Lot and Sodom

When two angels visited Sodom in preparation for its destruction they met Lot.

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 bowed himself with his face to the earth and said, “My lords, please turn aside to your servant’s house and spend the night and wash your feet. Then you may rise up early and go on your way.”

They said, “No; we will spend the night in the town square.”

But he pressed them strongly; so they turned aside to him and entered his house. And he made them a feast and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.  (Genesis 19:1-3)

The fact that Lot was sitting in the gate tells us something of his status in the city.  The gate was where important business was carried out and the important men in the city were frequently found there.

Is the United States a Christian nation?

Is the Unites States a Christian nation?  The best way to answer that question is to look at what is happening in America and then compare that with what the Bible says.

In Roe v Wade the Supreme Court ruled that any woman who was pregnant had a right to end the pregnancy by aborting her baby.  The Bible calls children a blessing from God.

Righteous people

God told Abraham that he was going to judge Sodom for its sins.  Lot, Abraham’s nephew, lived in Sodom and this fact prompted Abraham to intercede for the city.

Then Abraham drew near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” 

And the Lord said, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”

. . . . .

Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there.”

He answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.”  (Genesis 18:23-26,32)

Meeting Melchizedek

Abraham’s nephew Lot separated himself from Abraham and went to live in Sodom.  His decision soon got him in trouble. Genesis 14:1-16 describes how a coalition of kings led by Chedorlaomer overcame Sodom and its allies and took as prisoners the people of those cities, including Lot.  When Abraham heard of this he called out his followers and rescued Lot and the other captives.

After his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley).  (Genesis 14:17)

But before the king of Sodom met him he encountered Melchizedek.

And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) And he blessed him and said,

“Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
    Possessor of heaven and earth;
and blessed be God Most High,
    who has delivered your enemies into your hand!”

And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.  (Genesis 14:18-20)

Are you blind?

Are you blind?  If you were asked this question I think all of you would answer “No”.  After all, you are reading this page right now so that proves you can see.  But the Bible has some things to say about blindness that might make you change your mind.

God revealed to Elisha the plans of the king of Syria and Elisha in turn warned the king of Israel.

Once when the king of Syria was warring against Israel, he took counsel with his servants, saying, “At such and such a place shall be my camp.”  But the man of God sent word to the king of Israel, “Beware that you do not pass this place, for the Syrians are going down there.”  And the king of Israel sent to the place about which the man of God told him. Thus he used to warn him, so that he saved himself there more than once or twice.

2 Kings 6:8-10

The king of Syria learned that Elisha was responsible for his failure to defeat Israel so he decided to capture him.