“又如所多玛、蛾摩拉 … 受永火的刑罚，作为鉴戒。” – 犹 7
每一个关心儿女成长的父母一定都曾经警告过他们的孩子，在车水马龙的街道或其他容易发生意外的地方玩耍是多么危险。小孩子往往意识不到危险，所以他们需要有人时常提醒他们。当神的儿女有时心不在焉时，我们的天父也会有同样的反应。一想到他们会因无知灭亡便令衪无比痛心，所以衪要向我们发出警告；所多玛和蛾摩拉的灭亡就是其中一个警告讯号。
创世记19章记载的事件，给我们一个机会领略到这两个罪恶城市堕落的景况。两个使者被差遣去警告罗得所多玛城的罪恶时对他说：“城内罪恶的声音在耶和华面前甚大，耶和华差我们来，要毁灭这地方。”这些城市很久以前已经背弃了神，他们已经丧失一切社会道德和良知了。
当人们变得越来越邪恶，便对罪恶的警觉性越来越低，入性就是如此可悲。我们可能会变成一头发出臭味、但自己却浑然不觉的臭鼬；陷入罪恶的人往往毫不在意他们自己道德上的恶臭。惟愿这两个古城的命运成为一个严厉的警告，警戒我们，试图偏行己路、不理会神或衪的指引，会给生活带来怎样的恶果。
祷告
主啊，求你怜悯我们。我们被罪诱惑了、但却往往看不到它带来的危险。惟愿我们听从你的警告，继续专心仰望你而得胜 － 因你是我们信心的创始成终者。阿们。
创世记 19:1-14
1那两个天使晚上到了所多玛。罗得正坐在所多玛城门口，看见他们，就起来迎接，脸伏于地下拜，
2说：“我主啊，请你们到仆人家里洗洗脚，住一夜，清早起来再走。”他们说：“不，我们要在街上过夜。”
3罗得切切地请他们，他们这才进去到他屋里。罗得为他们预备筵席，烤无酵饼，他们就吃了。
4他们还没有躺下，所多玛城里各处的人，连老带少，都来围住那房子，
5呼叫罗得说：“今日晚上到你这里来的人在哪里呢？把他们带出来，任我们所为。”
6罗得出来，把门关上，到众人那里，
7说：“众弟兄，请你们不要做这恶事。
8我有两个女儿，还是处女，容我领出来任凭你们的心愿而行。只是这两个人既然到我舍下，不要向他们做什么。”
9众人说：“退去吧！”又说：“这个人来寄居，还想要做官哪！现在我们要害你比害他们更甚。”众人就向前拥挤罗得，要攻破房门。
10只是那二人伸出手来，将罗得拉进屋去，把门关上。
11并且使门外的人，无论老少，眼都昏迷，他们摸来摸去，总寻不着房门。
12二人对罗得说：“你这里还有什么人吗？无论是女婿，是儿女，和这城中一切属你的人，你都要将他们从这地方带出去。
13我们要毁灭这地方，因为城内罪恶的声音在耶和华面前甚大，耶和华差我们来，要毁灭这地方。”
14罗得就出去，告诉娶了他女儿的女婿们说：“你们起来离开这地方，因为耶和华要毁灭这城。”他女婿们却以为他说的是戏言。
God’s Warning Signs
“In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah . . . serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.” – Jude 7
Every caring parent has warned their child about the dangers of playing near a busy street or in some other hazardous place. Young children are often unaware of danger, so they need to be warned. Our heavenly Father responds similarly when his children are sometimes careless. Thoughts of them perishing so stirs his heart that he sends warning signals our way. The dreadful destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah serves as one of those warning signs.
The events described in Genesis 19 give us a small window into the godless depravity of these cities. Two heavenly messengers, sent to warn Lot about Sodom, said, “The outcry to the LORD against its people is so great that he has sent us to destroy it.” Having rejected God long ago, these cities no longer had any moral or social conscience.
The tragic truth about human nature is that the worse we get, the less we realize it. We can become like a skunk that gives off a putrid smell but is not offended by it at all. People entrapped in sin are often oblivious to their own moral stench. May the fate of these ancient cities serve as a solemn warning of the consequences of trying to live our own way without regard for God or his way.
Prayer
Lord, have mercy on us. We are attracted by sin but are often blind to its many dangers. May we heed your warnings, keeping our eyes fixed on you—the author and perfecter of faith. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
