Genesis Chapter 19

¹ And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;

² And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant’s house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night.

Lot wanted the Angel’s who it seemed looked like ordinary men, to come to his house for the night. Lot knew what happened to men in the streets at night and was trying to keep these travelers safe. The Angels were there for a purpose, to destroy the sinful city, they were not afraid of what would happen to them in the streets at night because as we read later, they were perfectly able to protect themselves. Clearly, Lot didn’t realize these were Angels at first. It seems to me that he was a righteous man who knew the kind of people that lived in his city and the sinful things they would do to others…so he was trying to protect these visitors who he thought were just passing through, the only way he knew to. He was basically managing the visitors’ exposure to the debauchery that took place there so that the visitors wouldn’t be hurt by it. Lot knew the people of Sodom and Gomorrah were very sinful and vile.
Abraham, with the help of God, had rescued Sodom from kidnappers and thieves not long before this happen. God had shown mercy to this city and restored their people and wealth…. so I wonder if this fall towards homosexuality and open perversions in the street happened completely from the time they were restored until this time before the fire and brimstone started raining down. I used to read this story and in my mind it would take a long time of little compromises and letting sins slip to become so depraved….but now that I’ve watched how rapidly my own country went from protecting children to normalizing perverse homosexual behaviors in kindergarten through indoctrination, I realize that this type of sin can rapidly spread and lead to the absolute destruction of the people.

³ And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.

Unleavened bread was eaten at Passover by the Israelites….but this was even before the first Passover. Still, I wonder if it’s a symbol here…because Lot’s household was the only one that escaped the destruction. Leaven is also a symbol of sin… Galatians 5:9 ⁹ A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. I’m not sure if there is a connection, so I’ll just make these observations and move on and wait for the Lord’s knowledge to teach me.

⁴ But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter:

Imagine that…the entire city coming out to your home or where you’re staying with the intentions of rape. Lot knew this is what was going on… and I wonder why he was even still there or how he was protected from this perversion. He had to have been vexed in his heart.

⁵ And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them.

This was not a “Hey Lot, introduce your company to us, so we can get to know them better and become lifelong friends” this was, “Hey Lot, step aside, so we can molest the men you have staying with you.” The inhabitants of Sodom were so depraved, this was normal behavior. I know it was normal for them, or Lot would not have preemptively tried to protect the visitors…. Lot knew what was coming.

⁶ And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him,

⁷ And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly.

Lot is pleading with these men to stop their sinful behavior.

⁸ Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof.

After living in a city that embraced this type of depravity, Lots spirit was vexed 2 Peter 2:7-8  ⁷And 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;) This is what happens to a person when they are constantly exposed to sinful behavior, they begin to compromise a little here and there and soon they have some ideas or ways that would not be considered upright. One of the strong traditions that Godly men have is to protect the visitors in their home as they would protect their own family…but here we see Lot offering to send his own daughters out to these savages. Perhaps Lot knew they would reject his daughters because they’re women , but would see how sincerely Lot was about protecting his visitors and would be moved with compassion for Lot and leave. This isn’t what happened, though. Also, Lot’s daughters were set to be married…their future husbands were homosexuals and part of the crowd trying to get Lot to send out his visitors. CLEARLY, Sodom and Gomorrah were deeply sinful.

⁹ And they said, Stand back. And they said again, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door.

It seems like Lot was pinned against the door by the crowd trying to get in. It sounds like they threatened to do even worse things to Lot than they had planned for the men he was sheltering if he didn’t step away from the door and allow them in.

¹⁰ But the men put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut to the door.

The (Angels) men opened the door, pulled Lot back inside and shut the door again. They clearly didn’t need Lots protections.

¹¹ And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door.

All of those men that were trying to get at the visitors in Lot’s home were blinded suddenly.

¹² And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place:

With all of the perverts blinded now Lot was sent to get all of his people together.

¹³ For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the Lord; and the Lord hath sent us to destroy it.

Lot is told why these Angels came to the city.

¹⁴ And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law.

The sons in law thought Lot was joking…. and in todays time, they think we are all crazy Christians…. talking about the coming judgment and compelling people to repent and accept Jesus.

¹⁵ And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.

So, Lot, his wife and his 2 daughters were the only ones to leave the city before it began raining fire and brimstone. Total of 4 leaving but only 3 arriving. Less than 10, but God still spared Lot and his daughters. God also made sure to give Lots wife and sons in law a chance to escape…but because of unbelief they didn’t make it.

¹⁶ And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the Lord being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city.

I can see the scene. Lot and his family are standing there after the Angels tell them they need to leave because judgment is about to start raining down….so Lot smiles, and says, “Ok! Thanks for letting us know… say, are y’all hungry… I can have the wife whip us up a nice breakfast then later we can have a nice chat, possibly a nap since none of us slept much last night.” Then the Angels look at him and determine that in his fleshly mind he can not comprehend fully what is about to happen…so instead they grab his and his families hands and pull them out of the city.

¹⁷ And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.

After the Angels remove them from the City they basically say… “Run now… don’t look back at all…and head to the mountains or you will die.”

¹⁸ And Lot said unto them, Oh, not so, my Lord:

And Lot goes, “Yeah… No… the mountains won’t work for me, I find them too hard to deal with…and would likely die there too… so, it’s a pass from me.”

¹⁹ Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die:

All jokes aside, Lot was trying to manage his fear of having to live in the mountains so like we all do, he tried to negotiate with God on the escape plan he has for him by asking for an alternative plan.

²⁰ Behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one: Oh, let me escape thither, (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.

²¹ And he said unto him, See, I have accepted thee concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow this city, for the which thou hast spoken.

²² Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do anything till thou be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.

²³ The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar.

²⁴ Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven;

After Lot was safely out of harms way, then judgment fell.

²⁵ And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.

²⁶ But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.

Lot’s wife was being saved from destruction when she turned back… and I don’t think this turning back was simply her head turning around to see what was happening, but her heart mourning the sin she was forced to leave behind. The verse that came to mind is Luke 9:62 ⁶² And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

²⁷ And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the Lord:

²⁸ And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.

²⁹ And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt.

³⁰ And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar: and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters.

Lot left the place he asked to be able to go to instead of the mountains and went to the mountains anyway. What changed his mind? Perhaps seeing his wife become salt…and the city become an inferno convinced him that obeying God without compromise was important.

³¹ And the firstborn said unto the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth:

³² Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.

³³ And they made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.

³⁴ And it came to pass on the morrow, that the firstborn said unto the younger, Behold, I lay yesternight with my father: let us make him drink wine this night also; and go thou in, and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.

³⁵ And they made their father drink wine that night also: and the younger arose, and lay with him; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.

³⁶ Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father.

³⁷ And the first born bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day.

³⁸ And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Benammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day.