Falling into the Pits

O.T. #31 "Falling into the Pits"
April 23, 2013
Genesis 13-Part 2
And the vale of Siddim was full of slimepits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled,
and fell there; and they that remained fled to the mountain. Genesis 14:10 

LET IT GLOW

After the rain, one has to wear rubber boots out into the cow lot. Puddles are everywhere contain-
ing the wastes of cows. Not only is it a stinky mess, but a slimmy, muddy mess.You have to walk slowly so as not to slide down or stumble over a hidden rock. It certainly isn't my choice of a
path for walking. Lot must have been on the same path. What happened?

A conflict occurred in Abraham's family after leaving Egypt. He and Lot, the nephew, had so
many animals that the land could not feed them all. (verse 6) Christ is a divider (John 7:43, 9:16, 10:19). In this case, dividing was good. Lot pitched his tent and looked toward Sodom, the sinful city,
then choose the plush land of Jordan and moved closer to Sodom. He finally moved and lived
in Sodom, where the wicked people lived.

We can contrast the two men, Abraham and Lot:

• Abraham walked with the light/Lot went toward the darkness;
• Abraham became a friend of God/Lot became a friend of the world;
• Abraham was given all of the land/Lot took part of the land;
• Abraham's family was blessed/Lot's family was destroyed;
• Abraham kept his tent and altar/Lot soon lost both.

Is my life different from those living in the worldliness?

LET IT GROW

Lot thought his move was going to be one of gain, but it turned out to be one of loss. The kings mentioned at the beginning of chapter 14 were at war with each other. The kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled and fell into the slimepits. Their people left for the mountains and the cities
were captured (14:10). Remember, these were wicked people who didn't worship God. These cities were full of homosexuals, too. Easy come, easy go. Lot lost everything-captured.
Slimepits were holes from which bitumen had been excavated. (Liberty Bible Commentary)
Bitumen is any of a class of natural substance such as petroleum and asphalt. (Webster's
Dictionary)

Isn't that where sin leads-the slimepits?

As it turns out, there was an escapee and Abraham had an informant of the situation. Blow the trumpet, here comes the charging Calvary. (Oh, it's not a western.) He took 318 trained servant
men, chased  after the enemies, and rescued Lot and his bunch. Isn't that like Abraham, taking
care of Lot?
The separated believer helps the backslider. It took traveling 120 miles to overcome the enemies,
but Abraham did it. Can you picture this man over 75 leading the charge?
Lot got in trouble when he walked by sight and not by faith.

Lot followed the path of friendship with the world (James 4:4), then love of the world
(1John 2:15-17), then conformity to the world (Rom. 12:2), and finally, judgment with the world (1Cor. 11:32). (Wiersbe's Expository Outlines on the Old Testament)

Which way are we walking?

LET IT GO

Watch were I am walking and looking.

Make sure the path I am on is one on which God has me.

Remain friends with God, not friends with the world.

If possible, rescue the backslider.