2 Peter 2: 4-10a….Examples provided.

For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment; if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard); then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment, and especially those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority.

Comment: Peter’s first example of God dealing with rebellion is not popular these days. Our Western society, although they like dabbling in the stars and horoscopes, rebel at the thought of hell and God (if He exists) judging firmly and permanently rebellious evil ones. Peter boldly states God has and God will judge rebellion. Then he goes on to give two further archeologically proven examples of Judgement. The story of Noah is well known and the evidence of the flood is abundant according to many archeologists. His third example is unpopular these days because of the legalisation of buggery and sexual perversions. Nevertheless it is strongly condemned in the Bible and Peter quotes the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah as being the direct result of this ‘error’ being accepted as normal by human beings. Peter describes the delivery of Lot from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah as being proof of God being able to preserve His followers.

Prayer: Let me stand in awe of Your Holiness and Power, O God.