Is there a Zoar in your life?

Earlier this month, I reflected on how Abraham allowed his nephew, Lot, to have first choice of land to settle in. (Read here.) Lot took a long look over the fertile Jordan valley in the direction of Zoar, and it's a sobering thought that the prosperous land he chose was "a place near Sodom" (Gen 13: 10 & 12) This choice was what paved the way for the troubling and perplexing events we read about in Genesis chapter nineteen, by which time Lot is not only living near Sodom, but has actually made his home within the wicked and immoral city. It's an illustration of how easy it is for us to "slide" further into sin, once we've allowed ourselves to draw near and skirt the edges of it. Abraham's prayer at the end of Genesis 18, and the rather horrific and sordid account in Genesis 19 may well raise more questions than they answer for some people. Chapter nineteen begins in good Biblical fashion with a story of angelic visitation, and a man who expressed the scriptural value of hospitality towards strangers. But things degenerate from there: a homosexual mob at the front door, a father who offers his own virgin daughters for a gang rape, sons in law who refuse to take God's warning seriously, and a family that actually hesitates to flee the depravation and destruction of their ungodly city. Can it get any worse than that?

Yes, despite the urgent warning and coaxing of the angels, despite just being threatened by a violent mob, we find that Lot is still hesitating to leave and take his family far away from that place of compromise and corruption. Genesis 19: 16 - 17 tells us that the angels had to grab Lot and his wife by the hands and practically drag them out of the city in order to rescue them. "Run for your lives, " the angels told them. "Go far away and don't look back. Escape to the mountains." And that's when something rather interesting happens. Lot thanks the angels for their kindness in saving his life…. and in the very same breath he begs them to allow him to stay nearby, instead of fleeing far away from the depravation and destruction of Sodom. He points out a small, nearby village, and asks if he can settle there instead. 

The story of Lot's wife looking back at Sodom is legendary, but perhaps the real tragedy in the story is the fact that Lot and his daughters chose to stay fairly close by, instead of fleeing far away to the safer ground that the angels recommended. The last eight verses of the chapter give us just a small glimpse into life in Zoar: drunkenness and incest that ultimately lead to the birthing of Israel's long-time enemies, the Moabites and Ammonites.

It's not pleasant reading; definitely not one of the most inspiring or encouraging chapters of the Bible. But the warnings in this chapter are uncomfortably relevant to our lives in the twenty first century.

Distorted values
If we tolerate compromise, if we don't think it's important enough to speak out or take a stand against it, we may end up living in a society where things that were once considered immoral are now honoured and embraced as normal. 
(verses 4 - 8)

Not taking God's word seriously
Lot's daughters both had fiancés, and those young men were also told about the angels' warning, and given the opportunity to escape from Sodom. But the young guys didn't take the warning seriously; they thought that it was all a big joke. (verse 14) There are many unbelievers in our world today who don't take God seriously, and who mock the instructions and warnings He gives us in His Word. 

Hesitating to give up what is bad for us
And it's not only non-believers who fail to take God seriously. Some people, even though they call themselves Christians, refuse to give up the things that are damaging their lives or their relationship with God. (verse 16) Like the alcoholic who thinks that "just one drink" won't do any harm, and refuses to give it up completely, there are believers who hesitate to flee from the bad habits and wrong relationships that are slowly, insidiously, destroying their lives.

Settling in Zoar
And then there are those who did escape tragedy and think that they're safe now. But the reality is that they didn't really flee very far. They apparently left behind what was destructive, but the truth is that they stayed pretty close by and they still have little places in their lives (Zoar literally means "little place" in Hebrew) where God is not Lord, and where they are living dangerously close to the things that could destroy and damage them.

Is there a Zoar in your life? It may not be an obvious area of blatant sin or addictive habit; it's more likely to be something in a "grey area" - something where you hover hazardously close to what is unrighteous, but manage to kid yourself that it's really not such a big deal. It might be one of those "acceptable" vices, like selfishness or gossip or telling lies. But the Holy Spirit will be able to let you know if it's a "Zoar" in your life - a little place that's too close for comfort to the things that God says will hurt us and damage our lives.