Unexpected Lessons in the Life of Lot

Continuing my chronological Bible study:

(Genesis 19:1) And there came two angels to Sodom at evening, 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.

We might assume that these are two of the three angels who just left Abraham in chapter 18.  As Abraham did, Lot waited to invite strangers to his house for refreshment.  However, while Abraham waited at his tent door, Lot waited at the gate of Sodom.  This might be merely because Lot lived within a busy city, whereas tents were fewer and farther between where Abraham lived, but it might also be that Lot sought to make sure strangers did not fall into the hands of the wicked Sodomites, who might abuse them.  At this point, we may assume that Lot bowed merely out of respect and not because he recognized the men as angels.

(2) And he said, "Behold now, my lords, please turn in to your servant's house and spend the night, and wash your feet; and you will rise up early and go on your way." And they said, "No, but we will abide in the street all night." (3) And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in to him and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.

"My lords" is a term of respect.  There is no reason to assume that Lot knew these were angels at this point.  Just as Abraham was a righteous man who willingly gave to strangers, so it appears Lot is.  This was not merely show with Lot, as he "pressed" upon the strangers to stay with him.

(4) But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house. (5) And they called to Lot and said to him, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them."

There is very little doubt that the phrase "know them" means to have sexual relations with them.  The phrase is first used in this sense in Genesis 4:1 when Adam knew his wife, Eve, and she conceived and bore a son.  As we will see shortly by Lot's answer, it is very evident that he knew this is what they meant.  Isaiah 3:9 spoke of the people of Sodom as declaring their sin and not trying to hide it.  Imagine the depravity of a city that all the people from the city surround the house to get to the "new" men!  It's like wild dogs surrounding a slab of meat!

(6) And Lot went out at the door to them, and shut the door after him, (7) And said, "Please, brethren, do not do so wickedly! (8) Behold now, I have two daughters who have not known a man; please, bring them out to you, and you do to them as is good in your eyes; only do nothing to these men, for therefore they came under the shadow of my roof."

This certainly was an unconscionable act of Lot's to offer his daughters to these depraved men.  All that can be said in any sort of defense of him is that he must have considered their intended sodomy to be a much greater evil than his pimping of his virgin daughters.  I suppose it can also be said that he placed the rights of hospitality in very high regard and took them very seriously.  It is said that a man who had taken a stranger under his care and protection, was bound to defend him even at the expense of his own life, but I'm not sure that means the lives of his daughters.  Lot probably did not realize it would come to their lives, but acted foolishly in haste to avert what he saw as a greater evil.

(9) And they said, "Stand back!" And they said, "This one came in to sojourn, and he wants to be a judge; now we will deal worse with you than with them." And they pressed greatly against the man Lot, and came near to break the door.

Lot was not a native citizen of Sodom, but was perceived as a stranger who had come to their city and now set himself as judge against them.  They vowed to deal worse with him than what they had intended to do with the visiting men; we can only assume this meant violence and sexual abuse.  Lot was outside the door talking to the men, and they pressed against him and came at the door to break it down.

(10) But the men put forth their hands and pulled Lot into the house with them, and shut the door. (11) And they struck the men who were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they wearied themselves trying to find the door.

The men showed themselves to be more than just mere men and rescued Lot from the depraved men of Sodom.  They struck those at the door with blindness.  "Both small and great" appears to be said of the blindness, which seems to be a plural of the word, so the men were struck with small and great blindnesses.  This may mean both a blindness of sight and a mental confusion or some other such condition, because if they were already pressed in toward the door, it seems that they could have found the door even if visually impaired.  But these men completely tired themselves out trying to find the door, and we know that is because the angels of the Lord prevented them from getting to it.

(12) And the men said to Lot, "Have you any others besides you here? Son-in-law, your sons, your daughters, and whomever you have in the city, bring them out of this place. (13) For we will destroy this place, because the cry against them is waxed great before the face of the LORD, and the LORD has sent us to destroy it."

Obviously angels of the Lord know the members of Lot's family who are in the city, so this is said for Lot's benefit that they regard his kindness toward them and for his sake would save all in his family if they would take the benefit of their protection.  "Son-in-law" as singular may be part of the question, as in "Do you have a son-in-law here?"  Then it is more of a statement for Lot to take his sons and his daughters and anyone else he has in the city and get them out of there, for they are going to destroy it.  

(14) And Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who married his daughters, and said, "Get up, get out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city!" But to his sons-in-law he seemed as one who joked.

There may have been other daughters of Lot's besides the two in his house that had not known men because in the next verse the angels of the Lord speak of his daughters "who are here".  It has also been speculated by Biblical scholars that the daughters were espoused to Lot's future sons-in-law, but the marriages were not yet consummated.  His daughters "who were there" is in contrast to the sons-in-law who were not, as they did not take Lot seriously.

(15) And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, "Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the iniquity of the city." (16) And while he lingered, the men took hold of his hand, his wife's hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the LORD being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city.

In the morning the angels urgently hurried Lot and his family out of the city so that they would not be destroyed with the city.  They apparently dawdled, but God in His mercy, had the angels take hold of their hands and they brought them forth out of the city.

(17) And it came to pass, when they had brought them outside, that He said, "Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain; escape to the mountains, lest you be consumed."

"They", the angels, brought Lot and his family outside of the city, and "He", the Lord Himself probably speaking through another angel of the Lord, but distinguished from the angels sent to destroy Sodom, spoke to Lot. John Wesley has a beautiful commentary of this scripture, describing it as a perfect picture of what we are called to do when rescued from sin.  Don't look back to the sinful world (Sodom), don't rest in the world (the plain), but constantly reach up to Christ and heaven (the mountains).

(18) And Lot said unto them, "Oh, not so, my Lord; (19) Behold now, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have magnified your mercy which you have shown me by saving my life; but I cannot escape to the mountains, lest some evil overtake me and I die. (20) Behold now, this city is near to flee to, and it is a little one; oh, let me escape there, is it not a little one? And my soul shall live."

Lot actually argued with the angels of the Lord who were saving his life!  He does recognize that the Lord has been extraordinarily merciful to him, but he saw himself physically incapable of making it to the mountains, and asked if he might be allowed to flee to a little city and be safe there.  I suppose a little city, as opposed to a big one, he thought couldn't possibly be as bad as the rest.  Some scholars suggest that perhaps it is not the city that Lot is suggesting is a little one, but maybe what is meant is that Lot says his request is just a small thing that he asked.  Either way, Lot is showing great weakness of faith.  Could he not see that the Lord who personally grabbed his hand and hurried him out of Sodom was well able to carry him safely to the mountains if he tired?  God would not have given him a command that he was unable to fulfill.  Oh, but I suppose this is a perfect illustration of how we now can be guilty of this and forget what God has done for us and lose faith that He can deliver us out of (or carry us through) any trouble.

(21) And He said to him, "See, I have accepted you concerning this thing also, in that I will not overthrow this city for which you have spoken. (22) Hurry, escape there, for I cannot do anything until you come there." Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.

The Lord confirmed to Lot that He had accepted Lot's prayer and granted his request.  Isn't it wonderful to know that even in our weakness, God is so patient and merciful with us?!  It even sounds as if He must delay His plans of destruction until Lot gets safely to the small city.  Zoar means "little".

(23) The sun had risen upon the earth when Lot entered Zoar. (24) Then the LORD rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the LORD out of heaven. (25) And He overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew on the ground.

The Lord rained fire and brimstone onto the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and all the plain (except Zoar as we know from the previous verses), and destroyed all the inhabitants and all trees and vegetation on the ground.  This area is what now forms the Dead Sea or the Salt Sea.  It is said the sea is much saltier than normal salty waters and that not many fish can live in it.  Interestingly, there were frequent eruptions of a bituminous matter from the bottom of the sea that gave the illusion that the sea continued to bubble and burn long after God destroyed the region.

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

Lot's wife apparently didn't make it to Zoar.  From the text, it sounds as if she tarried behind Lot, so perhaps she was not so eager to leave.  Then she disobeyed the Lord and looked back to Sodom and Gomorrah, at which time she became a pillar of salt.  Whether she was struck by the lightning and brimstone that was pelting the plain because she lingered too far back and suffered the same salty fate as the rest of the plain, or whether she was instantly struck by God because she disobeyed, I believe the moral of the story is the same.  Lot's wife lingered behind and looked back, probably because she did not really want to leave, and God left her with her wish.  I feel very comfortable in this assumption because we have already seen that God was merciful with Lot even though his faith was weak.  Lot petitioned the Lord, recognizing how merciful the Lord had been with him.  If Lot's wife's heart was toward the Lord, I have no doubt that the Lord would have been as patient with her.

(27) And Abraham got up early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the LORD. (28) And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and he beheld that the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.

Abraham went to the same place where he had petitioned the Lord to save Sodom and Gomorrah if He could find at least ten righteous people there.  Seeing the smoke of the destruction, he must have surely felt that God had not found that small number of righteous people.

(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 which Lot had dwelt.

But God did answer Abraham's prayer.  Even though He obviously did not find ten righteous, He brought Lot and those members of Lot's family who wished to be brought out of the cities before destroying them.

(30) And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him, for he was afraid to dwell in Zoar. And he and his two daughters dwelt in a cave.

So Lot was able to get the mountains after all!  He was afraid to dwell in Zoar probably because he now realized that God's first advice was probably better than his own.  Then again God had promised to spare the little city, so it seems that Lot once again showed a lack of faith.  These are perfect illustrations of how we often choose our own wisdom over God's.  John Wesley points out that it is also an illustration of those who finally bring themselves to the Lord at last, who for a long time "forsake the communion of saints for secular advantages".

(31) And the firstborn said to the younger, "Our father is old, and there is no man on the earth to come in to us as is the manner of all the earth."

Lot's older daughter observed to the younger daughter that their father was old (and may not last long, I suppose) and that there were no other men on the earth to marry them and make children with them which was the manner of the propagation of mankind in the earth.  It seemed to them that the entire earth had been destroyed by fire.  They had just left the small city of Zoar, so either it was also engulfed with fire after they left it, or perhaps the older daughter meant there were no other men of their own kind that they felt lawful to marry, as they could not marry wicked men who had been destined to destruction and were only spared because of Lot.

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

The older daughter reasoned that they must get their father drunk because otherwise he would have never agreed to such a thing, so on some level, she knew it was wrong.  However, it was probably not a totally wicked lustful act on her part, but she may have genuinely believed it was the only way to preserve their family line.  As did her father, she showed a lack of faith, or at least impatience, for once again, could not the Lord who brought them out of the total destruction they observed, not bring them righteous men to marry?

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

The girls did succeed in making their father so drunk that he did not realize that his oldest daughter lay with him that night.

(34) And it came to pass on the next day that the firstborn said to the younger, "Behold, I lay last night with my father; let us make him drink wine tonight also, and you go 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 did not know when she lay down or when she arose.

The younger daughter succeeded in accomplishing the same the next night.

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

Dr. John Gill wrote a sensible observation on the life of Lot and how we should learn from it.  Lot was a good and righteous man, deserving of salvation, as the Lord did save him from the total destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.  However, he often looked to his own human understanding, rather than to the Lord, and it made his life messy.  Dr. Gill reminds us that it was Lot who offered his pure daughters to the men of Sodom, and now in an ironic twist, it was he who impregnated them both.  Although Lot was not totally to blame as far as the incestual act, he did drink excessively and allow himself to become so drunk that he did not know what happened to him.  That is why drinking to excess must be avoided as it can lead to sinful behavior to which one might not otherwise succumb. 

(37) And the firstborn bore a son and called his name Moab; he is the father of the Moabites to this day.

"Moab" is a form of a word meaning "of the father" indicating that the daughter was not ashamed of what she had done, so she had done it for what she thought to be just reasons.  However, because it was a godless act done without the Lord's guidance, it became quite a thorn in the side of God's people, as the Moabites became a wicked people often troublesome to the Israelites.

(38) And the younger, she also bore a son, and called his name Ben-Ammi; he is the father of the children of Ammon to this day.

"Ben-Ammi" means "son of my people".  Likewise, the younger daughter demonstrated with the name of her child that she merely intended to preserve her father's family.  However, the children of Ammon also were enemies to the children of God.

Thus we learn from the life of Lot what can happen to righteous men when they choose to live too intimately with the world's people and customs and do not seek God first in all they do.  Evidently, Lot's heart was right with his Lord.  He surely loved the Lord, as he was saved and was even referred to in the New Testament as "just".  However, from that scripture in the New Testament, we learn that "just Lot" was worn down by his surroundings:

"And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked" - 2 Peter 2:7

That is why we should avoid being unequally yoked with the wicked:

"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?" - 2 Corinthians 6:14

Once again, it must be emphasized that Lot was a righteous man of God, but because he allowed himself to be so involved within the lives and customs of the wicked, he often did not see the truth of God clearly.  Indeed, his heart was right with God, but his life was not one that furthered the kingdom of God on earth.  Boy, what a lesson this has been for me!  There may be many "just Lots" among us in this world today!  Only God can judge the heart and motives of people, so we must be careful not to judge.  However, we can see in the life of Lot what can happen to a people who do not consciously seek God in all they do.  At the very least, they do nothing to further the cause of God, and they can unconsciously do things that complicate it!  At most, they can become lost in the world, slowly fading into the world.  I think of the lines of a song by Casting Crowns:

Be careful little eyes what you see,
It's the second glance that ties your hands as darkness pulls the strings.
Be careful little feet where you go.
For it's the little feet behind you that are sure to follow.

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away.
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray.
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid,
When you give yourself away.
People never crumble in a day.
It's a slow fade, it's a slow fade.

The journey from your mind to your hands
Is shorter than you're thinking.
Be careful if you think you stand,
You just might be sinking.

It's how people can justify removing God from the public square because they've slowly begun to accept that it's proper to separate God and government.  It's how people come to accept an act God called an abomination and one of the things for which He destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah as "marriage equality".  It's how we can accept the murder of innocent babies as a woman's right to her own body.  It's how we can continue to vote for leaders who would even take that a step further and kill innocent babies who are born alive because they have accidentally survived abortions.

Although I have learned a great lesson in that I must not judge all who have faded into some of these beliefs as being lost and Godless, I recognize there is a great danger in allowing our minds to accept the world's gray view of things and not to arm ourselves continually with God's black and white truth. Romans 1 tells of the progressive downward spiral of a people who reject the truth of God:

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it to them. For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.- Romans 1:18-32

Does this not sound like what is happening in our country today?  We are a country founded on God and Christian principles.  We have no excuse!  We didn't glorify God, but pushed Him aside, in our schools and in the public square.  We allowed ourselves to believe it was loftier to imagine a world without Christ where all people worship the same God, but not the one true God of the Bible, but one they imagined for themselves.  We serve God's creation "Mother Earth" more than we do Him. And for this reason God has given them over to their vile affections and reprobate, or morally unprincipled minds.  That is when they begin to lust after those of the same sex.  Then comes every imaginable sin and strife.  Think of this scenario in our country today - a self-righteous people, knowing the judgment of God, openly defy His Word, and even if they personally might not partake in something like same-sex relationships, rejoice in the "right" of same-sex "marriage", calling it marriage equality!  Or they rejoice in free speech that blasphemes God or in "art" that shows a crucifix in a jar of urine!

At what point can "just Lots" become lost as the people described above?  Maybe they don't.  Maybe that is where the "once saved, always saved" argument comes in, but that's not the point.  "Just Lots" do nothing to further the kingdom of God on earth.  They can be lukewarm, and God hates that! (Rev. 3:16)  They can become part of the strife and debate!  What is happening in this country today is a direct result of a people who have first rejected God, or more specifically, Christ, because He is the only way to God, and then we see the downward spiral.  Fighting the individual sins within the spiral does nothing to help.  People have to be shown salvation in Christ!  Jesus is the ONLY answer to our country's problems - God's Good News Gift to a lost and dying world!

Once God gives a person over to a reprobate mind, I don't know if He ever brings him back. Indeed Isaiah 55:6 says, "Seek ye the LORD while He may be found, call ye upon Him while he is near", indicating there will be a time when He won't be found.  The idea of God giving up on a person and leaving him to himself is a terrible thought!  But God did not leave us defenseless and without a clue.  Besides the fact that God constantly makes Himself known in His creation and in His Spirit who calls us, God has left us His Word!  He left us a historical record of flawed people screwing up just like we all do, but shows us the way out through Jesus Christ.  He left us countless insights into His love, mercy, and majesty.  He left us His guide for living!  He left us with a tangible hold-in-our-hands way to get close to Him when things get tough and we need a little peace and wisdom.  It is why I have tried to turn this blog mainly into a Bible study rather than being part of the constant strife.  It's not that I have changed my mind about any of the Godless issues that plague our country, but I have come to realize that it's not the Godless acts that will bring about God's wrath and the loss of His blessings on this country, but it's because we first turned our backs on God and rejected Him by pushing Him out that we are naturally on this decline, as described in Romans above.  It's important that we Christians turn back to God and that we show Christ to an unsaved world.  I need the constant help from the Lord's guide and my desire in posting these pages is that someone else might find something that will draw him/her to God's Word.  I know once people get into God's Word, He will take them from there!  Actually, I know that He can bring His lost sheep to Himself in any way, but I suppose because I first came to Him by investigating His Word, I have the desire to encourage others to seek Him that way.  I will close with these thoughts from my Lord's Word:

"Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." - 2 Timothy 2:15

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding." - Proverbs 3:5

"Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That you may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom you shine as lights in the world; Holding forth the word of life..." - Philippians 2:14-16a