Comic lot with his wife and two daughters. Old Testament

Question: “Why did such a devout man like Lot drink for more than one day, so much so that he managed to sleep with his own daughters? After all, in essence of the whole scripture, such a person, already strengthened in faith, could not allow himself to do this!”

Lot's story contains many lessons, but in connection with your question, we will focus on just two.

One of these lessons is that the righteous shall live by faith, and not by the works of his righteousness. A righteous person is not one who does everything absolutely right, but one who believes God and walks with God according to the light revealed to him. God saves a person not for the works of righteousness that he does for the glory of God, but for FAITH in His word.

Among the depraved inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot was the only person who somehow still remembered the True God, and therefore his actions, which became a continuation of his faith, turned out to be correct.

Lot was the only person in the city who invited strangers to his home, thereby inviting salvation to his home.

Lot was the only one of all his relatives who believed the Word of God and therefore was saved.

Do you see? Lot was saved not because he was completely righteous, but because he believed the Word of God, which in his case was: “Who else do you have here? son-in-law, your sons, or your daughters, and whoever you have in the city, bring everyone out of this place, for we will destroy this place, because the cry of its inhabitants to the Lord is great, and the Lord has sent us to destroy it.” (). It was not because of works of righteousness that Lot was led out of the city that was destined for destruction, but because of his faith in the Word of God.

It is precisely because of his faith that Scripture calls Lot righteous. By the way, pay attention to the fact that after Scripture called Abraham righteous, he fell several times, re-read the story of David, and you will definitely see that this righteous man of God also fell more than once, and not only them... Of course, this does not mean that God approved of their failures, their unrighteous thoughts and wrong behavior, God will never approve of sin. However, God loves man and, knowing his weak, vile nature, saves a person not because of his (her) righteousness, but simply because a person believes His word and desires the fulfillment of His word in his life.

Another lesson we see in the story of Lot is that we should not be deceived: bad communities really corrupt good morals (). When Lot separated from Abram to live in a fertile and beautiful land, he didn't pay special attention that the people among whom he would have to live were very, very prone to evil.

“Lot lifted up his eyes and saw all the surrounding Jordan, that it... all the way to Zoar was watered with water, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt; and Lot chose for himself all the region around the Jordan; and Lot moved towards the east. ...Lot began to live in the cities around and pitched tents as far as Sodom. The inhabitants of Sodom were evil and very sinful before the Lord» ().

Being a man who knew the True God through his uncle Abram, Lot still decided that he could preserve this knowledge while living among uncleanness and depravity. However, he was mistaken, and although in his God-believing soul he was constantly tormented by what was happening in Sodom and Gomorrah, he managed to cleave his heart so closely to the external comfort of that life that he managed to cleave to many of the sins of this “comfort.” Lot was not exactly a “man strong in faith,” as you say about him. He was a man losing his faith... and if not for the strangers who literally took him by the hand () and led them out of their cities, Lot would have died just like the rest of the inhabitants of those cities. Out of His mercy, the Lord came with punishment for the deeply corrupt cities before the last rays of Lot's faith (righteousness) were swallowed up by the darkness of worldly comfort. Had the Lord stayed for some time, Lot would have been completely assimilated into the environment to which he had clung... and there would have been no one to save. This is why the warning to end-time believers sounds so serious:

“Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers, for what fellowship has righteousness with iniquity? What does light have in common with darkness? What agreement is there between Christ and Belial? Or what is the complicity of the faithful with the infidel? What is the relationship between the temple of God and idols? For you are the temple of the living God, as God said: I will dwell in them and walk [in them]; and I will be their God, and they will be My people. And that's why come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord, and do not touch the unclean; and I will receive you. And I will be a Father to you, and you will be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty” ().

“And I heard another voice from heaven saying: come out from her, My people, so that you do not share in her sins and do not suffer from her plagues; for her sins reached heaven, and God remembered her iniquities” ().

Yes, the consciousness of Lot and his daughters was perverted. Emerging from the physical destruction that befell Sodom and Gomorrah, they emerged with a hideous legacy that did not fail to reveal itself. Lot could not deny himself the joy of alcoholic intoxication, and his daughters could not deny themselves the desire to become mothers at any cost. Living in the midst of depravity and lawlessness never contributes to the growth of righteousness.

Sad story? Yes. It is also sad because the children born from this unnatural union became the fathers of nations who constantly resisted God and His saving will. The Bible is worthy of trust because it does not hide from us the truth about what we all really are, about how terribly our nature is susceptible to evil, how easily it clings to it and how difficult it is for a person who believes in the One True God to detach yourself from evil and begin to walk in the paths of good. Therefore, let us study the lessons from the lives of our forefathers so as not to repeat them in our lives.

Sincerely,
Sasha.

When Lot settled in Sodom, he intended to resolutely protect himself from lawlessness and command this to his house after him. But he was cruelly mistaken. The depraved environment had harmful effects on his own faith, and the interaction of his children with the inhabitants of Sodom led to the emergence of common interests. We know the consequences of all this.

Many people still make this mistake. When choosing a place of residence, they take into account temporary advantages rather than the moral and social atmosphere in which they will have to live. They choose a beautiful fertile place or go to some prosperous city in the hope of getting rich; but temptations surround their children, who, as often happens, make acquaintances that have the most unfavorable effect on the development of religious feelings and the formation of character.

The atmosphere of unbridled immorality, unbelief, and indifference to religious issues nullifies the influence of parents. Before the eyes of youth there is always an example of rebellion against parental and Divine authority. Many people join intimate relationships with the wicked, and therefore throw in their lot with the enemies of God.

God desires that when choosing a place to live, we should first consider the moral and religious influences that will be experienced by our family. We may find ourselves in a critical situation, for many cannot have the environment that they would like, but if duty calls us, God will help us to remain unspotted if we will only watch and pray, relying on the grace of Christ. But we must not expose ourselves unnecessarily to such influences as may adversely affect the development of our Christian character.

If we voluntarily stay in the company of ungodly people, then we grieve God and drive the holy angels out of our homes. Those who provide their children with earthly wealth and worldly honor at the expense of eternal interests, realize later that these gains have turned out to be a terrible loss. Like Lot, many will see their children lost and themselves barely saved. Their whole life's work is lost, their life is a sad failure. If they had acted truly wisely, then although their children would have fewer earthly blessings, they would have confidence in an immortal inheritance.

The inheritance God promised His people does not exist on this earth. Abraham had no wealth in this world: “And he did not give him an inheritance on it, not even one foot” (). He possessed enormous wealth, but he used it for the glory of God and the good of his countrymen. But he did not consider this land his homeland. ( , chapter 14)

Read more on the topic “Interpretation of Scripture”:

After God mixed up the languages ​​in Babylon, people, dividing into many nations, forgot the is-tin But God and began to worship idols. Then the Lord commanded Av-ram: “Get out of your land. I will make you into a great nation, I will bless you and bring you your name" With faith and humility, having accepted the message of God, Av-ram left Ur of Chaldean and with his wife Sa -roy and pl-myan-no-kom Lo-tom settled in the land of Ha-na-an-skaya. Soon Lot left Ab-rama, but the city where he settled was captured by enemies, and Lot fell captured Av-ram armed his slaves, defeated the enemy and freed Lot. When Av-ram was returning with victory, the kings came to meet him. Mel-hi-se-dec, king of Salim, priest of the God of the All-highest, brought bread and wine and blessed Av-ra -ma. The Lord Himself was with Abram and made a covenant with him, saying: “Look at the sky and look at the stars, if only “You eat, that’s how much you’ll have.” (Under the fact that he is under the Church of the Lord). When Av-ram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to him and said: “I am God Almighty; walk before My Face and be innocent: and I will establish My covenant with you and give you many descendants . Now you will not call yourself Av-ra-am, but let your name be Av-ra-am; for I will make you the father of many nations. (The name Av-ra-am means “father of many”). Let your wife's name be Sarah. And she will give birth to a son, and his name will be Isaac.”

At the oak-ra-va Ma-m-re, where Av-ra-am sat, the Lord appeared to him in the guise of three countries (pro-image Pre -Holy Trinity). Having received the guests with honor and generosity, Av-ra-am found the blessings of God. One of the guests said: “Next year, when I will be with you again at this time, your wife will have a son.” . It was opened to Av-ra-am and about the on-me-re-tion of the State-to-gu-beat the inhabitants of the cities of So-do-ma and Go- seas, dirty in sin. Av-ra-am is-pro-strength from the bo-le-niy from the k-ra of his ple-my-n-ka Lo-ta, who lived a righteous life new in So-do-me. Two An-ge-la came to Lo-ta's house in the form of countries. So-the-house-lians began to demand you-yes them. Then An-ge-ly ra-zi-li co-dom-lian left, and Lo-tu and his relatives left mountains to the mountains. “Save your soul and don’t look behind you,” they said. After their departure, So-dom and Go-mor-ra were once again descended from the sky with fire and brimstone, and the whole country was the same -ti-was in the salty lake (now the Dead Sea). Lo-ta's wife did not use An-ge-la's ve-le-niya. Turning around, she turned into a pillar of salt.

When Av-ra-am was half a hundred years old, Sar-ra gave birth to his son Isa-a-ka. Then Av-ra-am ordered his servant Hagar, from whom he had a son, Is-ma-il, to leave the house. Love Av-ra-am, the Lord brought forth from Is-ma-i-la many Ar-avian peoples. And now, after many years of life, the Lord gives Ab-ra-am the last test, a superior one. -you are usually a ven-no-go person. Testing the faith of Av-ra-am, God called out to him: “Take your only son, who you love, Isa-a-ka, go to the land of Moriah and there, bring him with all the burning on one of the mountains that I am I’ll show you.” Despite the great sorrow, Av-ra-am remained in the presence of the Lord under her. Having come with his son to Mount Moriah (in the center of now-nesh-ne-go Yeru-sa-li-ma), he built a fire. And Isaac said to Av-ra-am: “My father! Here is the fire and the wood, where is the lamb to burn everything?” Av-ra-am answered: “God will provide for the lamb, my son.” Having tied Isa-a-ka, Av-ra-am laid him on the altar and, taking a knife, stretched out his hand to stab him. But at that moment he heard the voice of God: “Ah-ra-am! Don’t put your hand on your hand, for now I know that you fear God and don’t spare your son. the only one for Me.” Av-ra-am once-knitted Isa-a-ka and, seeing the ov-na, s-pu-tav-she-yu-s-in-the-bu-sts, brought him all-hot -nie. And the Lord said: “I swear that since you did this deed and did not spare your son, your only one for Me- Nya, then I bless you, and all the nations of the earth say bliss in yours, because you I listened to Mo-e-go’s voice.”

A few years later, Sarah died, and Av-ra-am entered into a new marriage with Heth-tu-roy, from whom he had even six more sons. Having lived one hundred and seventy-five years, Av-ra-am gave up his spirit to the Lord God in peace. From him, as the birth of the Jews, Christ Himself came into the flesh, and all the truth Those who are in Christ are called the sons of Av-ra-ama.

See also: "" in the text of St. Di-mit-ria of Ro-stov.

One such place is verses 30-38 of chapter 19 of the Book of Genesis, which tells about Lot and his daughters. This place is downright a challenge for many and, unfortunately, there are people who say, citing these verses as an example: “Here is YOUR Bible: only debauchery!”

Lot, his wife and daughters are taken out of Sodom, after which Sodom and Gomorrah experience the wrath of the Lord and perish. Lot’s wife also turns into a pillar of salt, turning towards Sodom, despite the fact that it was said: “...save your soul; do not look back and do not stop anywhere in this region” (Gen. 19:17).

Lot and his daughters live in a cave (Genesis 19:30) and something happens. Eldest daughter says to the younger one, “...let us therefore give our father wine to drink, and let us sleep with him...” (Gen. 19:32).

It would seem that it is a sin, incest, how often they talk about it completely thoughtlessly. However, if we look at further events, we see that the children of Lot's daughters formed the nations of the Moabites and Ammonites, who continually fought with the children of Israel. At the same time, however, Ruth the Moabite was the great-grandmother of David, that is, Lot’s daughters also participated in the genealogy of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:5). Thus, we see that there was some lasting meaning in the actions of Lot's daughters.

And again we need to turn to the Holy Scriptures. “And the older woman said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is no man on the earth who has come in to us according to the custom of all the earth” (Gen. 19:31). It's written very briefly, isn't it? Scripture does not say that the sisters were motivated by lust, perversion. Not at all, the sisters are talking about the custom of the whole earth. Obviously, this means a woman’s sacred duty to give birth. At the same time, the sisters come to the conclusion that a) they have a duty to give birth; b) there is no one to be their husband; c) there is a father who is old. That is, it is only conceivable to give birth to a child from a father, and then only for a short time, since he is old and it is not known whether he will be alive tomorrow. This is the dilemma the sisters are faced with. And for them, duty is not an empty word; they have seen with their own eyes what the sin of failure to fulfill a duty is and what it leads to. What did they know? They knew that their father had left Ur of the Chaldeans, because there was Babylon, debauchery, horror, they saw that where they lived there was also debauchery and horror. Death and destruction are everywhere. At the same time, the Lord saves them. This means that the Lord favors them, which means they have this mission to continue life on earth.

Lot's daughters were religious and morality was not an empty phrase for them. And they did what they did not for themselves, and not to satisfy their desires, and it was bitter to make such a decision, and the elder sister behaved here as befits an elder, she had boldness, she had determination.

Lot in this case did not know what happened, for he was drunk. And chapter 19 talks about this twice. When Scripture repeats itself twice, it is very significant. It is written twice: I didn’t know, I didn’t know.

One might think that the act of intoxication in itself is not very positive. However, for example, John Chrysostom says: “and that this did not happen simply and not without a reason, but the excessive grief of the soul, through the use of wine, brought him to complete insensibility.”

And it is no coincidence that the same John Chrysostom says: “So, let no one dare to condemn a righteous man or his daughters. And wouldn’t it be extreme recklessness and unreasonableness to condemn those whom the Divine Scripture frees from all condemnation, and even offers such a justification for them, to us, burdened with the immeasurable weight of sins, without listening to the words of St. Paul, who says: “God justifies the one who condemns” (Rom. 8:33-34)?

To summarize what has been said, it must be remembered that Lot and his daughters found themselves in a situation that is not ordinary, ordinary. Not everyone will probably be able to overcome such difficult situations. They nevertheless overcame; it's not for us to say that difficult situation They behaved wrongly, and we could have done better. If there were no Lot's daughters, their children, would there have been David, would there have been Jesus Christ?

2 and said: My lords! go into your servant's house and spend the night, and wash your feet, and rise in the morning and go on your way. But they said: no, we spend the night on the street.

3 But he besought them earnestly; and they went to him and came to his house. He made food for them and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.

4 They had not yet gone to bed, like the city dwellers, the Sodomites, from young to old, all the people with everyone after all cities, They surrounded the house 5 and called Lot and said to him: Where are the people who came to you for the night? bring them out to us; we know them.

6 Lot went out to them at the entrance, and locked the door behind him, 7 and said [to them], “My brothers, do not do evil; 8 Behold, I have two daughters who have not known a husband; I’d rather bring them out to you, do with them what you please, just don’t do anything to these people, since they came under the roof of my house.

9 But they said [to him], “Come here.” And they said: here is a stranger who wants to judge? Now we will do worse to you than to them. And they came very close to this man, Lot, and approached to break down the door.

10 Then the men stretched out their hands and brought Lot into their house, and they locked the door; 11 And the people who were at the entrance to the house were struck with blindness, from the least of them to the greatest, so that they were tormented in seeking the entrance.

12 The men said to Lot, Who do you still have here? whether your son-in-law, your sons, or your daughters, and whoever you have in the city, bring everyone out of this place, 13 for we will destroy this place, because the cry against the inhabitants of it to the Lord is great, and the Lord has sent us to destroy it .

14 And Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who had married his daughters, and said, Arise, get out of this place, for the Lord will destroy this city. But his sons-in-law thought he was joking.

15 When the dawn rose, the angels began to hurry Lot, saying: Arise, take your wife and your two daughters that are with you, so that you do not perish for the iniquities of the city.

16 And as he delayed, those men [Angels], by the mercy of the Lord towards him, took him by the hand and his wife and his two daughters, and brought him out and set him outside the city.

17 When they had brought them out, That one from them said: save your soul; do not look back and do not stop anywhere in this vicinity; escape to the mountain so that you do not die.

18 But Lot said to them: No, Master! 19 Behold, Thy servant has found favor in Thy sight, and great is Thy mercy which Thou hast done unto me, that Thou hast saved my life; but I cannot escape to the mountain, lest misfortune overtakes me and I die; 20 Behold, it is closer to flee to this city, it is small; I’ll run there - he’s small; and my life will be preserved [for Your sake].

21 And he said to him, Behold, I will do this also to please you: I will not overthrow the city of which you speak; 22 Make haste and escape there, for I cannot do the work until you get there. That is why this city is named Zoar.

23 The sun rose on the earth, and Lot came to Zoar.

24 And the Lord rained down upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven, 25 and overthrew these cities, and all the surrounding countryside, and all the inhabitants of these cities, and [all] the growth of the earth.

26 Wife Lotova looked behind him and became a pillar of salt.

27 And Abraham arose early in the morning [and went] to the place where he stood before the Lord, 28 and looked towards Sodom and Gomorrah and all the surrounding countryside, and saw, behold, smoke rising from the earth, like smoke from a furnace.

29 And it came to pass, when God was destroying [all] the cities of the region around, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out from the midst of the destruction, when he overthrew the cities in which Lot dwelt.

30 And Lot went out from Zoar and began to live in the mountain, and his two daughters with him, for he was afraid to live in Zoar. And he lived in a cave, and his two daughters with him.

31 And the elder said to the younger, Our father is old, and there is no man on earth who has come in to us according to the custom of all the earth;

During which Lot's wife became a pillar of salt, and Lot's seduction by his daughters.

Lot's story.

Lot, as well as his father Haran, were born and raised in Ur of the Chaldeans in Sumeria on the Euphrates River in lower Mesopotamia, approximately four thousand years ago. Lot's father died early. Lot's grandfather, Terah, took the whole family and went

...from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan; but, having reached Haran, they stopped there (Genesis, chapter 11).

During their travels, both Lot and Abraham acquired a significant number of livestock. Both families lacked pastures, which led to constant conflicts between Lot's and Abraham's shepherds. Then Abraham invited Lot to disperse and settle in different places so that there are no conflicts between them.

Lot went to live on the Jordan Plain, which in those days was beautiful and irrigated with water. He settled near Sodom. Abraham began to live in the land of Canaan. The green Jordan Plain was located between five cities. The rulers of these cities waged internecine wars. During one of these conflicts, Lot was captured and his property was plundered.

When Abraham learned what had happened to his nephew, he armed a rescue party of 318 slaves. Abraham attacked the enemy at night and saved Lot and all his property. Lot settled again in Sodom.

Soon Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by the wrath of the Lord. How and why this happened can be read in the article. The only righteous man in Sodom was Lot, and therefore the Lord gave him time to leave the city along with his family - his wife and two daughters.

Lot's wife.

Lot's wife is not named in the Bible. Leaving, or rather fleeing from Sodom, was the hardest thing for Lot’s wife. The entire previous day was filled with troubles and worries, and now, at night, she has to leave everything and run in an unknown direction. She is no longer young, and such events for her involve not only psychological stress, it is also difficult for her physically.

The Lord, having shown Lot and his family the path to salvation, forbade them to look back. Lot's wife thinks about whether she can start all over again... She is indecisive and looks around. Looking back, she turns into a pillar of salt. And today you can see this pillar on the shores of the Dead Sea.

Why did the Lord turn Lot's wife into a pillar of salt? Many people believe that this is a punishment for curiosity, however, this is hardly true. Most likely, the heart and soul of Lot's wife remained in Sodom, and she had to perish like everyone else. God demands a decisive renunciation of sin.

IN , In the Gospel of Luke we find a Christian interpretation of the story of Lot's wife:

Just as it was in the days of Lot: they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built;

but on the day that Lot came out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from the sky and destroyed everyone;

so it will be on the day when the Son of Man appears.

On that day, whoever is on the housetop and his belongings are in the house, do not go down to take them; and whoever is on the field, also do not turn back.

Remember Lot's wife.

Thus, Lot’s wife died, because she cared more about material things than about the salvation of the soul.

The city of Zoar, where Lot lived.

Lot and his two daughters headed to one of the cities in the valley, which the Lord had spared. This was the city of Zoar. The name of the city Zoar translates as “small”, “insignificant”. Zoar is also known as Zoar or Bella. There are still disputes about where the city of Zoar was located - in the north or south of Dead Sea. Zoar is the only city in the Sodom pentacity that was spared by God. Lot settled in Zoar, but soon left it.

Lot and his daughters.

The story of Lot and his daughters is described in Genesis 19:30-38. Lot, afraid to live in Zoar, lived in a cave in the mountains with his daughters. Lot's daughters, considering that there were no more men left, got their father drunk and entered into a relationship with him in order to prolong the family line. Both of Lot's daughters became pregnant by their father.

The eldest had a son, Moab (the name means “from the father”). The youngest also had a son, Ben-Ami (translated as “son of my people”). Moab became the progenitor of the Moabites, and Ben-Ami became the progenitor of the Ammonites.

The story of Lot's daughters reflects the idea of Israel's superiority over the Moabites and Ammonites, since these peoples appeared as a result of a sinful incestuous relationship. The tribes of the Moabites and Ammonites became the basis of the ancient Arab people.

The alleged incest between Lot and his daughters still gives rise to many questions, disputes and theories today as to what the daughters' real motives were and who was really to blame for what happened. And was anyone to blame? Incestuous marriages are not uncommon among the biblical patriarchs. Abraham married his half-sister Sarah; Abraham's brother Nahor married his niece Milkah; Isaac married his relative Rebekah and many more examples. On the other hand, the book devotes an entire chapter to this topic (Chapter 18), where it says:

No one should approach any relative according to the flesh in order to reveal nakedness.

Many researchers justify incestuous marriages by the fact that the Levitical laws appeared later, and they were created by the patriarchs of the nation, including righteous Lot(together with Abraham, Jacob, Judah, Moses, David). The Levitical laws, including those against incest, were created to separate the way of life of Judah from the way of life of the people of Canaan, contrary to all the incestuous behavior that the patriarchs had in the past. Levitical laws are a new step in the development of society, part of the progressive ideas of humanity on the path to modern civilization.

Reflection of history in painting.

The story of Lot and his daughters formed the basis of many paintings. Paintings of this subject usually depict Lot and his daughters in a mountain refuge. Often in the background you can see a small figure of Lot's wife, and a burning city in the distance.

The character of Lot in different religions.

In Judaism.

The figure of Lot in Judaism is controversial. He is considered a righteous man whose righteousness is constantly being challenged. It is believed that in his life Lot deviated from the truths of the Jewish path, and therefore his descendants did not become part of the Jewish people. Lot is mentioned in the Torah,

In Christianity

In the New Testament we find a sympathetic attitude towards Lot. In the Second Epistle of Peter, Lot is called a righteous man, weary of life among violently depraved people.

Islamic view

Lut in the Qur'an is considered the messenger of God and the prophet of God. His story is almost consonant with the biblical one. In Islamic tradition, Lut lived in Ur and was the nephew of Ibrahim (Abraham). He migrated with Ibrahim to Canaan and was appointed prophet in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. He was ordered by Allah to go to the land of Sodom and Gomorrah to preach monotheism and stop the lustful and cruel acts of the local residents. Lut's preaching was ignored, leading to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Lut left the city, his wife looked back and died.