AT HOME IN SODOM | 2006-03-19 Listen to audio version Scripture Reading: Genesis 13:13 Lot … pitched his tents near Sodom. The man had a choice to make. He and his uncle were both immigrants who left their old country at the same time and journeyed together to a new land. Each ran his own business, but they stayed close and often worked together. They gained more and more holdings and had more and more people working for them—so many, in fact, that they finally had to part ways. There wasnt enough room for both enterprises to be in the same place at the same time, and there was rivalry and competition between their workers. So the old man and his nephew decided to go their separate ways before things got out of hand. Now all they had to do was decide where each would live and do business. The uncle was generous. As senior partner, he could have insisted on first choice, but he wanted to part on friendly terms, so he told his nephew, Lets not argue about who should settle where. Ill leave it up to you. You choose where you want to live and work, and Ill settle somewhere else. The nephew was delighted to have first choice. He knew exactly where he wanted to settle. He had in mind a city that had a thriving business community and was surrounded by land that was fertile and well-watered, perfect for agriculture. The place was brimming with opportunity. He couldnt lose! And so the nephew, whose name was Lot, chose to settle near a city called Sodom. One look at the flourishing economy of that area, and Lot knew it was the place for him. Meanwhile, his uncle, Abraham, settled near the town of Hebron. Fast-forward a few years. Lots dreams are coming true. He started out living on the outskirts of Sodom, but now hes got a place in Sodom itself. In fact, Lot is one of the most prominent men in the city. He has a seat in the city gates, where the members of the city council make policy and settle disputes. Not bad for an immigrant: a financial success and a city councilman! Lot has chosen well; hes made it big in the land of opportunity. But now fast-forward again. The picture has changed. Sodom is gone. Nothing remains but charred ruins. The twin cities of Sodom and Gomorrah have been obliterated; the suburbs and the surrounding countryside have also been wiped out. Lots wife is dead. The men his daughters were engaged to marry are dead. Lot himself is still alive, but only after a narrow escape. He and two daughters made it out of the city just in time, but the three of them are miserable. Lot no longer has a wife, his daughters have no husbands, and they have nothing else, either. When they fled from Sodom, there was no time to spare. They had to leave everything behind. It all went up in flames. Lots daughters are gloomy. They have no husband, no children, no money, no future. Theyre stuck living with their aging father in the mountains. They have no prospects for marriage, theyre not getting any younger, and it looks like their family line will simply disappear. Finally the two daughters come up with a plan. If you want a child, you dont really need a husband. Any man will do. And so they decide to get pregnant by the only man available—their father. The sisters give Lot plenty of wine and take turns going to bed with him. Their father is so drunk he doesnt know whats happening. Both women get pregnant through their incest and have babies. Lot spends the rest of his life out in the middle of nowhere with his two daughters and his two grandsons who also happen to be his sons. Not exactly a happy ending.
Posted on: Sat, 27 Sep 2014 20:36:51 +0000
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