Our Bible’s translators show us that verse 4 into verse 10 is one sentence – one primary lesson. But, as we have already seen, there is a wealth of information here. There are three illustrations each split into two sections – one positive and one negative. This morning we considered “Those Whom God Spared NOT.” But taken from among those whom the Lord judged there were also some whom He spared.
This afternoon let’s briefly consider those whom the Lord saved. And why would we do that? What is our purpose? Well, there is nothing worse than to be among those whom God spared not. And therefore we need to consider what it was that caused the Lord to spare a few and why. Even if we have to plead with the Lord to spare us, that is what we need. And perhaps, as Abram did, we should plead with the Lord to spare others.
We notice, first of all, that it doesn’t appear God spared ANY of the ANGELS that sinned.
Out of the multitudes, millions or billions of angels which the Lord created to serve him… There were millions, billions or multitudes who did not sin with Lucifer, the son of the morning. There were many who did not listen to Satan when he said, “You can sit on my right hand and my left, when I sit upon the mount of the congregation in the sides of the north.” There were multitudes who rather said, “Get thee behind me Satan, thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of yourself.” Peter was not talking about the angels of God who rejected Lucifer’s proposal and are still joyfully serving the Lord. Peter’s subject are those angels which sinned. THEY have not been spared. They are reserved unto judgment, ready to be cast down to hell & to be delivered into chains of darkness.
But consider for a moment those sinful, condemned angels. WHY were they NOT spared? Was it because of the great privileges they originally possessed? They certainly weren’t spoiled, but they were advantaged. For example, they were firsthand witnesses to the creative power of Jehovah/Elohim. So they rebelled against the God who could speak and even think things into existence. I don’t know what they knew about darkness, but they experienced the miracle of instantaneous light. They observed the Lord as He created blue whales and grey elephants. And yet they foolishly thought it would be okay to deny His authority over them. No wonder “God spared not the angels that sinned.”
And initially they were as close to the heart of God, as any created being could be. They held in their hearts the words of God. And let’s not forget that they were rebelling against the triune God – the Father, Son and Spirit. In a sense they were like the priests in Jesus’ day, spitting on the eternal Son. Did they already have a sense, or catch a glimpse, of God’s upcoming plan of eternal mercy? Were they permitted to overhear the divine discussions about redemption? Probably not, and yet, they were still more highly privileged than the rest of creation to that point.
They not only sinned against God, but they sinned in the light of great privileges. Did, God “not spare” the angels, in order to create a very special example? Is anyone watching – listening? There have been thousands of children, raised in Christian homes, surrounded by familial love, divine love and examples of grace, who have been just like those first angels that sinned. They have chosen to leave the blessings of heaven and turn to the world – to self – to rebellion and sin.
There were no angels who sinned under Lucifer’s rebellion whom God chose to spare. There was no grace offered to them. No salvation. No way of escape. God spared not a single one of the angels that sinned. Was it because they had special privileges which they chose to ignore? I don’t have a Biblical answer, except that salvation is sovereignly dispensed by the King of all kings.
God spared not the old world, but there was an EXCEPTION this time – He saved NOAH.
The world that then was – was totally wiped off the face of earth. The map of the world in its original form was forever altered. But Noah and his small family were saved – through trusting the means which God had designed for them.
Why did God spare Noah? I am of the opinion that Peter doesn’t tell us. Yes, I know what is written here: “God spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness… “ I know what is written here, and it is not “God spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, BECAUSE he was a preacher of righteousness…”
Peter was simply commenting on something for which Noah was well-known at the time. He could have said that Noah was an excellent boat builder. But is that really important? Did the ark really define Noah? Peter might have said that Noah was a good husband and father – which was probably true. He could have said something about Noah’s grandparents, or his age, or any number of other things. But he didn’t. He merely said, “Noah was a preacher of righteousness.”
Perhaps the apostle was trying to point to a contrast. The angels that sinned should have remained servants of God; Noah was a servant of God. The angels that sinned preferred to serve Satan and serve themselves; Noah was a servant of the Lord. Or perhaps Peter was trying to plant a thought in some young saint’s mind: Noah was a preacher of righteousness. There anything higher, more noble, or more important than that. If there is something to be eternally remembered about a person, let it be “he was a preacher of righteousness.”
But if the Lord didn’t spare Noah because of his preaching, why did God spare him? Genesis 6:7 tells us: “Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” Noah didn’t deserve grace to be spared because of his service; he found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Here is a question for you Bible scholars: Was Noah a preacher of righteousness before he started building the ark? What came first – God’s salvation or Noah’s service? Hebrews 11:7 says – “By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; BY THE WHICH he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.” The great illustration of his preaching was that ark.
Noah is a good example of someone saved by grace. The world might say that one person is “more worthy of grace” than another person. Perhaps “a preacher of righteousness” might be considered one of those deserving people. But the fact is, no one can be “worthy” of grace. Grace is a gift of the sovereign God – something He gives to those whom He chooses to bless. “God spared not the old world,” but He graciously saved Noah. Paul says in Romans 4 that “David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works” speaking of works of righteousness, like preaching the gospel of repentance.
Noah was spared from the destruction of the world, because God CHOSE to spare him.
And then God spared not Sodom and Gomorrah, but He did spare LOT.
Verses 6 and 7 gives us information which might fly in the face of common preconceptions. God “delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds)…” Modern preachers paint Lot in very dark colors, and I am among them. I don’t particularly like the man. As we shall see soon in our study of Genesis, there are things in Lot which are reprehensible. This afternoon, I’ll just let those dogs lay, sticking with only what Peter tells us under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. At least at the beginning of his stay in Sodom, Lot was vexed with the filthy life-style of his neighbors.
Consider these possibilities – some ways in which we can reconcile what Peter says with what we know Genesis is going to tell us. They may not be plausabilities, but at least they could be possibilities. As Lot moved from the heights around Hebron down into the lush valley of the Jordan River, he was motivated by the offer which his uncle had made. He had to move somewhere, so why not into the valley? So he pitched his tent toward Sodom – Genesis 13:12. The, it could have been his wife; it could have been his teenage daughters; but it was probably his own heart which encouraged him eventually to move into the easier city life of Sodom. He, or they, may have been tired of the rural life. There was excitement in the city – there were plenty of goods and services. And he certainly had plenty of shepherds and cattlemen to take care of his flocks and herds. Lot probably was aware of some of the more obvious sins of Sodom. But he wasn’t worried about what affect they would have on him. Did he consider what those sins would do to his family? Perhaps he cut his new neighbors some slack, because they were heathen and knew not the Lord. And he may have even considered himself to be a “preacher of righteousness” among them. He may have imagined himself to an evangelist in Sodom. Like so many Christians, he would try to live the Christian lifestyle and let that be the same thing as preaching the gospel. And for a time he “vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds.”
Whatever he was thinking; whatever he was hoping and planning; it was a disastrous idea.. God determined to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, but “the Lord, knowing how to deliver the godly out of temptations,” forcibly removed Lot and what remained of his family. We will come back to this verse and these “temptations” on Wednesday, Lord willing. But again, did Lot deserve to be spared? Not in the least in my opinion. Even if he was a child of the Kin – as the King’s prodigal, he deserved to die with his ungodly neighbors. But Lot found grace in the eyes of the Lord.
And with that we return to ourselves. Among the many things for which we should be diligent to praise God, close to the top should be His grace. We may not have much choice in regard to the place of our residence. We are forced to live here in Sodom. But the sad fact is, we all permit far too much of Sodom to enter into our hearts. We may want to criticize and rebuke Lot, but when we do we are criticizing ourselves. I wonder on a scale of one to ten, where the Lord measures the extent of worldliness in us? Praise God, but “the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations.”
And there is something else which Peter doesn’t bring up. I wonder how much the intercessory prayers of Abraham played a role in God’s sparing of Lot? If you remember, Abram called on God’s love and grace to spare Sodom – for the sake of his nephew. Isn’t there is a lesson in that for us? Pray for those you know, who have been deceived by the false teachers and false prophets in our society. Pray for those whose responsibility it is to teach and preach God’s word – that they will stay true to the truth. And we can even pray for the false prophets themselves, because they stand on the brink of “not being spared by God.”
The Lord indeed is gracious, but that grace is sovereignly administered. Plead with the Lord to give it to you. And plead with the Lord to give it to others, that the, too, might be spared from the wrath their sins deserve.