Daily Devotions
Genesis
"It is not for kings, O Lemuel, It is not for kings to drink wine, Nor for princes intoxicating drink; Lest they drink and forget the law, And pervert the justice of all the afflicted." Proverbs 31:4-5
Text: Genesis 19:1-38
THE POWER OF WINE
Genesis recorded two separate occasions where excessive drinking led to trouble. Good Noah was not spared when he succumbed to the intoxicating power of wine (Cf. Genesis 9:21). The second instance was when Lot’s daughters plied their father with wine so that they might obtain offspring from him (Genesis 19:30-38). Lot must have had a fondness of wine in order to fall prey to the schemes of his worldly daughters. Their desires were not born of lust but of concern for lineage.
REASONS WHY PAINFUL EVENTS WERE RECORDED
What were some reasons for the recording of an obviously painful event – the incestuous relationship inveigled by Lot’s daughters? Let us consider three possible reasons:
1.To display the devastating power of sin
Lot had failed to take into account the power of sin in life. Drawn by avarice, he chose the plains of Sodom and Gomorrah so that his earthly fortunes could increase. He already had much, but his covetous heart desired more.
He must have thought himself strong enough to resist temptation. Perhaps, he did succeed to some extent. He was not drawn to homosexuality that was prevalent in the city of Sodom. Nevertheless, he was tainted in other ways.
His thoughts and his actions indicated that sin had damaged his spiritual life significantly. He even offered his daughters to the men of Sodom if only they would leave his angelic guests alone!
Lot apparently never fully recovered from the loss of all his goods when Sodom was destroyed. The Scriptures were silent concerning his whereabouts after noting the incident of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.
2. To display the danger of pursuing material gains at the expense of faith in God
Lot experienced war and suffered as a casualty of war. However, he did not seem to have learned much from that incident (Cf. Genesis 14:1-17). He returned to live in Sodom!
He made no attempt to be reconciled to his uncle Abraham. There was apparently no contact between nephew and uncle. There was no record of Lot ever erecting an altar for worship.
For all his pains, Lot saw all his earthly wealth going up in smoke when God judged the cities of the plains. He gained absolutely nothing. He didn’t even have a faith to steady him as he struggled to come to terms with the harsh realities of life.
3. To trace the origin of two traditional enemies of Israel
Moab and Ammon were “traditional enemies” of Israel. The Scriptural record traced the origin of the nations of Moab and Ammon to the daughters of Lot.