CAMPBELLTON, New Brunswick, July 6, 2023 – I read the Bible several times a year, and each time I read it, something new jumps out at me, something I’d noticed before but hadn’t really taken to heart, something God put there for me to see and use at a specific time and in a specific place.

Lot’s sons-in-laws are a case in point. How many times have you read about Lot’s escape from Sodom and not given his sons-in-law a passing thought? For me, it’s been quite a few times. Mind you, the sons-in-law only appear in one chapter and only as minor characters, so it’s understandable if we overlook them.

What do we know know about Lot’s sons-in-law and why do they matter now? We know they thought Lot was joking when he told them Sodom was about to be destroyed and they needed to leave immediately. We know they laughed at him. We know that when Lot did leave, only his wife and two daughters went with him and that they were dragged out by the two angels, since even Lot himself seemed reluctant to go.

But the angels didn’t grab the sons-in-law when whisking the rest away. Why is that? Why were the sons-in-law left behind?

Scripture doesn’t tell us outright why the angels left them behind. But we do know that the rescue was carried out as a favour to Abraham, who’d earlier interceded with God for Sodom on behalf of his nephew Lot. So the angels, when they arrived in Sodom, were on a rescue mission. They had no intention of trying to save souls at that point, just the bodies of the souls that had been granted God’s mercy. In other words, they weren’t there to preach repentance; they were there to get Lot and his brood the heck out of Dodge.

The older I get and the stronger I grow in faith, the more I realize that there’s a time for preaching and a time to get out of Dodge. Those two times are definitive and should never be confused. Scripture is clear that God’s mercy has a use-by date. We see this in the flood narrative, as well as in Ezekiel 9, in the sacking of Jerusalem under King Zedekiah, and in the book of Revelation. And we also see it very clearly in the full-scale destruction of Sodom.

Jesus tells us that we as his followers should live as he did – with our “loins girded”, which means we should be ready to leave wherever and whatever at a moment’s notice. There are no exceptions to this directive. Leaving at a moment’s notice necessarily implies leaving everything (and possibly everyone) behind. That can be the hard part.

That, for some, is the deal-breaker.

There are currently several wildfires burning out of control in Canada. Most of these fires are in remote forest locations, but a few are burning near communities. As of today, thousands of people have been evacuated from their homes and forbidden to return until the all-clear is given. Some of the evacuees were not at home when the fires broke out and the mandatory evacuation zones declared, so they had to leave all their valuables, including their house-bound pets, behind. This can be emotionally devastating.

When Lot was hauled out of Sodom by the angels, he could take nothing with him but the clothes on his back. All his possessions – which were extensive, he was a very rich man – were lost when Sodom was obliterated. Scripture doesn’t say, but it’s highly likely that even before the angels showed up, Lot had been warned already by God to get the heck out of Sodom. Lot shows by his conversation with the Sodomites that he was fully aware of how evil the place was, and yet he continued to live there.

The hundreds of wildfires burning out of control across Canada have prompted local governments to issue warnings about evacuation alerts that may come at any moment, day or night. The Lots living in the fire zones have long since been hauled out of the ever-shifting path of the flames, while the sons-in-law are still there and continuing their lives as if there are no fires. Like their Biblical namesakes, they probably don’t even believe there is any danger, so if and when the government’s emergency evacuation order does blare from their phones, they’ll likely just hit mute, roll over, and fall back to sleep. In Sodom, Lot’s sons-in-law were likely still asleep when the fire and brimstone started falling on them and were incinerated in their beds.

Jesus told us to watch. He also told us to live our lives with our loins girded, ever ready to leave at a moment’s notice. Lot’s sons-in-law are a cautionary tale of what not to do when God gives you the signal to go. You don’t question the directive and you certainly don’t laugh at or ignore it. You should at all times be mentally prepared to walk away from everything and everyone the instant you’re directed to do so by God. It can be a difficult directive to obey, but your body and soul depend on your obeying it.

As we know from the sad and sorry tale of Sodom, God’s refining fire can purify or it can devour.