WEEKLY REFLECTION by Pastor Lap Dinh on Genesis 19:15-22

15 As morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be swept away in the punishment of the city.” 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. 17 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.” 18 And 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. 22 Escape there quickly, for I can do nothing till you arrive there.” Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.[a]

People who linger in sin often fail to understand both God’s mercy and the imminence of His judgment. Lot, as the head of his household, did not fully grasp that the city he loved was about to be destroyed by the Lord—even though he was warned and urgently urged to leave as soon as possible by the messengers (angels) of the Lord. God had a far better plan awaiting him and his household beyond the hills. Yet Lot chose a “convenient” halfway location—Zoar (“little one”).

Why? We cannot know for certain, but the context seems to suggest several reasons:

(a) Trust. Sinful human nature struggles to fully trust what God has prepared. Instead of trusting Him, people tend to bargain or settle for something easier—something in between—something that allows them to linger near the past.

(b) Control. Fallen humanity (since Genesis 3) has always wanted to be in control. Believing they possess the knowledge of good and evil, people assume they know better than God. They devise their own escape plans and means of salvation. They want to define what is good and what is evil. Little do they realize that the unintended consequences are far beyond their understanding. Without trust and obedience, divine foresight is impossible. All they can see is what their natural eyes and instincts reveal—and both are blind and broken.

(c) Greatness. God is great, and He desires to bless those who believe His Word—abundantly and expansively. Sadly, His people often settle for what is “little,” which is frequently disguised as humility but is, in fact, a false one. Excuses cut people short from receiving God’s best. Although God desires the best for His people, He never forces them to receive it. Free will is part of His design for those made in His image. Therefore, He allows what they choose. Once a decision is made, the outcome becomes certain and a trajectory is set.

Though God is all-powerful, He does not undo or adjust His Law. Because of this, He did the unthinkable—He sent the One who alone could fulfill the Law and redeem those who believe in His Son, Jesus. The redeemed are those who have been crucified with Christ and raised with Him, so that they may begin to live a truly great life in the Son of God. He is the One who leads them out of “Sodom and Gomorrah” and teaches them not to settle for “Zoar” (“little”), continually sanctifying them through His Word and the Holy Spirit.

There may be many “Zoars” in our past sinful lives—or even in our present struggles—where we linger in sin or desire to remain close to “Sodom and Gomorrah.” May this story awaken us to move all the way—from the valley of death, over the hills, into the land God has promised and fulfilled in His Son, Jesus Christ. May none of us exchange God’s greatness for “little conveniences” in our lives. Amen.