Word of Encouragement (02/10/2022)
“And as they brought them out, one said, "Escape for your life. Do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley. Escape to the hills, lest you be swept away." 18And Lot said to them, "Oh, no, my lords. 19 Behold, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have shown me great kindness in saving my life. But I cannot escape to the hills, lest the disaster overtake me and I die. 20 Behold, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one. Let me escape there—is it not a little one?—and my life will be saved!" 21 He said to him, "Behold, I grant you this favor also, that I will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken. 22Escape there quickly, for I can do nothing till you arrive there." Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.” (Gen. 19:17-22).
Yesterday, we talked about why Lot’s prayer is a “not-so-good” prayer and yet how readily the angel granted his petition. We found out what the reason was: God remembered Abraham (Gen. 19:29). Even though he did not directly pray for the rescue of Lot and his family, God knew what he was praying for and granted it for him. How encouraging this is! Sometimes we don’t say what we mean (for whatever reason) or we don’t even know what it is that we want. But God understands what is really in our hearts, however deep it may be, and answers our prayers accordingly.
Unmistakable throughout the interaction in this passage is God’s patience with Lot (as it is shown in the angel’s interaction with Lot). V. 18 says that “they” (the angels) brought Lot and his family out of Sodom. This doesn’t mean that they guided them out; they literally “brought” them out. Why? When the Sodomites wanted to sodomize the angels, God’s punishment was set in motion. The angels urged Lot to gather his family and leave the city in a hurry, telling him that God was about to destroy the cities and all their inhabitants. But we read in v. 16, “But he lingered. So the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, the LORD being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city.” Why Lot lingered, we don’t know. Maybe everything was happening so quickly and he was too frazzled to move quickly. Maybe he didn’t quite believe what these “men” were saying. They had to drag him and his family out of the city as quickly as possible.
Then, there is that almost shameless request Lot makes. God delivered him and his family from the impending doom and he dared to ask for a more convenient location to flee to. We also noticed how self-centered his petition was—how it was all about him and there was no mention of his family! And yet, God showed him a favor and granted his request.
We all know that it was not for the impeccable logic of Lot’s argument that God granted his wish. As we saw, Abraham’s rationale for his intercession for Lot rested solely on God’s character of justice and mercy. Lot’s rationale rested solely on his preference. So then, it was not on the merit of Lot’s prayer that God granted him a favor; it was because God remembered Abraham (v. 29).
We should keep this in mind. When God answers our prayers, it may be more than because we prayed fervently and diligently. It is ultimately because God remembers His beloved Son, who prays on our behalf ceaselessly and perfectly according to His will. And we can also see the importance of praying for those who cannot pray themselves for whatever reason or who don’t know how to pray properly. Our prayers on their behalf can have powerful effects on them and their prayers. What a glorious thought!
Lastly, if we are shocked and dismayed by Lot’s shameless request, let us remember that, in some ways, all our prayers for our needs are shameless requests to God. What right do we have to ask anything from God when we think about the countless ways we transgress against God’s law and His grace? Were it not for Christ’s redeeming work, pardoning us and making us acceptable to God, there would be no reason for God to give any heed to our petitions! God’s patient and gracious response to Lot’s petition is a wonderful example of how God deals with us because of our union with Christ. Our prayers should grow to be more and more worthy of Christ, in whose name we pray. But even as we fumble through our immature and at times shameless prayers, God deals with us in His patience and mercy on account of our Savior Jesus Christ. Let us give thanks to Him for His wonderful grace in Jesus Christ!