The Danger of Compromising with Evil

MEMORY VERSE: “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” —Romans 12:2

GENESIS 13:8-13; 18:20-22; 19:24.29

ABRAHAM was not only a man of great faith, but apparently he was an unselfish man, and a man of peace. When strife arose between the herdsmen of Abraham and the herdsmen of Lot, Abraham suggested that the flocks be divided, and that Lot choose the section of land which he preferred and that he would take what was left. “Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other.”

“Abram dwelled in the Land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom. But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly.” Lot chose the land of the plain “toward Sodom” because he recognized it would be best for his flocks, and the fact that his neighbors would be the wicked people of Sodom and Gomorrah did not seem to concern him.

We note in passing that Abraham’s magnanimity in this matter led to a reaffirmation of the covenant which God had made with him (see Genesis 13:14-18). And what a blessing this must have been to the faithful patriarch! He was told by the Lord to lift up his eyes and look “from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward,” and he was assured that all the land which he saw would be given to him and to his seed forever.

GENESIS 18:20-22; 19:24-29

When the three “men”—materialized angels—visited Abraham about a year before the birth of Isaac, they announced to him that it was the Lord’s intention to destroy the wicked city of Sodom. They assured Abraham that the city would not be destroyed if ten righteous people could be found among its inhabitants, but these were not found, and the city, together with Gomorrah, was destroyed. All the native inhabitants of these wicked cities were destroyed.

Lot and his wife and family were allowed to escape, but Lot’s wife contrary to God’s command, “looked back … and she became a pillar of salt.” In Luke 17:32 Jesus is quoted as saying, “Remember Lot’s wife.” The lesson for the Lord’s people today seems to be one of faithfulness in going forward in the doing of the Heavenly Father’s will. The divine will for his people today is, as pointed out in our memory verse, that we be not conformed to this world, but be transformed in our minds and hearts, not only to realize what our vows of consecration mean, but to be determined to carry out what we have covenanted with the Lord to do. In this there should be no spirit of compromise, no turning back.

An interesting sidelight concerning Sodom and Gomorrah is that the Lord made no effort to convert these people before he destroyed them, although he had promised Abraham that through his ‘Seed” he would bless all the families of the earth. In the New Testament we have some information on this point which is very revealing. Speaking of the city of Capernaum which rejected Jesus and his teachings, the Master said, “If the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.”—Matt. 11:23

This indicates that the people of Sodom would have been converted had an effort been made to do so. But Jesus explains why this way not done. The explanation is that God has appointed a future time of probation and judgment for all the wicked dead, and that the people of Sodom will then be awakened from death and given an opportunity to believe and to receive the blessings of the Lord—the blessings of restored human life here on the earth.

Jesus continued, “But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.” (Matt. 11:24) It will be tolerable, or favorable, in the day of judgment, for the Jews who rejected Jesus and his message, but even more favorable for those who died in sin without being enlightened concerning the true God and his laws of righteousness.

QUESTIONS

Relate the story of Abraham and Lot in the division of the land.

What lesson can we draw from the experience of Lot’s wife turning back?

Will the Sodomites have a future opportunity for life?

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