(12/20/2015) Why Was Lot Spared?

Points are shared, today, on Abraham, Lot, redemption, and salvation.  In the same way GOD revealed himself to Moses as a deity who pursues judgment against sin, GOD made himself known to Abraham as a “god of judgment.”  More than this, however, GOD demonstrated that deliverance, mercy, and salvation are also aspects of sacred process on behalf of created beings and living creatures.  Consider again the following verses from the Bible, and the presentation below:  Isaiah 1:  18, King James Version (KJV):  18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD:  though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.  Also, Genesis 18:  24-26, KJV:  24 Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city:  wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?  25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked:  and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee:  Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?  26 And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.  Hosea 6:  5-7, KJV:  5 Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth:  and thy judgments are as the light that goeth forth.  6 For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.  7 But they like men have transgressed the covenant:  there have they dealt treacherously against me.  Hebrews 2:  1-4, KJV:  1 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.  2 For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward;  3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;  4 God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?  The writer at “Yahoo! Answers” using the ID “Phil A” (Level 6 with 20,487 points, a member since April 16, 2008) posted the following:


Why were Lot and his family * spared by God or the Angels before the destruction of Sodom ?

Just wondering ?

ps, * Well his wife would have been spared if she had not have looked around , and turned into a pillar of salt.


THE GOLDEN ARROW:  And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents.  And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together:  for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together.  And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdmen of Lot’s cattle:  and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land.  And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren.  Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me:  if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left.  And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.  Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east:  and they separated themselves the one from the other.  Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom.  But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.  (Genesis 13:  5-13, KJV)


THE DOUBLE DAGGER:  The Judgment Against Sodom? (04/10/2015); Remembering Lot’s Wife? (11/04/2014); Sinless Until Advent? (11/05/2014); Lot and the Angels (05/04/2014); Expulsion from Eden (05/05/2014)


“Phil A”, here are some points that further explain the lessons on salvation provided through the account of Lot visited by angels:

(1.)  The Covenant of Circumcision.  Lot had been a member of Abraham’s household; and worshiped with the one who is called “the Friend of GOD.”  The household for nomads included spouse, children, relatives, and servants; and could number in the hundreds or thousands.  They would travel together like a compete village, and even a city.  When lot and his household of perhaps 2-3000 separated from that of Abraham, a longstanding relationship with divinity was already in place.

(2.)  The Intercession of Abraham.  When GOD revealed the divine intent to investigate, and bring judgment against the sins of Sodom and other cities in that same region, Abraham made an appeal that exception be made for the righteous who might be there.  GOD agreed that, for the sake of ten righteous persons, all the cities would be shown divine mercy

(3.)  Redemption.  When Lot welcomed the angelic ambassadors, his character and nature became manifest as being from GOD through hospitality.  His authority as head of his family and household allowed Lot to declare a  commitment to lay down his life—even also the lives and virginity of his daughters—to protect at all cost those who had come into his home.  Therein, Lot is to be seen as offering himself as a sacrifice that would otherwise be destroyed in fire upon an holy altar.  A redemption price is paid that allows the offering to be spared, and to serve  instead as a living sacrifice.

There are many other ideas that should be carefully considered, correctly understood, and made a part of ones own spiritual development, here.  (For example, (4.)  The Sin of Sodom.  Many mistakenly think the sins were homosexuality and rape.  Lot showed himself contrary to the people of Sodom.  See more at 2nd Peter 2:  6-9, King James Version (KJV):  6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;  7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:  8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)  9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:  Also, Ezekiel 16:  48-50, KJV:  48 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, Sodom thy sister hath not done, she nor her daughters, as thou hast done, thou and thy daughters.  49 Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.  50 And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me:  therefore I took them away as I saw good.)  Even so, I trust this fragment will be useful.  Be it unto you according to your faith.


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