Lot and His Daughters
Genesis 19:30-38 “Lot and his two daughters left Zoar and settled in the mountains—for he was afraid to stay in Zoar—where they lived in a cave. One day the older daughter said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is no man in the land to sleep with us, as is the custom over all the earth. Come, let us get our father drunk with wine, so that we can sleep with him and preserve his line.”
So that night they got their father drunk with wine, and the firstborn came and slept with her father; he was not aware when she lay down or when she got up.
The next day the older daughter said to the younger, “Look, I slept with my father last night. Let us get him drunk with wine again tonight, so you can go sleep with him, and we can preserve our father’s line.”
So again that night they got their father drunk with wine, and the younger daughter went and slept with him; he was not aware when she lay down or when she got up.
Thus both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their father. The older daughter gave birth to a son and named him Moab.(Son of my people) He is the father of the Moabites of today. The younger daughter also gave birth to a son, and she named him Ben-ammi.(From my father) He is the father of the Ammonites of today.”
Talk about sordid stories! Lot and his two daughters have escaped from Sodom and have left the small city of Zoar to which they fled when God destroyed the other cities of the plain. Evidently, Lot fears that the citizens of Zoar may blame him for God’s destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. The most reasonable thing to do would be for Lot to find Abraham and go live with him; however, instead, this once-prosperous man settles in the mountains and lives in a cave with his daughters. How this trio are managing to feed themselves is a mystery, but the daughters, who are thorough Sodomites, somehow get their father drunk so that he will impregnate each of them. Allegedly, the ancient nations of Moab and Ammon are descended from Lot’s incestuous relationship with his daughters.
This story raises more questions than answers. Why does Lot insist on living in a cave in the first place? Abraham’s camp is only a few days’ journey from Zoar. What happens to Lot and his daughters after he impregnates them? Obviously, these people don’t remain in that cave for very long. Is this story real or is this ant-Moabite and anti-Ammonite propaganda? And why doesn’t Lot ask God for guidance rather than huddling in a cave? After all, God is the One who has delivered Lot and his daughters.
The saddest part of this entire story is that despite years of moving with Abraham, Lot knows nothing about God. Even though Lot has watched Abraham worship God many times, he has obviously assumed that Abraham is crazy and is simply wasting all those prime animals he is sacrificing. Because Lot has never paid any attention to God, Lot has tolerated the moral filth of Sodom and has allowed it to pollute his daughters to the point that they think incest is a great solution to their problems.
While we are judging Lot, we need to ask ourselves about the spiritual atmosphere of our own homes. Here in Ghana, there are many videos that claim to be Christian; however, they are packed with sex, violence, witchcraft, and special effects. The filmmakers make the Christian claim because they attach a Bible verse at the very end of the video, after glorifying the devil. On many occasions, we have visited homes of fellow church members only to observe their children watching this trash. These days, the internet has become a stalking ground for sexual predators who entice young children and teens by pretending to be someone their own age. In many cases, children have been abducted when they have gone to meet these “friends.” Many cartoons have become political propaganda rather than entertainment or glorify violence.
For 33 years, the late Fred Rogers hosted a highly popular children’s television program entitled “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood.” Children and parents loved this program for its positive messages and gentle humor. Rogers was highly-trained in child development as well as being an ordained Presbyterian minister, and his program still exists in re-runs and on the internet. For some children, Mr. Rogers was the one who gave them a moral compass.
When I was a small child in Sunday School, we learned a simple song with a powerful message. “Be careful little eyes, what you see…for the Father up above is looking down in love, so be careful little eyes what you see.” The verses warned “Be careful little ears, what you hear,” “Be careful, little mouth what you say..” “Be careful little feet, where you go,” “Be careful little hands, what you do.” The refrain each time advised “For the Father up above is looking down in love…”
We have a Heavenly Father who continually looks down at us in love. If we want godly peace, a peace so deep that we cannot understand it, we must be careful about all those things that influence our lives-social media, television, videos, friends, and reading material. It’s likely that Lot’s life eventually ended miserably in grinding poverty and shame. God wants us to have good lives, lives of peace. But we must choose. Choose wisely.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to choose those things that will help us to have Your peace in our lives and the lives of our family members. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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