Wednesday, August
30, 2023
2
Peter 2:4-9
4 For if God
spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered
them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
5 And spared
not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of
righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;
6 And turning
the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow,
making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;
7 And
delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation [manor of living] of the
wicked:
8 (For that righteous
man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed
his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)
9 The Lord
knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust
unto the day of judgment to be punished:
If we were asked to name a “righteous” person in the
Old Testament, we might name Moses or Abraham or Joseph, but Lot would probably
not be our choice. Yet Peter uses Lot as an illustration of God’s gracious redemption and
rescue. Lot had made a series of very bad choices. His
focus was not on heavenly things, and he appeared to be overly tolerant of evil,
but Peter seems to understand his heart and calls him “righteous.”
Maybe you don’t consider yourself a very
good “Christian.” Perhaps you wimp out when it comes time to witness your
faith. Maybe you are often too tolerant of evil and are even frustrated with
yourself because you are not more aggressive in resisting wrong. Deep down
inside there is a vexation that is almost painful. You would like to be rescued
from this wicked world.
The word “vexed” is the Greek word basanizo
which means “tortured.” Lot lived
a tortured life because he had blended with a world in which
he did not belong. It may not have been evident to onlookers, but Lot knew it
and God knew it too. So, God dispatched angels to redeem and rescue “just Lot”
from his condemned world.
The following portion of scripture seems to
indicate that a strong fellowship of believers is a shield against the vexation
of this world. Speak often one to another. Encourage one another. Rescue is on
the way!
Mal
3:15-17
15 And now we
call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that
tempt God are even delivered.
16 Then they
that feared the LORD spake often
one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of
remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord , and that thought upon his name.
17 And they
shall be mine, saith the LORD of
hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man
spareth his own son that serveth him.
Dear Lord, this world is a vexation to my soul. Help me to
remain tightly involved in my Christian fellowship. AMEN
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