The Holt County sentinel., 1913-03-07
LESSON FOR MARCH 9
the DESTRUCTION OF soooM.

the DESTRUCTION OF soooM.
LESSON TExT-usn. isii-i7; n-se.
GOLDEN TExT--"Come We out from
among them. and be ye separate saith
the Lord. and touch no unclean thing
. Cor SIT
No teacher Of this lesson should
omit a study Of chapter 10. even
though he may not refer to II explicit
~ In this connection. We have there
presented 4 believers privilege, %
friendship ". ~ IA with God. tb)
with man. (2) Intercession. " %:
go knowledge, v. 25. I c. The art,
the power. the place. the glory. the
spirit, Of intercession. yes, the bless.
ing Of intercession Ia to be coveted
by all believers. Abraham's interces.
sion prevailed though outwardly II
seemed to fail. see 1926. The pre-.
pared teacher ought also be famil
lar with the story Of the change OF
Abrams name and Of Gods dealing
with Abroham and Sarah as re.
corded In chapters IL and Is.
Lot ano Sooom.
l. The Warning. w. l7.23.-l.ot had
pitched his tent towards Sodom."
md now the time for the execution Of
another judgment upon sin had ar.
rived. God. however. here gives us
another Illustration Of his mercy
which always prcccdes judgment That
mercy was not only to q righteous
man. one who had therefore degree
~ worthincss, but also to an undc.
serving member Of the same family.
zee IL and Acts 1851. First Of all
Lot IL called upon to separate himself
from his ncighbors. lot attempted to
convey this warning to his sons.in.law.
but II was too late. his Testimony. his
manner Of life. his aims. and his am.
billions had corrcspondcd with theirs
for such period OF time that the
fact Of his belonging to the family Of
the promise was forgotten and he
seemed as one that Knocked unto his
sons.in.law." God Is calling us from
the corruptions and the plaques OF
babylon tRev. ls:b and to separate
ourselves from Sodom, see the golden
text. while God IL long suffering
q Peter. 3:9b We must also rcmlm.
bcr that II men will sin willfully. II
they persist In their wickedncss. judg.
ment IL sure to follow, v ~, also =
Peter $40, II. when Judgment does
come. as II did In this case. God knows
how to save his own. = Peter 1913.
The voice OF sin cries from our cities
today. The voice Of poverty, OF In
temperance. Of injustice. and II
reaches before the face OF the Lord"
tJas. 5:p and unless America heeds,
unless men repent, God will most GER.
tainly punish. Acts 1880. 81. This
punishment Of Sodom was not only
the development Of their own wicked
ness, but by direct agency Of Gods dc.
stroying angels. Look up the subject
Of Judgments.
Lot. We are told. was "a righteous
man. . Peter 2:7, but he was most
sadly connected with the world. and
hence lost his testimony ". Ip. The
church Of today IL constantly hinder,
I'd by the incubus Of believers OF this
type. God expects the disciple TO so
separate himself from things that
though he may be in the world. he IL
not OF the world"
Even Lot was l0ath to leave ivv.
10. 16), and later many of the lsreal.
ties were full of regret over the miss
Ing nesh.pots Of Egypt, The angels
Of God had to fairly drag Lot out Of
he doomed city. lie came near losing
bis very life as he persistently chung
TO his property. The greatest weapon
and the most eficlent one the devil
has to use In his warfare for human
souls II pr0crastination.
Gods Patience.
Tho long suffering and patience OF
God are most wonderfully shown In
verse l6. and the whole secret of Lots
salvation was that the Lord was mer,
ciful unto him." Eph. 2:S.
II. The Destruction, w. 23.29.--L0t
escaped to a little city. Zoar, which
God in his mercy promised not to de.
stroy w. 81, and It was not till Lot
was clear OF Sodom that destruction
came, God could not break his word.
He had promised Abram, and had
Abram pursued his opportunities,
chapter Is. doubtless even Sodom
might not have been 30 utterly de.
stroyed. There was. as has been
suggested, probably q volcanic erup.
ton OF gases. petroleum, etc, but
there accompanied 1t a supernatural
manifestation also. for II 'rained
down" v. "a. The words looked
back" referring to Lots wife, imply
more than mere passing glance. Her
heart was In the city she was leaving,
that city 40 full OF pride. OF bread,
and Of ease, Eek. l6:49. She died 40
did Pliny at Pompeii. suRocated by
the gases. and her body became in
crusted with the salt.
Life 10 q gift of God, we hold It only
upon certain conditions: we can
choose good or evil. God loves US
and wishes all men to be saved, prom.
iseS DardOn to the DAnitent and fore.