God had decided to bring judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities of the plains. This devotional reading looks at the arrival of the angels and the last chance given to Sodom.
Nuggets
- Sodom, as it held the first position in the list of the Cities of the Plains, was the major city of the region.
- The two angels tasked with checking out Sodom and Gomorrah would have been looking for Abraham’s beloved nephew, Lot.
- Lot showed the visitors hospitality.
- Because Lot knew the wickedness of the city, he knew the visitors shouldn’t spend the night in the square.
- Twice that day, the angels ate because they were in human form.
- The men of Sodom had wicked plans for the visitors.
- We tend to think that homosexuality was the sin because of which the cities were destroyed.
- God doesn’t want us to combat the commission of one sin with another.
When we left Genesis 18, the angels had left Jehovah so that he could talk to Abraham. They were heading to Sodom to fulfill the mission Jehovah was discussing with Abraham.
In this chapter, the angels arrive and complete the mission.
Let's Put It into Context
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Devotions in the Abraham the Patriarch series
Let's Put It into Context #2
Let’s take a look at our timeline.
1960 BC — Abram born (Gen. 25: 7)
1890 BC — Terah, Abram, Sarai, and Lot move from Ur to Haran (Gen. 11: 31)
1885 BC — Abram called at age 75 (Gen. 12: 1-3)
c. 1880 – 1875 BC — Abram defeats King Chedorkiamer to rescue Lot (Gen. 14)
1875 BC — God promises an 85-year-old Abram that he will have a son (Gen. 15)
1874 BC — Ishmael born (Gen. 16: 15)
1861 BC — God reestablished His covenant with Abram; and Abraham, Ishmael, and males are circumcised (Gen. 17)
1861 BC — Sodom and Gomorrah are destroyed one year before the birth of Isaac (Genesis 18 – 19).
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The Visitors Arrived in Sodom
“That evening the two angels came to the entrance of the city of Sodom. Lot was sitting there, and when he saw them, he stood up to meet them. Then he welcomed them and bowed with his face to the ground” (Gen. 19: 1 NLT)
Entrance of the City of Sodom
Sodom, as it held the first position in the list of the Cities of the Plains, was the major city of the region.
Compared to the garden of the Lord, the plain was well watered. Lot chose it when he separated from Abraham because it was rich in pastureland. It was rich enough to have the four kings in Genesis 13 want it for themselves.
While we don’t know the city’s exact location, it is believed that Sodom was at the southern end of the Dead Sea. Today, we don’t think of the Dead Sea region as being pastureland.
The northeastern gate is thought to have been the main entrance to the city. Usually when we hear about the entrance or the gate to a city, we think about it as the place townspeople gathered to govern the city or conduct their business there.
I like Meyer said was the possible motivation for the angels’ visit.
- Their love for us
- Abraham’s prayer
- Jehovah’s mercy
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I like how Meyer contrasted the reasons for Lot and the angels had for being in the city. Lot went for selfish reasons. The angels went for redemptive reasons. That is why the angels were unaffected by the sin while Lot caved to it.
Meyer also made another great point. The angels were satisfied to complete the mission knowing they would have few that they would be leading out of the cities before its destruction.
How many times do we feel the success of our ministry means we have led many souls to Christ?
But look at it this way. How many souls are saved if they don’t have personal engagement with a disciple?
This one-at-a-time method that Yeshua employs is time consuming and fraught with risks. We are probably going to have a lot more rejections than acceptances.
Our marching orders are that we are called to spread the message. Acceptance or rejection comes from the work of the Holy Spirit.
- “And then he told them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone’” (Mk. 16: 15 NLT).
- “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Mt. 28: 19-20 NLT).
- “… And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Ac. 1: 8 NLT).
We can’t forget the fact that the angel’s warning went up the evening before the destruction was set at dawn. They had one night to process their final warning and make their choice to obey or disobey Jehovah.
Lot Was Sitting There
The two angels tasked with checking out Sodom and Gomorrah would have been looking for Abraham’s beloved nephew, Lot.
They found him right away. In fact, they found Lot as they entered the city of Sodom.
Since it was evening, though, Lot may have just been sitting at the gate to enjoy the evening.
But Dods had an interesting take. He wrote, “His sitting at the gate in the evening to offer hospitality may fairly be taken as an indication of his desire to screen the wickedness of his townsmen, and also to shield the stranger from their brutality.”
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Well, I can see that. Gate police would have been a good indication that Lot was sick about the state of Sodom.
It would have been a way for Lot to put actions to his feelings. “Yes, Lot was a righteous man who was tormented in his soul by the wickedness he saw and heard day after day” (II Pet. 2: 8 NLT emphasis added).
We don’t know for sure why Lot was at the gate. All we know is that he was there.
Lot’s Hospitality
“‘My lords,’ he said, ‘come to my home to wash your feet, and be my guests for the night. You may then get up early in the morning and be on your way again.’ ‘Oh no,’ they replied. ‘We’ll just spend the night out here in the city square.’ But Lot insisted, so at last they went home with him. Lot prepared a feast for them, complete with fresh bread made without yeast, and they ate” (Gen. 19: 2-3 NLT
Lot showed the visitors hospitality.
Be My Guests for the Night
Lot had lost his father, though we don’t know at what age. It sounds like Abraham had basically raised Lot.
So, it is logical that Lot would show the same tendencies for hospitality that Abraham did.
The thing is, if Lot started out with Abraham’s faith in God, he lost some of it along the way. He was tied into the society in Sodom and Gomorrah – and enjoyed it. “When Lot still hesitated, the angels seized his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters and rushed them to safety outside the city, for the Lord was merciful” (Gen. 19: 16 NLT).
Lot did provide the visitors with what was needed to wash their feet. Feet washing was an important part of hospitality because sandals were the type of shoes worn. These open shoes allowed the dust – depending on how far they had traveled – to cake on the feet. When they got where they were going, they needed a good wash.
At a minimum, the host would offer water. If the host had servants or slaves, they would be given the task to perform.
Lot did show hospitality to the angels. Yes, selfish Lot opened his home to strangers.
Spend the Night in the Square
Because Lot knew the wickedness of the city, he knew the visitors shouldn’t spend the night in the square.
Lot knew they wouldn’t be safe sleeping overnight in the square. In short, he feared for their lives.
No, Lot probably didn’t see them as angels first off. He just saw them as vulnerable men. His actions should be seen as protection for the defenseless.
Prepared a Feast
Twice that day, the angels ate because they were in human form.
This would have been the second feast the visitors would have had that day. We remember Abraham took out all the stops in preparing his meal.
When we read verse 3 in the Hebrew, it is interesting. “And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his bais [home]; and he made them a mishteh (meal, feast), and did bake matzot, and they did eat” (Gen 19: 3 OJB).
Matzot is unleavened bread. We know the importance of unleavened bread from the Passover Sadar meal.
“The bread you eat must be made without yeast from the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month until the evening of the twenty-first day of that month. During those seven days, there must be no trace of yeast in your homes. Anyone who eats anything made with yeast during this week will be cut off from the community of Israel. These regulations apply both to the foreigners living among you and to the native-born Israelites. During those days you must not eat anything made with yeast. Wherever you live, eat only bread made without yeast” (Ex. 12: 18-20 NLT).
It wasn’t only about the Israelites not having time to have the bread made with yeast rise – although that is a big part. It was also about yeast being a symbol of sin.
Having the unleavened bread served two purposes. It was a symbol of holy living. It also separated the Israelites from those around them.
The Song of Israel article showed how the matzah also tied to the Messiah. The bread is striped (as Yeshua was from the whip) and pierced (as He was from the nails).
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But of course, that was way after Lot’s time. I just thought it was interesting that this unleavened bread was for the angels.
Surrounded
“But before they retired for the night, all the men of Sodom, young and old, came from all over the city and surrounded the house. They shouted to Lot, ‘Where are the men who came to spend the night with you? Bring them out to us so we can have sex with them!’ (Gen. 19: 4-5 NLT)
All the Men of Sodom
The men of Sodom had wicked plans for the visitors.
Poor Lot. He was only trying to provide hospitality for two strangers. He never thought a consequence of that would be every single man from Sodom showing up at his doorstep and surrounding his house.
That supports Jehovah’s decision to destroy the cities. If every single man in the town was wicked, we can see evidence that Jehovah made the right decision.
But don’t miss the fact that God gave every man there the final opportunity to repent. How could any repent if they didn’t receive the warning?
I know. Does that leave out the women and children? Were they just sorry, out of luck?
I don’t think so. Part of the man’s/husband’s role as spiritual advisor to the family would be to lead his family to Jehovah. Remember, the priestly institution hadn’t been set up yet. The firstborn males were de facto priests.
The men were to shepherd the women and children to Jehovah.
That night, they didn’t.
Let’s look at this in the Hebrew for a second. “But before they lay down, the men of the Ir [city], even the anshei [people] Sodom, surrounded the bais [house], from na’ar [boy] to zeken [beard], all the people from every quarter [of the city]” (Gen. 19: 4 OJB).
I’d say this was functionally translated. Where the New Living Translation says young and old, the Orthodox Jewish Bible says boy and beard.
I know. Beard sounds a little funky.
In Judaism, beards were important. It was more than just an appearance thing.
Beards represented maturity in Jewish culture. This is not only in wisdom but also in spirituality.
Moss explained that. He wrote, “It [The beard] is the bridge between mind and heart, thoughts and actions, theory and practice, good intentions and good deeds.”
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But think about it. The word translated as perfect really means mature. In other words, the beard expressed – hopefully – a sincere walk with God.
So We Can Have Sex with Them
We tend to think that homosexuality was the sin because of which the cities were destroyed.
I can see how that is thought. The men of Sodom came to Lot’s house interrogate the two visitors at best and rape them at worst.
But I think it is safe to go with the sexual definition. “And don’t forget Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring towns, which were filled with immorality and every kind of sexual perversion. Those cities were destroyed by fire and serve as a warning of the eternal fire of God’s judgment” (Jude 1: 7 NLT).
It isn’t the only one. “Sodom’s sins were pride, gluttony, and laziness, while the poor and needy suffered outside her door. She was proud and committed detestable sins, so I wiped her out, as you have seen” (Ezek. 16: 49-50 NLT).
Jehovah will hear the cry of the oppressed. He will see the injustice and lack of compassion. He will not put up with sin.
Walker reminded us that Jehovah had called the people of The Cities of the Plains to be His children. Remember who we said they were back in Genesis 14.
Yep, four of the towns contained family. “… The Canaanite clans eventually spread out, and the territory of Canaan extended from Sidon in the north to Gerar and Gaza in the south, and east as far as Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, near Lasha” (Gen. 10: 18-19 NLT emphasis added).
Just as Jehovah had judged His children in Genesis 11 for building the tower of Babel, He judged the people of the Plains.
Trying to Deescalate the Situation
“So Lot stepped outside to talk to them, shutting the door behind him. ‘Please, my brothers,’ he begged, ‘don’t do such a wicked thing. Look, I have two virgin daughters. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do with them as you wish. But please, leave these men alone, for they are my guests and are under my protection’” (Gen. 19: 6-9 NLT)
God doesn’t want us to combat the commission of one sin with another.
Lot tried his best to deescalate the situation. He went out to talk with the men and try to reason with them.
It is interesting that Lot even called them brothers. Remember, in actuality they were cousins. He did that to make a connection with them.
In today’s society, we question Lot’s decision to offer his two daughters in exchange for protection for two visitors.
Talk about a moral dilemma! God’s Faithbook brought up a good point. Hospitality in that society seems like it included protection for the visitors. But must the host provide that much protection to his guests at the detriment of his family?
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I don’t think Lot believed the men of Sodom only wanted to interrogate the angels, or he wouldn’t have offered his daughters in exchange.
Look at it this way. The crowd was wanting homosexuality. Lot was offering fornication. Both are sins.
· “Do not practice homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman. It is a detestable sin” (Lev. 18: 22 NLT).
· “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:” (Mt. 15: 19 KJV).
Still, I can’t see how Jehovah could condone either choice. In the end, the angels provided the protection before it got to that point.
Lot needed to let Jehovah do His work and not try to take it over or do it on our own.
Really, Lot put himself into this position. He chose to live in Sodom knowing the moral depravity of the townspeople.
Do you think that isn’t applicable to today’s society? Think again!
Don’t we lock our doors? If someone rings the doorbell we don’t know, do we want to answer?
What if that person asks for money? Asks for a place to stay????
If you are out driving and see someone broken down on the roadside, and they flag you down, do you stop?
What do you do?
Making the Connections #1
Satan loves to tell us that Jehovah won’t save us because our sin is too great. Or is too engrained in us. Or any other excuse he thinks will manipulate us into not asking Jehovah for forgiveness.
Satan is wrong. Jehovah knows we are imperfect.
Jehovah knows our salvation depends on the strength of the cross, not on our strength to do the do’s and don’t do the don’ts.
Making the Connections #2
I have to process what Dods said. Let break them down together.
Dod’s wrote,
“In the first few hours of his last night in Sodom there is much that is admirable and pathetic in Lot’s conduct. But when we have said that he was bold and that he hated other men’s sins, we have exhausted the more attractive side of his character. The inhuman collectedness of mind with which, in the midst of a tremendous public calamity, he could scheme for his own private [well]-being is the key to his whole character. He had no feeling, lie was cold-blooded, calculating, keenly alive to his own interest, with all his wits about him to reap some gain to himself out of every disaster; …”
· Lot started the evening’s activities by doing the right thing.
· He had a shallow character, even if some part was good.
· He was always working a deal.
· His selfish greed led to him being cold-blooded and calculating.
· He always looked to gain something from every disaster.
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I know. That list just doesn’t jive with the two verses in Hebrew.
“But God also rescued Lot out of Sodom because he was a righteous man who was sick of the shameful immorality of the wicked people around him. Yes, Lot was a righteous man who was tormented in his soul by the wickedness he saw and heard day after day” (II Pet. 2: 7-8 NLT emphasis added).
It reiterates the fact that salvation isn’t based any anything we do or do not do. It is based on our acceptance of a Savior.
We have to remember that Lot chose this life himself. He chose to move to Sodom.
We have to protect our salvation. Living among lowness, wicked people won’t do that.
How Do We Apply This?
- Be prepared for judgment even as we go through our daily responsibilities for God.
- Listen to God when He warns us.
- Exercise discernment when faced with moral dilemmas.
- Do not compromise our moral character to fit in with the world.
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Father God. Thank You for giving us warning when we have disobeyed You. Unfortunately, some thing we meed more warning than just Your Word. Some think we need angels to come to us. Help us, Lord, to be obedient. Help us to ask forgiveness when we aren’t.
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