Readings for today: Genesis 17-19
God wants a relationship. This is the basic, fundamental truth that runs throughout the Bible. He loves us the creature He made in His own image and His desire is to partner with this creature to care for all creation. Relationships of love cannot be coerced. They must be chosen. So throughout the Bible humanity is faced with a choice. Will they embrace a relationship with God or will they go their own way? Will they love this God in return or will they keep their love to themselves? Will they partner with this God and fulfill the creation mandate they were given or will they reject His offer of partnership and instead exploit creation for their own purposes? A lot rides on the choices we make. God holds us responsible for our decisions. Because we are given “agency” or free will, we must accept the consequences of that freedom. When we are faithful, the consequences are good. When we are the faithless, the consequences can be terrible.
Consider what takes place in our story today. God appears to Abraham at the oaks of Mamre. Abraham and Sarah welcome Him in true Middle Eastern style. They prepare a meal. They welcome Him to their table. They feast and fellowship with Him. When it’s time for God to leave, Abraham escorted Him from the camp. Along the way, God makes this amazing statement, “Shall I keep back from Abraham what I’m about to do? Abraham is going to become a large and strong nation; all the nations of the world are going to find themselves blessed through him. Yes, I’ve settled on him as the one to train his children and future family to observe God’s way of life, live kindly and generously and fairly, so that God can complete in Abraham what he promised him.” (Genesis 18:17-19 MSG) Here we have a window into how God sees His relationship with Abraham. It’s clear He wants a partner in Abraham. He wants someone He can work with for the good of the world. In order for Abraham to be a partner, God has to let him in on His plans.
What a contrast to the people of Sodom and Gomorrah! The brief picture we get shows a city full of horrific violence. They violate the sacred laws of hospitality that govern that part of the world to this day. Visitors to their cities are not safe. They are subjected to all kinds of violence, some of it sexual. We also know from Ezekiel 16 that these cities were filled with pride and arrogance, greed and selfishness, injustice and oppression, as well as “all manner of detestable things.” When God shows up in Sodom, He is attacked rather than welcomed. The people there have clearly rejected any offer of partnership and instead seem hell-bent on destroying all God has made. Things are so bad that God can’t even find ten righteous people. Not even among Lot’s own family.
God loves creation. He loves everything He has made. As such, He hates to see it corrupted. Hates to see it exploited. Hates to see what happens when evil seemingly runs wild. The people of Sodom and Gomorrah made their choice. They used their God-given freedom for selfish, violent, and horrific ends. God cannot allow such injustice to stand so He judges the cities. He literally rains down fire as an act of purifying judgment to cleanse the earth of their sin. It’s terrifying. Lot and his daughters are the only survivors, fleeing to a nearby city that is spared. Lot’s wife makes her choice by looking back with longing on the life they once led and is turned into a pillar of salt. The message seems clear. God will not compromise with human sin. When we reject our partnership with Him, the impact on our lives and the lives of those we love is dreadful.
It’s a sobering read. It’s one of the the things I appreciate most about the Bible. It reveals God in all His holiness and majesty and glory and it reveals humanity in all her corruption and sin and tendency for evil. It forces us to reflect on how far we have fallen and how much we need a Savior. Someone who will deliver us from the eternal consequences of our decisions. Spend some time today taking an honest inventory of your thoughts, attitudes, and actions. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you the depths of your sin and then let Him lead you to a deeper and greater and fuller appreciation of God’s grace and forgiveness revealed in Christ on the cross. Thanks be to God that the wrath He poured out on Sodom was poured out on His Son so we could be saved!
Readings for tomorrow: Genesis 20-23