Old Testament Stories | Sodom and Gomorrah

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So, the story of Sodom and Gomorrah can be a lot to take in. There’s just a lot of darkness all around this story. If you want to read the whole thing, you can read Genesis 18:16-19:29. But here’s a rundown of what happens in the story:

  • God looks at Sodom and Gomorrah, and He only sees wickedness and evil, so He decides to destroy the cities and the surrounding areas

  • Abraham intercedes for the city. He asks God that if He can find 10 righteous people in all the city that He will spare the city. God agrees to this.

  • Lot (Abraham’s nephew) lives in Sodom, so God sends angels to help Lot and his family escape before the city is destroyed. The people of Sodom try to harm the angels, but Lot keeps them safe.

  • Lot (after much lingering) escapes the city with his family. But Lot’s wife disobeys God and looks back at the city of God and then is turned into a pillar of salt. Crazy!!!!

I think that it can be really easy to read this story and to only see the wrath of God, or to be scared of Him. But actually what I want to focus on in this story is the radical mercy of God.

There are actually several examples of God’s mercy written within this story; however, I particularly want to focus on God’s faithfulness to Lot (particularly when Lot wasn’t super faithful to God).

Lot certainly was not perfect. If you read stories about him in the Bible, he certainly struggled with sin a lot. However, because God claimed him, God showed Lot mercy time and time again. First, God allowed Lot to escape the city of Gomorrah.

Then, when Lot lingered in the city (even when God’s angels told him he needed to leave immediately), Genesis 19:16 Lot was still given the opportunity to escape because of “the Lord being merciful to him.”

Even after God helped Lot escape and told him to take his family to the hills, Lot basically said “that’s not good enough” and asked God to let him go to a nearby city instead. Because God loved Lot, He showed mercy and allowed Lot to go where he wanted to.

What does this mean?

So, in the Old Testament, the Jews were God’s chosen people. But after Jesus’ resurrection, we all have access to God. So, we all have access to God’s mercy. So, in the way that Lot was chosen by God and was given unconditional mercy, we have access to God’s mercy and love and forgiveness.

So, when you “mess up” or sin or just live a life that that does not honor God, there is so much mercy. His love for you is unconditional. Because of God’s absolute kindness and adoration of you, there will never be a place you can go where He will not adamantly seek you out. You cannot do anything that is bigger than His endless grace for you.

So, this means we get to live in freedom. Freedom without fear of judgment. Freedom to run to God no matter the circumstance, no matter the mistake. Know that God loves you, and no matter what you have done, God’s mercy is never ending for you!!

-Hannah

Pray

God, thank You for Your mercy. I ask that you will reveal to me a mindset of freedom and not one of bondage. Thank You that because of Your mercy, I can always run to You free of judgment. Your kindness amazes me, and I am so thankful for who You are! I love You, God. Amen.