Gen. 19:24 "Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; 25 And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. 26 But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. 27 And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the LORD: 28 And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace. 29 And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt."  

            The following points may be made of the above passage:

                        1.  Brimstone and fire are associated with the subject of God's judgment in the scriptures.  The following verses all show this association: Deu. 29:23; Job 18:15; Ps. 11:6; Is. 30:33; Is. 34:9; Ez. 38:22; Luke 17:29; Rev. 9:17; Rev. 9:18; Rev. 14:10; Rev. 19:20; Rev. 20:10; Rev. 21:8.  Often in the scriptures when something first appears, the use of that item is consistent throughout the scriptures.

                        2.  The phrase, "smoke of a furnace," is also associated with God's judgment: Ex. 19:8; Rev. 9:2.

                        3.  Lot's wife looked back contrary to the commandment of God and was turned to a pillar of salt.  This principle is used as a warning from the Lord for those disciples who lived at the time of the destruction of Jerusalem: Lk. 17:30 "Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. 31 In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. 32 Remember Lot's wife. 33 Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it."  The Lord teaches us to look forward and not to look back upon what we are leaving: Lk. 9:61 "And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. 62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." 

                        4.  Abraham's intercession for Lot is affirmed as the reason the Lord spared Lot in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. 

Gen. 19:30-38 Lot's Daughters

Gen. 19:30 And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar: and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters. 31 And the firstborn said unto the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth: 32 Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father. 33 And they made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose. 34 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the firstborn said unto the younger, Behold, I lay yesternight with my father: let us make him drink wine this night also; and go thou in, and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.

            35 And they made their father drink wine that night also: and the younger arose, and lay with him; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose. 36 Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father.

            37 And the firstborn bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day. 38 And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Benammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day."

            While the actions of Lot's daughters were reprehensible, yet the pattern of Lot's actions is that of a child of God that is living in rebellion of the Lord's commandments.

We know that Lot is a child of God because the scriptures tell us he is.  Yet much we see of Lot is contrary to a walk of holiness.  First, we see Lot making a decision to put material possessions first in his life.  He decided to go to Sodom and live there for material gain, even though he knew the men of the city were exceeding wicked before the Lord.  He subjected himself to the filthy conversation of the wicked which vexed his righteous soul.  Yet, he remained in Sodom and gained materially. He went from dwelling in a tent to possession of a house.  He also sat in the gate of the city (indicative of being a part of the city government.)  When the angels came to Sodom and the wicked men came out with purpose of raping these men, Lot offered his daughters unto the men.  Next, we see Lot doubting that he could go to the mountain as he was told to do and begging that the Lord would spare Zoar so he could go there.  However, after he fled to Zoar, Lot feared that the men of the city would take revenge on him and he fled to the mountain. 

In the above passage, we read where Lot allowed his daughters to give him wine and he became drunken.  Next, Lot committed incest with his two daughters and they were with child of their father. 

There are at least two great lessons that we can learn from Lot.  First, a child of God can live in rebellion and wickedness.  The doctrine that a child of God will persevere in good works once he is born of the Spirit is dispelled by the actions of Lot.  Lot did not persevere in good works.  There is very little that we read about the life of Lot that could even be considered good works or that he even made an effort to live godly.

Second, a child of God will suffer if he follows a life of rebellion and wickedness.  Notice that Lot vexed his righteous soul with the filthy conversation of the wicked.  Moreover, notice that Lot lost his material possessions for which he had labored most of his life.  Additionally, notice that Lot lived a life of mortal terror.  He was afraid of what the men of Sodom would do to him and he was afraid that the men of Zoar would take vengeance on him.  He fled in terror unto the mountain.  Furthermore, Lot had no effectual witness unto his sons-in-law as they considered that he was mocking them when he pled with them to leave and escape the destruction of Sodom.  Lot, also, lost his wife when she looked back on the destruction of Sodom and was turned to a pillar of salt.  Moreover, Lot ended up drunken and in disgrace that he had two daughters carrying his sons.  For a child of God to live a mostly faithless, rebellious life will result in a man sowing what he reaps as we read in Gal. 6:7, 8: "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.  For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting."