Daily Matza August 1st

Culture VS Righteousness Part 1

[Read GEN 19:1-21]

After reading the 21 verses about Abraham’s nephew Lot, we can easily see the negative consequences of his selfish and bad choice in 13:11. However, this quote from the B’rit Ha Dasha, Second Book Kefa 2:7,8, written later in the 1st Century CE, seems to tell what was going on inside Lot, while he was dwelling in Sodom.

Tsadik [righteous] Lot [was] oppressed [harassed, going to the bottom] [in] his soul by the lewd [filthy, licentious] conduct [what the life says] of the wicked [lawless, rebellious]; for that righteous [tsadik–righteous, just, innocent, right, justified] man…[was] tormented [harassed, going to the bottom, worn down] [in] his righteous soul from day-to-day…by their lawless [animal, wicked] deeds. It refers to him twice as righteous [see above definition] Lot. Twice he was said to be going to the bottom. It seems that his inner struggle attested to that.

Tenach has preventive medicine for the compromising situation in which Lot found himself–Blessed [happy, content] is the man who does not walk [continually] in the counsel [deliberation of, advice, plan, resolve] of the ung-dly, nor stands [to be present with] in the way [course of life, trodden road] of sinners, nor sits [remains, settles with or in] in the seat [site, abode, dwelling in place and time] of the scornful [scoffers, mouth offenders, mockers] But, his delight is in the law of the L-rd. [PS 1:1, 2a]

What was the evidence of that dark culture’s negative effect on Lot, to this point in his life? How can we know that he was not following the precepts of PS 1?

1. He still lived there! G-d’s malaks [warrior messengers, angels] had to forcibly rescue him and his family.
2. He was sitting [same word as PS 1:1– remaining with, settled in] in the gate of Sodom. [The gate was thegathering place of the city leaders, somewhat of a city or town council place of deliberation, plans, and] He was not opposing their sinful plans.
3. His close associates were described in Hebrew as morally wrong, actively bad and scoffers, mockers, [Vss. 1,5,9] Oops! Psalm 1 uses these same words!
4. His counter-offer, You may do with them [my daughters] as you wish [desire], was as immoral and wicked as the initial demand of the attackers to let them have sexual relations with the two men [malaks,messengers of G-d]. Not at all good!

What can we learn from this story?

• The words, actions and priorities of our current, ung-dly culture can and probably will become ours, if our relationship with the ung-dly is a close, unguarded one.
• That WILL happen, unless the strength of our heart and life exceeds theirs, starting on the inside. But, it must be manifested on the outside, as we oppose their ung-dly ways.
• Leisure time spent with them, continuously hearing and seeing their dark lives without shining light on them, will eventually darken our life and it will never help them out of their darkness.

Here’s my two-fold challenge–don’t be Lot, but learn from his mistakes. Be someone’s Noah and live counter-culture in your life, as Noah did, and as righteous Lot should have done. Oppressed…tormented VS blest,happy, content, delighting in the Law of the L-rd?

Really! It’s your choices that determine the outcome!

Selah…Shalom…