Hanging Around Sodom

 

Are some of your relatives still hanging around Sodom?

 Abraham’s nephew, Lot, was. The Lord came to Abraham’s tent one day to visit and while Abraham entertained Him and two angels, the Lord told him that Sarah would have a son. Then as Abraham was seeing them on their way, the Lord said to the angels, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am going to do to Sodom and Gomorrah?” With that the angels departed for Sodom and Gomorrah, but the Lord stayed to talk with Abraham.

 Abraham pleaded for the lives of the righteous people living there, and the Lord agreed He would spare the cities if He could find even ten righteous people. But sadly he could only find four—Lot, his wife, and his two daughters.

Lot met the angels at the city gate and begged them to come to his home and spend the night. They asked Lot to get his family, daughters and sons–in–laws (the daughters were engaged), and bring them out of the city. Lot lingered all night. When morning came, the two angels urged Lot to hurry, but while he lingered, they grabbed him, his wife, and two daughters and dragged them out of the city. When they got outside, the angels said, “Run for your lives and don’t look back.” Of course, you remember the part about Lot’s wife looking back and she became a pillar of salt.

But think of this, Lot and his family were really only saved because Abraham prayed for their lives. In fact, even when they didn’t seem to want to leave, the angels forced them out of the path of destruction. Genesis 19:29 says that “God remembered Abraham and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow.”

God will deliver your relatives when you pray; He may even drag them out when they really don’t want to go.