Salty Playdough

O.T.#39 "Salty Playdough"   May 2, 2013
Genesis 18-19 Part 2  
Wilt Thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Genesis 18:23b

LET IT GLOW

The Lord contemplated whether to hide what he planned to do against the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah because of their wickedness from His friend, Abraham or reveal it. God always
looked for someone who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it. (Ezekial 22:30)

In Amos 3:7, He says, Surely the Lord God does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to
His servants the prophets.

Here is a "friend of God" being granted an insight into the Heart of God and becoming a "worker together with God." and it seems that the highest mission with God is intercession. Our Lord's activity in heaven is intercession.

According to Young's Concordance, intercession means to meet in behalf of one, Rom. 8:26; to
meet with, come between, interceed, Rom. 8:27, 34, 11:2, Heb. 7:25; a meeting between,
1 Tim.2:1.

The closer one comes to God in a love-relationship, the more God develops an immediate life of intercession. Only a confident faith in God will bring a child of God to such boldness in the
Presence of God.
[Resource: Created to be God's Friend by Henry T. Blackaby]

Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Wilt thou also destroy and not spare
the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? Shall not the Judge of all the earth
do right?
 
Abraham changed the number from 50 to 45, to 40, to 30, to 20, to 10. He made the intercession
in full humility and demonstrated true compassion for others.
The fact that fewer than ten righteous people lived in Sodom, however, provides a sad
commentary on the ineffectiveness of Lot's witness.  (Falwell)

If only ten believers could be found, God said He would spare the whole city. There were only
eight in the family-Lot, his wife, two married daughters and husbands, two single daughters. If
Lot had won his own family, plus only two neighbors, God would have spared a whole city!
(Wiersbe)

At least Abraham's intercession provided deliverance for Lot's family. Some made a wrong
choice-wife looked back and turned into a pillar of salt, 2 daughters and husbands didn't believe
Abraham. God showed grace and mercy, in 19:19.
Here is the first mention of mercy, chesed in Hebrew, is used 250 times in the Old Testament, indicated the faithfulness of God to those who are in a covenant relationship with Him.

Lot had found grace; he had been saved. Therefore, God had also been faithful to him.
do we seek God's grace and mercy in our life and interceed for them to be shown to loved ones?

LET IT GROW

I often make a fresh batch of playdough for my granddaughter. It requires a lot of salt. It is gritty,
too. I always think of a white statue made of salt when I read of Lot's wife. I wonder, how did
God keep the salt stuck together so it stood up? Oh well, only He could do such a thing.

Lot was told to Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain;
escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed. (verse 17)

Lot didn't obey fully, but went to a little and near town of Zoar. The Lord rained fire and
brimestone out of heaven. Lot's wife looked back on the things of this world and turned into a
pillar of salt. Where are we looking-in the past or future?

What a mess! The two unmarried daughters of Lot got their father drunk and committed incest
with him, which resulted in each having a son, named Moab and Ammon. Had Lot not taught
them any godly ways, any morals? These two tribes ended up being enemies of the Israelites,
always displeasing to God. See Numbers 25 and Leviticus 18.

Talk about drama. Hang on because there is more to come.
Are we teaching our family to obey God, love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, strength and to obey His Word? Are they following our example? What kind of example is it?

LET IT GO

Don't look back at the world, keep focused on God.

Thank God for His grace and mercy.

Be the example that my family needs as a committed Christian.

*National Day of Prayer for our nation, which we so desperately need.