NEWS & THOUGHTS ARCHIVE

Mocked by Self

Evangelist Dr. Bob Sanders
September 1, 2008

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“And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the Lord  will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law.” Genesis 19:14

As I consider the moral state of our great country, I must admit that I am very concerned. We are approaching a very critical period in our nation’s history. While most would rather not admit it, our nation has forgotten the very God that made her great! David made an interesting statement concerning that kind of nation in Psalms 9:17, “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.” America is moving closer and closer to the edge of destruction! 

America is no longer moved by the hideous appearance of sin, but has begun to embrace the perverted forms of truth and morality and begun to accept it as the norm! Pronouncing a woe on those of this persuasion, Isaiah said, “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20). The word “woe” means alas, or O, and is akin to a word meaning to cry out after or to lament over. A spiritual nation weeps and laments over sin while a sensual nation welcomes and lavishes itself in the atmosphere and activities of its sinful depravity. When I consider such a day, I am reminded of the day in which Lot lived. A careful reading of Genesis 19 reveals great similarities between our day and those of Lot! Both are days of neutrality, “Lot sat in the gate” (Genesis 19:1). Neither society nor the saint was bothered by the presence of the other. Society welcomed the saint into the legislature and the saint welcomed society into his life. Neither was overly moved by the other! Both are days void of natural affections, “bring them . . . that we may know them” (Genesis 19:5). These are days void of the natural affections associated with human birth and the human body. Speaking of these perverted affections, Paul said, “And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet” (Romans 1:27). 

But the most appalling similarity is the noticeable results produced by the saint’s witness. When Abraham began to bargain with God for the lives of men, he quickly assumed that there would be some noticeable results all because a saint now resided in Sodom. The tragedy was that while there should have been; no positive change had occurred. While we hear of some folks getting saved and random sparks of revival, for the most part things continue to spiral downward with no real noticeable results. The abortion clinics are still open, promiscuous life styles are continually promoted, and sin is being applauded rather than abhorred. 

Some would be so brazen as to try to lay the guilt and blame at the feet of the world, the flesh, and the Devil. Some would try to pass it off as being the last days. The truth is, just as Lot must accept responsibility for his day, we must accept responsibility for our day! In Genesis 19:14, the Word of God points out that Lot was mocked. But, the sobering truth is; Lot was not mocked by society; he was mocked by self!  

Lot was mocked by His Speech, “And Lot went out, and spake . . . But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law” (Genesis 19:14). If you will closely examine the text, it does not say that Lot’s sons in law mocked him. In reference to the mocking, it says “he,” and it is speaking of Lot. The interesting phrase in the text is, “But he seemed.” That phrase means to have the outward appearance, to look or the presence of, to have a resemblance. When the sons in law looked at Lot’s life and contrasted it to the speech from his lips, it was a mockery! The word “mocked” means to laugh outright in scorn by implying to make sport of. While Lot may have been blinded to the mockery of his speech, those that lived about him were not! The conversation of Lot’s lips was not consistent with the content of Lot’s life. The outcome was, one aspect of Lot’s life was laughing at and making sport of the other. What was projected from his life was mocking what was proclaimed from his lips! 

For the most part, this same truth is being lived out in the life of the average Christian in America. When Lot’s sons in law looked at Lot’s life style, what they saw mocked the Sovereign of the speech, the subject of the speech, and the suddenness of the speech. Lot’s life did not project a God to be feared, a sin to be shunned, and a judgment that was imminent. The shame of today is not that we are mocked by society for our proclamation of the gospel, but we are mocked by self for our perversion of godliness. 

Lot was mocked by His Spirituality, “vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds” (II Peter 2:8). If you had been able to speak to Lot, he would have given you a list of things that he did not do, thus making him spiritual in comparison to those that lived about him. We live in a day where one’s spirituality is based on a list of things that they do not do, thus making them better than those about them. The truth is Lot was not living above the sin of Sodom; he was living under the influence of Sodom’s sin. Lot had not been declared righteous by man, but by God. In II Peter, the Word of God makes reference to him as “just Lot” (vs. 7). The word “just” means equitable in character by implication of being innocent or holy. Lot’s righteous state was not being enhanced, but eroded by the wicked behavior of those that lived in Sodom. Peter said that Lot was “vexed.” This means to labor down, wear with toil or to harass, to plunge down or submerge. The question that we need to ask is, “What was being harassed or bound and burdened with heavy toil?” The answer is, “his righteous soul.” Lot spiritual state was being continually placed beneath the influence of sinful behavior. The outcome of such continual warfare was that Lot became tolerant of sin; the sins of society and the sins of self. This is the spiritual state of America! We are no longer shocked by perversion and nudity on the television. Our spirit is not crushed when Our Lord’s name is taken in vain. We now rationalize and categorize sin so that it no longer disturbs our life style. The shame of today is not that we are mocked by society for our righteousness, but we are mocked by self for our self-righteousness.  

Lot was mocked by His Security, “And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah . . . And they took Lot . . . and his goods, and departed” (Genesis 14:11-12). I don’t know any better way to say it than, Lot’s security was in substance and not the Sovereign. Every choice that Lot made was to establish a security based on the temporal wealth of this world. When given the opportunity to choose, Lot chose the well watered plains of Sodom (see Genesis 13:10-11). What was Lot’s reasoning? Grass meant pasture, pasture meant fat cattle and sheep, fat cattle and sheep meant wealth, and wealth meant security from the storms and adversities of life; or so Lot thought! You would have thought that Lot would have learned something when he had to be rescued by Abraham when Chedorlaomer, king of Elam took him as well as all he possessed captive. Having recovered all, Lot moved back to the city of Sodom. While Sodom may have been walled, it was also wicked. The Day of Judgment came and Lot was conducted out of the city by the angels of God. What evidence of security does Lot take with him; absolutely nothing. Lot leaves Sodom with two daughters and the clothes on his back; that’s all! Lot finds out that there is no security in the things of this world! The confidence of most Americans is in the monetary wealth of this world, rather than being anchored in the promises of the True and Living God of Glory. The shame of today is not that we are mocked by society for our confidence in the Triumphant Sovereign of Eternity, but we are mocked by self for placing confidence in the temporal substance of earth. 

In the day of visitation, Lot did not lead a host of souls to safety, but was dragged from the burning inferno by the angels of God. Lot left behind no noticeable results as the wrath of God fell upon the wicked souls of Sodom. The only influence being exercised was that of the sinful upon the saint. We are having little or no impact upon the world about us! Could it be because we are mocked by self: our speech, our spirituality, and our security? 

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