The daughters of Lot: Dangers of living in a community where sin is normalized

We live in strange times and some of the things that we see each day are just unpredictable. Sin has become so normalized that any attempt to condemn evil leads one to be tagged with names. Growing up in a small community in Ghana, we learnt the importance of living right before you become a laughing stock for your wrongful acts. I am very sure that the same community has adjusted to accommodate some of the things we were told to run away from. My stay in the West has been quite different. From Europe to North America, the average teenager has to navigate through a barricade of sinful acts that have been normalized. The list goes on and on and parents have to consciously unteach some of the things the children are taught from school. Our generation is very learned but highly exposed to all sorts of normalized evils. We need intentionality to sail through. Most of these sinful acts are not new under the sun. However, the same sins that received punishment from God and society, are currently celebrated and patronized even by some churches. God have mercy! The truth is God’s standards have not changed and at the end of the age, every sin committed will be punished unless the offenders come to repentance and change their ways.

Let’s get our father to drink wine and then sleep with him and preserve our family line through our father.” (Genesis 19:32)

The daughters of Lot lived in a city where sin was patronized on communal levels. In fact, they witnessed a mob trying to break into their homes to sleep with the two guests in their house. As if that was not enough, even their own father had wanted to give them (the daughters) out to be molested by the whole mob: “Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them. But don’t do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof” (Genesis 19:8). But, the daughters of Lot also witnessed how God deals with evil and disobedience. They saw Sodom, Gomorrah and surrounding cities destroyed by fire and brimstone from heaven for their sinful acts. Finally, they witnessed their mum turn into a pillar of salt for disobedience. These daughters had seen it all and yet when they finally settled on the mountains, they had an outrageous plan. “One day the older daughter said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is no man around here to give us children—as is the custom all over the earth. Let’s get our father to drink wine and then sleep with him and preserve our family line through our father.” (Genesis 19:31‭-‬32).

Like seriously? Lot’s own daughters connived and “raped him” on different nights in order to raise offspring? Their actions is the result of a bigger process; they had lived in a community where sin is normalized and patronized on communal levels. The daughters jointly agreed to this incestuous acts. They were successful in the evil deeds and “both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their father. The older daughter had a son, and she named him Moab; he is the father of the Moabites of today. The younger daughter also had a son, and she named him Ben-Ammi; he is the father of the Ammonites of today.” (Genesis 19:36‭-‬38). Aside the spiritual and moral implications of incestuous relationships, health wise, it not preferred as it can led to children with genetic disorders. God has made it clear throughout scripture that one should not have sexual relations with close relations. Galatians 5:19-21 makes it clear; “The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

We can only change society if we are intentional about making our homes reflect the pattern of God. There is no doubt that the greatest threat to Christianity in the West is the distortion of God’s plan for the family and the home. Our intentionality is therefore important to save our children from conforming to the patterns of this generation. Lot’s daughters saw, encountered, experienced and possibly became accustomed to living in sin. They crafted their own enterprise and made their own father a victim of what they had been baptized into. The final destination of Lot’s generation is destruction. God hates sin! 
“Therefore, as surely as I live,” declares the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, “surely Moab will become like Sodom, the Ammonites like Gomorrah— a place of weeds and salt pits, a wasteland forever. The remnant of my people will plunder them; the survivors of my nation will inherit their land.” (Zephaniah 2:9)

Lot’s wife: The dangers of looking back

Have you ever wanted something so badly that even though you knew that it is not good for you, you still went ahead to have it? Desires and cravings if not controlled can lead one to make the wrong choices and decisions. Whatever does not add to us, takes away a virtue from us and as such we should be very intentional about what we desire for. We shall consider one woman whose desire to look back to see what she left behind caused her to lose her life. Lot’s wife was a mother to two girls and obviously the wife of Lot. The only name we have is Lot’s wife so let’s call her Mrs. Lot. Like many women in the Bible, Mrs. Lot is not heard of much. The Bible does not tell us much about her personality. Let’s imagine that she was happily married to Lot and they were blessed with two daughters. Mr. and Mrs. Lot lived with Abraham and family until a conflict arose between the herdsmen of Abraham and Lot. For peace to prevail, Abraham  said to Lot, “Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives. Is not the whole land before you? Let’s part company. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.” (Genesis 13:8‭-‬9)

We are not told whether Lot consulted his wife before making this all important decision. “Lot looked around and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan toward Zoar was well watered, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company” (Genesis 13:10‭-‬11). These verses reveal the heart of Lot when he chose the best of the land. His wife and children and all he had followed him to the well watered land which was like the Garden of the Lord. Mr. and Mrs. Lot moved and “lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom. Now the people of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord” (Genesis 13:12‭-‬13). Moving to the well watered land had its own implications and Lot and his wife suddenly became part of a sinful community whose act of sin became so obnoxious to God that they were marked for destruction. How did Mrs. Lot survive in such an infiltrating environment? Did she have friends from the city? How did she manage her household to live holy in the midst of the stench of sin? Unfortunately, even though Abraham bargained up to ten righteous souls, Mr. and Mrs. Lot did not even have servants who were not polluted by the sins of Sodom. 

But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt. (Genesis 19:26)

Lot and the family hosted the two divine men who were sent by God to destroy the cities and that caused the men of the land to attack Lot’s house. “The two men said to Lot, “Do you have anyone else here—sons-in-law, sons or daughters, or anyone else in the city who belongs to you? Get them out of here, because we are going to destroy this place. The outcry to the Lord against its people is so great that he has sent us to destroy it” (Genesis 19:12‭-‬13). Even the men who had pledged to marry the children of Lot were not ready to leave the sinful city. The men brought the family out of the city and “as soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!” (Genesis 19:17). Looking back was no option. The mess in Sodom was not healthy for the family and God saved Lot’s family because of his covenant with Abraham. Don’t look back should have echoed in their eyes and with fear and trembling, the family would have run with all the strength in them. Their future was ahead of them, their past was behind them. All that they possessed, their house, their animals, their expensive garments, the beautiful gold accessories, the friends, the pomp of their lives were all left behind in Sodom. “But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt” (Genesis 19:26).

Mrs. Lot was rescued from Sodom but she became a monument of salt reminding us of the dangers of looking back. She lost all that she possessed and the single act of looking back to see what she lost led to the loss of her life. She was saved from Sodom but did not reach her destination. Whenever we are saved from the lust and passions of this world, we should be intentional about looking up to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Looking back could be disastrous and can cause one to miss the destination. Our future is ahead, what lies behind is a baggage of sinful acts that pulls us from knowing God. In the past, we were slaves to our sinful passions. Now, we are children of the Most High God and our focus is things above not those behind. Mrs. Lot looked back and lost her soul. We should be intentional about looking unto Jesus. The old ways of life are permanently closed and we should not desire it nor look back to see what we have lost. The truth is, we lost nothing but gained everything. 

Sarai’s alternative: Go, sleep with my slave

Sarai and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, male and female servants, and camels from Egypt (Genesis 12:16). The couple returned to Canaan with all that they received from Egypt including their male and female servants. Remember, in Egypt, Sarai’s integrity was sacrificed so Abram could survive without the Egyptians attacking him. God intervened to rescue Sarai from the Pharaoh who had taken Sarai because Abram called her his sister. Back in Canaan, the couple lived their lives and continued their relationship with God. In fact, Abram and his cousin Lot parted and Lot chose the best land, Sarai did not complain. Abram and the men in his house had to go and rescue Lot because Lot and all he had were captured, Sarai did not complain that Lot chose the best and must suffer for it. Then in Genesis 15, God renewed his covenant with Abram and reiterated the promise to bless him with a child. “Then the word of the Lord came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.” He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.” (Genesis 15:4‭-‬6)

Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar; so she said to Abram, “The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.” Abram agreed to what Sarai said. (Genesis 16:1‭-‬2)

A lot happened when the couple returned from Egypt. Suddenly, Sarai had a plan to facilitate God’s promise. She looked through her household slaves and saw Hagar, a slave from Egypt. She scanned Hagar and realized that Hagar would be a good choice to help fulfil God’s promise. Sarai, a woman of class and beauty knew Abram’s taste and as such, she chose the slave girl who could be a good match. Abram had not complained that Sarai should have a child. In fact, Hagar was entirely Sarai’s plan to have a child. It was a common practice those days to have children through your slaves. After Sarai had perfectly crafted her plan, “she said to Abram, “The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.” Abram agreed to what Sarai said. So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. He slept with Hagar, and she conceived. When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress.” (Genesis 16:2‭-‬4)

Hagar wasn’t a bad choice after all. Abram agreed to Sarai’s plan and slept with Hagar. To be the wife of a powerful man like Abram was a big thing. Hagar became pregnant for Abram, the same thing Sarai had been waiting on for years. It must have been a great joy to Sarai and Abram. Sarai could have told Abram, “I told you that Hagar is a good choice” and Abram would have beamed with smiles. But, Hagar had another plan. When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress and this situation didn’t go down well with Sarai. The plan seemed good until Sarai felt mocked and disrespected by Hagar. All that Sarai wanted was a child but she felt her position was threatened because her own slave girl was treating her with contempt. The result of this was Sarai’s maltreatment of Hagar until Hagar, the pregnant slave fled (Genesis 16:6). Sarai had a plan to have a child but she didn’t consider the potential effects of rivalry and disrespect. All this time, she had enjoyed the comfort of being Abram’s first lady. But she had a competitor, one Sarai herself planned and brought forth to Abram.

Sarai’s baby plan worked, but she couldn’t stand disrespect and ridicule. The result was her harsh treatment of Hagar. Did Sarai count the cost? Was she scared of losing her position of love and affection? Did she lose her faith in God to fulfill His promise to them? Whatever happened to Sarai, resulted in bitterness and resentment towards her slave girl. The good plan became torn in her flesh. Hagar is pregnant but Sarai isn’t happy. The baby wasn’t the problem, Sarai had a deeper longing that was not satisfied by Hagar’s pregnancy. Sometimes, the things we crave for are not necessarily the things that bring satisfaction to our souls. Only God can satisfy our spiritual and physical emptiness. Sarai, instead of celebrating the pregnancy of Hagar, rather became a bitter woman. Be careful about what you long for, it can make or unmake you. As we ponder on Sarai’s attitude towards Hagar, it important to learn some lessons from Ephesians 4:31-32, 
“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”