The people of Sodom and Gomorrah were clueless that God was going to obliterate them. They had a thriving economy; they were getting married and living as though it was just another ordinary day—but so was Lot. In our world today, Lot would be called “saved” or “born again.” So why didn’t he know God was about to wipe him off the face of the earth? How does this apply to born-again Christians today?
In a recent teaching, pastor and author John Bevere highlights the one major distinction that separates Abraham from Lot: God shares His secrets with those who fear Him. One of those men feared the Lord and the other did not.
Psalm 25:14 says, “The counsel of the Lord is with those who fear him, and He will make His covenant known to them.”
“God is not everybody’s friend in the church,” Bevere says. He points to the life of Abraham to see how the fear of God was exemplified in his actions and heart.
For 25 years Abraham waited for the promise of his son Isaac. God fulfilled His promise to Abraham and gave him a child through his wife, whose womb was barren.
Then God asked him to offer up Isaac as a sacrifice. Genesis 22:3 says, “So Abraham rose up early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place that God had told him.”
Abraham immediately responded.
“Can you imagine the emotions?” Bevere asks. “He is building an altar; he ties up Isaac. He lifts up the knife, is ready to put to death the most important person or thing in his life, and just because God said to do it. Right as he is about to run [the knife] through Isaac, an angel appears and says, ‘Abraham, stop.'”
Genesis 22:12 says, “Then He said, “Do not lay your hands on the boy or do anything to him, because now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your only son from Me.””
How did the angel know that Abraham feared God? Here are the five reasons Bevere points to:
— Abraham obeyed God instantly. He didn’t wait for days to go by; he got up early the next morning.
— Abraham obeyed God when it didn’t make sense.
— Abraham obeyed God when it hurt.
— Abraham obeyed God when he didn’t even see the benefit to his own life.
— Abraham obeyed God to completion.
“He opens his eyes, he sees the ram and out of his spirit comes, ‘Jehovah Jireh, the Lord who sees.’ Do you see? God just revealed a facet of His personality to Abraham nobody had ever known before,” Bevere says.
When God decides he is going to obliterate Sodom and Gomorrah, He tells Abraham about it first. “They are 24 hours away from being obliterated, and they are clueless. That’s not what’s scary. Can I show you what’s scary? Lot, who the Bible calls “righteous” or “saved,” is 24 hours away from being obliterated—and he’s as clueless as Sodom and Gomorrah.”
Abraham prayed, and two angels of mercy went to rescue Lot from the destruction. Here are two righteous, or in our language, born-again men, and one knows what God is going to do and helps Him before He does it ; the other is clueless.
Lot didn’t fear God, so God didn’t share secrets with him.
How does this apply to your walk with God? Does your relationship with Him depend on the prayers He answers in your life? Or do you obey God when it’s hard, doesn’t make sense, it hurts and you don’t see the benefit?
If you find yourself in the category with Lot, pray and repent before the Lord. He is gracious, and His mercies are new each morning. Today is a new day to put your full trust in Him.
How beautiful that the Creator of the universe longs to have a personal, intimate and unique relationship with you. It’s a gift we should never take for granted.
