Grace Series: LOT FOUND GRACE IN THE SIGHT OF GOD

Grace Series: LOT FOUND GRACE IN THE SIGHT OF GOD

Considering the story of Lot and Sodom and Gomorrah, where God's grace is shown as Abraham intercedes on behalf of his family member Lot. 

Chapter Markers

• 0:00 Introduction to Lot and Grace
• 2:15 Lot's Request for Mercy
• 5:40 The Intercession of Abraham
• 10:00 Grace and Covenant in Genesis
• 15:30 The Nature of God’s Judgment
• 20:45 The Role of Grace in Salvation
• 25:10 Lot’s Comfort vs. Obedience
• 30:00 The Tragic Fate of Lot’s Wife
• 35:15 Lessons on Grace and Intercession
• 40:00 Conclusion: The Power of Grace in Our Lives

Chapters

• 0:00 Lot And The Language Of Grace
• 2:54 Favor, Mercy, And Covenant Links
• 5:20 Abraham’s Intercession And God’s Justice
• 7:31 Angels Urge Flight And Mercy Shown
• 9:35 Negotiating Zoar And Comfort’s Trap
• 11:20 Exemption And Extension Of Grace
• 12:35 Lot’s Righteousness And New Testament Lens
• 14:20 God Remembers Abraham And Rescues Lot

Transcript

SPEAKER_01: 0:00

Let's look at an example, Lot. Lot found grace. The word found grace is not really mentioned when it comes to Lot, but we can see Lot as a product of God's provision of grace. Look what it says in Genesis chapter 19, verse 19. Indeed, now your servant has found favor in your sight. I mentioned earlier on that the word grace and favor at times they are used interchangeably. So in this verse, the word favor is used. Found favor in your sight. Write it down, write it down. Found grace in your sight. So this is Lot speaking to the angel of the Lord. The same language with Noah. Noah found grace in the sight of God. But in this context, it is Lot who is asking to find grace in the sight of the angel of the Lord. And you have increased your mercy, which you have shown me by saving my life. Another thing about grace, grace saves. Grace saved Noah and his family. And this same grace is saving Lot and his family, except his rebellious wife. You and I, we are saved by grace. Grace saves. That's so powerful. I am saved because of God's grace. And Jesus went on the cross to die for my sin. And Jesus is the fullness of grace. Lot is asking for him to escape, not to the mountains, but somewhere else. Look what it says. But I cannot escape to the mountains, least some evil overtake me and I die. So what we see here in this account is that Lot is asking for mercy. The angel of the Lord has already instructed Lot and his family where to go to escape the mountains. But Lot now is negotiating with the angel of the Lord for him to go somewhere else. So what we see here, the words favor and grace again, they are used interchangeably. We can see where sin, judgment, and destruction exist. Grace appears. Look what it says in Genesis chapter 18 to 17. Why the angel of the Lord came to visit Lot and his family. And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing? Again, the extension of grace. We'll get there. And now look what it says in Genesis 18, verse 20 to 21. It's going to emphasize like that grace ushers in God's covenant because God has already established a covenant with Abraham. And because Lot was related to Abraham, Lot was also a partaker of the covenant that God made with Abraham. Because Abraham is a covenanted man of God. Genesis chapter 18, verse 20 to 21. It states, And the Lord said, Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, their sin is very grave. I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to me. And if not, I will know. So God was saying that I'm about to destroy the earth, I'm about to destroy this time, not with flood, but with fire, specific nations, not the entire earth. This is just a partial um judgment and destruction. But because God had a relationship with Abraham, and God had a covenant with Abraham, and because Lot is related to Abraham, God said that He's not going to hide what He was about to do from Abraham. That's how Abraham got into the picture interceding on behalf of his relative. Remember the dispute between Lot's heartman and Abraham's heartsmen because they were so blessed. And Abraham gave Lot the opportunity to choose any land. So Abraham is such a caring man, he's a family person, he's a family man. He cared about Lot. Lot stayed with Abraham until they departed when they had a dispute. So God's grace ushers in covenant. And because Abraham is a man of covenant, God was able to address Abraham regarding something very serious that God was planning to do. But it also involves somebody who is related to Abraham, and that is Lot. Look what it says in Genesis chapter now, 8, 18, verse 19. For I have known him, that is now God speaking concerning Abraham, just as God spoke concerning Noah. I have known him in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord to do righteousness and justice. Wow, that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has spoken to him. Grace precedes our righteousness, and grace shapes us into righteousness. And now look what it says in Genesis chapter 18, verse 23. And Abraham came near and said, Would you also destroy the righteous with the wicked?

SPEAKER_00: 6:07

Because Abraham was justified by faith in God because he believed God.

SPEAKER_01: 6:19

And as a result, he was accounted to as righteous because of his faith in God. So Abraham is interceding on behalf of Lot. So Lot found not only favor in the sight of the angels, but because of Abraham interceding on behalf of his family member to God, Lot also found favor in the sight of God because of Abraham. And Lot found grace in the sight of God because of Abraham. And Lot found favor now in the sight of God's two angels. And the angels and God himself confirmed that the Lord being merciful to him because Abraham was interceding on behalf of Lot.

SPEAKER_00: 7:31

Look what it says in Genesis 19, verse 15 to 17.

SPEAKER_01: 7:36

When the morning down, the angels urged Lord to Ori, saying, Arise, take your wife and your two daughters, who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city. Wow. Grace saves. And while he lingered, the man took hold of his hand, his wife's hand, and the hands of his two daughters. The Lord, wow, the Lord being merciful to him. And as a result of God being merciful to him, because of Abraham's intercession on behalf of Lot, grace was also extended, wow, to Lot's wife and his two daughters. We see the pattern of the extension of grace and the exemption of grace. They brought him out and set him outside the city. So it came to pass when they had brought him them outside that he said, Escape for your life. Do not look behind you, nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains lest you be destroyed. Genesis chapter 18, now from verse 18 to 22. Then Lost said to them, Please, O my lords, indeed now your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have increased your mercy, which you have shown me by saying, By saving my life, but I cannot escape to the mountains, lest some evil overtake me and I die. See now this city is near enough to flee to, and and and it is a little one. Please let me escape there. Is it not a little one? And my soul shall live. One thing that you need to learn about Lot Lot is a man of comfort. Remember when he chose the land based on what he saw? The land was pleasant, but this was the land that God eventually destroyed. And now the angels have commanded Lot to stay in the mountain. I know, yes, stay in the mountain is not comfortable, but he prefers comfort, another city. Again, that's just a side note. And he said to them, See, I have I have favored you concerning this thing also, and in that I will not overthrow the city for which you have spoken of. Zohar, that is the name of the city, and this city was in God's agenda for destruction. Oh my god, but because of God's grace, this city was speared. That I will not overthrow the city for which you have spoken. Hurry, escape there, for I cannot do anything until you arrive there. Therefore, the name of the city was called Zohar. Now, let's break it down. Lot found grace in the sight of God, and Lot found favor in the sight of God's angel. God's grace exemption excluded Lot from God's wrath because Abraham was interceding for Lot. And we also see God's grace extension. Inclusion of God's grace was extended not only to Lot but also to Lot's family, including his wife and his two daughters. The sad news is that only Lot's wife, who was included under the grace of God, could not leave under the grace of God, could not obey the grace of God, could not obey the instructions of the two angels for them not to look back. But because of her disobedience and rebellion, she became a pillar of salt. And we can see that in Genesis chapter 19, verse 26. But his wife looked back, but his wife looked back behind him and she became a pillar of salt. Because of her rebellion and disobedient of wanting to go back into that life, wanting to go back in that same place of destruction, she became a pillar of salt. What we can learn is that the grace of God can exclude us as it prevents God's wrath, judgment, and destruction from happening to us. God's grace comes before our goodness in character and conduct. Because if we examine the character of Lot, Lot is hospitable because when the angels came, he was very kind, he wanted to protect the angels. Lot is a man who feared God. Lot is humble because he called himself or referred to himself as a servant while he was speaking to God's angels. Lot actually in the New Testament is described as a righteous man. In 2 Peter chapter 2, verse 7 to 8. Look what it says. And deliver righteous Lot. So Lot is described as righteous, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked. For that righteous man dwelling among them tormented in his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds. So Peter is confirming to us that Lot was a righteous man. Just like Noah, grace comes before our goodness in character and conduct. God's grace again reaches out to Lot and his family for Abraham's sake. God's grace remembers Lot and his family for Abraham's sake. Look what it says in Genesis chapter 19, verse 29. And it came to pass when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham and sent Lot after the midst of the overthrow when he overthrew the cities in which Lot had dwelt with.

unknown: 15:02

Wow.

SPEAKER_01: 15:03

Grace remembers because God remembers Noah. Grace remembers Lot. So Grace remembers. Grace will make God to remember you. That's another principle that we have learned. God remembers Noah. And now we are seeing that God remember Abraham and send Lot out of the midst of the overthrow.