Text:
Genesis 19:19-29
Memory Verse:
“Then he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain and he saw, and behold, the smoke of the land which went up like the smoke of a furnace” (Genesis 19:28).
Part of the mission of the angels in Genesis 19 was to rescue Lot from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, but it seemed Lot was not in a hurry to get out. If the angels had not held his hands, dragging him out, as it were, he and his family might have been consumed in the furnace of fire that engulfed Sodom and Gomorrah. It was only when he got to Zoar, a place of refuge, that the angels could destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. It was a judgment that wasted everything – an utter and irreparable ruin. This was the furnace that came from the Lord against which righteous Lot had immunity.
Obviously, there are two ways in which a person can be immuned from the
furnace. The first is to be allowed to get into the furnace, but be shielded from
the combustion as happened to Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. The second
is to be shielded from getting into the furnace as in the case of Lot and his
family.
Who can enjoy such immunity? Believers in Jesus Christ who:
1. Live under the protective presence of God.
2. Reconcile others to God.
3. Hold on to the teachings of Jesus (John 8: 31&32).
4. Fear the Lord and are His treasured possession.
5. Are humble and contrite in spirit, and tremble at God’s word.
Immunity, like vaccination, is a process. Immunity from the furnace comes
through learning, obeying, keeping and being set free by the word. The greatest way to acquire immunity from the furnace is to key into the New
Birth.
Prayer Points:
1. Teach me to obey Your instructions, O Lord.
2. Let me enjoy the immunity You give to Your children.
