Enough is Enough – Genesis 19:12-13

Then the men said to Lot, “Have you anyone else here? Sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or anyone you have in the city, bring them out of the place. For we are about to destroy this place, because the outcry against its people has become great before the Lord, and the Lord has sent us to destroy it.” (12-13)

Two of the most remarkable characteristics of God are His patience and mercy. We often lose our tempers quickly, but God is patient and slow to anger. His mercies are new every morning, and God is merciful to the sinner giving them adequate time to repent. Many mistakenly believe God is a God of love in the New Testament but a God of wrath in the Old Testament. Yet, in this Old Testament story, we see God’s patience and grace with Abraham, Lot, and the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. In the previous chapter, Abraham bargains with God, and God promises to stay His hand of judgment if just ten righteous people are found. God patiently lets Abraham keep pushing for more and more mercy. Once the angels arrive in Sodom to rescue Lot, Lot passively resists and fails to move quickly. However, because of the patience and mercy of God, Lot gets out of the city in time.

Consider God’s patience and mercy with Sodom and Gomorrah. After years of sin and shameful abuse, and after the heinous account of chapter 19, where the city’s men try to rape the two angels who came to destroy them, God still holds back until Lot gets out. God’s willingness to give the city every chance shows His great mercy. Yet, even the infinite God of the universe has a limit to His patience. Over many years, the outcry against these people had become great before the Lord, and the end had come. God is a loving God, and He is patient with each one of us. We have failed Him many times, and He continues to forgive. Yet, it is essential to remember that sometimes, even with the Lord, enough is enough. Patience and mercy are there today, but judgment and wrath will come. Don’t confuse the patience of God today with His tacit approval of current behavior. The more I watch the news, the more I think the outcry against our society has become great before the Lord. Judgment is coming, and it is not about “if” but about “when.”