7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: 8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) 9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: (2 Peter 2:7-9 KJV)
The Lord Delivers is People
When God sends destruction on the ungodly, he commands deliverance for the righteous; and if he rains fire and brimstone on the wicked, he will protect the just, and they will be hidden in the day of his anger. We have an example of this in how he preserved Lot.
Lot is called a just man. This means he was righteous in the general course of his life, both in the bent of his heart and his actions. God does not judge people solely by one act, but by the overall pattern of their lives. Lot lived uprightly in the midst of a corrupt and immoral generation. He did not follow the crowd in doing evil, but maintained his integrity in a city filled with injustice.
The sins of others deeply affected this righteous man. While sinners take pleasure in wickedness, it grieves the soul of the godly. When we are surrounded by ungodliness, we cannot escape either guilt or grief. If we are not troubled by the sins of others, it will be hard for us to keep ourselves pure.
Lot’s grief and distress were continual—it troubled him day after day. His exposure to their evil did not make him more tolerant or dull his sense of right and wrong. This is the righteous man God preserved from the devastating judgment that destroyed those around him. From this, we learn that God knows how to deliver his people and punish his enemies.
It is understood here that the righteous will face temptations and trials. The devil and his agents will try to make them fall. And if we are to reach heaven, it must be through many tribulations (Acts 14:22). Therefore, we should expect and prepare for them.
The Lord knows those who belong to him (2 Timothy 2:19). He has set apart the godly for himself. Even if there is only one righteous person among many cities, God knows him. And where there are many, he does not overlook a single one.
God’s wisdom is never at a loss for how to deliver his people. They may see no possible way out, but God can provide deliverance even for many at once.
The deliverance of the godly is God’s own work. His wisdom designs the way, and his power brings them through trials. He delivers them not only from falling into sin but also from being ruined by their troubles. And surely, if he can deliver from temptation, he could also prevent it entirely if he did not see such trials as necessary for their growth (James 1:2-4).
God makes a clear distinction between the righteous and the wicked. When he saves his people, he delivers his enemies to judgment. The unjust have no part in the salvation that God works out for the righteous. The wicked are kept for the day of judgment (2 Peter 2:9).
There is a day of judgment. God has appointed a time when he will judge the world (Acts 17:31). The preservation of impenitent sinners now is only a holding off of their punishment until the day when God’s righteous judgment is revealed (Romans 2:5).