Genesis 19 Inductive Bible Study: An Unlikely Man of Faith (VIII)
Outline
vv.1-15 The Judgment of Sodom – the Dreadful Deliverance
vv.23-29 The Judgment of Sodom – the Dreadful Execution
vv.30-38 The Judgment of Sodom – the Dreadful Aftermath
Textual Summary
The two angels went to Sodom and were received by Lot. Shortly after that, the men of the whole city came to Lot’s house, violently demanding that the two angels be brought out and raped. Lot failed in mediating, even by offering his two virgin daughters to be raped in their stead. The angels struck blind the villains and urged Lot to get out of the city, warning him of the coming judgment. When Lot got away safe, God destroyed the city by raining fire and brimstone from heaven. Lot and his two daughters later lived in a cave. In fear of leaving no offspring behind, Lot’s two daughters each made their father drunk and impregnated him, each bearing a son, who became the father of the Moabites and the Ammonites, respectively.
Interpretative Challenges
Who were the two angels (v.1)?
Most commentators agree that from the context, namely the narrative flow of Gen. XVIII to XIX, the two angels were the two men who accompanied the Lord, subsequently separated from Him, and now were commissioned to execute judgment against the wicked city Sodom.
Why was Lot sitting at the gate of Sodom (v.1)?
The gate of the city was the place where many major social activities of the town were convened, especially the meeting of the elders for the discussion and prosecution of legal and civil matters (cf. Deut. 21:18-21; Ruth 4:1; Amos 5:15). Not unlike a social hub, the city gate was also a comfortable place to meet. Describing this custom in ancient Palestine, the JFB Commentary says, “In Eastern cities it is the market, the seat of justice, of social intercourse and amusement, especially a favorite lounge in the evenings, the arched roof affording a pleasant shade.”
The fact that Lot was sitting in the city gate of Sodom indicated that he had become well-off and even gained a status as a respected ruling elder of the community. He had formerly been living in tents outside the city (Gen. 13:12). Now he had moved into the city and made it to the “upper class.”
Why did the angels say that they would spend the night in the square (v.2)?
In ancient times, most towns had no inns or hotels. A traveler in need of lodging would often go to the town square, an open area near the towered entrance to the city (i.e., city gate). Important cities might have more than one square, e.g., Jerusalem (Neh. 8:16).
They were, however, strongly urged by Lot to stay at his place. The MacArthur Study Bible commented, “Lot’s invitation to the two angels to partake themselves of his hospitality was most likely not just courtesy, but an effort to protect them from the known perversity of the Sodomites (cf. v.8).” In other words, Lot’s hospitality was intended more for protection than refreshment because he knew full well the wretchedness of the people: if the two men were to spend the night at the square, they would highly likely be sexually harassed and physically harmed by the aggressive rabble in town. Anyway, what Lot feared did come to pass, as the following verses show.
What was the difference between Abraham and Lot in terms of showing hospitality?
Lot was a righteous man (2 Pet. 2:7). And his act of showing hospitality to the two men was one demonstration of his righteousness, even though when compared to his uncle, his hospitality was of a lesser degree.
Both bowed down with his face to the ground, yet upon seeing the visitors, Abraham “ran from the tent door to meet them” (Gen. 18:2), but Lot merely “rose to meet them” (Gen. 19:1). Both made a feast for the guests, yet Abraham prepared a far more extravagant feast (Gen. 18:6-8) than did Lot, for the nephew only “baked unleavened bread” (Gen. 19:3), though the Hebrew word for feast in Gen. 19:3 (“mishteh”) does indicate that wine would be served. But it is also reasonable since the two angels entered the city in the evening (Gen. 19:1), and thus Lot’s baking of unleavened bread might suggest haste rather than casualness. One more interesting difference is that Abraham’s wife, Sarah, was involved in the showing of hospitality, whereas Lot’s wife was not. We know from the rest of the narrative that Lot’s wife became a pillar of salt because she deliberately ignored the angels’ warning. Her absence in the first three verses of the chapter probably gives us further clues to her character.
What exactly was the defining sin of the Sodomites?
The prophet Ezekiel orated, “Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had arrogance, abundant food and careless ease, but she did not help the poor and needy. Thus they were haughty and committed abominations before Me. Therefore I removed them when I saw it” (Eze. 16:49-50). As we can see, arrogance out of contentment and oppressing the poor and needy was probably before they “committed abominations.” Sin never exists in a vacuum; never exists in isolation. But the defining sin of Sodom, the “abomination,” is homosexuality, or Sodomy, to use the old English word.
A case against homosexuality has been made elsewhere (Unpublished data…). As homosexuality becomes increasingly tolerated in contemporary secular culture, Gen. XIX is too politically incorrect, or even too blatantly offensive, as perceived by some churches and believers, to be accepted by the unbelieving world. For the sake of effective evangelism, they reasoned, any tension-creating obstacle like this must be removed. And they came up with novel ways to interpret the passage. Some say that the sin of the Sodomites was a lack of hospitality, and the reason is that when they said to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may have relations with them” (Gen. 19:4, NASB; emphasis mine), the original Hebrew word for “have relations with” was in fact to know. Therefore, according to this interpretation, the Sodomites were trying to get to know the two angels, but they did it in such a violent and aggressive, thus inappropriate, way that God decided to punish them. That was their sin.
Nothing is farther from the truth, and nothing is more ridiculous than such a flabby way to approach Scripture.
vv.1-15 The Judgment of Sodom – the Dreadful Deliverance
Genesis 19 opens with an ominous tone as the two angels arrive in Sodom at evening. Lot, sitting at the city gate, immediately recognizes them and bows deeply in reverence. He insists they stay at his home instead of spending the night in the square, aware of the imminent danger posed by the depraved inhabitants of Sodom. The angels initially decline, but Lot’s earnest entreaty prevails, and they accompany him to his house.
Lot’s hospitality, though commendable, quickly turns into a desperate act of protection. The men of Sodom, described as all the men from every part of the city, surround Lot’s house and demand that the visitors be handed over to them for sexual exploitation. Lot steps outside to reason with them, even offering his two virgin daughters as substitutes—an act that reveals the extent of his desperation and the cultural norms of hospitality overshadowing his moral judgment.
The crowd’s reaction is one of anger and violence, pushing Lot to the brink. The angels intervene by pulling Lot back inside and striking the men outside with blindness, rendering them incapable of finding the door. This miraculous intervention underscores the gravity of the situation and the divine protection over Lot and his family.
The angels then urge Lot to gather his family and flee the city immediately. They reveal the impending divine judgment set to destroy Sodom due to its grievous sins. Lot’s sons-in-law, however, dismiss the warning as a joke, reflecting the pervasive disbelief and moral corruption within the city.
As dawn approaches, the angels hasten Lot, his wife, and his two daughters out of the city, emphasizing the urgency and severity of the coming destruction. Lot’s lingering prompts the angels to physically grasp their hands and lead them out, demonstrating both divine mercy and Lot’s reluctance. The angels instruct them to flee to the mountains and not look back, a command signifying total abandonment of the condemned city and its sinful ways.
Lot pleads to be allowed to escape to a small town, Zoar, instead of the mountains, fearing he would not survive the journey. The angels grant his request, showcasing divine leniency in the face of Lot’s fear and frailty.
vv.23-29 The Judgment of Sodom – the Dreadful Execution
As Lot reaches Zoar, the sun rises over the land, marking the commencement of divine judgment. The Lord rains down burning sulfur from the heavens on Sodom and Gomorrah, obliterating the cities, their inhabitants, and all the vegetation in the vicinity. The totality of the destruction reflects the completeness of divine retribution against pervasive wickedness.
Lot’s wife, however, disobeys the explicit command not to look back and is turned into a pillar of salt. Her fate
