Tag: smoke rising
Week 20–Day 1-Fire Fighters as ‘God’s Angels’
Scripture reading for May 11: Genesis 19:24, 27-29 “Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the Lord out of heaven. . . .And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the Lord. And he looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and toward all the land of the valley, and he looked and, behold, the smoke of the land went up like the smoke of a furnace. So it was that when God destroyed the cities of the valley, God remembered Abraham and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow when He overthrew the cities in which Lot had lived.”
This is the first mention of burning fire in the Scriptures. You may be thinking, how does this passage relate to firefighting? We know that fire can be beneficial as well as destructive. It is beneficial to keep us warm, cook our food, and even to worship God through sacrifice. Here, God sent burning sulfur on several small cities where their inhabitants had rebelled against God’s revealed plans. This fire was holy judgment from a just and righteous God.
But one man, Abraham, had stood before the Lord and interceded for his family who lived among those in the cities mentioned. Abraham appealed to God’s mercy and He responded to his plea by sending two angels to warn nephew Lot and his family. The residents of the city surrounded Lot’s home and resisted God’s mercy and mocked his messengers. The angels urged Lot to gather his family and leave. It is recorded that Lot lingered, but the angel took them by the hand and escorted them away before fire fell and consumed the cities. Abraham looked and saw the smoke rising, like the smoke of a furnace. He thanked God that He had remembered his plea for Lot and his daughters.
We in the fire service always stand ready to be sent to a fire. The first sign of a fire is usually smoke rising from an unnatural place. We are part of God’s emergency response service to save those involved. As Abraham prayed, we should be people of prayer who call on the Lord on behalf of those caught in fires. We offer ourselves as those who will go and take victims by the hand and lead them out.
Prayer: Father God, thank You for Your amazing mercy towards all made in Your image. Use first responders to rescue those caught in fire. Amen.