Noah vs Lot

[Mark Doble]

Hard to type what I am thinking, but hear goes.

Lot was the only person to be saved from destruction. Why? Not one other person. And as far as I know there were about 500,000 in both cities together.

Did Lot not have family? Was Lot's faith not outreaching enough, or make a distinct resolve with others in his immediate family? What resolve did Lot have that 499,000 others did not? I assume Lot put up with a lot of teasing at the way he did not live. Did Lot not bring up his kids right, did he not preach to them? Why did his wife look back? Did she still desire that way of life? Was his wife a believer? Maybe not... She still chose to look back.

Noahand his family was saved. Noah must have had great resolve in his faith. It took decades to build the Ark. His Dad must have brought him up with knowing his faith and made a hugh impact on Noah. Noah must have brought his kids up in the faith as well. His kids must have seen his faith lived out to stay with him during his "weirdness" days of constructing an Ark in the desert! And put up with all the teasing along with him.

Why, or how did it come that only 8 people being saved. And, the only 8 people left on the face of the earth to still follow God.

Now,at what state do we let our countries become before God wipes us out? I mean, God is the same then as he is now. It would only be fair, right? However, I don't think it is that bad down here yet. :eek:

[Billie Goodson]

Hard to type what I am thinking, but hear goes.

Lot was the only person to be saved from destruction. Why? Not one other person. And as far as I know there were about 500,000 in both cities together.

Did Lot not have family? Was Lot's faith not outreaching enough, or make a distinct resolve with others in his immediate family? What resolve did Lot have that 499,000 others did not? I assume Lot put up with a lot of teasing at the way he did not live. Did Lot not bring up his kids right, did he not preach to them? Why did his wife look back? Did she still desire that way of life? Was his wife a believer? Maybe not... She still chose to look back.

Noahand his family was saved. Noah must have had great resolve in his faith. It took decades to build the Ark. His Dad must have brought him up with knowing his faith and made a hugh impact on Noah. Noah must have brought his kids up in the faith as well. His kids must have seen his faith lived out to stay with him during his "weirdness" days of constructing an Ark in the desert! And put up with all the teasing along with him.

Why, or how did it come that only 8 people being saved. And, the only 8 people left on the face of the earth to still follow God.

Now,at what state do we let our countries become before God wipes us out? I mean, God is the same then as he is now. It would only be fair, right? However, I don't think it is that bad down here yet. :eek:

Lot's daughters (2) were saved along with him. Remember, he also may have been the vehicle of salvation for another small town -- see Genesis 19:18 -- Lot implored of the angels to let him flee to the nearby town instead of the mountains. It can be assumed that the small town (Zoar) he fled to was saved -- while others on the plain were destroyed. Lot and his daughters did apparently settle in the mountains as we read in vs. 30.

[Billy Cox]

Lot was saved for the sake of Abraham...not because he was blameless (as was Noah). I get the impression that Lot blended in with the people of Sodom pretty well. Maybe he didn't participate in routine gang-rapes of travellers, but we don't know that he abstained either.

If I were to make an educated guess, Noah's 'family' probably included more than eight people.

As for God destroying a present-day nation like he did Sodom or Gomorrah, I point to the fact that God was willing to spare the evil cities for the sake of a handful of righteous people. I won't be losing any sleep over it.

[Scott Daniels]

In both cases the culture was bent on self-destruction. In Gen. 6 we are told that "the earth was corrupt and filled with violence." There seems to be a similar idea in the Sodom narrative. S&G are headed rapidly toward the destructive consequences that come with their sin. Perhaps we too are culturally on the road to self-destruction.

This may not be a helpful answer, but I think its important to read those stories from the point of view of when those stories were told. They were most likely retold and recorded during exile when only a remnant of God's people remained. The dominant question the people were wrestling with during the period of exile was: can God sustain and rebuild his Kingdom from just a remnant?

Noah: the point is that God has made and will keep his Noah covenant to sustain and rebuild his people - as long as they remain faithful in the midst of the floods of chaos and sin. Even one righteous man (and his family) can sustain the Kingdom (no matter how long it takes).

Lot: the point is that while we live in the midst of sinful cultures we have to be careful to not choose their life. Lot chose to move near Sodom, live in Sodom, and do business in Sodom. Even though God spared him, his wife and future sons-in-law were lost (they laughed at his warning). His daughters ("who have never known a man") live, but they turn his family into an incestuous one. While we live in exile, God may keep us alive, but if we become "just like everyone else" we will be lost in another way.

Hope that's helpful. If not, ignore it.