When God Has the Final Say
-- TORAH P O R T I O N --
Introduction:
The phrase "Final Say" in the dictionary means "to have the authority to decide how something ultimately happens or is done." What will happen if Adonai has the final say?
Our Torah portion starts with the visit of the two angels at the house of Lot in Sodom. The angels found him sitting at the gate, which was the place where meetings and conversations happened. Lot showed hospitality by inviting the two angels to spend the night inside his house, but they refused. So Lot insisted strongly, and he convinced them to stay.
Now the people of Sodom surrounded the house of Lot. They told him to bring out his visitors so that they might know them carnally. From the statement of these people, we can see that Sodom was indeed a wicked city. The NKJV used the word "carnally," which means "relating to the physical and especially sexual appetites."
In Jeremiah 23:14b, it says, "All of them have come to Me like Sodom, and her inhabitants like Gomorrah." The prophet likened the shepherds who destroyed and scattered the sheep of God's pasture to the wicked cities.
Also, in Ezekiel 16:49-50, we see what Sodom had done iniquity: "Look, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughter had pride. They were haughty and committed abomination before Me; therefore, I took them away."
The people of Sodom accused Lot of being a judge and pressed
him so hard. But the two angels pulled Lot inside, shut the door, and struck
the men at the doorway with blindness until they became weary. Given the
wickedness of the city and the people there, the action of Adonai was the only
outcome.
1. He will give INFORMATION (vv. 12-13).
The two angels informed Lot that God sent them to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. It was an act of God's compassion to give Lot a chance to escape. God will not do anything without informing His messengers for the sake of His people. In fact, there are many verses in Scripture that assure us He will inform His people before the verdict.
Jonah 3:4:
"Then he cried out and said, 'Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be
overthrown!'"
Malachi 4:5:
"Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of
the great and terrible day of the Lord."
God is so good, which is why His Word is full of information
so that we can prepare for the time of His judgment and even for the second
coming of Yeshua. That's why if we think that the Torah is done away with and
should no longer be followed, as taught by false teachers, we are doomed.
2. He will give INSTRUCTION to follow (vv. 15-17).
The angels told Lot to arise and take his family with him. They took hold of Lot’s hand, his wife's hand, and the hands of his two daughters. Next, the angels told them to escape for their lives and not to look behind. Sadly, Lot's wife looked back and became a pillar of salt. It is very important to listen to and obey the instruction of God for our benefit.
Isn't that how our God is? He will send or use people so that
we can be given instructions for our salvation from harm. In fact, God is still
using me to teach His words. There are people I have shared the Torah with,
explaining that it is God's instruction. But it's just sad to think that these
people chose to stick to the wrong teaching.
3. He will IDENTIFY His people (vv. 27-29).
God rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, but He identified and remembered Abraham (Gen. 18:23-33) and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow. From the story of Lot and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, we learn that God will identify or remember who truly belongs to Him.
In Matthew 25:31-46, the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. The sheep will be on His right hand, but the goats on the left.
Malachi 3:17 says, "On the day when I act in judgment, they will be their own special treasure. I will spare them as a father spares an obedient child."
Also, in 2
Timothy 2:19 (NKJV), Paul said:
"Nevertheless, the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: 'The
Lord knows those who are His,' and, 'Let everyone who names the name of Christ
depart from iniquity.'"
This is a good reminder to each of us. We must be sure that
we are in God. It hurts to think that for a long time we thought we were really
with Him, but it turns out not to be. It's so easy to say that we are with Him,
but the truth is seen in how we live.
-- H A F T A R A H P O R T I O N --
So, when God has the final say, His judgment is swift, but His mercy is just as powerful for those who turn to Him.
In our Apostolic portion, the Pharisees questioned Yeshua
about the coming of the kingdom of God. He answered them that the kingdom is
not coming with signs to be observed, for it is within them. This means the
kingdom of God was inside them—they needed to repent and acknowledge Yeshua as
Lord and the Son of Adonai YHVH.
Starting in verse 24, Yeshua explained to His disciples about His days as the Son of Man—that He must suffer first and be rejected by this generation.
First, He likened the days of His return to the days of Noah, when the people did not listen to him but kept busy with their worldly lives. They were eating, drinking, marrying, and carrying on as if judgment would never come. They were distracted, indifferent to the warnings of righteousness, and unprepared for what was ahead.
Second, He likened it to the days of Lot when the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah happened. These two events have something in common: people were very wicked and busy living in sin. Perhaps this is why Yeshua mentioned Lot's wife—to remind each one of us that we must not be attached to whatever "Sodom" we have left.
Today, "Sodom" can represent anything in our lives that ties us to the world in a way that hinders our walk with God—whether it be sin, materialism, worldly success, unhealthy relationships, or even fear of leaving behind what is familiar. Lot’s wife looked back because her heart was still in Sodom, and Yeshua warns us not to make the same mistake. As believers and followers of Messiah Yeshua, we are called to walk forward in faith, trusting in Yeshua as our Redeemer and not longing for the things that once enslaved us.
Now, in verses 31-37, who will be taken away, and who will be
left behind?
Proverbs 10:30 says, "The righteous will never be
removed, but the wicked will not inherit the land."
Genesis 7:1:
"God said to Noah, 'I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this
generation.'"
Noah survived because he was righteous, just as the flood
came and took away the wicked in judgment. Therefore, in Yeshua's teaching,
those who will be left behind are the righteous, comparable to Noah and his
family. But those who will be taken away are the wicked and will be slain as
food for birds.
Revelation 19:17-18 confirms this judgment.
"Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, "Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses, and of those who sits on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great."
In these days, when the world is growing darker and lawlessness is increasing, Yeshua’s words are even more relevant. Will we be like Noah, standing firm and righteous despite the corruption around us? Will we be like Lot, willing to leave behind the sin and compromise of the world, or will we hesitate like his wife? The choice is ours. Yeshua is calling His people to be separate, to be holy, and to prepare for His return. We must fix our eyes on Him and not look back.
“Remember Lot’s wife.” (Luke 17:32)
All these portions remind us that God has the final say
in everything. In the Torah portion, we see God's final judgment on the wicked
cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, where He decided to destroy them because of their
sin. Lot and his family were spared as an act of God's mercy. In the Haftarah
portion, the prophet Isaiah speaks about a time when the wicked will be
gathered and destroyed, their bodies left for the birds of prey to feast upon.
This judgment is not just for the cities of old but is a reminder that God's
final judgment is coming for all who oppose Him. God’s judgment is inevitable
and final, and those who choose to follow Him will be saved. In the Apostolic
portion, Yeshua warns us that His return will be like the days of Lot, when
people were too busy with their worldly lives to listen to God. He reminds us
not to look back or be attached to the things of this world, like Lot's wife,
who turned to a pillar of salt. No matter what people do or how they try to
ignore God, He is the ultimate authority. His plans and judgments are certain,
and we are called to trust Him and be ready for His return.
Returning to my introduction, as long as we have time to repent and live righteously, let's do it. We must be very careful not to take the grace of God for granted, for there will come a day when His grace toward us will expire. When He has the final say, there is nothing we can do.
2
Corinthians 5:10
"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Yeshua, that each one
may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether
good or bad."
"When God has the final say, no power can overturn His
judgment, no excuse can delay His justice, and no heart can hide from His
truth. Choose today to walk in His righteousness before the time of grace runs
out."
Shabbat Shalom,
Topher
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