2 Peter 2:8: For As That Righteous Man Lived Among Them Day After Day, He Was Tormenting His Righteous Soul

 

2 Peter 2:8

[8] (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); (ESV)

The Apostle Peter is talking about Lot, Abraham's nephew. He describes him as a righteous man, who lived among lawless people in Sodom. If you read Genesis 18 you will find an account where Abraham is pleading with God to spare the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. He is trying to protect his nephew and the other people who live there.

Abraham goes back and forth in dialogue with God, ending the discussion with God saying that if there are even ten people who are righteous in Sodom he will spare their city. There were not even ten people in Sodom and Gomorrah that were righteous. However, we are told here by the Apostle Peter that Lot himself was a righteous man.

One might wonder how God viewed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Here is what we read in Genesis 18:20: "Then the LORD said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave." There is a level at which we could say that any city in any country on Earth is sinful. We are all sinful creatures. Sodom and Gomorrah achieved a level of wickedness that God says is very grave.

Lot was a righteous man. Lot was not a perfect man. It is hard to even say that he was a good man. The key point for us to understand is that Lot was righteous because of his belief in God. We know that Lot's uncle was deemed righteous because of his belief. Genesis 15:6 tells us: "And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness." Lot endured a lot of evil. He was righteous because of his belief.

You and I are tormented by the lawlessness we see around us every day. We need to be sure that our righteousness is found in our belief in Christ Jesus. Are you righteous? Have you believed in God, and the finished work of salvation on the cross? I encourage you to be sure that you believe and are righteous.