Lot’s ineffective influence on his family for God continues. They escaped from Sodom at the hand of the two angels who told him and his two daughters to run to the nearby mountain. He begged the angels to permit them to go to a small city named Zoar. However, he began to be fearful for his life in Zoar and went to dwell in a cave in the mountain. When we try to find ways to disobey God, we end up being confused what to do. The reason is that there is no basis on which to be grounded. That is one of Satan’s efforts to minimize our spiritual growth. It is unfortunate that so many people have today no grounding in the Bible and prayer.
When Lot and his two daughters were dwelling in the cave, they conspired to seduce their father so they would have heirs. Apparently, they brought with them supplies including wine or they got it from someone in Zoar. They made the assumption that because Lot was old, there would be no other man to give them the ability to have children. They got him drunk so that he could be seduced saying they wanted to preserve his seed. Excuses make no valid weight to God for anybody.
Of course, there was no knowledge of DNA in those days. Today, we object to incest as a crime. Then there was no consideration to that practice. They thought they were doing a good thing. We can reframe a situation to God that our behavior is good even though it is not. In their case, this was proven to be bad behavior that resulted in the creation of the Moabites and the Ammonites. Much later, the Moabites put themselves at odds with the Hebrews as they were conducting their wilderness journey toward the Promised Land by not allowing them to cut through their land. In effect, the Moabites remained enemies to the Hebrews.
Later the Ammonites joined forces with the Moabites to war against Israel. Further in time, the Israelites actually worshipped the idols of the Ammonites. Eventually, Solomon married Ammonite women and also worshipped their idols. The mother of King Rehoboam was an Ammonite. Continually, throughout the history of Israel, both the Ammonites and Moabites were very troublesome. It all started with two daughters committing incest with their father. Certainly, this is a reminder and a warning against rash decisions without asking for God’s leadership. Notice that nowhere in this entire story did anyone seek God’s guidance or permission.
It is God’s desire to be intrinsically involved in our lives, but we must ask for it seeking that fellowship that is so necessary. Who among us makes it a priority for God in decision making? Who among us takes into consideration that our decisions can have significant impact in the future. Stop to think how any of us can inadvertently promote sin by our purchases and how we attend events that are not God approved. The future is in our hands for what we decide and how we are involving God.
