January 1st – Happy New Year!
Lot and his two daughters left Zoar and settled in the mountains, for he was afraid to stay in Zoar. He and his two daughters lived in a cave. One day the older daughter said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is no man around here to lie with us, as is the custom all over the earth. Let’s get our father to drink wine and then lie with him and preserve our family line through our father.” That night they got their father to drink wine, and the older daughter went in and lay with him. He was not aware of it when she lay down or when she got up. The next day the older daughter said to the younger, “Last night I lay with my father. Let’s get him to drink wine again tonight, and you go in and lie with him so we can preserve our family line through our father.” So they got their father to drink wine that night also, and the younger daughter went and lay with him. Again he was not aware of it when she lay down or when she got up. So both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their father. The older daughter had a son, and she named him Moab; he is the father of the Moabites of today. The younger daughter also had a son, and she named him Ben-Ammi; he is the father of the Ammonites of today. Genesis 19:30-38 NIV
The story of Lot and his daughters is an example of the Bible’s frankness and honesty about people’s failures. It makes a powerful case for waiting on God’s best for our sexual desires.
Lot may never have had a good relationship with his daughters. These were the two daughters whom Lot offered to the angry mob in Sodom in place of his two angelic visitors. He apparently preferred to have the mob rape his virgin daughters than harm the two strangers (angels) staying at his house for the night (see Genesis 19:8).
The daughters believed the lies that Satan often uses in sexual temptations. He suggests that God’s provision for sexuality in marriage is not reliable or that it’s not worth holding out for. Satan then offers clever counterfeits that offer short term sexual pleasure, such as illicit sex, fornication, pornography, masturbation, and prostitution. These all have negative and unpleasant consequences in one way or another.
The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah may have seemed like an end of the world scenario to Lot’s daughters. They were stuck in a cave with little or no contact with the rest of the world. They feared they would not be able to have suitable husbands, so they decided to sleep with their father. Instead of securing blessed futures and families, they brought about dysfunctional families who became bitter enemies of God’s people.
We can only guess at what would have happened if Lot’s daughters had waited on God’s provision for them. Perhaps they and their descendants would have found favor with God, just as their uncle Abraham had. It is always best to wait on God’s provision for our lives, especially in sexual matters. It is not usually comfortable to wait, and it requires that we submit our wills to God’s will. In the end, we’ll be glad we did.
If you’ve already blown it by not waiting for God’s best for your sexuality, you can be forgiven and receive healing from what has happened. Check out our Freedom Journey 1 online course for help in getting started.
Questions for further thought:
How were peer pressure and alcohol also factors in this story?
How did Satan tempt Jesus to forgo waiting on God? (Luke 4:1-13)
How might the spiritual environment of the daughters’ hometown (Sodom) have affected their judgment? (Genesis 13:11-13, Genesis 18:20, 2 Peter 2:7-8)
What role did Lot’s fear play in this story? (Genesis 19:15-21, 30)
Prayer:
“Heavenly Father, please forgive me for any times when I have not waited on your best for my life. Please forgive me for any pride or rebellion that I’ve harbored. Please give me the faith to trust in your provision and promises for life. As I start this New Year, I offer myself as a vessel for your purposes and commit to seeking you diligently. Please create a passion in me for holiness and strengthen me to resist the temptations that may come my way. Thank you, Lord! I praise you now and forever, Amen.”