Genesis 19:30-38 - Delivery and Return to Sin

Genesis 19:30-38

The Descendants of Lot

30 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.

This is the account of how God delivered Lot with his wife and his daughters from sin’s influence all around them and then how they fell back into sin themselves.  We saw how Lot’s wife had disobeyed the LORD by looking back to what they left behind as if to desire to return to live in the midst of that city of abominations.  She refused to be the salt of righteousness and became a statue of salt that was a testament against turning back to sin once delivered from it as a lesson for us (Luke 17:31-32, 1 Corinthians 10:11) to solemnly contemplate and avoid.  The two daughters of Lot then looked back and saw there was no future for their family’s line because they did not wait to find husbands, and so engaged in sinful incest with their father to have children to continue his family name.  They thought and reasoned without trusting God to provide husbands in another city after theirs had been destroyed and along with their own husbands who laughed at God’s judgment on sin.  They then committed their own sin to make the command to be fruitful and multiply in a way that was opposed to God’s plan and way according to His word.  How often we choose our expedient way over the long way of trust in God’s work in His way at His time and suffer the consequences.  The sons Moab and Ammon both became thorns in the side of God’s people because of this decision.  They served false gods and later led Israel away from the LORD as they battled with them over the years, all because they were born of sinful expediency and not of lawful faith and patient waiting.  This also is a lesson for us not to grab for what we think or want to further the kingdom if it is not done according to the scriptures of God’s guardrails of goodness.  This was done by the daughters by getting their father Lot drunk to sleep with him unaware who he was with or even that it happened at all.  This deceit led to the tragic conflict with the descendants of Moab and Ammon through the years afterwards.  Our sinful choices against faith and patience also have consequences; even though God forgives us, we may battle with them for the rest of our lives as this example warns us.  May we be more like Abraham who trusted by faith and asked for strength in times of trouble to help his wavering moments of unbelief and uncertainty of the path ahead, and not take shortcuts such as Lot who chose to live among the heinous sins of Sodom or his daughters who chose impulsively and unwisely in opposition to God’s word.  We can learn much from this delivery and return to sin that we might avoid going back as best we can by considering our steps as ordered by the Lord as found in reading and contemplating (1 Timothy 4:8, 2 Peter 1:3) His word and following His leading in the principles, examples, and commands found there.