2 Peter 2:8, commentary and pictures

The righteous man is Lot dwelling among the wicked people of Sodom and Gomorrah while keeping the fear of God in his heart, and by seeing and hearing their filthy talk, violence and unlawful deeds his righteous soul was distressed and grieved day after day. He had chosen Sodom for pleasure and profit, leaving the worship of the living God, and though powerless to stop the evil around him he had no right to punish the wicked, but God could punish them in strict justice. The Lord delivered just Lot out before turning the cities into ashes as an example to the ungodly, proving the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished. It stands as a warning against false teachers who with feigned words make merchandise of God's people, and describes God's humble followers when His judgments go forth, whose righteous souls are vexed day by day with the unholy works and conversation of the unrighteous and are distinguished by lamentation, reproof and warning while others excuse the evil. What is seen and heard affects the heart, so remaining among the wicked corrupted Lot's family, weakened his faith and moral discernment and bound up his interests with theirs, leaving him saved barely, stripped of possessions and bereaved of wife and children.

Lot Vexed in Sodom

The righteous, just man is Lot, dwelling among the wicked, corrupt and idolatrous people of Sodom and Gomorrah while keeping the fear of God in his heart.
Through seeing and hearing their filthy conversation and unlawful deeds his righteous soul was vexed, distressed and grieved day after day.
The vile talk, violence and crime around him distressed him daily through what greeted his ears and eyes.

He was powerless to prevent or stop the evil around him.
He had chosen Sodom for pleasure and profit, leaving Abraham's altar and its daily sacrifice to the living God.
He had no right to punish the wicked around him, including his sons-in-law, but God could punish them in strict justice.

Deliverance and Coming Judgment

The verse belongs in a chain with God sparing not the angels that sinned and sparing not the old world but saving Noah while bringing the flood upon the world of the ungodly. The Lord delivered just Lot out of Sodom and Gomorrah before turning the cities into ashes as an ensample to those that should after live ungodly. This proves the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished.

It stands as a warning against false teachers who privily bring in damnable heresies and through covetousness with feigned words make merchandise of God's people. It belongs to the account of men who caused much trouble in the early church, and similar conditions must be met today, so all must be on guard.

The vileness of the sins of Sodom is being cherished by many whose names are on the church books. The Heart-searcher knows this hidden sin, by which those who cherish it pollute themselves and others and have defiled the temple of God. Though God's judgments upon such defilement have been long delayed they are none the less sure and will soon fall to cut down those who so pollute themselves and others.

The verse describes the condition of God's humble, devoted followers in the time when His wrath goes forth in judgments. Their righteous souls are vexed day by day with the unholy works and conversation of the unrighteous, and they are distinguished from the rest of the world by soul-anguish expressed in lamentation and weeping, reproofs and warnings. While others throw a cloak over existing evil and excuse great wickedness, those who have zeal for God's honor and love for souls will not hold their peace to obtain favor of any. Though powerless to stop the rushing torrent of iniquity they are filled with grief and alarm, mourning before God to see religion despised in the very homes of those who have had great light. They lament because pride, avarice, selfishness and deception of almost every kind are in the church.

Separation and Faithful Living

What is seen and heard day by day reaches the heart, so separation from corrupting surroundings is necessary to keep the soul untainted. Remaining where wickedness prevails does injury both to the one who stays and to his household, for the influence corrupts the family, allows children to mingle freely with the ungodly, weakens moral discernment and trust in God, weakens faith, and binds up interests with those of unbelievers. The end of such a course is a bare escape, stripped of possessions, bereaved of wife and children, left to dwell in caves in disgrace, and giving to the world not righteous offspring but two idolatrous nations at enmity with God.

Continued exposure to evil, as in a place like Rochester, blunts the conscience and dulls concern for eternal things, making faithful living harder and the forming of Christian character in children more difficult. Choosing a home for temporal advantage, fertile country, a flourishing city, greater prosperity, worldly wealth and honor, rather than for the moral and religious influences surrounding the family, places souls in an atmosphere of worldliness and unbelief, lax morality, indifference to religious things, temptation, rebellion against parental and divine authority, and evil association that counteracts parental influence and hinders piety and right character. Moral and religious influences are to be considered first in choosing a home, for voluntarily placing oneself where Christian character cannot form displeases God and drives holy angels from the dwelling. Where duty calls, watching and praying and trusting in the grace of Christ will enable one to stand uncorrupted, but needless exposure ends in a lost life-work and a sad failure, while less worldly prosperity with a sure title to the immortal inheritance is the wise course.

As with Lot, Enoch as a righteous man was deeply distressed and his soul vexed as he witnessed people trampling upon God's authority and defying God day after day. He separated himself from the ungodly because he feared their unbelief would weaken his reverence for God, and he spent time in prayer so that he might remain reverent toward God and know and do God's will. The verse sets forth the true condition of the world at this time and gives admonition and instruction that believing, commandment-keeping people need now and must heed. As in Sodom's time, people today face great dangers and need greater refinement in thought, relationships, words and conduct.

The passage from 2 Peter 2:1-9 means a work that is everything, to be understood and kept in view. It means being called out of darkness into marvelous light, seeking heaven and the will of the Lord with all the heart and understanding, being circumspect and not heedless, making a business of seeking heaven, and confessing mistakes and seeking to be overcomers. It means not practicing the sayings and customs of the world, being a peculiar people who show forth the praises of Him who called them, searching the Scriptures to understand duty and be without excuse, coming into sacred relation to Jesus Christ, and by beholding His life and character becoming partakers of the divine nature having escaped the corruption in the world through lust. The verse gives a rule to be carried out in daily life: taking Jesus as pattern, not exalting self but being meek and lowly in heart as He was on earth, learning from Him and becoming what He wants, and carrying on God's work sensibly with men and women each doing their own part so that God is glorified.