JUMATATU TAREHE 20 SEPTEMBER 2021, ASUBUHI
Mwanzo 19:15-22
15 Hata alfajiri ndipo malaika wakamhimiza Lutu, wakisema, Ondoka, mtwae mkeo na binti zako wawili waliopo hapa, usipotee katika maovu ya mji huu.
16 Akakawia-kawia; nao wale watu wakamshika mkono, na mkono wa mkewe, na mkono wa binti zake wawili, kwa jinsi BWANA alivyomhurumia, wakamtoa wakamweka nje ya mji.
17 Ikawa walipomtoa nje, mmoja alisema, Jiponye nafsi yako usitazame nyuma, wala usisimame katika hilo bonde po pote; ujiponye mlimani, usije ukapotea.
18 Lutu akawaambia, Sivyo, bwana wangu!
19 Tazama, mtumwa wako ameona kibali machoni pako, nawe umezidisha rehema zako ulizonifanyia kwa kuponya nafsi yangu, nami siwezi kukimbilia mlimani nisipatwe na yale mabaya, nikafa.
20 Basi mji huu u karibu, niukimbilie, nao ni mdogo, nijiponye sasa huko, sio mdogo huu? Na nafsi yangu itaishi.
21 Akamwambia, Tazama, nimekukubali hata kwa neno hili, kwamba sitauangamiza mji huo uliounena.
22 Hima, ujiponye huko, maana siwezi kufanya neno lo lote, hata uingiapo humo. Kwa hiyo jina la mji ule likaitwa Soari.
Huruma ya Mungu;
Somo la leo asubuhi liko katikati ya habari ya uovu wa Sodoma na Gomora na kuangamizwa kwake. Uovu ulizidi, Mungu akaiteketeza Sodoma na Gomora kwa moto, Lutu na familia yake wakiokolewa.
Tunajifunza nini?
1. Mungu anachukia uovu. Hapendi tumkosee. Adhabu yake ipo kwa ajili ya watendao dhambi. Hasira yake ilimfanya kuwaangamiza watu wa Sodoma na Gomora. Vivyo, tunakumbushwa kuwa mwisho wa dhambi ni mauti.
2. Mungu alimuokoa Lutu na moto wa Sodoma na Gomora kwa sababu ya kumcha yeye.
Kitendo cha Lutu kupokea wageni walioleta ujumbe wa moto kuunguza Sodoma na Gomora, kinaonesha uchaji wa Lutu kwa Mungu. Kwa uchaji wake, Mungu alimuokoa asiangamie na familia yake. Tunamcha Mungu ipasavyo?
3. Mungu ni mwenye huruma.
Mungu mwenye huruma anatuita kumrudia yeye ili tusiangamie kama wale tuliowasoma. Mungu ametupa nafasi ya kutosha tutubu na kuiamini injili ili tusiangamie. Tutambue kuwa hata hapa tulipo ni kwa huruma yake;
Maombolezo 3:22
22 Ni huruma za BWANA kwamba hatuangamii,
Kwa kuwa rehema zake hazikomi.
Zingatia;
Usitende dhambi kwa sababu huruma ya Mungu ipo! Bali Mungu kwa huruma yake anatupa nafasi ya kumrudia ili tusiangamie.
Uwe na wiki njema.
MONDAY 20TH SEPTEMBER 2021, MORNING.
Genesis 19:15-22 (NIV)
15 With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished.”
16 When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the Lord was merciful to them. 17 As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!”
18 But Lot said to them, “No, my lords,[a] please! 19 Your[b] servant has found favor in your[c] eyes, and you[d] have shown great kindness to me in sparing my life. But I can’t flee to the mountains; this disaster will overtake me, and I’ll die. 20 Look, here is a town near enough to run to, and it is small. Let me flee to it—it is very small, isn’t it? Then my life will be spared.”
21 He said to him, “Very well, I will grant this request too; I will not overthrow the town you speak of. 22 But flee there quickly, because I cannot do anything until you reach it.” (That is why the town was called Zoar.[e])
God's mercy;
This morning's lesson is in the midst of the news of the wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah and its destruction. Wickedness was rampant, and God burned Sodom and Gomorrah with fire, while Lot and his family were preserved alive.
What do we learn?
1. God hates wickedness. He does not want us to sin. His punishment is for sinners. His anger blazed against Sodom and Gomorrah. Likewise, we are reminded that the end of sin is death.
2. God saved Lot from the fire of Sodom and Gomorrah because of his fear of Him.
The act of Lot receiving the guests who brought a message of fire to burn up Sodom and Gomorrah, shows Lot's reverence for God. Out of reverence for him, God saved him from destruction and his family. Do we properly fear God?
3. God is merciful.
The merciful God calls us to return to Him so that we do not perish like those we read about. God has given us ample opportunity to repent and believe the gospel so that we do not perish. Let us realize that even here we are at His mercy;
Lamentations 3:22
22 It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed,
For his mercy endureth for ever.
Note;
Do not sin because God's mercy is there! But God in His mercy gives us the opportunity to return to Him so that we will not perish.
Have a great week.