And called his name Moab, the father of the Moabites— This addition, the father of the Moabites, and the same in the next verse, father of the children of Ammon, plainly points out the design of Moses referred to in the beginning of the last note. Moab signifies, from my father; plainly marking out the incestuous birth of the child. See Numbers 21:20. Ben Ammi signifies, the son of my people, or, one of my people, not of the stranger, one of my own race and kindred. See Numbers 21:13. After this we hear no more of Lot in this history; and it is remarkable that there never was, as we know of, any town or city which had in it any trace of his name.
REFLECTIONS.—How little safety is there for us from sin in any place, unless we watch unto prayer? He who was kept in Sodom, is overcome in a cave. We have here,
1. His daughters' wicked contrivance. What they could not effect when their father was sober, they endeavour to bring about by drunkenness, and thus one crime is aggravated with another. Note; No judgments can restrain those, who will not yield to the saving power of Divine Grace.
2. Lot's shameful and scandalous fall. Lord, What is man! Drunk and incestuous, and thus repeatedly too: let us read it with horror. Learn, (1.) No man this side heaven, is safe from presumptuous sins, or above praying to be kept from them. (2.) Drunkenness hath no end of evil: every crime without horror or shame is then easily committed.
General reflections on the causes of the speedy degeneracy of the world, on Abraham's intercession, and on Sodom's destruction.
Though we may be sure that our state of trial hath been, from the beginning of the world, perfectly well adjusted, as to the proper balance of means and temptations for all the purposes of Divine wisdom and goodness, yet it is certain, that the original depravity, united with the contagion of evil, so far spread in the earliest ages, as in process of time to threaten the total extinction of true religion, and of consequence all good morals. This is evident in the case of the whole world, where wickedness and impiety had at length, by degrees, gained complete dominion over the whole race of mankind, except Noah's single family. And in about four hundred and fifty years after the deluge, idolatry and wickedness had spread and corrupted the world so far, that a tremendous judgment, as we have seen, destroyed Sodom and the cities of the plain.
This spreading corruption, after the deluge, is not to be assigned to simple irreligion, but to religion directed to wrong objects and purposes. While men retained a speculative knowledge of the true God, they cared not to glorify him in the ways of holiness and true piety, nor were thankful for his benefits. Romans 1:21-22. And as these men, through pride and wantonness, indulging idle conceits and false reasoning, involved their own understanding and that of others in the thicker clouds of error and delusion, they represented the heavenly bodies as illustrious intelligences, who being so eminently exalted, must have the highest interest in the favour of God, the direction of human affairs, and the distribution of all temporal blessings: and therefore it would be sufficient to all the purposes of religion to secure their friendship, as mediators between God and them. Thus men were enticed, drawn in to worship them (Deuteronomy 4:19.) by such impious conceits as were invented by the folly and ignorance of the same sophisters, and adapted to the depraved minds of such as listened to them. Thus they were deceived into the practice of all manner of lewdness and vice: for the attributes of these supposed deities and benefactors of mankind, being feigned purely by human imagination, they would naturally be represented by men who had their own interests and lusts to serve, in such manner, as best suited the corrupt taste and inclination of those who were disposed to follow them. If this was not exactly the case at first, it may easily be conceived to have been so in process of time, by after-improvements upon the original scheme of idolatry. And by this method, shocking to reflect! men would be led to believe they might be religious, and gain at least every earthly blessing, not only without the practice of holiness, but positively by lewd and wicked practices: and thus religion would be turned (as was unhappily the case) into an encouragement of vice, and the principles of goodness and genuine piety would be wholly extinguished.
Whether men were seduced precisely after this manner or not, the fact is certain, that their abominable idolatries were attended with abominable lusts and intemperance. 1 Peter 4:3. Add to this, that cunning men, who knew how to make their own advantage of the weaknesses of mankind, introduced into their minds notions of Fate, Destiny, Fortune, Chance, Necessity, with many other delusions. Hence arose professors of the vilest arts, pretending to look into futurity, to gratify malicious desires, to secure good, and prevent bad luck to those who consulted them, Deuteronomy 18:10 and no doubt but the great original enemy of mankind was incessantly concerned in these infatuations. Nay, so far were men infatuated, that they made their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, under the notion of sacrifices to their idols! Thus their hope and trust were diverted from that God who alone could help them, to vain idols and the vilest impostors, who were unable to do them the least good. How deplorable a degeneracy!
The neglect and abuse of understanding, and the indulged irregular inclinations of the heart, were doubtless the spring and principal cause of this defection. But it undoubtedly was forwarded in every stage, and completed by the suggestions and instigations of the devil and his angels, the prince of the power of the air, whom God permits to work in the children of disobedience, and to deceive the nations. For when men receive not the love of the truth, that they may be saved, God judicially sends them strong delusion, that they may believe a lie.
Thus we see how idolatry first began, and by what means it might, as it certainly did, spread in the world: and would have spread universally, as the remaining virtuous dropt off, and as men of understanding happened to be drawn in by various allurements;—against which, the heart even of a Solomon was not proof. To prevent, therefore, the universal prevalence of idolatry and vice, and to preserve among mankind the knowledge and worship of the true God, the all-wise and gracious Father was pleased to select a family, a nation peculiarly appropriated to his service. Abraham was chosen to be the head and father of this nation, a man of the most eminent piety and holiness, as appears from his whole life: but which were pleasingly manifested in his intercession with God for the devoted cities of the plain! The whole relation in ch. 18. sets forth, in the fairest light, his hospitality, his temperance, his humanity, his humility, his fortitude; and all these displayed with such power of grace, such light of reason, such integrity of heart, such simplicity of manners, and such beauty and skill of address, as enabled him to expostulate with his Maker, not only with a decency, but with a dignity, which cannot be described! For who can read his inimitable intercession, and not observe with how noble a fortitude in defence of innocence, and with how right a sense of the Divine justice and mercy, it is urged! And yet, at the same time, with what humility! with what strong impressions of the dignity of his Judge, and of the infinite deference due to him! He knew that justice was a claim of right which God allowed to all his creatures, and therefore he urged it with all the resolution and ingenuity allowable in a reasonable creature: but, at the same time, he knew the superiority of his Maker, and the submission due to him; and therefore he did it with all the distance and deference which became a dependent being. How pleasing is it to observe the workings of his benevolent and compassionate heart! And we may easily, I think, conceive the high satisfaction he felt on the close of his address; when dreading the danger of an unbecoming importunity, but more dreading to give up the cause of the righteous, with all becoming earnestness and lowliness of heart he cried, Oh, let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: peradventure ten shall be found there. When the Great Being, whom he petitioned, still patient and still complying, answers, with the utmost condescension, I will not destroy it for ten's sake!*
* See Dr. Delaney's Revelation examined.
How many improving reflections may the thinking mind derive from this event! Let it stimulate us however to copy the example of Abraham, in humble and zealous intercession for those with whom we are in any sort connected; as certified, that the prayer of the righteous will ever greatly avail before God. And while we reflect upon what terms the gracious Judge of the earth would have suspended the fate of these abandoned cities, O let us be anxious to be found among the number of those valuable righteous, who are the pillars of the state, and for whose sake often the continuance of a nation is permitted by the Eternal Ruler of the world. By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted. Proverbs 11:11. And let us adore the awful justice of his punishments, who let not loose the dread thunderbolts of his vengeance, till these cities had arrived at the highest, and an almost incredible, degree of wickedness.
Remember we also, that this fearful account is recorded for our admonition, that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted; certified, that if God spared not the old world, but brought in a flood upon the ungodly, and, if, turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, he has set forth the inhabitants thereof for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire; Jude 1:7 being in all ages the same God of justice as well as mercy, he will not suffer iniquity ultimately to escape. For though he doth not lay bare his vindictive arm upon every occasion; though he is strong and patient, so that he seldom whetteth his sword, and prepareth the instruments of death; yet a few of these remarkable, these monumental instances of his severity against sin, are enough to convince us that he hath reserved the unjust (however they may escape now) unto the day of judgment to be punished! from which punishment we are clearly ascertained, by the example of Lot, that he will ever rescue those, who in the midst of an adulterous and corrupt generation, maintain their integrity, and defile not their garments, that they may walk with Him in white, for they are worthy. Revelation 3:4.