Ruthless Selfishness
In the last post on Genesis 20 I made a passing comment regarding the horrible sins of Lot's daughters. After the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah Lot was afraid to live in Zoar and so he took his daughters up to live in a cave. Doubtless he was mourning the death of his wife and the loss of his home and in so doing he completely failed to consider his daughters and their future.
The end of Genesis 19 details how Lot's daughters respond to Lot's selfishness with a selfishness of their own. Just as Lot only thought of himself in hiding in the cave, his daughters think only of their future and so they get their father drunk in order to become impregnated by him. They did their job well because it says Lot was so drunk that "He did not know when she lay down or when she arose" (Gen. 19:33, 35).
In the last post I labeled this the "unspeakable foolishness" of Lot's daughters, but it is also rightly described as a ruthless selfishness. Thinking only of themselves and their future offspring, the two daughters become the mothers of Moab and Ben-ammi, the fathers of the Moabites and the Ammonites (Gen. 19:37-38).
Bible readers will recognize the Ammonites and Moabites because both peoples bring great harm to the Israelites over the centuries. In fact, it was the children of these cousins, we are told in Deuteronomy 23:3-6, who reunited to hire Balaam so as to bring a curse upon Israel. For their sin they were forbidden from entering the the congregation of Israel to the 10th generation (Dt. 23:3-6).
Later in the days of the Judges the Ammonites and Moabites once again came against God's people when they subdued territory in Israel (Jud. 3:13; 11:4), and they sought to lead Israel to worship their false gods (Jud. 10:6). They were such a thorn in the side of the Israelites that a number of the prophets uttered the Lord's curses against the descendants of Lot's daughters.
Tracing out these lines a bit helps us to see that there can be long term and disastrous effects for our choices. The daughters were looking to solve an impending need - their father was growing old and they did not have anyone to help support them. They thought having sons would solve their problems. Obviously they were despairing because how else could someone do what they did? Sadly history demonstrates just how much pain and suffering came from the rash decisions of the two daughters.
With regard to the Moabites the answer is first hinted at in the days of the judging of the judges, when Naomi's daughter-in-law Ruth, who is repeatedly called "the Moabite," is shown to be the great grandmother of King David (Ruth 4:17, 21-22). God redeemed the ruthless selfishness of Lot's daughters by including Ruth in his plan of redemption. Because it will be through Ruth's great grandson that the promise of a King would come (2 Sam. 7).
Even more amazing is how Ruth's name is mentioned when the promise is fulfilled. The gospel according to Matthew begins "The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham." A couple verses later we see that Jesus' line traces back through Ruth the Moabite. In other words, the reason God included the horrific story of Lot's daughters in the Bible is because God's plan from before the beginning was to send his Son to redeem even the least of these.
Many people today with a Ruthean heritage often feel as though they are forever stained by their past. However, by tracing the disastrous decision of Lot's daughters down through the whole of redemptive history a new insight emerges. Regardless of how foolish and selfish one's previous life choices may have been, the Good News is that Jesus Christ removes the ruthless selfishness of our past.
Are you one who, like Lot's daughters, has been trying to save yourself by manufacturing a meaningful life? If so, I hope you come to see that Jesus offers you so much more meaning than you could ever manufacture on your own. Jesus takes the outcasts with the shadiest history and adopts them into his family. From cursed Moabites to children of the King of kings (Rom. 8:15).
For God's people, those who have come to trust completely in Jesus for their meaning and value and salvation, Sam Gamgee's question is answered in the affirmative - Every sad thing will indeed come untrue. Or as John the Revelator put it, "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away" (Rev. 21:4).
The end of Genesis 19 details how Lot's daughters respond to Lot's selfishness with a selfishness of their own. Just as Lot only thought of himself in hiding in the cave, his daughters think only of their future and so they get their father drunk in order to become impregnated by him. They did their job well because it says Lot was so drunk that "He did not know when she lay down or when she arose" (Gen. 19:33, 35).
In the last post I labeled this the "unspeakable foolishness" of Lot's daughters, but it is also rightly described as a ruthless selfishness. Thinking only of themselves and their future offspring, the two daughters become the mothers of Moab and Ben-ammi, the fathers of the Moabites and the Ammonites (Gen. 19:37-38).
Reading Slow and Reading Fast
Whereas in the last post the focus was on reading carefully and slowly so as to see details which are easily missed, there is another kind of Bible reading which is necessary to fully appreciate the tapestry of God's Word. That is we must read fast enough and often enough to become familiar with the overarching story-line of the whole Bible. As with any great literature we need to see how certain minor characters pop up again and again and what role they play in the larger story.Bible readers will recognize the Ammonites and Moabites because both peoples bring great harm to the Israelites over the centuries. In fact, it was the children of these cousins, we are told in Deuteronomy 23:3-6, who reunited to hire Balaam so as to bring a curse upon Israel. For their sin they were forbidden from entering the the congregation of Israel to the 10th generation (Dt. 23:3-6).
Later in the days of the Judges the Ammonites and Moabites once again came against God's people when they subdued territory in Israel (Jud. 3:13; 11:4), and they sought to lead Israel to worship their false gods (Jud. 10:6). They were such a thorn in the side of the Israelites that a number of the prophets uttered the Lord's curses against the descendants of Lot's daughters.
Tracing out these lines a bit helps us to see that there can be long term and disastrous effects for our choices. The daughters were looking to solve an impending need - their father was growing old and they did not have anyone to help support them. They thought having sons would solve their problems. Obviously they were despairing because how else could someone do what they did? Sadly history demonstrates just how much pain and suffering came from the rash decisions of the two daughters.
God the Redeemer of Ruthlessness
The question every good reader of Scripture must ask is why are these horribly ruthless stories included in the Bible? The answer to that question usually requires understanding how the little story fits into the grand narrative of God's plan of redemption.With regard to the Moabites the answer is first hinted at in the days of the judging of the judges, when Naomi's daughter-in-law Ruth, who is repeatedly called "the Moabite," is shown to be the great grandmother of King David (Ruth 4:17, 21-22). God redeemed the ruthless selfishness of Lot's daughters by including Ruth in his plan of redemption. Because it will be through Ruth's great grandson that the promise of a King would come (2 Sam. 7).
Even more amazing is how Ruth's name is mentioned when the promise is fulfilled. The gospel according to Matthew begins "The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham." A couple verses later we see that Jesus' line traces back through Ruth the Moabite. In other words, the reason God included the horrific story of Lot's daughters in the Bible is because God's plan from before the beginning was to send his Son to redeem even the least of these.
Many people today with a Ruthean heritage often feel as though they are forever stained by their past. However, by tracing the disastrous decision of Lot's daughters down through the whole of redemptive history a new insight emerges. Regardless of how foolish and selfish one's previous life choices may have been, the Good News is that Jesus Christ removes the ruthless selfishness of our past.
Are you one who, like Lot's daughters, has been trying to save yourself by manufacturing a meaningful life? If so, I hope you come to see that Jesus offers you so much more meaning than you could ever manufacture on your own. Jesus takes the outcasts with the shadiest history and adopts them into his family. From cursed Moabites to children of the King of kings (Rom. 8:15).
For God's people, those who have come to trust completely in Jesus for their meaning and value and salvation, Sam Gamgee's question is answered in the affirmative - Every sad thing will indeed come untrue. Or as John the Revelator put it, "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away" (Rev. 21:4).
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