The Pilgrim Path---Second Peter 2: 7 – 9

…and if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard); then the LORD knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment…

“…RIGHTEOUS LOT”

There may not be a more interesting person in the Old Testament than the man sitting in the gate of Sodom---the gentleman named Lot. Do you remember him? Abraham’s nephew? He is designated by the Holy Spirit in Second Peter as “Righteous Lot.” Never forget that…

---Lot was in the city gate of Sodom (Genesis 19: 1). Meaning he was some sort of respected community leader---though he did not have the power to later stop a crowd of men---in their attempted sexual assault of his male guests (actual angels sent to the city by God).

---Lot needed angels---as R. B. Kuiper used to say, “to drag him out of Sodom,” because his material / commercial interests---had gotten him quite “fastened” to the community…

---Lot could not get his future sons-in-law to leave Sodom with him (at the direction of the angels) when he explained the impending doom. They thought he was joking. Makes you wonder?

---Lot asked the angels to let him go to a small town (Zoar) close to Sodom when destruction comes---rather than to the mountains---Was it just too hard to leave it all?

---Lot became the “Father” of the Moabites and Ammonites (a tragic narrative all its own in Genesis 19).

---Lot however---was a trophy of God’s Grace! This is the testimony of Holy Scripture---he came to know Abraham’s LORD of life and love---Oh the favor of Heaven! AND---we find in Second Peter Chapter 2---how distressed Lot was over the sins of his neighbors and fellow citizens in Sodom. IF not for Second Peter---we would not have known---how deep Lot’s anguish was---concerning the times. We would not know about the torment of his own soul---for this is not explicitly alluded to within the text of Genesis 19. Which brings me to this point: Be incredibly careful about your judgment of individuals. We do not know everything going on in their heart and mind. Until such a time as they seek to reveal what is going on---we do not actually know what is going on…Reduce your assumptions toward the worst. Cut down on your criticisms. Diminish the temptation to get swallowed up by the Elijah Syndrome (you are the only proponent of the truth left---Romans 11: 1 – 6). Afford people great charity as a blood-bought follower of Jesus Christ. People’s actions may give us “some” indication---But Second Peter 2 shows us that Lot had redemptive “overtures” within him---that were not all “played out” before our eyes in complete fulfillment to the glory of God within the narrative of Genesis 19…

---Lot was rescued---And the unrighteous kept under punishment until the Day of Judgment. Run to the LORD Jesus Christ in child-like trust, leave your sin, and by grace through faith---His righteousness will be yours---(the stream of mercy touching Lot / Genesis 19: 16---“the LORD being merciful to him”---reaches us---in Jehovah-Jesus)---Thanks be to God!

From Charles Haddon Spurgeon: Second Peter 2: 9---“The LORD knows”---There are narrow limits to our knowledge. There is a great breadth to our conceit, but the things we really know are few, after all. He who is wisest will be the first to confess his own ignorance. Our faith in the superior knowledge of God is a great source of comfort to us. His knowledge of everything is a sort of omnipresent covering to our naked ignorance. Knowledge is safer in the hands of God than it would be in our hands. Only the infinite God is to be trusted with infinite knowledge.

Meanwhile on the other side of the world:

---Chernihiv (Ukraine) is being called “the next Mariupol”---almost no electricity; constant shelling (Sky News / Reuters).

---Tyrant Putin’s approval ratings stand at 83% ---according to Russia’s only independent pollster…Would you risk telling any pollster something negative about Putin? (Sky News)

---Putin’s Kremlin knows it does not have to arrest all protestors. A compelling way to “strangle” their existence is to place them on the state’s register of “foreign agents.” By doing this an individual must report all monthly income and travel---even to the grocery store. You must also indicate “how” your income is spent. All this must be reported and opens you to extensive investigation---and possible detention (at any time---for any reason / see Reuters Investigative 3/ 31/ 22). Nothing like having been in the KGB (Putin---the main Security Agency of the Old Soviet Union).

---The United Nations says at least 4 million Ukrainians have fled their country since the start of the war. Poland has absorbed 2. 3 million…

---Rev. James Peipon is headed to Poland to join MTW’s Ukraine Crisis Team. First Presbyterian Church, Jackson, MS, wanted to get him there to assist with this “massive endeavor.” Please pray for this ongoing work---and all the volunteers involved!

Grace and Peace in Jesus, the Only Redeemer of broken and wretched souls, Pastor Jason