Genesis 19:1 – “Now the two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. When Lot saw them, he got up to meet them, bowed face down, and said, “My lords, please turn aside into the house of your servant; wash your feet and spend the night. Then you can rise early and go on your way.”
“No,” they answered, “we will spend the night in the square.” But Lot insisted so strongly that they followed him into his house. He prepared a feast for them and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.”
At this point, Lot has lived in Sodom for many years and has become one of its leading citizens. As a city leader, Lot is sitting in the gateway when two strangers arrive at nightfall. Lot greets the travelers, offering them food, a chance to refresh themselves, and a night’s lodging – normal courtesy to strangers at that time. The travelers politely refuse, but Lot pushes the invitation strongly, and the travelers accompany him to his house. Lot receives his visitors appropriately; however, outside, trouble is brewing!
v. 4 – 8 “Before they had gone to bed, all the men of the city of Sodom, both young and old, surrounded the house. They called out to Lot, saying, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Send them out to us so we can have relations with them!” Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him. “Please, my brothers,” he pleaded, “don’t do such a wicked thing! Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them to you, and you can do to them whatever you want. But do not do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof.” While Lot has a proper appreciation for traditional courtesy, the citizens of Sodom do not! Lot even goes to the extent of offering his virgin daughters to be raped rather than have these strangers be assaulted, but the men of Sodom refuse. The angelic visitors drag Lot back inside, slam the door shut, and strike the men of Sodom with blindness so that they cannot find the door again.
What a horrible place! Why has Lot remained in Sodom? Perhaps things weren’t that bad when Lot first came there. Remember that Lot chose to live in Sodom because there was plenty of water and grazing for his flocks and herds and the land was very fertile. Perhaps things deteriorated gradually without Lot being aware of it. And as things went from bad to worse, perhaps Lot kept encouraging himself that “really, things aren’t THAT terrible” or that “surely, my neighbors are actually better than that!” And at a point, Lot may have felt that he was too old to move somewhere else and that he would just have to make the best of a bad situation. Lot may have actually worshiped God privately without saying much to his neighbors.
The Apostle Peter described Lot’s predicament this way: ”…Lot, a righteous man distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)” 2 Peter 2:7- 8
Despite Abraham’s prayers, the men of Sodom are truly evil and Lot is the only righteous man in the place. The story is too long to be quoted here but you can read it in Genesis 19. The angels warn Lot, who tries to warn his daughters’ husbands – to – be, but the young men think he is joking and refuse. Finally, the angels have to grab the hands of Lot’s family members and lead them out of the city. Even then, Lot argues with the angels, begging to be allowed to flee to Zoar, a small neighboring town that would otherwise also be destroyed. God graciously allows Lot and his daughters to go to Zoar and then rains down brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, wiping them out utterly. (Many people think that the Dead Sea contains the original locations of Sodom and Gomorrah.) Despite the warnings from the angels not to look back, Lot’s wife does so, delaying her escape, and becomes a pillar of salt or ash. (This story is not far-fetched; there are bodies preserved by volcanic eruptions such as that from Mount Vesuvius that have a similar appearance.)
APPLICATION: Sometimes we get into job situations or relationships, only to find that cheating and lying are the order of the day. Perhaps a family member develops major medical problems and we suddenly need a great deal of money. At that point, the temptation to embezzle may be incredibly strong. The longer we go on, refusing to acknowledge the mess into which we have fallen, the more difficult it will be for us to escape. In Lot’s situation, God had to intervene supernaturally. Everything that Lot had worked for – his herds, his possessions, his standing in the community – was wiped out in an instant. Had Abraham not prayed and had God not forgiven Lot for making a bad choice in the first place and then remaining in that situation, Lot also would have died. But God forgave Lot for his poor choices and God delivered Lot. God does not play favorites; if God forgave Lot and delivered him, God can do the same thing for you.
PRAYER: Father God, help! We are stuck in messes of our own creation and we have no way out! Lord, forgive us for not asking you for guidance before we got into these things. Deliver us from our poor choices. Guide us so that we will follow you and not our own ideas. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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