Genesis 19:1-11
The two angels are the same who had met with Abraham in Chapter 18. It's clear from the context that they had taken on human form. We know that God worked a miracle through them in v. 11 by striking the mob with blindness. The story speaks for itself. I encourage you to read it as if you've never read it before, and I believe you will find it very dramatic indeed. The extreme wickedness of the people of Sodom is obvious. Their sin is clearly homosexual relations (v. 5). We live in a day in which various kinds of sexual behavior are set forth as normal and good. This is not a biblical position. Homosexual and other deviant sexual behavior was prohibited in the Old Testament in the law--Leviticus 18:22, 29; 20:13. It is also condemned in the New Testament: Romans 1:26;
1 Corinthians 6:9, and 1 Timothy 1:10.
As believers, we know that Jesus came to pay the penalty for our sin. This includes sexual sins along with a myriad of other sins, including violent ones that may even be beyond our imagination. We ourselves are sinners saved by the grace of God. And so we're not here to condemn or to shun anyone and certainly not to be name-callers or otherwise prejudiced people. But we must believe what the Bible says! I believe our first responsibility is to pray for others and guide them when we can, remembering that Jesus's blood is adequate to save anyone.
Lot's behavior in offering his virgin daughters is despicable even though he wanted to protect the angels. Amazingly, though he was very weak, Lot is called a righteous man because of his faith (2 Peter 2:7,8). This is another reminder that once we're God's child, born into God's family, we can never be lost. However, Lot's sin against the Lord cost him dearly as we will see in the remainder of the chapter.
Psalm 18:31-50
Remember that David was a great soldier and eventually became King of Israel; therefore, many of the references in this Psalm refer directly to battles, etc. David was careful to give God the glory for every protection and every victory. I am going to pick out some of the verses that seem to apply most carefully to our lives.
"For who is God, except the LORD?
And who is a rock, except our God?
It is God who arms me with strength,
And makes my way perfect." vv. 31-32
"You have also given me the shield of Your salvation;
Your right hand has held me up,
Your gentleness has made me great.
You enlarged my path under me,
So my feet did not slip." vv. 35-36
"The LORD lives!
Blessed be my Rock!
Let the God of my salvation be exalted." v. 46
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