# 110 Vehemently Anti-God

The Book of Genesis Day 110 Ge 13:10 And Lot lifted his eyes and saw all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere (before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah) like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt as you go toward Zoar. 11 Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east. And they separated from each other. 12 Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent even as far as Sodom. 13 But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the LORD. Here we have the first mention of Sodom and Gomorrah in the Bible. Pay attention to the stark contrast, the before and after picture painted here for the whole world to see. Before the judgment of God fell, the area was compared to the very Garden of Eden and the fertile land of Egypt! This is meant to be a picture of the difference between heaven and hell. Before judgment Sodom and Gomorrah are teeming with well-watered life, then after the judgment, a total absence of anything good. The closest picture I can think of would be that of ground zero at Hiroshima when the atomic bomb was dropped, or even the ruins of the twin towers on 9/11. Two beautiful buildings, suddenly lying in a heap of ashes, and all that was left standing were a couple of I-beams forming a crude cross. That cross, (I believe) a message from God, that the cross stands above all destruction. Jesus is the only way to escape the final destruction! But I digress. Lot pitches his tent as far as Sodom, and actually moves inside the city walls. This was not a good environment for Lot and his family, as we read that the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the Lord. Mark that term, “exceedingly.” In the Hebrew the word means “vehemently.” Vehemence is associated with forceful energy and intensity. This wickedness and sinfulness against the Lord, was marked by the intensely evil actions of the people. It was deeply felt and forcibly expressed. Incredibly, Lot settles in this environment and it must’ve been like moving in with a lynch mob! I think we have seen this kind of vehemence against the Lord in our own nation. Have you noticed? There is a vehemence against the Lord and His people from groups who do not wish to be shackled with biblical morality. Pro homosexual movements and pro choice forces often display this kind of virulence against God’s people. (unfortunately many professing Christians respond in kind, this should not be so, for we are to love our enemies! Ro 12:20,21 says, “ Therefore "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head." 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. I have personally experienced this kind of vehemence while participating in peaceful protests at abortion clinics and while distributing pro-life literature. While not to the degree that Lot and God’s angels would later face it in Sodom and Gomorrah, it is a sobering thing to experience. But you know what? Our Lord experienced it to the greatest degree as he hung on the cross and passersby spit and hissed at Him and mocked Him, yet He gave us the perfect example of how to respond to vehemence! “Father forgive them for they know not what they do!” Pray: Father, help us to brace ourselves for vehemence in our world today, keep us from responding in like manner, help us to learn to turn that other cheek and to pray for our enemies, loving them as Jesus would have us to do.