At the beginning of each new month, look for a glimpse into my devotional journal where I use the S.O.A.P. method for Bible study. I trust it will be as encouraging for you as it is for me and if you haven’t already, give this method a try.

SCRIPTURE
Genesis 18:23b—Will you indeed wipe away the righteous with the wicked?
Genesis 18:32b—For the sake of ten I will not destroy it. (See also Jonah 4:11)

OBSERVATIONS
Abraham asked the question that many wonder. If a nation has become utterly evil, will God judge it even though there may be a remnant of people who still follow His ways? After Abraham’s question, he began to bargain with God and his request began with 50…then 45…then 40…then 30…then God lowered the number 20…then 10—and this is where God settled with Abraham. If only 10 people were righteous, He would stay His hand of judgment.

But the only people on God’s righteous radar were Lot, his wife, and their two daughters. And as time passed Lot’s wife (who lingered and longed for Sodom on the way out) and daughters (see Genesis 19) would prove not to be righteous, so perhaps Lot was the only righteous person left in the city. Yet, in God’s mercy, Lot’s family went with him out of the city.

The New Testament seems to agree that alone was righteous there. In 2 Peter 2:7 informs us that lot was “a righteous man” who was “distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless.” He was the only true believer in Sodom—and God rescued him before His wrath destroyed the city (see 19:14).

There must have been a decreed time for the judgment to fall, because there was a sense of urgency to get Lot and his family out. The angels literally grabbed lot (19:16) and his family to take them outside of the city.

APPLICATION

God informs the righteous with advance intel. In Genesis 18:17 The Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?” We also read this in Amos 3:7, “Indeed the sovereign Lord never does anything until he reveals his plans to his servants the prophets.” Then we who study Scripture learn from the recorded words of the prophets.

Grace and mercy toward the righteous take precedence over the judgment of the wicked (19:18), and God extends grace to the latest possible moment before judgment falls.

We can take confidence that God knows our circumstances, sees the evil in the world, has his own specific time frame, and will rescue the righteous (as imperfect as we are) before His judgment falls on the earth in the future tribulation period.

Culturally speaking we (the West/USA) have pushed Him away leading to instability and lawlessness like we have never seen before.

But God sees the righteous, knows our distress (2 Peter 2:7), has given us advance intel, and will rescue us at just the right time.

PRAYER
Lord, help us to trust your timing even though it feels like a delay. Supernaturally protect your own as we await our departure, and help us to live fully and finish strong if you do not return in our lifetime.