Gênesis 19
Leon Morris · Citado em PreceptAustin
Gênesis 19
Morris commenting Lot’s downward spiral, writes, “Here is a man who had participated in one of the highest callings ever given by God to men, one who had been at hand to experience with Abraham marvelous revelations and deliverances from God, and yet who now was right at home in the midst of the life of one of the most wicked cities that ever disgraced the earth” (Borrow The Genesis Record page 344) Bob
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Morris - Lot had been instructed to go to the mountain (Genesis 19:17), but he prevailed upon the angels to let him live in Zoar. He soon became unwelcome in Zoar, however, and went to the mountain after all (Genesis 19:30). It is always better to follow God's instructions directly. Warren
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Morris - brimstone and fire (ED: I DO NOT AGREE WITH THIS "SCIENTIFIC EXPLANATION" BUT MENTION IT TO ILLUSTRATE HOW SOME INTERPRET THE FIRE FROM HEAVEN). The precise nature of the physical agents used by God in the destruction of the five cities of the plain is uncertain. "Brimstone" is usually associated with sulfur, but the word may be used for any inflammable substance. The word "fire" is also used here for the first time in the Bible and could be understood either as a divine fire (Judges 6:21; 1 Kings 18:38) or as gases and other combustibles ignited in a volcanic explosion falling to earth after their eruption. The entire region gives abundant evidence of tremendous volcanic activity in the past, although most of this probably antedated Abraham, occurring in the later stages of the Flood and in the early decades following the Flood. The area is still very active tectonically, lying astride the Great Rift Valley, extending all the way from the Jordan River Valley into southern Africa. Unless the judgment was entirely miraculous, (ED: WHICH I THINK IT WAS!) in its physical nature as well as its timing, the most likely explanation seems to be the sudden release by an earthquake and volcanic explosion of great quantities of gas, sulfur and bituminous materials that had accumulated from materials trapped beneath the valley floor during the Flood. These were ignited by a simultaneous electrical storm, so that it appeared to Abraham, watching from afar, that "the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace" (Genesis 19:28). Brimstone (01614)(gophrith) sulfur, brimstone. Literally of what God used to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. Figuratively it speaks of God's judgment on the wicked (Ps 11:6, Ezek 38:22) In Isa 30:33 it describes Topheth where the "breath of the LORD, like a torrent of brimstone, sets it afire." It is used of any inflammable substance since the word comes from the noun gopher, which would refer to pitch and then later came to represent other combustibles such as sulfur. To this day, the Dead Sea area reeks of sulphurous fumes and asphalt deposits are found. Gilbrant - This noun occurs in a number of other Semitic languages, often with a kaph instead of a gimmel as the initial consonant. It occurs seven times in the Hebrew Bible. Gophrîth is a noun meaning "sulphur." It is sometimes called "brimstone." It probably comes from gōpher which would refer to pitch, and then later came to stand for other combustibles such as sulphur. It is used in contexts which allude to the absolute destruction of a locale. It is first used in Gen. 19:24 when God rains sulfur and fire from heaven on Sodom and Gomorrah. The mention of sulfur is meant to bring to the reader's remembrance the destruction of these cities for their immorality, with an overt simile appearing in the next verse (Deut. 29:23). Further, sulfur rains upon Gog (Ezek. 38:22) and the wicked (Ps. 11:6), a meteorological event based upon the Sodom and Gomorrah experience. Sulfur is the ultimate expression of desolation, again echoing the perpetual destruction of these cities. The land of the wicked shall be sulfur (Job 18:15), and Ezekiel asserts "the streams of Edom shall be turned into pitch and her soil into sulfur..." (Job 34:9). Yahweh's breath, "like a stream of sulfur," will kindle the pyre of the king of Assyria (Isa. 30:33). This imagery is a metaphorical allusion to the destructive power of Yahweh. The end of the king is permanent, as any destruction involving sulfur. Gophrith - 7v - Gen. 19:24; Deut. 29:23; Job 18:15; Ps. 11:6; Isa. 30:33; Isa. 34:9; Ezek. 38:22 Gomorrah (06017)(Amorah) is said to mean "submersion" in several sources and is the literal city filled with iniquity which God destroyed. The name is also used figuratively of iniquity (Isa 1:10 Je 23:14) Gilbrant - "The cities of Sidon, Gerar, Gaza, Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim and Lasha were listed as border cities of Canaan (Gen. 10:19). Gomorrah was likely located along the east or southeast of the Dead Sea in the fertile Jordan plain. The richness of the region lured Lot to settle there when given the choice by Abraham (cf. Gen. 13:10). Later, the king of Gomorrah joined a coalition of other cities to rebel against Kedorlaomer, king of Elam (Gen. 14:1ff). The armies of Sodom and Gomorrah were routed, and many fleeing soldiers fell into the tar pits strewn about the valley. As a result, Lot and his possessions were seized (Gen. 14:8-12). Sodom and Gomorrah are permanently remembered for their legendary wickedness, being the most famous of the five cities of the plain. The Lord warned Abraham that He would destroy those cities because of their apostasy. Then Abraham negotiated for divine mercy upon them if the Lord could find as few as ten righteous individuals in those cities (Gen. 18:20-33). Unfortunately, there were not even ten. The Lord then rained down burning sulfur upon Gomorrah and the other towns of the plain, thus destroying all living things, including the vegetation. The rising smoke of the annihilation could be seen from a great distance away (Gen. 19:24-30). This destruction was recollected on several occasions for the purpose of prophetic warning against those engaging in wickedness (Deut. 29:23; 32:32; Isa. 1:9f; 13:19). For example, lying prophets (Jer. 23:14), Edom (Jer 49:18), the Babylonians (jer 50:40), obstinate Israel (Amos 4:11) and Moab and Ammon (Zeph. 2:9) were forewarned that they would suffer a similar fate as Sodom and Gomorrah. (Complete Biblical Library) Amorah - 19v - Gen. 10:19; Gen. 13:10; Gen. 14:2; Gen. 14:8; Gen. 14:10; Gen. 14:11; Gen. 18:20; Gen. 19:24; Gen. 19:28; Deut. 29:23; Deut. 32:32; Isa. 1:9; Isa. 1:10; Isa. 13:19; Jer. 23:14; Jer. 49:18; Jer. 50:40; Amos 4:11; Zeph. 2:9 James Freeman - Borrow Manners & customs of the Bible page 30 - SODOM AND GOMORRAH - Sodom and Gomorrah were filled with evilness and sexual perversion: “Then the LORD said [to Abraham], ‘The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know’ ” (Genesis 18:20–21). God sent two angels in the form of men to advise all good men to leave the evil towns, but they found only one good man, Lot, Abraham’s nephew, and so God destroyed the cities. Before the destruction, the angels guided Lot and his wife and two daughters out from Sodom into the countryside, and warned them not to look back. When Lot’s wife failed to heed the warning and looked back, perhaps to see what was going to happen to the cities or perhaps in longing, she was turned into a pillar of salt. The sexual perversion of sodomy that male homosexuals practice derives its name from the city of Sodom. Genesis 19:25 and He overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. Ge 13:10 Ge 14:3 Ps 107:34 Genesis 19 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries Related Passages: Ps 107:33-34+ He changes rivers into a wilderness And springs of water into a thirsty ground; 34 A fruitful land into a salt waste, Because of the wickedness of those who dwell in it. Jude 1:7 just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire. Genesis 13:10+ Lot lifted up his eyes and saw all the valley of the Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere–this was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah–like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt as you go to Zoar. and He overthrew (haphak; Lxx - katastrepho) those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground - Notice the Septuagint translation of overthrew (haphak) is katastrepho is the root source of the English word catastrophe which is defined as ""reversal of what is expected" (especially a fatal turning point in a drama, the winding up of the plot)." Indeed, Jesus says that in the last days, the days of the Son of Man (Lk 17:26+), it will be just "the same as happened in the days of Lot: they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building, but on the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all." (Lk 17:28-29+). In other words, to use the English definition above, Sodom was a "reversal of what is expected" and it will be the same at the end of this age when the angels pour out the last 7 Bowl Judgments filled with the wrath of God (Revelation 16:1-21+). As an aside, given the fact that God utterly destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, we should not be surprised that there have been no ruins found. This cities were completely obliterated! Wenstrom - Genesis 19:25 records that not only were all the inhabitants of the cities of the plain destroyed but also each and every thing that grew on the ground so that no vegetation could grow. This fact reveals a spiritual principle that we noted in our study of the fall of Adam recorded in Genesis 3:17-19 that the land is cursed by association with its inhabitants. Israel was taught this principle by the prophet Isaiah 24:5, 6 Bob
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Morris - There have been "cave-dwellers" all through history, not primitive ape-men, but true cultured humans forced by circumstances into such habitations. This home was quite a comedown for a family accustomed to material luxuries. The caves of the Dead Sea region have been inhabited by many people over the centuries. In fact, the famous Dead Sea Scrolls were found in such caves, left by communities of the Essene sect (Job 30:3-6). James Freeman - Borrow Manners & customs of the Bible page 31 - CAVES - There are numerous natural caves in many of the geographical areas identified in the Bible. Some were used for dwellings, some for burial places, and some for storing or hiding provisions or other goods. The first mention of a cave in the Bible is in the story of Lot after he fled from Sodom. “And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar: and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters” (Genesis 19:30). Abraham bought the cave of Machpelah as a tomb for Sarah: “And he [Abraham] communed with them, saying, If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight; hear me, and entreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar, That he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he hath, which is in the end of his field; for as much money as it is worth he shall give it me for a possession of a burying place amongst you” (Genesis 23:11–16, 19). In the time of Gideon the Israelites took refuge from the Midianites in dens and caves, such as those in the mountain regions of Manasseh: “And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds” (Judges 6:2). David used the cave of Adullam for refuge: “David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father’s house heard it, they went down thither to him” (1 Samuel 22:1). And so did the five Canaanite kings at Makkedah: “But these five kings fled, and hid themselves in a cave at Makkedah” (Joshua 10:16), which did them no good at all. Genesis 19:31 Then the firstborn said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is not a man on earth to come in to us after the manner of the earth. not: Ge 19:28 Mk 9:6 to come: Ge 4:1 6:4 16:2,4 38:8,9,14-30 De 25:5 Isa 4:1 Genesis 19 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries LOT'S DAUGHTERS CONSPIRE SEDUCTION OF THEIR FATHER We might subtitle this section, Lot's Daughter's Broken Moral Compass! And if we did not know Lot was a believer (2Pe 2:7-8), we would have serious doubts because he failed miserably with God and as a father as the following narrative reveals. One thing is remarkable in this next sordid tale and that is that both daughters were still virgins. Here is Steven Cole's analysis of why Lot failed - The reason Lot failed is illustrated by an event that happened on June 5, 1976 (ED: Look at these incredible pictures). On that day, under clear skies, without warning, the massive Teton Dam in southeastern Idaho collapsed, sending a torrent of water surging into the Snake River basin. There was extensive property damage and loss of life. It seemed to happen so quickly. Some workers on the dam barely had time to run for their lives. But it really didn’t happen suddenly. Beneath the water line, a hidden fault had been gradually weakening the entire structure. It started with just a tiny bit of erosion. But by the time it was detected, it was too late. No one had seen the little flaw; no one got hurt by it. But everyone saw the big collapse, and many were hurt (adapted from Luis Palau, Heart After God - READ PALAU'S VERSION ON PAGE 72 - BORROW HIS BOOK). That’s what happened to Lot. He allowed little sins in his life to go unchecked. They weren’t major, shocking kinds of sins--just “little” sins. But they were steadily eroding his moral character, until finally the sordid incident recorded here burst the dam. It teaches us that, A father fails his family when he allows little sins to go unchecked until they result in big sins. I’m using the words “little” and “big” from the human perspective. By little sins I mean sins that people don’t consider serious, sins that we all tend to tolerate. By big sins, I mean sins like murder, adultery, homosexuality, rape, incest, child abuse, etc., sins that raise eyebrows and make us recoil in shock, sins that destroy families and reputations, leaving a trail of destruction. By the way, the problem of incest (which occurs in our text in a reverse way, with the daughters initiating it) is a major hidden, but devastating problem, in many professing Christian homes. How do such big sins ever happen? (A Father Who Failed - Genesis 19:30-38) Then the firstborn said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is not a man on earth to come in to us after the manner of the earth - Here we seem to see the type of logic that results from living in a sinful cesspool like Sodom. The older offers to reasons (1) their father is old and would soon not be able to impregnate them and (2) there is no other man on earth (clearly an exaggeration as there were undoubtedly men in Zoar). Come in to us is the euphemistic way of referring to sexual intercourse. After the manner of the earth in essence means there was no one to marry as was the custom all over the earth. What does this passage teach about Lot's daughter's? Probably several things, but one is that they did not trust Jehovah to provide husbands for them. Perhaps Lot had not taught them about the faithfulness of Jehovah. But even if Lot had not taught them about Jehovah, they had seen (depending on their age) their father's amazing delivery from the 4 kings and they had just witnessed 2 angels delivering them from destruction in Sodom. In any event, they will not trust the LORD's ways, but their conniving, fleshly, sinful ways to meet their need for a man. There is a bitter irony here - Lot had offered his daughters to the Sodomites, but now would himself carry out his horrible proposal by lying with his own daughters. What does around, often comes around! Steven
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Morris - This case of incest is not specifically condemned in Scripture, presumably because the Mosaic laws against incest had not yet been given. Lot's daughters knew, for example, that their great uncle, Nahor, had married his niece, their own Aunt Milcah (Genesis 11:27-29), and that Abraham's wife Sarah was his half-sister (Genesis 20:12). Nevertheless, their particular act was unnatural, to say the least, and they knew their father would not consent to it if he were sober. To their credit, they had remained virgins up to this time (Genesis 19:8), even in a licentious city like Sodom and were not motivated by physical lust, but by their concern that their family not be left without descendants. They should have merely trusted God concerning this need, however. The people descended from them, the Moabites and Ammonites, were perpetual enemies of the Israelites. Genesis 19:37 The firstborn bore a son, and called his name Moab; he is the father of the Moabites to this day. Moabites: Nu 21:29 Nu 22:1-41 Nu 24:1-25 Dt 2:9,19 Dt 23:3 Judges 3:1-31 Ru 4:10 2Sa 8:1-18 2Ki 3:1-27 Genesis 19 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries Related Passages: Deuteronomy 2:9+ “Then the LORD said to me, ‘Do not harass Moab, nor provoke them to war, for I will not give you any of their land as a possession, because I have given Ar to the sons of Lot as a possession.’ Deuteronomy 23:3-4+ “No Ammonite or Moabite shall enter the assembly of the LORD; none of their descendants, even to the tenth generation, shall ever enter the assembly of the LORD, 4 because they did not meet you with food and water on the way when you came out of Egypt, and because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you. BEGINNING OF THE MOABITES The firstborn bore a son, and called his name Moab; he is the father of the Moabites to this day - Notice that Lot's daughter, not Lot, named her son. Lot had lost a lot of control! What is fascinating is that this daughter's seduction of Lot would in a sense be repeated in the Moabite women seducing the Israelite men over 400 years later (consequences of sin are long lasting!) in Numbers 25:1-2+ "While Israel remained at Shittim, the people began to play the harlot with the daughters of Moab. For they invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods." The Moabites became thorns in Israel's side in the time of the Judges. In Judges 3:12,14+ we read "Now the sons of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD. So the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD.....The sons of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years." (And this hostile relationship continued - e.g., 1Sa 12:9+, etc) Once again we see Lot's sin had far reaching consequences, as both incestous relationships gave rise to the rotten fruit of detestable idolatry which even included child sacrifice! So much for preserving Lot's line! It would have been far better had it been terminated! As discussed below the Moabites worshiped Chemosh and the Ammonites worshipped Milcom (Molech). These idolatrous gods of Moab and Ammon seduced Israel to commit spiritual harlotry, Judges 10:6+ recording "Then the sons of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD, served the Baals and the Ashtaroth, the gods of Aram, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the sons of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines; thus they forsook the LORD and did not serve Him." During the time of the kings of Israel, wives who worshipped these false gods seduced King Solomon to commit abominations, the writer of First Kings recording Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable idol of Moab, on the mountain which is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the detestable idol of the sons of Ammon. 8 Thus also he did for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods. 9 Now the LORD was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, 10 and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he did not observe what the LORD had commanded. (1 Kings 11:7-10) Sailhamer - Located southeast of the Israelite territory, in Transjordan area, these two kingdoms (ED: Moab and Ammon) frequently came into conflict with the Israelites (see Jdg 3:12-30; 11:4-33; 1 Sam 11:1-11; 2 Sam 8:2; 1:1-19; 2 Kings 3). The saying is like father, likes sons and just as Lot lived on the edge of the Promised Land but never in the Promised Land, so too his two sons lived on the border of the Promised Land but not in it! What goes around, comes around! Moab is related to the Hebrew "ab" which means father and means something like "of his father," a fitting name for an incestous son! What is fascinating is that an individual from the line of Moab would enter into the line of Messiah 100's of years later through Ruth the Moabitess when she married Boaz! (Mt 1:5+) She was one of only 3 women mentioned in Messiah's lineage in Mt 1:1-17+ (Tamar and Bathsheba the other two). Moab in the OT - 158 verses - Gen. 19:37; Gen. 36:35; Exod. 15:15; Num. 21:11; Num. 21:13; Num. 21:15; Num. 21:20; Num. 21:26; Num. 21:28; Num. 21:29; Num. 22:1; Num. 22:3; Num. 22:4; Num. 22:7; Num. 22:8; Num. 22:10; Num. 22:14; Num. 22:21; Num. 22:36; Num. 23:6; Num. 23:7; Num. 23:17; Num. 24:17; Num. 25:1; Num. 26:3; Num. 26:63; Num. 31:12; Num. 33:44; Num. 33:48; Num. 33:49; Num. 33:50; Num. 35:1; Num. 36:13; Deut. 1:5; Deut. 2:8; Deut. 2:9; Deut. 2:18; Deut. 29:1; Deut. 32:49; Deut. 34:1; Deut. 34:5; Deut. 34:6; Deut. 34:8; Jos. 13:32; Jos. 24:9; Jdg. 3:12; Jdg. 3:14; Jdg. 3:15; Jdg. 3:17; Jdg. 3:28; Jdg. 3:29; Jdg. 3:30; Jdg. 10:6; Jdg. 11:15; Jdg. 11:17; Jdg. 11:18; Jdg. 11:25; Ruth 1:1; Ruth 1:2; Ruth 1:6; Ruth 1:22; Ruth 2:6; Ruth 4:3; 1 Sam. 12:9; 1 Sam. 14:47; 1 Sam. 22:3; 1 Sam. 22:4; 2 Sam. 8:2; 2 Sam. 8:12; 2 Sam. 23:20; 1 Ki. 11:7; 1 Ki. 11:33; 2 Ki. 1:1; 2 Ki. 3:4; 2 Ki. 3:5; 2 Ki. 3:7; 2 Ki. 3:10; 2 Ki. 3:13; 2 Ki. 3:18; 2 Ki. 3:21; 2 Ki. 3:22; 2 Ki. 3:23; 2 Ki. 3:24; 2 Ki. 3:26; 2 Ki. 13:20; 2 Ki. 23:13; 2 Ki. 24:2; 1 Chr. 1:46; 1 Chr. 4:22; 1 Chr. 8:8; 1 Chr. 11:22; 1 Chr. 18:2; 1 Chr. 18:11; 2 Chr. 20:1; 2 Chr. 20:10; 2 Chr. 20:22; 2 Chr. 20:23; Ps. 60:8; Ps. 83:6; Ps. 108:9; Isa. 11:14; Isa. 15:1; Isa. 15:2; Isa. 15:4; Isa. 15:5; Isa. 15:8; Isa. 15:9; Isa. 16:2; Isa. 16:4; Isa. 16:6; Isa. 16:7; Isa. 16:11; Isa. 16:12; Isa. 16:13; Isa. 16:14; Isa. 25:10; Jer. 9:26; Jer. 25:21; Jer. 27:3; Jer. 40:11; Jer. 48:1; Jer. 48:2; Jer. 48:4; Jer. 48:9; Jer. 48:11; Jer. 48:13; Jer. 48:15; Jer. 48:16; Jer. 48:18; Jer. 48:20; Jer. 48:24; Jer. 48:25; Jer. 48:26; Jer. 48:28; Jer. 48:29; Jer. 48:31; Jer. 48:33; Jer. 48:35; Jer. 48:36; Jer. 48:38; Jer. 48:39; Jer. 48:40; Jer. 48:41; Jer. 48:42; Jer. 48:43; Jer. 48:44; Jer. 48:45; Jer. 48:46; Jer. 48:47; Ezek. 25:8; Ezek. 25:9; Ezek. 25:11; Dan. 11:41; Amos 2:1; Amos 2:2; Mic. 6:5; Zeph. 2:8; Zeph. 2:9 QUESTION - Who were the Moabites? ANSWER - The Moabites were a tribe descended from Moab, the son of Lot, born of an incestuous relationship with his oldest daughter (Genesis 19:37). From Zoar, the cradle of this tribe, on the southeastern border of the Dead Sea, they gradually spread over the region on the east of Jordan. Shortly before the Exodus, the warlike Amorites crossed the Jordan under Sihon their king and drove the Moabites out of the region between the Arnon River Valley and the Jabbok River, and occupied it, making Heshbon their capital. The Moabites were then confined to the territory to the south of the Arnon Valley (Numbers 21:26–30). During the Exodus the Israelites did not pass through Moab, but through the “wilderness” to the east, eventually reaching the country to the north of Arnon. The Moabites were alarmed, and their king, Balak, sought aid from the Midianites (Numbers 22:2–4). This was the occasion when the visit of Balaam to Balak took place (Numbers 22:2–6). In the Plains of Moab, which was in the possession of the Amorites, the children of Israel had their last encampment before they entered the land of Canaan (Numbers 22:1; Joshua 13:32). If we had nothing else to interest us in the land of Moab, it was from the top of Pisgah that Moses, the mightiest of prophets, looked upon the Promised Land; it was here on Nebo that he died his solitary death; it was here in the valley over against Beth-peor where he was buried (Deuteronomy 34:5–6). A basalt stone, bearing an inscription by King Mesha, was discovered at Dibon by Klein, a German missionary at Jerusalem, in 1868, consisting of thirty-four lines written in Hebrew-Phoenician characters. The stone was set up by Mesha about 900 BC as a record and memorial of his victories. It records Mesha’s wars with Omri, his public buildings, and his wars against Horonaim. This inscription supplements and corroborates the history of King Mesha recorded in 2 Kings 3:4–27. It is the oldest inscription written in alphabetic characters and, in addition to its value in the domain of Hebrew antiquities, is of great linguistic importance. Perhaps the most significant Bible character to come from Moab was Ruth, who was “of the women of Moab” but was genetically linked to Israel through Lot, the nephew of Abraham (Genesis 11:31). Ruth is an example of how God can change a life and take it in a direction He has foreordained, and we see God working out His perfect plan in Ruth’s life, just as He does with all His children (Romans 8:28). Although she came from a pagan background in Moab, once she met the God of Israel, Ruth became a living testimony to Him by faith. Ruth, the Moabitess, is one of the few women mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:5). GotQuestions.org GotQuestions.org notes that "The Moabites worshiped the idolatrous god Chemosh. Scripture calls him “the abomination of Moab” (1 Kings 11:7). Unfortunately, Chemosh-worship was introduced into Israelite culture by King Solomon, who had wives from other cultures who turned his heart to other gods (1 Kings 11:4–7). Chemosh was one of those gods worshiped by Solomon’s wives. The cult of Chemosh was eventually destroyed in Judah by King Josiah (2 Kings 23). The meaning of the name Chemosh is not understood, though some scholars believe it may have meant “destroyer” or “subduer.” Chemosh was also seen as a fish-god. He was the national deity of the Moabites and the Ammonites, and, according to the Moabite Stone (the Mesha Stele), Chemosh was associated with the goddess Ashteroth, another false god worshiped by wayward Israelites. Chemosh is thought to have been a deity similar to Baal, and there is also evidence, both from the Moabite Stone and from Scripture, that Chemosh may have been the same deity as the Ammonite Moloch (1 Kings 11:7, 33). At least, Chemosh and Moloch were two manifestations of the same false god. King Solomon built “high places” to both gods in the same location, the mountain east of Jerusalem. The worship of Chemosh was truly an abomination. One place in Scripture records Chemosh demanding human sacrifice: in the days of Judah’s King Jehoram, the king of Moab faced military defeat, and the Moabite ruler “took his firstborn son, who was to succeed him as king, and offered him as a sacrifice on the city wall” (2 Kings 3:27)." Genesis 19:38 As for the younger, she also bore a son, and called his name Ben-ammi; he is the father of the sons of Ammon to this day. Ben-ammi:., Son of my people sons of Ammon: Dt 2:9,19 Dt 23:3 Jdg 10:6-18 Jdg 11:1-40 1Sa 11:1-15 2Sa 10:1-19 Ne 13:1-3,23-28 Ps 83:4-8 Isa 11:14 Zep 2:9 Genesis 19 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries Related Passages: Deuteronomy 2:19+ ‘When you come opposite the sons of Ammon, do not harass them nor provoke them, for I will not give you any of the land of the sons of Ammon as a possession, because I have given it to the sons of Lot as a possession.’ Judges 10:7+ The anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He sold them into the hands (YAD = POWER) of the Philistines and into the hands (YAD = POWER) of the sons of Ammon. 8 They afflicted and crushed the sons of Israel that year; for eighteen years they afflicted all the sons of Israel who were beyond the Jordan in Gilead in the land of the Amorites. 9 The sons of Ammon crossed the Jordan to fight also against Judah, Benjamin, and the house of Ephraim, so that Israel was greatly distressed. BEGINNING OF THE AMMONITES As for the younger, she also bore a son, and called his name Ben-ammi; he is the father of the sons of Ammon to this day - Again we see it is not Lot the father/grandfather, but his daughter who names her son. “Ben-Ammi” means “son of my kinsmen.” The Ammonites and the Moabites because bitter enemies of Abraham's descendants (1Sa 14:47, 2Ch 20:1-30) The Ammonites worshiped a god named “Milcom or Molech.” Part of their religious devotion involved sacrificing their children to their god by throwing them into a raging fire. Similar to the situation with Ruth the Moabitess who was in the line of the Messiah, we find an Ammonite descendant in the line of the Messiah. Naamah was an Ammonite who became one of King Solomon’s wives (and who probably led him into worship of Molech) who gave birth to Rehoboam who is listed in the line of Christ in Matthew's genealogy (Mt 1:7+). QUESTION - Who were the Ammonites? ANSWER - Throughout the early history of Israel, we find references to the Ammonite people. Who were they, where did they come from, and what happened to them? The Ammonites were a Semitic people, closely related to the Israelites. Despite that relationship, they were more often counted enemies than friends. Lot, Abraham’s nephew, was the progenitor of the Ammonites. After Abraham and Lot separated (Genesis 13), Lot settled in the city of Sodom. When God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because of their wickedness, Lot and his daughters fled to the hill country on the southern end of the Dead Sea. Probably thinking they were the only people left on the earth, Lot’s daughters got him drunk and had incestuous relations with him to produce children (Genesis 19:37-38). The older daughter had a son named Moab (“from father”), and the younger gave birth to Ben-Ammi (“son of my people”). The Ammonites, descendants of Ben-Ammi, were a nomadic people who lived in the territory of modern-day Jordan, and the name of the capital city, Amman, reflects the name of those ancient inhabitants. In the time of Moses, the fertile plains of the Jordan River valley were occupied by the Amorites, Ammonites and Moabites. When Israel left Egypt, the Ammonites refused to assist them in any way, and God punished them for their lack of support (Deuteronomy 23:3-4). Later, however, as the Israelites entered the Promised Land, God instructed them, “When you approach the territory of the people of Ammon, do not harass them or contend with them, for I will not give you any of the land of the people of Ammon as a possession, because I have given it to the sons of Lot for a possession” (Deuteronomy 2:19). The Israelite tribes of Gad, Reuben, and half of Manasseh claimed the Amorite territory bordering that of the Ammonites. The Ammonites were a pagan people who worshiped the gods Milcom and Molech. God commanded the Israelites not to marry these pagans, because intermarriage would lead the Israelites to worship false gods. Solomon disobeyed and married Naamah the Ammonite (1 Kings 14:21), and, as God had warned, he was drawn into idolatry (1 Kings 11:1-8). Molech was a fire-god with the face of a calf; his images had arms outstretched to receive the babies who were sacrificed to him. Like their god, the Ammonites were cruel. When Nahash the Ammonite was asked for terms of a treaty (1 Samuel 11:2), he proposed gouging out the right eye of each Israelite man. Amos 1:13 says that the Ammonites would rip open pregnant women in the territories they conquered. Under King Saul’s leadership, Israel defeated the Ammonites and made them vassals. David continued that sovereignty over Ammon and later besieged the capital city to solidify his control. After the split of Israel and Judah, the Ammonites began to ally themselves with the enemies of Israel. Ammon regained some sovereignty in the seventh century B.C., until Nebuchadnezzar conquered them about a hundred years later. Tobiah the Ammonite (Nehemiah 2:19) was possibly a governor of the region under Persian rule, but the inhabitants were a mix of Ammonites, Arabs, and others. By New Testament times, Jews had settled in the area, and it was known as Perea. The last mention of Ammonites as a separate people was in the second century by Justin Martyr, who said they were very numerous. Sometime during the Roman period, the Ammonites seem to have been absorbed into Arab society. GotQuestions.org QUESTION - Who was Moloch/Molech/Molek/Milcom? ANSWER - As with many details in ancient history, the exact origin of Moloch/Molech/Molek worship is unclear. The term Moloch is believed to have originated with the Phoenician mlk, which referred to a type of sacrifice made to confirm or acquit a vow. Melekh is the Hebrew word for “king.” It was common for the Israelites to combine the name of pagan gods with the vowels in the Hebrew word for shame: bosheth. This is how the goddess of fertility and war, Astarte, became Ashtoreth. The combination of mlk, melekh, and bosheth results in “Moloch,” which could be interpreted as “the personified ruler of shameful sacrifice.” It has also been spelled Milcom, Milkim, and Malik. Ashtoreth was his consort, and ritual prostitution was considered an important form of worship. The Phoenicians were a loosely gathered group of people who inhabited Canaan (modern-day Lebanon, Syria, and Israel) between 1550 BC and 300 BC. In addition to sexual rituals, Moloch worship included child sacrifice, or “passing children through the fire.” It is believed that idols of Moloch were giant metal statues of a man with a bull’s head. Each image had a hole in the abdomen and possibly outstretched forearms that made a kind of ramp to the hole. A fire was lit in or around the statue. Babies were placed in the statue’s arms or in the hole. When a couple sacrificed their firstborn, they believed that Moloch would ensure financial prosperity for the family and future children. Moloch/Molech worship wasn’t limited to Canaan. Monoliths in North Africa bear the engraving “mlk”—often written “mlk’mr” and “mlk’dm,” which may mean “sacrifice of lamb” and “sacrifice of man.” In North Africa, Moloch was renamed “Kronos.” Kronos migrated to Carthage in Greece, and his mythology grew to include his becoming a Titan and the father of Zeus. Moloch is affiliated with and sometimes equated to Ba’al, although the word ba’al was also used to designate any god or ruler. In Genesis 12 Abraham followed God’s call to move to Canaan. Although human sacrifice was not common in Abraham’s native Ur, it was well-established in his new land. God later asked Abraham to offer Isaac as a sacrifice (Genesis 22:2). But then God distinguished Himself from gods like Moloch. Unlike the native Canaanite gods, Abraham’s God abhorred human sacrifice. God commanded Isaac to be spared, and He provided a ram to take Isaac’s place (Genesis 22:13). God used this event as an illustration of how He would later provide His own Son to take our place. Over five hundred years after Abraham, Joshua led the Israelites out of the desert to inherit the Promised Land. God knew that the Israelites were immature in their faith and easily distracted from worshiping the one true God (Exodus 32). Before the Israelites had even entered Canaan, God warned them not to participate in Moloch worship (Leviticus 18:21) and repeatedly told them to destroy those cultures that worshiped Moloch. The Israelites didn’t heed God’s warnings. Instead, they incorporated Moloch worship into their own traditions. Even Solomon, the wisest king, was swayed by this cult and built places of worship for Moloch and other gods (1 Kings 11:1–8). Moloch worship occurred in the “high places” (1 Kings 12:31) as well as a narrow ravine outside Jerusalem called the Valley of Hinnom (2 Kings 23:10). Despite occasional efforts by godly kings, worship of Moloch wasn’t abolished until the Israelites’ captivity in Babylon. (Although the Babylonian religion was pantheistic and characterized by astrology and divination, it did not include human sacrifice.) Somehow, the dispersion of the Israelites into a large pagan civilization succeeded in finally purging them of their false gods. When the Jews returned to their land, they rededicated themselves to God, and the Valley of Hinnom was turned into a place for burning garbage and the bodies of executed criminals. Jesus used the imagery of this place—an eternally burning fire, consuming countless human victims—to describe hell, where those who reject God will burn for eternity (Matthew 10:28). GotQuestions.org