top of page

Motivation Morsel - November 2, 2026

5 hours ago
5 min read

Genesis 19:12 The men said to Lot, “Do you have any people here besides yourself? Whomever you have in the city — son-in-law, your sons, your daughters — bring them out of this place; 13 because we are going to destroy it. Adonai has become aware of the great outcry against them, and Adonai has sent us to destroy it.” 14 Lot went out and spoke with his sons-in-law, who had married his daughters, and said, “Get up and leave this place, because Adonai is going to destroy the city.” But his sons-in-law didn’t take him seriously.

15 When morning came, the angels told Lot to hurry. “Get up,” they said, “and take your wife and your two daughters who are here; otherwise you will be swept away in the punishment of the city.” 16 But he dallied, so the men took hold of his hand, his wife’s hand and the hands of his two daughters — Adonai was being merciful to him — and led them, leaving them outside the city. 17 When they had brought them out, he said, “Flee for your life! Don’t look behind you, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain, but escape to the hills! Otherwise you will be swept away.” 18 Lot said to them, “Please, no, my lord! 19 Here, your servant has already found favor in your sight, and you have shown me even greater mercy by saving my life. But I can’t escape to the hills, because I’m afraid the disaster will overtake me, and I will die. 20 Look, there’s a town nearby to flee to, and it’s a small one. Please let me escape there — isn’t it just a small one? — and that way I will stay alive.”

(iv) 21 He replied, “All right, I agree to what you have asked. I won’t overthrow the city of which you have spoken. 22 Hurry, and escape to that place, because I can’t do anything until you arrive there.” For this reason the city was named Tzo‘ar [small].

23 By the time Lot had come to Tzo‘ar, the sun had risen over the land. 24 Then Adonai caused sulfur and fire to rain down upon S’dom and ‘Amora from Adonai out of the sky. 25 He overthrew those cities, the entire plain, all the inhabitants of the cities and everything growing in the ground. 26 But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a column of salt.

27 Avraham got up early in the morning, went to the place where he had stood before Adonai, 28 and looked out toward S’dom and ‘Amora, scanning the entire plain. There before him the smoke was rising from the land like smoke from a furnace! 29 But when G-d destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Avraham and sent Lot out, away from the destruction, when he overthrew the cities in which Lot lived.

30 Lot went up from Tzo‘ar and lived in the hills with his two daughters, because he was afraid to stay in Tzo‘ar. He and his two daughters lived in a cave.


******


In reading Genesis 19, I saw how living in the midst of sin “knowing it is wrong but being there because it offers something the person wants” dulls the senses to sin and response to the Most High. It was obvious Lot knew how the men of Sodom and Gomorrah (S’dom and ‘Amora) were evil, yet he chose to live there, because the land was fertile and plentiful for his herds and livestock (read Genesis 13). He tolerated sin to have the land he desired.


Verses 7-9 tell how the debauchery was so bad that the Sodomites were offered Lot’s virgin daughters instead of the angels (men), and the men rejected such a prize wanting to have sex with the men. They turned on Lot too when he got in their way of getting what they wanted.


We see “salvation” or the “offer of salvation” types in multiple versions in the passages:

  • Verses 10-11 the men pulled Lot into the house and shut the door, striking the attackers with blindness. This caused them to be unable to find the doorway.

  • Verse 12-13 The men (angels) saying to Lot, “Do you have any people here besides yourself? Whomever you have in the city — son-in-law, your sons, your daughters — bring them out of this place; because we are going to destroy it.

  • Verse 14 Lot went out and spoke with his sons-in-law, who had married his daughters, and said, “Get up and leave this place, because Adonai is going to destroy the city.” But his sons-in-law didn’t take him seriously.

  • Verses 15-16 On the morning of the destruction, the angels told Lot to hurry. “Get up,” they said, “and take your wife and your two daughters who are here; otherwise you will be swept away in the punishment of the city.” But Lot dallied (waste time or dawdle, move slowly, linger, or procrastinate when you should be acting faster, deal with something lightly when it is serious) so the men took hold of his hand, his wife’s hand and the hands of his two daughters — Adonai was being merciful to him — and led them, leaving them outside the city.

  • Verses 17-22 When they had brought them out, he said, “Flee for your life! Don’t look behind you, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain, but escape to the hills! Otherwise you will be swept away.” 18 Lot said to them, “Please, no, my lord! 19 Here, your servant has already found favor in your sight, and you have shown me even greater mercy by saving my life. But I can’t escape to the hills, because I’m afraid the disaster will overtake me, and I will die. 20 Look, there’s a town nearby to flee to, and it’s a small one. Please let me escape there — isn’t it just a small one? — and that way I will stay alive.” 21 He replied, “All right, I agree to what you have asked. I won’t overthrow the city of which you have spoken. 22 Hurry, and escape to that place, because I can’t do anything until you arrive there.” For this reason the city was named Tzo‘ar [small].

  • Verse 26 Lot’s wife disobeyed the order not to look back, and she looked back from behind him, and she became a column of salt.


I am led to unpack this further, so look for the teaching later this week. The key point I am led to conclude with is Lot’s finding favor is because of Abraham’s walk with the LORD not Lot’s life. Verse 29 tells us that G-d destroyed the cities of the plain, yet the Most High remembered Avraham and sent Lot out, away from the destruction. The faithfulness of Lot’s uncle, Abraham, caused Lot’s life to be spared. My prayer point is “Like Abraham, help me live the life you Lord have assigned to me and that I may live it in the condition G-d called me so by my life my household too can be saved (cf. 1 Corinthians 7:16-17).


Commitment Monday is a great time to reflect on Genesis 19. Ask the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit), “Show me any unconscious wrongs or ways where compromise or acceptance of sin may be dulling my senses and/or responses to the Most High (cf. Psalm 51:2-3; Job 34:32-37).


These are serious times, Family. The Most High desires us to live holy and upright. He hates sin and we should too!


Shalom Aleichem🔥

Comments


bottom of page