Lot, “Have you anyone else here? Son-in-law, your sons, your daughters, and whomever you have in the city—take them out of this place! 13 For we will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has grown great before the face of the LORD, and the LORD has sent us to destroy it.”
 
14 So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who had married his daughters, and said, “Get up, get out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city!” But to his sons-in-law he seemed to be joking.
 
15 When the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot to hurry, saying, “Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city.”
 
16 And while he lingered, the men took hold of his hand, his wife’s hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the LORD being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city. 17 So it came to pass, when they had brought them outside, that he said, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed.”
 
18 Then Lot said to them, “Please, no, my lords! 19 Indeed now, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have increased your mercy which you have shown me by saving my life; but I cannot escape to the mountains, lest some evil overtake me and I die. 20 See now, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one; please let me escape there (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.”
 
21 And he said to him, “See, I have favored you concerning this thing also, in that I will not overthrow this city for which you have spoken. 22 Hurry, escape there. For I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.
 
23 The sun had risen upon the earth when Lot entered Zoar. 24 Then the LORD rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the LORD out of the heavens. 25 So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. 26 But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.
 
27 And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the LORD. 28 Then he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain; and he saw, and behold, the smoke of the land which went up like 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 which Lot had dwelt.
 
Devotion
 
After His visitation to bring the Word to Sarah, the Lord stuck around to speak with Abraham about the planned destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham shows forth the fruits of faith when he attempts to be a mediator for the righteous one living there. Now who would Abraham know who lives in one of those cities? His relation, Lot!
 
In today’s reading the two angels come to Sodom to rescue Lot from his predicament. Lot shows forth his righteousness by the hospitality shown to these visitors. Lot must have borne witness to his faith, because the people of the city complain that Lot “keeps acting as a judge” (v.9). Nevertheless, having separated from Abraham and choosing to live among such a wicked population has definitely affected his judgment. Lot wrongly offers to substitute one sin for another in attempting to protect his visitors. We might even ask why had he promised his daughters in marriage to unbelievers, anyway?
 
Thankfully, the Lord was gracious to him, and us. “God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow.” As Luther says, “We daily sin much and surely deserve nothing but punishment.” Our Mediator, Jesus Christ, pleads for us before the heavenly throne. He daily covers over our sin and rescues us from the overthrow of the devil’s kingdom. We flee to the heavenly city, small though it is among the large cities of wickedness in this world.
 
We pray: Dear God, do not remember my sins, but remember me in Your Son Jesus Christ, in whom I trust for my salvation. Amen.
 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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