Linger

Genesis 19:16 says, “And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the Lord being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city.”

The snow had been falling for several days in the little town of Naches, Washington, finally turning to a light rain. My wife, Donna, got in the car and backed out from under the carport into the street, to go get the girls from school. The neighbor reported that she had just started to pull away when the carport roof fell flat on the ground from the heavy weight of the rain and snow. If she had lingered a minute longer at anything, she would no doubt have been killed. I believe God, in his mercy, took her by the hand and got her out of there.

The same God spared the lives of Lot, his wife, and two daughters from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. The question I ask is, why did Lot linger? Perhaps he did not realize how close he was to the massive destruction. I wonder if we realize how close we are to the last day, yes, even the last moment of our life.

The angels warned Lot that they were about to destroy, “this place” (Genesis 19:13). Peter refers to this deliverance, calling Lot “just” and “righteous” (II Peter 2:7&8). He says that Lot was vexed with the filthy living of the wicked. The city was full of homosexuals. They wanted to rape the very angels that came into the city (Genesis 19:5). I don’t know how just and righteous Lot was in offering his two daughters for them to rape.

Perhaps Lot lingered because he had just spoken to his sons-in-law, who didn’t believe him and refused to leave. I wonder if Lot was truly ready to leave. I wonder if we, who would consider ourselves just and righteous, are truly ready to leave this earth. 

It was not full steam ahead with Lot. The angels brought Lot, his wife, and two daughters out of the city and told them, “Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed”(vs. 17). Lot, however, begged to stay in the plain. He was afraid of the mountains. He wanted to stay in the little city of Zoar. He argued that it was a “little city, a little city.” Perhaps that meant that it wasn’t full of homosexuals. Maybe there were at least ten righteous people in it. The angels did allow Lot to stay there and did not destroy that city.

We must realize that Lot loved the plain. Before it was destroyed it was like the garden of Eden (Genesis 13:10). He had to realize that Sodom and Gomorrah were wicked. He probably thought that he could change them. The angels found Lot sitting in the gate of Sodom when they arrived (Genesis 19:1). He no doubt had some part in the society of Sodom. Maybe he was trying to be a good influence. Apparently he had not made much difference. Ten righteous people could not be found there. He had nearly that many in his family. 

We too can love, linger, and be left if not for the hand of God, in mercy, taking hold of us.

Will L. Thompson, in his hymn, “Softly and Tenderly” asks, “Why should we linger and heed not His mercies?” The roof could come down at any time. Let’s not linger!