In Genesis 18, Abraham engages in a dialogue with God regarding the fate of Sodom. Abraham intercedes on behalf of the city, pleading with God to spare it for the sake of the innocent inhabitants.
The conversation unfolds as a negotiation, with Abraham gradually reducing the number of righteous people required to save the city.
Initially, Abraham asks if God would spare Sodom if fifty righteous people were found there. God agrees to this condition. Abraham then progressively lowers the number, ultimately reaching ten righteous. God assents to spare the entire city if ten righteous people can be found.
The narrative continues in Genesis 19, where we learn that there are fewer than ten righteous individuals in Sodom. The story resumes with angels arriving in Sodom in the evening.
The two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground (Genesis 19:1).
Lot’s journey, from his separation from Abraham to this moment, follows a gradual progression:
- Initially, he settled in an area outside Sodom to grow crops.
- Later, he moved closer to the city.
- Now, we find him sitting at the city gate.
The city gate was a significant location in ancient times, serving as a center for commerce and community gatherings.
This progression parallels how we often approach sin in our lives:
- At first, we observe it from a distance.
- Then, we gradually move closer to it.
- Finally, we settle into a position that opposes God’s will.
Lot illustrates how small compromises can lead to a significant shift in our spiritual position, potentially placing us in opposition to God’s desires for our lives.
Hospitality
Lot was unaware that the two men were angels and that the wickedness of Sodom had become so extreme that its outcry had reached God. Nevertheless, he offered hospitality to these two strangers visiting the city.
He said, “Please, my lords, turn aside to your servant’s house and spend the night and wash your feet; then you can rise early and go on your way.” They said, “No; we will spend the night in the square.”
But he urged them strongly, so they turned aside to him and entered his house, and he made them a feast and baked unleavened bread, and they ate (Genesis 19:2-3).
Not Hospitable
Lot offered customary hospitality to the two strangers, unlike the men of the town.
But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, all the people to the last man, surrounded the house, and they called to Lot,
“Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, so that we may know them” (Genesis 19:4-5).
The people of Sodom want to know two men whom Lot himself does not really know.
In the Old Testament, “to know” occurs over a thousand times. Fifteen of the instances of the verb refer to sexual knowledge.
While Sodom is primarily associated with sexual sin, Ezekiel 16:49-50 provides a broader perspective on the city’s transgressions. The prophet lists additional sins that contributed to Sodom’s downfall:
- Pride
- Gluttony (excess of food)
- Complacency (laziness and careless ease)
- Neglect of the poor and needy
- Haughtiness
- Committing detestable acts before God
This expanded view of Sodom’s sins serves as a reminder that wickedness often manifests in various forms, not just sexual immorality.
By examining Ezekiel’s account, we are encouraged to reflect on a wider range of moral and social issues, rather than selectively condemning specific behaviors while ignoring others that may be equally displeasing to God.
Lot’s Bad-Faith Deal
In today’s YouTube video, Bruce Kirby reflects on what most of us think: what a bad faith deal Lot offered to the men of Sodom at the expense of his daughters.
Lot went out of the door to the men, shut the door after him, and said, “I beg you, my brothers, do not act so wickedly.
Look, I have two daughters who have not known a man; let me bring them out to you, and do to them as you please; only do nothing to these men, for they have come under the shelter of my roof” (Genesis 19:6-8).
Lot is willing to make his daughters vulnerable for the sake of his guests, but he’s not willing to offer himself.
As we continue Lot’s story, we encounter troubling events that highlight the moral complexities of the narrative:
- Lot’s willingness to offer his daughters to a sexually aggressive mob, using them as pawns to protect his guests.
- Later, these same daughters, when given the opportunity, do not hesitate to intoxicate their father and engage in incestuous relations with him.
The narrative serves as a stark reminder of how one morally questionable act can lead to further transgressions, creating a cycle of unethical behavior that affects multiple generations.
Rescued by Angels
The crowd’s reaction to Lot and his guests was appalling.
But they replied, “Stand back!” And they said, “This fellow came here as an alien, and he would play the judge! Now we will deal worse with you than with them.” Then they pressed hard against the man Lot and came near the door to break it down (Genesis 19:9).
In the end, Lot who attempts to save his guests is saved by them, but apparently it still hasn’t dawned on Lot who his visitors really are.
But the men inside reached out their hands and brought Lot into the house with them and shut the door.
And they struck with blindness the men who were at the door of the house, both small and great, so that they were unable to find the door (Genesis 19:10-11).
Reflections
This passage serves as a cautionary tale, reminding us to be vigilant about the cultural influences surrounding us.
Just as Lot gradually settled into the heart of Sodom’s social and commercial life at the city gate, we too can become complacent and overly comfortable with the sinful aspects of our society.
Lot’s inability to recognize the depth of Sodom’s depravity and the outcry it caused to God parallels how we can become desensitized to the moral decay in our own environments.
This blindness can be so profound that we might fail to recognize divine intervention, even if it were as direct as an angel’s guidance.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today.
Real Voices 