Let's Examine the Scriptures Every Day 2022
Friday March 4, 2022
Lot was still late (Gen. 19:16).
At a very important moment in his life, Lot delayed obeying Jehovah. We may think that he was indifferent or even disobedient. But Jehovah did not give up. Rather, “he had compassion on him,” and so the angels took the whole family by the hand and led them out of the city (Gen. 19:15, 16). Why did Jehovah have mercy on him? It may have been for several reasons. Perhaps Lot was reluctant to leave his home for fear of the people who lived outside of Sodom. But that was not the only danger. It is likely that he knew of the two kings who fell into tar pits in a nearby valley (Gen. 14:8-12). He may also have been concerned about his wife and daughters. Also, he was rich, so he must have had a good house (Gen. 13:5, 6). Of course, none of this justified that he had not obeyed Jehovah instantly. But God did not focus on Lot's mistake,but considered him a “just man” (2 Pet. 2:7, 8). w20.04 18 paras. 13, 14
As Genesis 16:7-13 shows, how did Jehovah help Hagar?
Hagar, Sarai's servant, acted unwisely after she became Abram's wife. When she became pregnant, she began to despise Sarai, who had no children. Sarai then punished her by humiliating her, and Hagar had to flee (Gen. 16:4-6). Since we are imperfect, we may think that Hagar was nothing more than a proud woman who got her due from her. But Jehovah saw something else in her. He sent an angel to help her change her attitude and to bless her. She realized that Jehovah had been watching her and that he knew her situation very well. Therefore, she felt compelled to tell him: “You are a God who sees” (read Genesis 16: 7-13).
What did God take into account in the case of Hagar?
What did Jehovah see in Hagar? He knew very well his past and all his experiences (Prov. 15:3). She was Egyptian, but lived in the home of a Hebrew family. Did you sometimes feel like an outsider? Did he miss his family and his land? On the other hand, she was not the only wife of Abram. For a time, some faithful servants of God had more than one wife. But that was not Jehovah's original purpose (Matt. 19:4-6). No wonder this situation aroused jealousy and resentment. It is true that Jehovah did not condone Hagar's disrespect to Sarai, but he was also understanding of her feelings and her circumstances.
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