Lot was saved from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. His
wife looked back and turned into a salt pillar, but his two
daughters stayed with him. Originally he wanted to go and live in
Zoar, but fearing for his life, he fled with his two daughters to
live in a cave in the mountains. How sad is that? Lot had so much
land, so many possessions and so many cattle. He and Abraham had so
much that there was not enough room for all their livestock to roam
and that is why they split ways. Lot chose to live close to the
'glitz and glamour' of Sodom and Abraham lived wherever God led
him. Now what happened to all Lot's possessions? We can safely
assume that it must have been destroyed in the devastation of Sodom
and Gomorrah. He now lived in a cave in the mountains with his
daughters alone. His daughters became desperate and realised that
they will never get married or have children. So they took matters
into their own hands and did something terrible.
The two daughters conspired
together and decided to get their father drunk. The first night the
eldest daughter went to their father and slept with him. And the
following night the youngest daughter went and did the same. Both
became pregnant from their father and both bore sons. The first
born was named Moab and the second born was named Ben-ammi. Moab
became the father of the nation - the Moabites. And Ben-ammi became
the father of the nation - the Ammonites.
What a terrible story and what a
way to end your life. Lot basically had grandchildren through his
own two daughters, a despicable act in any generation. Why Lot
didn't go and live with his uncle Abraham again, one will never
know. Abraham had many men in his household whom Lot's daughters
could have married. They could have lived in the household of a
Godly man. They could have enjoyed their lives and not be forced to
commit incest. And yet they didn't. Lot failed to look after his
daughters properly. And the end result was that two nations were
born that later became two of Israel's greatest enemies, the
Moabites and the Ammonites.
What I feel we can learn from this
terrible situation is that we should never take matters in our own
hands. When you become desperate, never simply do the first best
thing that comes to mind, especially if it is a sinful thing that
you want to do. Desperation is not the answer. Things done because
you are desperate, has the tendency to leave you worse off than
what you would have been. Be patient, breathe in deeply, analyse
the situation carefully, get Godly advice from trusted people, pray
about it, read the Word, obtain peace about the direction you need
to take and only then move out. Wait on God if He tells you to
wait. Do not rush things. The only way that things will work out as
it should, is if you wait upon God. Waiting is very difficult, but
I promise you that waiting is very rewarding. Be patient, and
remain hopeful, because you are a child of the King of kings and
the Lord of lords.
Father please give us the patience
to wait with a good attitude. We know that when we get desperate we
make mistakes. Please help us to refrain from rushing forward and
messing things up. Thank you that we can know that You have a good
plan for us. We look forward to walking this road with You. In
Jesus' Name. Amen