Judgement & Mercy

Good morning, everyone. So the reading is from 2 Peter, chapter 2, verses 1 to 10.

2 Peter 2:1–10

But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you,

who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the master who bought them, bringing

upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them,

the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed, they will exploit you with false words.

Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and the destruction is not asleep.

For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to

chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment, if he did not spare the ancient world,

but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others when he brought a flood upon

the world of the ungodly, if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them

to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly, and if he rescued

the righteous lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked, for as that righteous man

lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he

saw and heard. Then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous

under punishment until the day of judgment, and especially those who indulge in the lust of

defiling passion and despise authority.

Father, we thank you for all of your word.

We love going through a book section by section, and it means we don't skip over the difficult bits.

So I pray, as we come today, that we humbly sit under your word, trusting that we need to hear

Genesis 19, that it's not just people out there in the world, but we, we, your people, need to hear this.

So please bless us in ways, more ways than we can even expect, by sitting under your word now.

Give us minds that understand and hearts that believe. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Amen. Well, many put off Christianity because of the fire and brimstone judgment that we're about to see in Genesis 19.

Many would prefer the vision of a loving society of acceptance, you do you, live and let live.

This whole fire judgment stuff, it seems distasteful.

But is it really a loving society if there is no justice?

I want to read a quote from a prominent atheist, Richard Dawkins.

He once wrote this,

The universe, still the quoting,

The universe that we observe has precisely the properties we should expect if there is at bottom no design, no purpose, no evil, no good, nothing but pitiless indifference.

And yet, isn't there something in all of us that when we see or hear an atrocity, we want to call it what it is.

After the Bondi attack last year, our state premier and our prime minister reached for a word to describe that.

They said it was evil.

It wasn't enough to say it was a crime.

They reached for that word.

It's evil.

There's something in us, isn't there?

I don't care whether you believe in God or not.

There's something in us that wants to call it what it is.

That's wrong.

And if this universe is just blind physical forces, if there's no absolute right and wrong that sits over every culture and every single person, on what basis can you fight for justice?

If someone is being trampled by the powerful, what are you going to appeal to to say you shouldn't be doing that?

And if there's only blind, pitiless indifference, you can't give anyone hope who's grieving and oppressed.

There will be justice in the end.

We need justice.

We need it if we're going to have a truly loving world.

Now, God's promise to Abraham, we see in Genesis, is of a love-filled world.

He wants to restore the whole world.

He says, through Abraham, all the nations of the earth will be blessed, fully blessed from Abraham's family line.

So that's the hope we have.

As we continue the story, can I encourage you to have your Bibles open to Genesis 19.

I'm going to walk us through the story and then I want to finish with three lessons for us today.

So in Genesis 18, we heard that the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great.

And the Lord is visiting.

He's coming down to see the evidence firsthand.

And Abraham, in his unique relationship, covenant relationship, he's interceding.

He's praying.

Shall not the judge of all the earth do what is right, do what is just?

Far be it from you to sweep the righteous away with the wicked, with the guilty.

And he goes further still and he asks, instead of the sin of the many coming onto the few righteous, could it work the other way around?

Lord, can the few righteous, can you spare the wicked on their account?

Are you the kind of God who will spare the many sinners for the sake of the few righteous?

50, 40, 30, 20, 10.

And the repeated answer is, yes, I'm that kind of God.

I will spare Sodom, even if I find 10.

Just 10.

So, as we come into the story, we should be asking, is the judge of all the earth right?

Is he just in his judgment?

So, verses 1 to 3.

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 unlevered bread, and they ate.

Now, the way Lot receives the heavenly visitors, it should remind you, I think, remind us of what we saw last week.

He receives them as a humble servant, like we saw with Abraham.

He's bowing to the earth, giving them a meal.

But there's something else in the mix here, isn't there?

With Abraham, it's just peace and fellowship.

Something else is going on here.

The visitors want to spend the night in the town square behind the safety of the city gates.

But then Lot presses them strongly.

Now, that word we're going to see later in verse 9, the whole town is going to be pressing against Lot.

Something is going on.

Lot knows they are in danger.

What we're about to read is not a one-off event.

He knows the character of this town.

He's trying to protect them.

So, as we continue, verse 4.

Lot went out to the men of the entrance, shut the door after him, and said,

Lot, where are the men who came to you tonight?

Bring them out to us, that we may know them.

Lot went out to the men of the entrance, shut the door after him, and said, I beg you, my brothers, do not act so wickedly.

Behold, I have two daughters who have not known any man.

Let me bring them out to you, and do to them as you please.

Only do nothing to these men, for they have come under the shelter of my roof.

But they said, stand back.

And they said, this fellow came to sojourn, and he has become the judge.

Now we will deal worse with you than with them.

Then they pressed hard against the man, Lot, and drew near to break the door down.

But the men reached out their hands and brought Lot into the house with them and shut the door.

And they struck with blindness the men who were at the entrance of the house, both small and great,

so that they wore themselves out, groping for the door.

It's a scary scene.

We once had two drunks bang on our front door late at night.

They thought it was their house.

And they were trying to convince me it was their house.

Now let me tell you, I was not opening that front door.

It was scary.

I had my phone, I was just about to call the police because they weren't listening.

This is a scary scene.

There is no police.

The whole town is there.

This is a scary scene.

It is in bold and underlined italics.

The men of the entire city, young and old.

All the people, the last man, surrounding the house.

And what do they want?

They want to know them.

Now to know, usually, in the Old Testament, means how we use the word.

Get acquainted with someone.

Understand who they are.

So there's some Christians who want to paint a positive picture of homosexuality.

And they say, it's not sexual here.

What's really going on is that the town is offended that Lot, a foreigner, has taken in these visitors and they haven't, he hasn't run it by the town to vet them.

Should they stay or not?

And they're offended.

And then they get violent.

Now context.

Context always helps us understand the meaning of a word.

Verse 8.

We got the word no again.

Lot's solution to this is disturbing, is it not?

He offers his daughters clearly in a sexual sense.

They have known no man.

He's offering his daughters sexually.

And that explanation, does that really deserve fire coming down in judgment as we're about to hear?

Appeal is made to Ezekiel 1649 because Ezekiel says this,

Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom, pride, excess of food and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy.

But we should expect a sick society to be sick in different ways.

And when you combine Ezekiel with what we're reading in Genesis, it's disturbingly close to our Western culture.

Prosperous ease.

And I know there's costs of living crisis, but compared to the rest of the world,

prosperous ease.

Not helping the poor.

Flaunting sexual so-called freedom.

It's a sick society in many ways.

Sort of.

The word no here, what's going on, we all know what's happening here.

It's an attempt at gang rape.

Now, I'm sorry if that's triggering to anyone.

I just want to call it what it is.

Sometimes you need to call evil for what it is.

Now, they're given an opportunity to repent.

Lot goes out.

I beg you, my brothers.

He's identifying.

My brothers do not act so wickedly.

Who are you to judge?

They overrule any feelings of shame.

Who are you to judge?

But by rejecting Lot, they're really despising God's authority.

They're trying to ease their own conscience.

They're rejecting that there is a judge of all the earth who has the right to tell all of us what is right and wrong,

and who has the power to enforce it.

There is a judge who hears the cries.

They're given an opportunity to repent.

Who are you to judge?

They're even given a partial judgment.

They're blinded.

Now, it's probably a blinding light.

Now, what do they do?

Do they try and make their way home?

No, they wear themselves out, groping for the door.

They're so intent on gratifying their desire.

Look, we all intuitively know you don't need the Ten Commandments.

God's law is written on all of our hearts.

This isn't just a crime.

This is evil.

This is wrong.

The judge is just.

He sees the evidence before acting.

He gives opportunity to repent, even partial judgment before final.

But he will avenge all the cries that Sodom has caused.

Well, verse 12.

Then the men said to Lot, the angels that is,

Have you anyone else here?

Sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or anyone you have in the city?

Bring them out of the place.

For we are about to destroy this place.

Because the outcry against its people has become great before the Lord.

And the Lord has sent us to destroy it.

So Lot went out and said to his sons-in-law, who were to marry his daughters,

Up, get out of this place, for the Lord is about to destroy the city.

But he seemed to his sons-in-law to be jest.

Now, I think there's every reason to imagine that these men were in the crowd.

We're told all the men were gathered at the door.

They don't deserve this warning.

But see the Lord's desire to save anyone associated with Lot.

Go warn them.

And you'd expect their future father-in-law would have some respect in their eyes.

But life was still normal, as Bo introduced the morning.

It's a normal night.

It's a normal day.

The idea of God's coming judgment, it's ridiculous to them.

It's not something to fear.

They make a joke of it.

Verse 15,

As morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying,

Up, take your wife and your two daughters, who are here,

lest you be swept away in the punishment of the city.

But he lingered.

So the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand,

the Lord being merciful to him.

And they brought him out and set him outside the city.

And as they brought them out, one said,

Escape for your life.

Do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley.

Escape to the hills, lest you be swept away.

And Lot said to them,

Oh no, my lords.

Behold, your servant has found favor in your sight,

and you have shown me great kindness in saving my life.

But I cannot escape to the hills, lest the disaster overtake me and I die.

Behold, this city is near enough to flee to,

and it is a little one.

Let me escape there.

Is it not a little one?

And my life will be saved.

He said to him,

Behold, I grant you this favor also,

that I will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken.

Escape there quickly,

for I can do nothing till you arrive there.

Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.

Five times here we've got the word escape, flee.

But Lot lingers.

Now, is he overwhelmed?

Like his whole world is coming crashing down.

Like did he just freeze?

I'm not sure.

Because of his requests that he makes,

I think it's more likely he's in two minds.

There's a part of him that doesn't want to leave.

He chose to live in Sodom.

He still loves Sodom to some extent.

The angels had to grab them by the hand

and basically drag them out.

And they give a clear command,

Escape for your life.

This is a life and death moment.

I was once skiing in Thredbo

and it had been raining for days

and I stopped by this path

where water was coming over

so I couldn't keep going.

And the sound of rushing waters,

it was terrifying.

It was a hillside

and water and snow just got mixed up.

I don't know,

I think avalanche is the right word.

And it went within metres of me.

Like I have no idea.

Time slowed down.

I think maybe five seconds.

It was life and death.

I had a quick decision to make.

Now what do we see Lot asking for here?

It is a life and death moment.

Can I have this little city?

What's he doing?

He's trying to bargain.

He's told that the entire valley will be destroyed.

The entire valley is part of this sin of Sodom.

And he's asking,

just give me a little city.

I think he's still in love with Sodom.

He's still clinging to the life he knows.

And they are incredibly patient,

full of mercy,

and they even grant him that request.

Verse 23.

The sun had risen on the earth when Lot came to Zohar.

Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah

sulfur and fire from the Lord out of heaven.

And he overthrew those cities and all the valley

and all the inhabitants of the cities

and what grew on the ground.

But Lot's wife behind him looked back

and she became a pillar of salt.

Lot, in the end, he does believe.

He does flee.

But the moment he steps into Zohar,

the Lord does nothing until he reaches safety.

Whatever the fire is,

whether it's natural,

if there's natural causes or supernatural,

you can go research it if you want to look into that.

But it doesn't really matter.

The point here is the Lord himself is the source.

That's very clear.

Yahweh rained on Sodom and Gomorrah

sulfur and fire from the Lord out of heaven.

The Lord's judgment is sudden.

It is severe.

He is the source of it.

He is the judge.

But not a second before he rescues his people.

He gets them out first.

But why does Lot's wife not escape?

Emma and I got to visit Pompeii and Herculaneum,

the volcanic eruption of 79 AD.

And there's bodies that were covered in ash

and they could make cast moulds out of them

because they were preserved.

And it's really disturbing looking at those cast moulds

because it's just so human.

You've got someone covering a child.

You've got someone covering their face.

It was...

I just thought it would be, I don't know,

lava or debris hitting them,

but it's the pyroclastic flow.

It's this above 300 degrees Celsius

travelling at over 100 kilometres an hour

just gone.

Now I have no idea what happened to Lot's wife

but she became a pillar.

Her corpse stands in Scripture as a warning

of a willful decision to turn back.

I don't think we should be imagining

that she was running

and she heard noise and she glanced.

This was a direct defiance of what the angel said.

Lot and her daughters ahead running

and she stopped and turned, looked back.

Now for whatever reason,

she's leaving behind her hometown,

she's leaving behind their home

and their prosperity.

She turned back.

What's shocking about this rescue

is how reluctant the whole family is

to leave.

To leave.

The sons-in-law laugh it off.

Lot's wife changes her mind.

Lot himself lingers.

He hesitates and he's bargaining

to keep some of it.

They're all reluctant to leave.

Well, given how compromised Lot is,

he's a mixed character.

Why was he saved?

Why did he survive?

Verse 27 to 29.

And Abraham went early in the morning

to the place where he had stood before the Lord

and he looked down towards Sodom and Gomorrah

and toward all the land of the valley.

And he looked and behold,

the smoke of the land went up

like the smoke of a furnace.

So it was that when God destroyed

the cities of the valley,

God remembered Abraham

and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow

when he overthrew the cities

in which Lot had lived.

On purpose, we're reminded of the scene

we saw last week of Abraham standing,

interceding for sinners.

Lot is saved in spite of Lot.

He is a mixed character.

In chapter 12, he leaves with Abraham

out of their hometown.

He follows God's call on Abraham out.

And yet chapter 13, he picks Sodom.

They've got a reputation.

He sees the prosperity there

and he pitches his tent there.

To Peter, in our earlier reading,

says his righteous soul was tormented.

He still had a morality about him.

Everything he heard and saw around him

troubled him.

He was still shocked.

But he never left Sodom.

Now, I might be reading into the text here.

Why did he stay there

if he was tormented?

He's a mixed picture.

We're told why he is saved

and if you go to the fundamental reason why,

it's nothing to do with Lot.

God remembered his covenant with Abraham

and so he was merciful.

I think Abraham here is a type of Christ.

Brothers and sisters,

our deliverance on that final day of judgment,

I'm a mixed picture.

I think we're all a mixed picture.

The fundamental reason anyone is shown mercy

on that final day is simply,

it's outside of ourselves.

It's because we belong to the Lord Jesus Christ

by faith.

God will remember Jesus

and so we're shown mercy.

Now, I'd love to finish the story there

but unfortunately,

we've got a revolting epilogue.

Here's the last thing

we learn about Lot's story.

Verse 30.

Now, Lot went up out of Zohar

and lived in the hills

with his two daughters

for he was afraid to live in Zohar.

So he lived in a cave

with his two daughters.

And the firstborn said to the younger,

our father is old

and there is not a man on earth

to come into us

after the menna of all the earth.

Come, let us make our father drink wine

and we will lie with him

that we may preserve offspring

from our father.

So they made their father

drink wine that night

and the firstborn went in

and lay with her father.

He did not know

when she lay down

or when she rose.

The next day,

the firstborn said to the younger,

behold,

I lay last night with my father.

Let us make him drink wine

tonight also.

Then you go in

and lie with him

that we may preserve offspring

from our father.

So they made their father

drink wine that night also.

And the younger arose

and lay with him

and he did not know

when she lay down

or when she arose.

Thus both the daughters of Lot

became pregnant by their father.

The firstborn bore a son,

called his name Moab.

He is the father

of the Moabites to this day.

The younger also bore a son

and called his name Ben-Ami.

He is the father

of the Ammonites to this day.

I have no idea

why Lot doesn't return to Abraham.

Whatever the case,

the daughters wanting to preserve

the family

come up with an awful solution

rather than waiting

for the Lord to provide.

They take matters

into their own hands.

Now, I think this story

would have been a warning

to Israel.

Moabites and Ammonites

were their nearest neighbours.

Moabites worshipped

the fertility gods

where worship was,

it was sexual.

Ammonites worshipped

Molech

that demanded

child sacrifice.

Here we see

Lot's influence

on the next generation.

The daughters

don't seek

Lot's consent

just as he didn't

seek their consent

when he offered them.

Him getting so drunk

that he doesn't

agree to this,

I don't think

it exonerates him.

What is he doing

getting so plastered?

Twice.

I think he's

like Noah.

After the destruction,

it's what we saw

with Noah too.

I think overall

what we're meant

to be seeing here

is as one commentator

puts it,

the rebirth

of Sodom

in the cave.

Sin continued

after Noah's flood.

Sin continues

after Sodom

and Gomorrah

are destroyed.

it lives on

in the world.

Well, there's a story.

I want to draw out

three lessons

for us today.

Sorry,

I saw Ches

just breathe out.

You're probably

all feeling that.

The first lesson

for us

is God's justice

is coming.

Sodom and Gomorrah

stands as a warning

through history

of God's

certain judgment

on immorality.

when Abraham

stood and watched

that smoke

just go up

like a bushfire,

he knew

he was called

to command

his children

after him

to follow

the way

of the Lord

to be different

from the rest

of the world.

Be in the world

but not of the world.

How did they do?

If there's a competition

for the most

disturbing passage

in the Bible,

this is

pretty up there

for one of the

most disturbing

chapters.

I think one of them,

another one,

just creeps in front

and it's Judges 19.

It's Abraham's

descendants,

they've been

freed from Egypt,

they've got the

law of Moses,

they're in the land

and a traveller

comes to the

town square,

a man invites him

in,

gives him a meal,

gives him rest.

The men of the city

surround the house

demanding to know him.

The host goes out,

almost identical

words to the lot,

saying don't do

this wickedness.

He offers his

daughter and a

concubine,

he forces the

concubine outside

and I really

don't want to

finish the story.

I'll let you

go and read it,

it is

disgusting.

Here's one of

the opening

verses of the

prophet Isaiah,

hear the word

of the Lord

you rulers of

Sodom,

give ear to

the teaching

of our God

you people

of Gomorrah.

Sodom stood

as a warning

to Abraham's

descendants

and it still

stands as a

warning to us

today as we

heard in 2

Peter 2,

universal

judgment is

coming and

it will be

just.

we've got even

more certainty

that it's

coming.

We don't

just have the

smoke of

Sodom.

When the

eternal Son of

God came and

visited us,

look what

mankind did

in receiving

him.

When we see

him hanging on

the cross,

if that's what

it took to

drink the cup

of God's

wrath,

we can

know for

sure God

cares about

justice.

We can

know for

certain God's

judgment is

coming.

So that's the

first lesson for

us, it is

coming.

The second

lesson for us

is Lot's

wife.

Jesus uses

Lot's wife

wife.

As a

warning in

Luke 17,

as we wait

for him to

visit a

second time,

remember

Lot's wife.

Whoever

seeks to

preserve his

life will

lose it,

but whoever

loses his

life will

keep it.

It doesn't

take long in

your Christian

walk before

you know

someone who

you would

say, I

never would

have thought

that Christian

would have

looked back.

Whether it's

the allure of

wealth, or

some lover, or

they just want

to give full

vent their

passions and

desires, they

don't want to

struggle against

sin anymore.

We all know

Christians who

have made a

willful decision,

I just, I

don't believe

judgment is

coming anymore,

I can't believe

this fire and

brimstone stuff.

Lot's wife, she

willfully changes

her mind because

she loves the

world.

now there's a

difference between

Lot and

Lot's wife,

he's a

contradiction

like me,

horrified at

wickedness and

yet reluctant

to let go of

it.

There's

something I

still love

about this

world, I'm

reluctant to

let go of

it.

but he

does believe,

he does

run.

But Lot's

wife, she

willfully decides

to turn back.

now this is

going to, I

think it's

going to speak

to us

differently so

I just want

to ask a

question because

I think it'll

hit us all

differently.

What

compromise are

you letting

creep into

your faith,

to your

morality,

to your

effectiveness as

salt and

light,

because you're

reluctant to

leave.

You're

reluctant to

leave what

this world

offers you.

Remember

Lot's

wife.

So one

final lesson,

we see here

why someone

is saved.

there's one

little phrase

in verse 16,

it is the

heart of

this story,

it's just

a dark,

it's like

a jeweller

putting a

diamond on

a black

cloth,

this whole

chapter is

just black

and there's

this little

diamond and

you could

easily miss

it.

Verse 16,

the Lord

being merciful

to him

and he

drags him

out.

Lot had

to be

dragged

out by

the

Lord.

Lot

isn't

ultimately

saved

because he

was

hospitable

to the

guests

or he

tried to

tell his

sons-in-law

to flee

and be

saved.

He's

saved

because he

belonged

to Abraham.

We are

saved

simply

because we

belong

to Jesus.

we've got

no room

for boasting.

If you

believe today

it's because

God has

grabbed you

and dragged

you out.

We would

have all

laughed at

such a

message on

our own.

We would

have all

lingered

in love

with this

world.

We are

saved by

God's

mercy

alone

that

he's

grabbed

hold

of us.

I just

want to

finish by

reading a

bit of

Ephesians

2

because it

has really

warmed my

heart afresh

this week

so I

want to

share it.

Let me

open to

it.

And you

were dead

in the

trespasses

and sins

in which

you once

walked

following

the course

of this

world

following

the prince

of the

power of

the air

the spirit

that is

now at

work

in the

sons of

disobedience

among

whom we

all

once

lived

in the

passions

of our

flesh

carrying

out the

desires

of the

body

and the

mind

and

were by

nature

children

of

wrath

like the

rest of

mankind

but

God

being

rich

in

mercy

because

of the

great

love

with which

he

loved

us

even

when

we

were

dead

in

our

trespasses

made

us

alive

together

with

Christ

by

grace

you

have

been

saved

and

raised

us

up

with

him

and

seated

us

with

him

in

the

heavenly

places

in

Christ

Jesus

so that

in the

coming

ages

he

might

show

the

immeasurable

riches

of

his

grace

in

kindness

toward

us

in

Christ

Jesus

for

by

grace

you

have

been

saved

through

faith

and

this

is

not

your

own

doing

it

is

the

gift

of

God

not

a

result

of

works

so

that

no

one

may

boast

for

we

are

his

workmanship

created

in

Christ

Jesus

for

good

works

which

God

prepared

beforehand

that

we

should

walk

in

them

well

praise

be to

his

mercy

let's

let's

pray

father

i just

want to

praise

you

for

your

mercy

that

you

would

send

your

son

to

sinners

who

don't

deserve

what

you've

given

us

we

thank

you

that

you've

grabbed

us

while

we

were

dead

in

sin

and

blind

to

the

truth

and

you

grabbed

us

and

made

us

alive

with

Christ

father

i pray

that

you

would

help

us

to

be

salt

and

light

in

this

world

walking

in

the

good

works

by

your

spirit

now

help

us

to

be

praising

your

mercy

not

arrogant

as if

we

are

better

than

the

world

but

just

praising

you

that

you

grabbed

us

and

saved

us

pray

this

in

Jesus

name

amen

that