Biblical story of Lott and his daughter. Bible online. The city of Sigor where Lot lived

1. Two angels - The Hebrew original says: "These two angels came." The above words testify that they were angels who visited Abraham on the same day (Gen. 18:22). It is not explicitly stated that they came on the same day, but it is evident from verse 27. The distance from Hebron to Sodom was at least 27 miles over mountainous terrain, and their journey could take 7 to 8 hours. Since the angels left Abraham in the afternoon, they could only reach the night by walking.

Lot was sitting at the gate - Lot, who had previously set up his tents near Sodom (Gen.13:12), by this time had managed to build a house inside the city. In ancient cities public life concentrated at the city gates. The marketplaces were located here (2 Kings 7:1, Nehemiah 13:19) and the elders of the city sat right there (Deut. 21:19, 22:15, 25:7, Is. :1 etc.). So David sat at the gate, wanting to speak with the people (2 Sam. 19:8), the events of the day were also discussed at the gate (Ps. 69:12, Pr. 31:31) and all public announcements were made (Pr. 1:21, 8:3). Why Lot sat at the gates of the city is not said. One thing is clear, that he expected strangers to whom he could show hospitality, and whom he could protect from the Sodomites. Some interpreters believe that he was made a judge in this city. Such a conclusion does not necessarily follow from Gen. 19:19, but it is quite possible, especially given its related ties with Abraham, who once saved the whole city from slavery.

Lot saw and stood up - Seeing the strangers, Lot, like Abraham, immediately offered them his hospitality. His greeting was like Abraham's in every way (Gen. 18:2-5).

2. We spend the night on the street - The angels immediately accepted Abraham's invitation, but they hesitated at Lot's invitation. They tested Lot, wanting to see if his invitation was dictated by cold courtesy or heartfelt desire. It can be seen from ancient chronicles that wanderers often spent the night in open area(Gen. 23:11). If it were not for the inhabitants of Sodom, then lodging for the night on the street would not have been a great inconvenience, since the cities of the valley had a subtropical climate. Lot's concern for others became the means of his own salvation. He manifested a spirit opposite to the spirit of the inhabitants of Sodom (Mat. 25:34-40).

3. He strongly entreated them - Seeing in Lot a righteous man, but not wanting to reveal himself to him yet, the angels agreed to remain under his hospitable shelter. For many centuries after that, Christ also did not reveal himself on the road to Emaeus to two disciples going there (Luke 24:28-30).

4. All people - This expression probably symbolizes a large number of people, representatives of all classes of society.

5. Where are the people - Wicked inhabitants of Sodom, which is evident from their actions (Gen.13:18,21). The news of the arrival of the wanderers quickly spread throughout the city. The inhabitants of the city gathered around the house of Lot, intending to trample on the Oriental custom of hospitality for the sake of satisfying their base passions. For the meaning of the word "know" see Genesis 4:1. The word used here refers to the disgusting debauchery described by the Apostle Paul in Romans 1:27. According to archaeological data, this sin, which according to the Mosaic law is punishable by death (Lev.18:22), was very common among the Canaanites. The words of Moses, that from young to old - all gathered at the door of Lot's house, shows how righteous God was, who decided to betray these cities to complete destruction (Genesis 6:5-8).

7. Do no evil - Lot left the house, carefully locking the door behind him so that the wicked crowd could not enter and began to earnestly ask his fellow citizens not to do any evil.

8. I have two daughters - Seeing that his words do not affect them, he decided to go to extremes to save his guests from dishonor. His faith in the high duty of hospitality, so highly revered among Eastern peoples explains, but does not justify his decision. The one who took the wanderer under his roof had to protect him even with the sacrifice of his life. In some countries in the Middle East, the duty of hospitality is still regarded very highly. Lot's attitude towards his guests can be justified, or at least excused, by referring only to Eastern custom. The chastity and chastity of his two daughters in a city like Sodom is a testament to the care he showed in their upbringing and proof that this proposal was not easy for him to make. The Eastern custom of protecting women from dishonor is illustrated by the example of the sons of Jacob (cf. Gen. 34). The fact that Lot made a rash proposal proves that he tried means to avoid evil and was in a desperate proposal. He was well aware of the debauchery and wickedness of the inhabitants of the city (2 Peter 2:7-8).

9. Here is a stranger and wants to judge - Lot's attempt to frustrate their evil intentions aroused even greater rage in them. They did not allow anyone to teach them, and especially a stranger. If Lot was their judge, v. 2, they now saw that the moment had come to get rid of him. From their words it is clear that Lot, as a judge or simply as a citizen of the city, called for them to leave their evil ways. In their blind fury, they began to threaten Lot with even greater retribution for this than with his guests, if he continued to interfere with them. Only the restraining power of God, and the hesitation to lay hands on one whose godly example aroused a sense of respect in their corrupt souls, prevented the angry mob from tearing him to pieces.

11. By blindness - God allowed Lot to try to change the evil intentions of the Sodomites so that he could be convinced of the extent of their fall. When everything led him nowhere, then the divine messengers intervened, protecting him and themselves from trouble. The Hebrew word here translated "blindness" is found in Old Testament just one more time (2 Kings 6:18-20). In both cases it signifies supernatural blindness. Apparently, this was not an irreversible loss of vision, but only a temporary darkness that shrouded their eyes. The expression, "They were exhausted, looking for a way out," indicates not only their physical blindness, but also their mental confusion. If they had been blinded in the literal sense, they would hardly have persisted in their wicked intention.

12. Who else do you have here? - Now Lot was convinced of the supernatural nature of his visitors. The time had come to reveal to him the intentions of God, and they revealed to him in the clearest way the impending danger of the destruction of the whole city. Although Lot's family children seemed to have become accustomed to the way of life of the Sodomites, however, the angels wanted to save them for Lot's sake, if they wished to leave the city. Although they participated in the sins of Sodom, it was only their personal choice that made their destruction inevitable.

14. Lot came out - The absence of mention of sons and daughters here does not mean that Lot had only sons-in-law, nor does it say that these sons-in-law were young men preparing to marry his two unmarried daughters. Lot believed the words of the angels and made every effort to convince the children to leave the city for their salvation. But they only laughed at his words that God could destroy an entire city.

15. The dawn came - Lot apparently persuaded his children at night. When the dawn rose, the heavenly angels began to hurry him along with his wife and two daughters to leave the city. The expression: “Which you have” indicates that Lot had other daughters who did not want to go out with him from the wicked city.

16. How he hesitated - Lot and his wife believed the angels, but it was difficult for them to part with their possessions. Confused, Lot hesitated, not knowing what to take with him. The angels, who did not show any interest in their possessions, with force brought them out and "by the mercy of the Lord to him." The weakness of human nature can be extremely great, so that even a pious person can be so attached to that world that it is impossible for him to tear himself away from it. He is likened to a traveler, caught in a snowstorm, feeling his body stiffen, and yet ready to submit to a deadly sleep. It is necessary that someone shake him and take him to a safe place.

17. Save your soul - The one before whom Abraham interceded the day before now joins the angels outside the gates of the city and persistently warns them to be saved. If Christ Himself had to join the angels to convince Lot and his wife, this shows that Lot and his wife had not yet decided to leave everything and go out of the city. Can't extermination be delayed for a while in order to save wealth? Given time, they will try to persuade others to follow them. Why such a hurry? But Christ commands: "Save your soul."

Don't Look Back - Since there was barely enough time to avoid the fire, it was no longer possible to delay. If Lot had been given additional time at his request, it would have been extremely difficult for him to part with his accumulated wealth. Unless, with such wealth, he would decide to stay at all. His only salvation lay in an immediate and final break with that which had bound his heart to Sodom. The same is true now.

Save yourself to the mountain - The area that was once so attractive to the sight and fertile has become the most dangerous place on the ground. From here it was necessary to run. How fateful was Lot's decision to make this area his residence! (Gen.13:11) Now he had to seek refuge in the mountains (Ps.121:1). Here in the mountains and clefts of the rocks he will be safe from the avalanche of fire, which will soon overflow into the beautiful valley.

18. No, lord - Instead of happily cooperating with God's plan to save his own life, Lot had to rely on the great mercy of God. Speaking about the fact that he cannot escape to the mountains, he asks permission to take refuge in the small neighboring city of Bela (Gen.14:2), the current Sigor. Lot did not want to change the comfortable and prosperous city life for an unsettled and indefinite existence.

22. Sigor - The only remains of the ruins of the time of Abraham found in the Sodom valley are the ruins of Babed Dar. This site was discovered by an archaeological expedition led by Kyle and Albright in 1924 near the southeast coast Dead Sea, apparently there is the former Sigor.

24. Brimstone and fire - Judgment pronounced by angels happened unexpectedly (Luke 17:28-29). Although only Sodom and Gomorrah are mentioned here, it is clear that other cities of the valley, including Adma and Seboim, were also destroyed (Deut. 29:33, Hos. 11:8, Jude. 1:7). Only small town Bela (Sigor) was spared, and then only for a short time (Gen. 19:30).

The expression "fire and brimstone" is a common idiomatic expression in Hebrew meaning "burning sulfur". The miracles by which God intervenes from time to time in natural phenomena consist in the use of natural forces and elements. in an unusual way. To this day, the southern region of the Dead Sea is rich in asphalt (see Genesis 14:3-10). Easily flammable gases continue to escape from cracks in the ground. Asphalt rising to the surface in the southern part of the Dead Sea has given rise to classical times call this lake "asphalt lake". Massive blocks of asphalt floating on the surface are often able to keep several people in the water at once. Asphalt, sulfur and other hot substances have been mined in this area for a long time and exported to other countries. Arabs living in the neighborhood use asphalt to protect gardens from various pests, as well as for medical purposes. Whatever means was used to set the cities on fire, one thing is clear, that this fire was supernatural, for the destruction came at the exact time appointed by God. For centuries, the arid landscape of this area has remained a silent witness to the catastrophe that turned the once flourishing valley into a place of desolation. Using the example of Sodom, Moses shows what Israel can become as a result of disobedience (Deut. 29:21-24). The writers of the classical period give us an eloquent description of the area in the southern part of the Dead Sea, which is now a lump of scorched earth and ash. They also mention the ruined cities of the valley. What is now part of the Dead Sea was dry land in biblical times. Behind end times, specific years - the level of the sea, which has no flow, has risen significantly and covered most of the territory. Bare trees stick out of the water, like a transparent forest. Some researchers try to identify the exterminated cities with the ruins at Temlat el-Ghassul on the northern coast of the Dead Sea. But on the basis of numerous data, it is clear that the disaster occurred in the southern part of the Dead Sea. The memory of the terrible event has been preserved among the people of this region to this day. This can be seen, for example, from the Arabic name of the Dead Sea "Baret Lut", which means "Lake of Lot", as well as from the name of the mountain range bordering the southwestern coast of the lake "Jevel Usdum", meaning "Mountain of Sodom".

25. He overthrew these cities - This expression resembles an earthquake, but is also used to describe cities so destroyed that they are likened to Sodom and Gomorrah (Kings 10:3, Is. 13:19). This catastrophe is repeatedly mentioned in the Old Testament (Deut.29:23, Is.1:9, Jer.49:18, 50:40, Am.4:11).

The destruction of the city is an example of the final punishment by fire of all the wicked (2 Peter 2:6, Jude 7).

26. Lot's wife looked back - the angels led all four out of the doomed city and gave them a clear indication of what to do and what to avoid in order to save their lives. Just leaving the city was not enough, it was necessary to follow all the instructions. Lot's wife looked back to see where her house, wealth, and some of her children were. Her hardened heart has become a constant warning to those who, wanting to be saved, are content with half-measures, who seem ready to leave the world, but their hearts are attached to it. Not having passed the test to the end, they cannot receive salvation (Mat. 24:12, Phil. 1:6). We need to remember our Lord's solemn call: "Remember Lot's wife" (Luke 17:32). If Lot had immediately listened to the angels and shown great firmness in this, this would have led to the salvation of his wife. The angels took her out of the city, but they could not, despite her desire, save her. She was a person far from religion, a nee Canaanite, she preferred to die rather than leave Sodom. Today we mourn her fate. Let's learn from her example.

Pillar of Salt - It's hard to say how long this pillar of salt formed from her body remained a visible pillar. In some places of the southwestern coast of the Dead Sea there are salt blocks, some of them resemble human figures. One or the other of them reminds travelers of "Lot's wife", but it would be wrong to say that one of them is "like Lot's wife".

27. Early in the morning - Eager to know the results of his intercession with God, Abraham returned to the northeast of Hebron, to the place where he parted from the Lord. How great must have been his disappointment when he saw the valley engulfed in flames, where the smoke rose to the sky!

29. God remembered Abraham - Not being able to save the cities for which Abraham interceded, the Lord nevertheless rewarded his sincere prayer, sparing those who wished to leave the city. For Abraham's sake, as it says here, Lot's family was given salvation.

30. And Lot went out of Segor - In fear, Lot soon left Segor, fearing that he would suffer the same fate as the four cities of Sodom.

36. Pregnant by their father - This state of the daughters of Lot testifies to the perverted influence of Sodom. They grew up in a country where drunkenness and all kinds of depravity flourished. As a result, their ministry was dulled, their conscience died. Lot managed to protect his daughters from the invasion of the Sadomites (see ch. 8), but he failed to instill sound principles in their hearts. They cause us pity rather than condemnation, because Lot himself became a participant in their sin. He was guilty of not hindering what led to sin and even agreed to drink the wine served to him by his daughters (Gen. 9:21). The few years Lot spent in Sodom cost him dearly: he lost his entire family. His descendants became the Moabites and the Amalekites - pagan peoples.

37. Moab - "From my father" - literally this is the name according to the translation of seventy. Moab is the ancestor of the Moabites. As brethren of the Israelites, the Moabites, however, always remained at enmity with them. They originally lived between Arnon and Shared, east of the Dead Sea. From the days of David to the days of Ahab, they remained tributaries to their western neighbors, but gained independence under King Mesa (2 Kings 3:4-5), who expanded the limits of his kingdom to the north.

38. Ben-Ammi - The name of the ancestor of the Ammonites, probably means: "son of my people." With these words, his mother shows that his father and mother were from the same family. Her son was in reality her only brother. But their ancestors were feisty. The Amonites became a nomadic people. They lived in the eastern part of the region located between Yavvok and Arnon. The name of their main fortress city is "Rabbat Ammon", which is currently the capital of the kingdom of Jordan.

The story of Lot and his family is tragic. The shameful stain in his life serves as a reminder to all generations. His sin is forgiven, but his many years of commitment to pleasure and gain remained for a long time live in his descendants.

According to the materials of the biblical commentary of the SDA

One choice, two completely different stories. The uncle shows humility towards his nephew - an unheard-of behavior for the harsh Old Testament times. Abraham yields to Lot to avoid controversy the best lands. The name of one of the cities where Lot pitched his tents is Sodom. It became a household name. Sodom was a flourishing and rich city. Its inhabitants did not need anything. Abraham went in the opposite direction from Sodom. And became great through the ages. How does this story repeat itself over and over again today? What does a carefree life, spiritual deafness and the desire to get everything from life lead to? Archpriest Oleg Stenyaev discusses the relevance and topicality of the Old Testament episode from the Book of Genesis.

“And Lot, who walked with Abram, also had a small and cattle and tents. And the land was not large enough for them to live together, for their property was so great that they could not live together. And there was a dispute between the shepherds of Abram's cattle and between the shepherds of Lot's cattle; and the Canaanites and Perizzites dwelt then in that land. And Abram said to Lot, Let there be no strife between me and you, and between my shepherds and your shepherds, for we are kindred; Is not the whole earth before you? separate yourself from me: if you are to the left, then I am to the right; and if you are to the right, then I am to the left.

Lot lifted up his eyes and saw all the region around the Jordan, that before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, it was watered all the way to Sigor, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt; and Lot chose for himself all the region around the Jordan; and Lot moved towards the east. And they separated from each other.

Abram began to live in the land of Canaan; and Lot began to live in the cities of the region and pitched his tents as far as Sodom. The inhabitants of Sodom were evil and very sinful before the Lord.

(Gen. 13:5–13)

It is said that the land was not large enough for the people of Abraham and for the people of Lot. There were a lot of them. Abraham's household and Lot's household. Abraham's servants and Lot's servants. Evidence that God blessed not only the house of Abraham, but also the house of Lot, which was then in unity with the house of Abraham. And later, after Lot separated from Abraham, Lot's household became impoverished, and he leaves Sodom and Gomorrah with only a small family - with him his wife and two daughters, and no one else.

When Lot chose for himself the land in which he would live, Abraham gave him the right to decide where to go, saying: “Choose which one is for you. You go right, I go left. You go left, I go right." Now, Lot chose with carnal eyes. He saw the land of Sodom and Gomorrah. And, as the Bible says, for him it was like the garden of the Lord. Like heaven! That is how he valued these lands. But soon, after a while, paradise turned into hell. This is happening now.

Many of my friends left some for America, some for Western Europe. In the first letters they wrote: we live in paradise, we have everything. But after a while, heaven turned into hell. And in the letters there was a cry: “What to do? Everything here is on credit. And if I don't pay it on time, everything will be taken away from me. Even the water from the pool is pumped out and taken away. The lawn will be rolled up and taken away ... "And even:" My children can be taken away from me.

Paradise turns out to be hell - if we evaluate what is heaven and what is hell, based on purely carnal criteria

Very often, heaven turns out to be hell - if we evaluate what hell is and what hell is, based on purely carnal criteria, worldly understanding. And a person should be careful in his assessments of the surrounding reality and reality. Especially in our time. Because what we Seems good and favorable, maybe not so in reality. Maybe behind a bright facade to hide the black essence.

Yes, Lot and his family did not learn the "habits" of the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah, did not perform their "feats". And they were saved, leaving Sodom. But were they saved? And did they really leave Sodom?

Sodom already lived in their hearts. turned around to gloat that the city was dying, but she was alive. For this, God punished her: she also died. And Lot did not escape the fate of Sodom, as he thought. Because it was Sodom who pushed his daughters so that, having drunk their father with wine, debauchery with him, committed the sin of incest.

Staying in Sodom will not be without consequences

Staying in Sodom will not be without consequences. You can’t just leave it and then live, believing that everything is in order. So you think that - to Europe, to America, you will earn money there, you will return to Russia and live happily ever after. No! This will not happen without losses. There will definitely be some losses, difficulties - and first of all, these difficulties will hit our children. And sometimes it hurts a lot. In one family I know, who lived in America for a long time, then they simply suffered with a child. He spoke Russian with an accent, all his vital interests changed. They took the child to the old man. And the elder said: this child should be sent for reprimand!

Let's remember the Bible lessons.

During which Lot's wife became a pillar of salt, and Lot's seduction by his daughters.

History of Lot.

Lot, as well as his father Aran, were born and raised in Ur of the Chaldees in Sumeria on the Euphrates River in lower Mesopotamia, about four thousand years ago. Lot's father died early. Lot's grandfather, Terah, took the whole family and went

... from Ur of the Chaldees to go to the land of Canaan; but when they came to Haran, they stopped there (Genesis, chapter 11).

During their wanderings, both Lot and Abraham acquired a significant number of livestock. Both families did not have enough pastures, which led to constant conflicts between the shepherds of Lot and Abraham. Then Abraham suggested to Lot that they disperse and settle in different places so that there are no conflicts between them.

Lot went to live in the Jordanian plain, which, in those days, was beautiful and irrigated with water. He settled near Sodom. Abraham began to live in the land of Canaan. The green Jordanian plain was located between five cities. The rulers of these cities waged internecine wars. During one of these conflicts, Lot was taken prisoner and his property was plundered.

When Abraham found out what had happened to his nephew, he armed a rescue party of 318 slaves. Abraham attacked the enemy at night and saved Lot and all his property. Lot settled back in Sodom.

Soon Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by the wrath of the Lord. How and why this happened can be read in the article. The only righteous Sodom was Lot, and therefore the Lord gave him time to leave the city with his family - his wife and two daughters.

Lot's wife.

The name of Lot's wife is not mentioned in the Bible. Departure, or rather flight from Sodom, was most difficult for Lot's wife. The whole previous day was filled with worries and worries, and now, at night, she has to leave everything and run in an unknown direction. She is no longer young, and such events for her are associated not only with psychological stress, it is also not easy for her physically.

The Lord, having shown Lot and his family the way to salvation, forbade them to look back. Lot's wife thinks about whether she can start all over again ... She is indecisive and looks around. Looking back, she turns into a pillar of salt. And today you can see this pillar on the shores of the Dead Sea.

Why did the Lord turn Lot's wife into a pillar of salt? Many believe that this is a punishment for curiosity, however, this is hardly true. Most likely, the heart and soul of Lot's wife remained in Sodom, and she had to die, like everyone else. God requires a resolute renunciation of sin.

IN , in the Gospel of Luke we find a Christian interpretation of the story of Lot's wife:

Just as it was in the days of Lot: they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built;

but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all;

so it will be on the day when the Son of Man appears.

On that day, whoever is on the roof, and his things are in the house, do not go down to take them; and whoever is on the field, also do not turn back.

Remember Lot's wife.

Thus, Lot's wife perished, because she cared more about material things than about the salvation of the soul.

The city of Segor, where Lot lived.

Lot and his two daughters went to one of the cities in the valley, which the Lord spared. This was the city of Sigor. The name of the city Sigor is translated as “small”, “insignificant”. Sigor is also known as Zohar or Bella. There are still disputes about where the city of Sigor was located - in the north or in the south of the Dead Sea. Seagor is the only city in the Sodomite pentacity that was spared by God. Lot settled in Segor, but soon left it.

Lot and his daughters.

The story of Lot and his daughters is described in Genesis 19:30-38. Lot, afraid to live in Segor, lived in a cave in the mountains with his daughters. Lot's daughters, believing that there was nothing left more men, got their father drunk and entered into a relationship with him, in order to prolong the race. Both of Lot's daughters became pregnant by their father.

The eldest had a son Moab (the name in translation means "from the father"). The youngest also had a son, Ben-Ami (translated as “son of my people”). Moab became the progenitor of the Moabites, and Ben-Ami became the progenitor of the Ammonites.

The story of Lot's daughters reflects the idea of Israel's superiority over the Moabites and Ammonites, since these peoples appeared as a result of a sinful incestuous relationship. The tribes of Moabites and Ammonites became the basis of the ancient Arab people.

The alleged incest between Lot and his daughters still raises many questions, disputes and theories today as to what the real motives of the daughters were, and who was really to blame for what happened. And was anyone to blame? Incestuous marriages are not uncommon among biblical patriarchs. Abraham married his half-sister Sarah; Abraham's brother, Nahor, married his niece Milka; Isaac married his relative Rebekah and many more examples. On the other hand, the book has an entire chapter devoted to this topic (Chapter 18), where it says:

No one should approach any relative in the flesh in order to reveal nakedness.

Many researchers justify incestuous marriages by the fact that the Levitical laws appeared later, and they were created by the patriarchs of the nation, including the righteous Lot (together with Abraham, Jacob, Judas, Moses, David). The Levitical laws, including those against incest, were created to separate the way of life of the Jews from the way of life of the people of Canaan, in spite of all the incestuous manifestations that the patriarchs had in the past. Levitical laws - new step in the development of society, part of the progressive ideas of humanity on the way to modern civilization.

Reflection of history in painting.

The story of Lot and his daughters formed the basis of many paintings. The paintings for this story, as a rule, depict Lot and his daughters in a mountain refuge. Often in the background you can see the small figure of Lot's wife, and the burning city in the distance.

The character of Lot in different religions.

In Judaism.

The figure of Lot in Judaism is debatable. He is considered a righteous man, whose righteousness is constantly challenged. It is believed that in his life Lot deviated from the truths of the Jewish path, and therefore his descendants did not become part of the Jewish people. Lot is mentioned in the Torah,

In Christianity

In the New Testament we find a sympathetic attitude towards Lot. In the Second Epistle of Peter, Lot is called a righteous man, weary of life among violently depraved people.

Islamic view

Lut in the Qur'an is considered the messenger of God and the prophet of God. His story is almost consonant with the biblical one. IN Islamic tradition, Lut lived in Ur and was the nephew of Ibrahim (Abraham). He migrated with Ibrahim to Canaan and was appointed as a prophet in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. He was ordered by Allah to go to the land of Sodom and Gomorrah to preach monotheism and stop lustful and cruel deeds local residents. Lut's sermons were ignored, leading to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot left the city, his wife looked back and died.

The Bible is a book in which spiritual Knowledge is concentrated .... for those who want to achieve it ..
If a person reads it only as a collection bible stories, without the love of God ... without the "fear of God",
without understanding his limitations and depravity, THEN he will perceive a lot of things biased, according to his narrow understanding of everything he comes into contact with ...

People are used to judging everything “by themselves”… and by the way it is “accepted” in society….
For example, someone watching another talk show with a famous seventy-year-old actress who appeared in short dress and bare breasts, flaunting her young lover and talking about how many of them she had ..., someone will sincerely rejoice for her, giving her glory, the glory of her naked body and "unfading" sex appeal ... daring to take an example from her in an appeal to plastic surgeons and all kinds of fashionable and socially accepted drive for body and soul ...

People perceive today's depraved behavior of their idols as the norm... as a principle of life... as something taken for granted....
It gets to the point that the wives of idols tell the multimillion-dollar TV audience how and with whom their husband cheats on them, and with whom they .... and even on the program there are lovers, supposedly former ones, who crumble in love for their girlfriends and boyfriends ...
But if the same person, who just applauded his rampant idols, reads in the Bible the story about Lot and his daughters ...., there will be no end to the limit of indignation and contempt! ........
And what will particularly anger this critic is that Lot was a righteous man…………

Lot is the nephew of Abraham, who followed his uncle away from the pagans to new lands, to where God’s Voice led Abraham…… Lot believed in the One God just like Abraham and therefore stood on the righteous path……..
It is extremely difficult for us to imagine the then life of these people ... these were completely different conditions and customs of life ... other difficulties and problems ....

It was hardest of all for those who knew and believed in the One God, lived in worship and obedience only to Him, and not to idols and gods .... Abraham and his family were surrounded by tribes and peoples pagan, barbaric, cruel and militant .... But they were not with anyone did not fight, lived peacefully, grazed their flocks….
One day, Abraham suggested to Lot that they separate due to the growth of the economy ... there was not enough pasture land for livestock ... famine times were approaching ... Abraham suggested that Lot choose the land for himself:
Genesis ch 13:
“10 Lot lifted up his eyes and saw all the region around the Jordan, that before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, it was watered all the way to Segor, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt;
11 And Lot chose for himself all the region around the Jordan; and Lot moved towards the east. And they separated from each other.
12 Abram began to live in the land of Canaan; and Lot began to dwell in the cities of the region and pitched his tents as far as Sodom.

Yes, it must be said that Lot chose a better land ... probably believing that he is younger than Abraham and he has yet to increase his family ... and Abraham had “no children planned” ....
Often people also try to choose something better for themselves, hoping that it will bring them happiness.
For example, someone chooses the best educational institution in another country….but then there he gets into some kind of unkind alteration…company…and loses everything……..
Someone chooses the best clinic for the operation, hoping that they will definitely help, but as a result, they do an unsuccessful operation (for example, plastic), and they suffer damage ...
But the man bought best model car ... and .. crashed on it ....
The girl put on her best dress to be the most charming ... and tore it, unsuccessfully falling right in front of everyone ...
The family went to the best and most prestigious resort ... and crashed on a plane ...

Behind all this there is a spiritual reason - the desire to be the first ... "worldly pride" ...
By the example of Lot, God wanted to show people that NOT “all that glitters is gold”…….
Behind the beautiful bait that kindles the eyes of pride and complacency is something pernicious ... Why? “There are spiritual laws….
(Bible. Proverbs 16:18): “Pride goes before destruction, and arrogance before a fall”

(Gospel of Matthew 16:26): “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, but loses his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

“Having food and clothing, we will be satisfied with that. And those who want to get rich fall into temptation and into a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts, which plunge people into disaster and destruction; For the love of money is the root of all evil, which, having given way, some have erred from the faith, and subjected themselves to many tribulations” (1 Tim. 6:8-10).

Proverbs 28:20 "A faithful man is rich in blessings, but whoever is in a hurry to get rich will not go unpunished."

Proverbs 11:28 “He who trusts in his riches will fall; but the righteous will turn green like a leaf.”

Psalm 36:16-17 better than wealth many of the wicked, for the arms of the wicked will be broken, but the Lord strengthens the righteous.”

Lot was righteous in his faith, yet, like many of the believers, he was insufficiently “circumcised” in his heart… God worked on his character, admonishing and instructing through mistakes, like many of those who are learning to walk before God…
Lot is also called righteous because he did NOT participate in the abominations of Sodom, which he soon had to learn about ... because this people from idleness, satiety and wealth became corrupted to the extreme .... drinking wine to insensibility, doing indecent deeds, doing all kinds of sexual perversions and pleasures….

The Lord, seeing how irreversibly and lowly this pagan people fell, mocking at everything holy and pure, not believing in God and the Creator, but satisfying their lusts before their idols ... repaid them according to their abominations in order to rid the earth of the hearth of demonic corruption and set an example other wicked that the judgment is coming!...

The Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah with fire and brimstone!
But before that, the Angels came to Lot in order to lead him and his family out of this den ...
(Bible. 2 Peter 2: 7-8): "a righteous Lot, tired of the conversion between violently depraved people, he delivered (for this righteous man, living among them, daily tormented in a righteous soul, seeing and hearing lawless deeds) ”….
Lot was tormented among the lawless, but continued to live there ... he was held by attachment to the material ...
His righteousness was not like the righteousness of Moses, who “would rather suffer with the people of God than have temporary sinful pleasure, and considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth for himself than Egyptian treasures; for he looked to the reward.” (Hebrews 11:25-26

Lot is not called in the Bible a hero of faith, or an excellent righteous man ... His example is given to us for edification by God, as an example of the fact that attachment to material wealth always has a detrimental effect on life and faith, creating indecision, languor, doubt and lack of freedom in the character ....

It can be said that Lot was a righteous man on the verge of falling… If he had hesitated… if God had not helped him get out of Sodom… he would have perished along with everyone….
His example is an example for those who, having come to God, try to serve two masters: God and Maomon…..But Christ said: “No one can serve two masters: for either he will hate one and love the other; or he will be zealous for one, and neglect the other. You cannot serve God and mammon." (Matthew 6:24-25) --- Sooner or later, those who continue to be friends with the world without giving their lives to the Lord will suffer damage and become corrupted…fall down…perish….

And to make sure that Lot was approaching the fall, it is enough to find out that his wife was already tightly tied in soul to Sodom, because she did not want to leave this evil, wicked place ... --- and although the angels warned that “leaving, go away…and don’t look back…”, she looked back…and turned into a pillar of salt…Lot lost her forever….
Lot's daughters also, apparently, "acquired" the "wisdom" of Sodom .... because they decided to commit a sin and sleep with their father for the sake of procreation .... There is such a version - they were NOT Lot's native daughters, because Lot's wife "walked" and gave birth from others… Lot knew this, but hid it… and suffered…
I cannot confirm or deny this version, because it may be true, since Lot's wife did not want to leave Sodom ... ..

Nevertheless, let's see what happened to Lot and his daughters ... in what state of mind was he ... well-being? ... --- It is clear that all recent events shocked him .... he lost a lot of "acquired", leaving Sodom right on the eve of the volcanic eruption...
Then his wife died .... He was left "with nothing" ....

I conclude my story with a long excerpt from an article by Alexander Dmukh: - “Standing up for the righteous. Lot"

Gen. 19: At first, Lot was afraid to flee to the mountains (verse 19), and went instead to Segor (verse 22).
“Then he “went out of Segor and began to live in a mountain, and with him his two daughters, for he was afraid to live in Segor. And he dwelt in a cave, and with him his two daughters. (verse 30)
So, what... Lot left the city of Sigor, believing that "Hiroshima" would be followed by "Nagasaki". He fears that the wrath of God may soon fall upon this city as well. His fears were not unfounded.
His two daughters also knew about it. Here are the reasonings of his daughters: “And the older one said to the younger one: Our father is old, and there is no man on earth who would come in to us according to the custom of all the earth.” (Gen. 19:31)
The adult daughters of Lot sincerely thought that there were no men left on earth except their father. They care about the continuation of the human race. You say: "But God did not burn the whole earth, but only a few cities." And how could they know that! Add here the scale of the catastrophe... They are frightened... They had a memory of the flood in the days of Noah, when Noah and his family remained... And here the situation is similar.... Only the flood is fiery.

Daughters are in a hurry: "Our father is old." They have the idea of ​​procreation. From whom? ..... Of all the men, in their opinion, only their father remained .... Therefore, they decide on a well-known act, having previously given their father a good drink of wine. For what? Because when sober, Lot obviously would not have done this ... You ask: “why did he drink wine?” --- one can guess - his dejected state of mind at that moment .. the loss of his wife, a rich house ... the usual way of life, etc. ... led him to a loss of soundness of judgment and sobriety of spirit ... he was depressed ... and daughters (and, perhaps, not relatives) tried to “comfort” him with wine so that he would “forget” ....

But this sin had far-reaching consequences --- From the daughters of Lot were born Moab and Ben-Ammi, from whom came the Moabites and Ammonites - the constant enemies of Israel. The name Moab is consonant (in Hebrew) with the phrase: "from the father", and Ben-Ammi means "son of a blood relative." This etymology kept Israel from forgetting the shameful origins of their enemies.

Four main motives sound in the 19th chapter of Genesis: the speedy judgment of God over the wicked Canaanites; Lot's attachment to material things; God's merciful deliverance from perdition, and the "rebirth of Sodom" in the cave……
This concludes the story of Lot in Genesis. And then his name reminds us and not only us of Jesus Christ Himself. When Jesus was asked: “What is the sign of Your coming and the end of the age?” He, among other things, recalls two events from ancient times. Jesus recalls events that everyone knew about. These events are the flood in the days of Noah and the burning of Sodom in the days of Lot.

“And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the days of the Son of Man:
they ate, they drank, they married, they were given in marriage, until the day Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.
Just as it was in the days of Lot: they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built;
but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all; so it will be on the day when the Son of Man appears” (Luke 17:26-31).
As in the first and in the second case, the same picture is observed. On the one hand, the death of sinners, on the other, the salvation of the righteous. For some, anger, for others, mercy. One is death, the other is life. The only difference is that in the first case, God uses water for punishment, and in the second, fire.

Jesus, in the examples he gives, equates the status of Noah and Lot. Lot finds himself on the same saving side next to the righteous Noah. These two pious men are teachers to the whole world. Just as God gave life to Noah and Lot, so God will give salvation and eternal life to all who believe in Jesus. Just as God punished sinners in water and fire, so all those who do not believe in the Gospel will reap death.
In conclusion, I will give one piece of advice to those who have decided to criticize the sins of biblical heroes...-- If you decide to expose someone's sin, and you need a living example from the Bible. In this case, there are enough characters from the “black list” in Scripture. Criticize Cain, rebuke Eli and his sons, wash Saul's bones. There are enough defendants in Scripture who have shown with their lives that it is impossible to live like this.

Do not touch the people whom Scripture calls the righteous. Can't you see the difference between them. She is colossal!
And if the righteous committed a sin, for example, like David, then the Scripture directly and frankly evaluates such an act as a crime. God has no partiality. Holy Bible is an honest book. If some act of the saint does not seem plausible to you, then do not rush to conclusions.
If Scripture doesn't directly and unequivocally condemn, don't condemn either. Don't be drunk with emotion.
Read serious books about the culture and customs of the time. …Learn from God. See how the Judge of all the earth reasons, giving us a lesson: “I will go down and see if they do exactly as the cry against them, which ascends to Me, or not; I will know” (Gen. 18:21)
In jurisprudence, there is such a thing as the “presumption of innocence”. ("Presumed" - that is, assumed.) Everyone accused of a crime is considered innocent until proven guilty in court. Irremovable doubts about the guilt of a person are interpreted in favor of the accused.

Do not rush to blame the righteous if their actions are not yet clear to you. If Scripture (God) does not clearly and unequivocally condemn any act that at first glance seems not good to you, then do not condemn either. God is the judge or you?!
Otherwise, we become smarter than God…”

After the mixing of languages ​​\u200b\u200bof God in V-vi-lon, people, dividing into many nations, for-whether true-tin but th God and began to worship idols. Then the Lord said to Av-ra-mu: “Get out of your land. I pro-from-ve-du from you to a ve-li-kiy people, bless-go-words-lu-you and raise-ve-li-chu your name. With a faith and in a way, having received the faith of God, Av-ram left Ur from Khal-dei-sko-go and with his wife Sa -swarm and ple-myan-no-comm Lo-tom in-se-li-sya in the land of Ha-on-an-sky. Soon Lot from-de-lis-sya from Av-ra-ma, but the city where he se-lis-sya was captured by enemies, and Lot fell in captivity. Av-ram in-arms-lived his slaves, smashed the un-I-te-lei and freed Lo-ta. When Av-ram returned with a trouble, the kings came out to meet him. Mel-khi-se-dek, the king of Sa-lim-sky, the priest-nick of God All-above-no, you carried bread and vi-no and b-go-slo-vil Av-ra -ma. The Lord himself was with Ab-ra-m and made a covenant with him, saying: “Look at the sky and honor the stars, if only I - you eat, you will have so-so-to-tom-kov. ” (Under the name of his under-ra-zu-me-va-et-sya Church of the Lord). When Av-ra-mu was half-elk 99 years old, the Lord appeared to him and said: “I am God Almighty; walk before the Face of Mo-im and be un-ro-chen: and I will put My covenant with that battle and will give you many-number-of offspring . Now you will not call yourself Av-ra-mom, but yes, you will be called Av-ra-am; for I will make you the father of many nations. (The name Av-ra-am means “father of a multitude”). Let your wife be named Sar-ra. And he will give birth to you son, and his name will be Isa-ak.

At the oak-ra-you Ma-m-re, where Av-ra-am poured, the Lord appeared to him under the guise of three countries-no-kov (pro-image Pre -Holy Troy). Having accepted with honor and generously treated the guests, Av-ra-am found the blessings of God. One of the guests said: “Next year, when I will be with you again at this time, your wife will have a son” . It was open to Av-ra-amu and about na-me-re-nii Gos-po-yes-gu-beat the inhabitants of the cities of So-do-ma and Go- mor-ry, dirty-shih in sin-heh. Av-ra-am is-pro-strength from-adding-le-niya from the ka-ry of his-th tribe-myan-ni-ka Lo-ta, someone lived a good life new in So-do-me. Two An-ge-la came to the house of Lo-ta in the form of countries-ni-kov. So-dom-liane began to demand you-da-chi them. Then An-ge-ly in-ra-zi-li so-dom-liang sle-po-that, and Lo-tu and his relatives-no-kam in-ve-le-whether to leave go-ro-yes in the mountains. “Save your soul and don’t look back,” they said. After their departure, yes, So-dom and Go-mor-ra would be like-ra-we-we-fallen from the sky with fire and gray, and the whole country is that kind of -ti-lass in the so-le-noe lake-ro (now the Dead Sea). Zhe-na Lo-ta did not use-half-ni-la in-ve-le-niya An-ge-la. Turning back, she turned into a so-la-pillar.

When Av-ra-amu was half a hundred years old, Sar-ra gave birth to his son Isa-a-ka. Then Av-ra-am told his servant Hagar, from whom he had a son, Is-ma-il, to leave the house. Lo-bya Av-ra-ama, the Lord brought from Is-ma-i-la many-number-numbers of Arabian peoples. And now, after many years of life, the Lord in-sy-la-et Av-ra-amu after her is-py-ta-nie, pre-eminently -ly usually-but-ven-no-go-lo-ve-ka. Is-py-you-vaya faith Av-ra-am, God called to him: “Take my sons on your-e-th-only-th-no-go, someone-ro-go you love, Isa-a-ka, go to the land of Mo-ria and there bring him to all-with-burning on one of the mountains, someone I am I’ll tell you.” Despite the great sorrow, Av-ra-am in-vi-no-val-sya in the Lord-under-her. Having come with his son to Mount Mo-ria (in the center of the now-nesh-not-go Ieru-sa-li-ma), he de-lo-lived a co-ster. And Isa-ak said to Av-ra-am: “My father! Here is fire and firewood, where is the lamb for all-burning? Av-ra-am answered: “God will provide for Se-be the lamb, my son.” Having tied up Isa-a-ka, Av-ra-am put him on a victim-vein-nick and, taking a knife, stretched out his hand to stab him. But at that moment he heard the voice of God: “Av-ra-am! Do not raise your hand to yours, for now I know that you are afraid of God and did not take pity on your son-e- the only one for Me.” Av-ra-am un-vya-hall Isa-a-ka and, having seen the ov-na, for-pu-tav-she-yu-sya in the bushes, brought him to all-so-burning -tion. And the Lord said: “I swear by me that since you did this deed and didn’t take pity on your son, your only one for Me nya, then I bless you, and bless the word in your se-me-or all the peoples of the earth because you listened to the voice of Mo-e-go.

A few years later, Sar-ra died, and Av-ra-am entered into a new marriage with Het-tu-swarm, from whom he had six more sons. Having lived for a hundred and seven-de-siat five years, Av-ra-am peace-but gave his spirit to the Lord in the way of God. From him, like ro-do-na-chal-ni-ka na-ro-yes of the Jews, Christ Himself came through the flesh, and everything is true-tin-but ve-ru -y-shchy in Christ-a-hundred na-zy-va-yut-sy-na-mi Av-ra-ama.

See also: "" in from-lo-same-nii svt. Di-mit-ria Rostov-sko-go.