A Study in Genesis
As we have said before, Genesis is a book answering the “why.” Today, we are going over something many people fail to see. Today, we are going over something rather fundamental for families. The weakness of a father can lead to monumental problems that cascade further into turmoil for literal nations. Last time we were in Genesis, we were going over how God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. Now we examine how Lot’s weakness to lead caused his daughters to err and make a disastrous decision.
Genesis 19:30-38“Then Lot went up out of Zoar and dwelt in the mountains, and his two daughters were with him; for he was afraid to dwell in Zoar. And he and his two daughters dwelt in a cave. 31 Now the firstborn said to the younger, “Our father [is] old, and [there is] no man on the earth to come in to us as is the custom of all the earth. 32 “Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve the lineage of our father.” 33 So they made their father drink wine that night. And the firstborn went in and lay with her father, and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose. 34 It happened on the next day that the firstborn said to the younger, “Indeed I lay with my father last night; let us make him drink wine tonight also, and you go in [and] lie with him, that we may preserve the lineage of our father.” 35 Then they made their father drink wine that night also. And the younger arose and lay with him, and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose. 36 Thus both the daughters of Lot were with child by their father. 37 The firstborn bore a son and called his name Moab; he [is] the father of the Moabites to this day. 38 And the younger, she also bore a son and called his name Ben-Ammi; he [is] the father of the people of Ammon to this day.”
Right at the beginning, we see that Lot is making decisions based on fear, “for he was afraid to dwell in Zoar.” Whenever we base decisions on fear, we fail to recognize who is there for us. We fail to recognize that Christ Himself is our intercessor and is closer than anyone could ever be. Proverbs 18:24 “A man [who has] friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend [who] sticks closer than a brother.” When we make decisions, we need to be resolved to seek the Lord in those decisions and be in His word. Because Lot was making decisions based on fear rather than sound counsel from the Lord, his daughters took matters into their own hands. Before we continue, I want to emphasize a familiar structure that happens in families that parents should be aware of. The oldest children will naturally guide the younger ones. This can be good or bad depending on the oldest. If they are following the Lord, it can be like James following the Lord and his brother John with him. However, if the oldest is not following the Lord, their guidance can be devastating. This is why parents need to be working individually with each child, to train and build them up in the way they should go. By doing this, when the oldest or youngest has an idea that is not Biblical, the other may help guide/correct them accordingly.
For Lot’s oldest, she has an idea that is based on a lack of faith. She believes that God cannot provide a husband for her and her sister. Lot could have immediately gone and stayed with Abraham, and yet he hid in a cave. Instead of seeking the Lord, he drank. This caused his children to panic and make rash decisions. The end result is the Moabites and the Ammonites. One must only read the accounts of Israel’s issues with these two nations to realize what a travesty Lot’s weakness caused. His daughter’s decisions would only exacerbate this issue.
When parents fail to lean on the Lord, it provides an opportunity for the children to make an error that might have easily been circumvented with proper parental guidance. Nevertheless, it is each person’s responsibility to lean on the Lord, and when someone comes to you with an idea that does not reflect what God’s ordinances require, we should resist it. The younger daughter could have rebuked her sister and said let’s go to our relative Abraham and see what God will do. All it takes is one person to be the voice of truth, and it can stop the chaos within a family.
In our own lives, we need to be careful to see what family, friends, and those we trust give us as advice. It could be built on thinking that is out of fear and the idea that God is not in control. As parents, our lives need to be dedicated to the Lord, our actions and decisions need to reflect likewise, and whenever we have a chance, we need to be teaching this to our children so that they can make wise decisions and follow the Lord. All it took was Lot or one of his daughters to say, “Stop, let’s seek the Lord,” and it would have stopped a geopolitical nightmare for Israel. Children need to be seeking the Lord, so when our parents do fail, they can step up and be the voice of reason. God designed the family and the dynamics of the family institution, but do not forget that before the family was ever institutionalized, God had a personal relationship with Adam and Eve. This is why each person must come to know Jesus Christ personally. The family blossoms when each person has a saving faith in Christ and is living with the same goal of following Him according to His Word. Thousands of years have gone by, and yet this lesson is still relevant to this day!
Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,
JL