Genesis 19:30-38 Lot and His Daughters

Lot had spent much time living in the midst of wickedness. Although God had destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, the residue of wickedness had not fully left Lot. He had been affected by those around him.

Lot’s daughters discuss with each other the low odds of finding husbands. They didn’t see any prospects nearby. Taking matters into their own hands, they decide to trick their father into have sexual relations with them.

That night the daughters got their father drunk. Then the older daughter had sexual relations with him. The next day the older daughter told her sister what had happened and suggested she repeat the scheme the next night. The younger daughter followed her sister’s advice.

Each daughter bore a son. The older daughter named her son Moab, a name that plays on the Hebrew word for father. The second daughter named her son Ammon, a wordplay on the Hebrew word for kinsman.

The descendants of these two sons became the Moabites and Ammonites, two groups that hated God and tormented the Israelites for years.

Do you remember what Lot said to the men in the town square when they asked for the two visitors to come outside? Lot offered his two daughters instead. That offer was a tragic one that would have defiled his daughters. Now the daughters were defiling their own father with a sexual act.

What can we learn from this unusual account?

First, sin is not merely an issue of our environment. If we live in a sinful place, we can still be righteous. If we remove ourselves from that sinful environment, we may still find ourselves committing great wickedness.

We should walk with God in the place where He has put us. Hudson Taylor, founder of the China Inland Mission used to say, “A candle that won’t shine in one room, is not very likely to shine in another room.”

Second, the sin of Lot’s daughters is in some ways similar to Lot’s sinful offer to the crowd. Both are sexual sins. This similarity should remind us of the truth that what we do has impact on those around us. Sin affects others. When we sin we are oftentimes unknowingly teaching our children to do the same thing.

Third, the Moabites and the Ammonites bothered Israel for hundreds of years. Sin has consequences that can continue for extended periods of time. Although we can receive immediate forgiveness of our sins, the consequences may not go away as quickly.

Finally, the New Testament refers to Lot as “Righteous Lot.” In spite of his foolish statements and acts, the Lord accepts him as righteous. That truth should encourage us when we fall. As those who have trusted in Jesus Christ, we know that when the Lord considers us, He looks beyond our sin and sees the righteousness of Christ instead.