Part 1 - Genesis 19:1-8 - SOLD OUT!
Her father gently tries to persuade her with promises of a better life. She cries and shudders but does not move. As tears stream down her face He becomes angry and manhandles her out the door. She becomes hysterical. A sharp slap across her faces shocks her into silence and she shakes uncontrollably as the only security she has known is being BARGAINED AWAY in American dollars.
She is coerced into submission to face her visitor. There is an anxious twinge of emotional pain in the pit of her stomach as her resolve is battered by her father's CALLOUS TRANSACTION.
After she is SOLD for a pitiful $45 dollars, she is never seen again by her family, and ushered into the world of PROSTITUTION. In high demand, she is sexually exploited by Western Tourists in Cambodia. She is only 12 years old.
WHAT FATHER WOULD ALLOW THEIR DAUGHTERS TO BE USED LIKE THIS?
We meet another man such as this in Genesis 19. I find him SITTING AT THE GATE of the city. Lot was a rich man with many servants when he came to Sodom. WITH WEALTH COMES POWER, especially in a corrupt city such as this. Is it his wealth that enabled him to sit at the gate as a city judge? Big businessman, judge and city leader. A GREAT MAN IN A CITY DESTINED FOR DESTRUCTION. When he came to Sodom, he certainly received a better reception than the TWO MEN who became his guests that evening!
Two angels in human form receive from Lot the same GRACIOUS HOSPITALITY that Abraham afforded them. He is QUICK TO BE GENEROUS and AVAILABLE TO SERVE. Same HUMBLE AND GENUINE welcome. Sacrifice and servanthood characterise both Abraham and Lot. But it seems his respect for his guests OUTWEIGHS his respect for his own daughters. The city judge is about to be tested in his decision making abilities.
A large group of men know Lot has two guests. They are most likely drunk and surround the house demanding that Lot bring them out. They make it clear that they intend to SEXUALLY ABUSE them (Genesis 19:4-5).
Lot goes out to them. He calls them his brothers. He is trying to stop them from ACTING WICKEDLY (Genesis 19:7). That's commendable, but what he says next makes MY BLOOD RUN COLD.
In Genesis 19:7-8 Lot says to this group of homosexual men "Please, my brothers," he begs, "don't do such a wicked thing. Look, I have two virgin daughters. Let me bring them out to you, and you can DO WITH THEM AS YOU WISH. BUT PLEASE, LEAVE THESE MEN ALONE, FOR THEY ARE MY GUESTS AND ARE UNDER MY PROTECTION."
What kind of suggestion is this? What father would offer his VIRGIN DAUGHTERS to men such as this? What city judge arbitrates like this? Who even thinks that this is ACCEPTABLE? Was this a kind of a JOKE? Is he being SARCASTIC? Was this trying to STALL FOR TIME? Did he really mean this? Was he trying to HIGHLIGHT THEIR WICKEDNESS by making an equally shocking and wicked suggestion? What amount of DESPERATION could allow a father to take such action even in a crisis? Sold!
It shows me that in a CRISIS SITUATION my selfish fears and faulty reasoning can threaten others, including my family! In the crisis I am prone to reveal the SKEWED THINKING AND ATTITUDES of my heart, even in the presence of angels. It shows me how much I NEED THE HOLY SPIRIT AND GOD'S WORD TO GIVE ME A NEW HEART AND MIND. Jesus told His disciples in John 16:12-14 "When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth."
Romans 12:2 (NLT) says "Don't copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by CHANGING THE WAY YOU THINK. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect."
God bless you Church as you have your thinking transformed. I know my prayer is "Lord, give me the perspective to make decisions that will help me change my world and not add to it's corrupting influence!"
Pastor Ross
