Welcome back to PvBible Alive. I am Bruce Hays, your host and pastor of Parkview Baptist Church. We are continuing today with our study of the book of Genesis in the Bible. Genesis is the first book in the Bible, and it describes the start of everything we know. It describes the creation of the world and humanity. So it has been called the book of beginnings.
It is also a book full of firsts; the first marriage, the birth, the first city, the first flood, and on the list could go. And many of the firsts that we discover in Genesis are negative, and sinful. The first lie, the first doubt, the first shame, the first murder, the first polygamy, the first drunkenness.
But there’s no more inauspicious “first” than the one we will study today in chapter 19 of Genesis. “The first sexual deviancy.”
But this story is also about being influenced by the world around you. The Bible tells Christians to be “in the world, but not of the world.” In this story we rejoin the story of a man who put himself in a place where the world would have a profound influence on him and his family. And that’s a dangerous place to be.
So if you want to turn to Genesis 19, we will begin.
And remember the context for this story. At the end of chapter 18, God and 2 angels had visited Abraham and told him that He was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities of the plain, because of the evil they were doing. Abraham, concerned for his nephew Lot, who lived in Sodom, asked God to spare the city if He found just 10 righteous people in it. God agreed, and they parted company.
The angels went on to the city of Sodom. Sodom was located somewhere around the southern end of the Dead Sea, in Israel today. That’s where we begin our story.
19 And there came two angels to Sodom at even; 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;
Now these two angels were coming in disguise. They appeared as human men. Many appearances of angels in the Bible were like that. That’s why the book of Hebrews says,
Hebrews 13:2 Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.
It may have been this visit of angels to Abram, to which the author of Hebrews was referring.
So these angels arrive as common travelers to the city of Sodom, and it is evening. And as they arrive they see Lot sitting in the gate of the city. This may be an indication of the position to which Lot had risen in this place. The gate of a city was often the place of transacting business, or making judgments. It was like a “City Hall.” All the elders of the city would gather there during the day, and if anyone had a legal matter to adjudicate, they came to the elders at the gate to see that all parties received justice. And it would seem that Lot may have been counted among the elders of the city.
Now, we don’t know this for sure. Lot may have been in the gate for another reason. But nonetheless, he’s come a long way from when he followed Abram from Ur of the Chaldees with his wife and household some 24 years prior to this. In those intervening years, he separated his clan from Abram, moved down to the plains around the Jordan, near to Sodom, and now we see that he is moved in to the town, and may be an elder of the city.
So he sees the angels approaching the city, he bows to them in a customary way, and says,
2 And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways.
Now this was the customary hospitality of the day. There were now Holiday Inns in which to lodge. And some businesses that were established to accommodate travelers were little more than brothels. They were places of drunkenness and prostitution. So, it’s possible that Lot sat at the gate in order to intercept travelers in order to offer them the safe hospitality of his home. And so he does,
And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night.
We’ll just camp out in the streets. Travelers would expect to have to camp on any kind of long journey. And besides that, these two angels were on a fact-finding mission, to see first-hand the evil of the cities of the plain. And what better way to witness evil, than to sleep on the streets of a strange city at night. But Lot wouldn’t have it.
3 And he pressed upon them greatly;
He kept insisting that they not sleep on the street, but stay at his house. One might gather that Lot was well aware of what happened to strangers alone in Sodom. So they relent and agree to stay in his home.
and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.
He prepares a meal for them, and takes care of their needs.
4 But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter:
5 And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them.
What’s happening here? Well, someone besides Lot saw these men come into town. And word quickly spread about these visitors. So it says that “all” the men of the city surrounded Lot’s house. And they called out to Lot to send the visitors out to them, that they might “know” them. Now this is not just a desire to welcome strangers, or to hear news from the outside world. To “know” someone was a euphemism for having sexual relations with them. Way back in the story of the first man and woman, it says that Adam “knew” Eve, and she bear a son. And that’s how sexual relations were described. And we know that that is what they wanted because of the conversation that followed.
6 And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him,
7 And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly.
8 Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof.
Okay, so obviously they wanted to gang rape these two men. But there’s something else here that I’m sure you noticed. Lot offers his daughters to this gang of men, to rape as they saw fit, as a replacement for the two visitors. This is the first indication of how far Lot had sunk in his own sinfulness under the influence of Sodom.
Now I’ve heard all kinds of explanations for this. Number one, many cultures then, and now, view females in a family as little more than property. Number two, the idea of surrendering these visiting men to Sodomy was a reprehensible thought for Lot. And number three, there was a standard of hospitality, that demanded that the host take care of those under his roof, even to the point of giving his life.
But still, this is just horrid, and disgusting. And it brings us to one of our principles of interpreting the Scripture. We must remember, that just because something happened on the pages of the Bible, doesn’t mean that God approved of it. Much of the Bible is an historic account of things that happened. And it is brutally honest about what has happened. But we must not equate the chronicling of an event with God’s approval. Just because Lot, who is the “good guy” in this story, offers his daughters up to this violent mob, doesn’t mean God approved of that. In fact, it really shines a light on Lot’s character. Well, they don’t take him up on his offer.
9 And they said, Stand back. And they said again, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door.
If you don’t surrender the men, we will break down your door, take them, and you will suffer as well.
Now, I’m going to pause here with this narrative to address a question. It is the question of a Biblical view on homosexuality. Down through the 2000 year history of the church, this Bible passage has been rightly understood to condemn homosexuality as a an abomination. It is so bad a sin, that God determined to destroy 5 cities over it. But in recent years, many have attempted to reinterpret this passage. They understand that there is a sin here that God will judge, but they reinterpret it to be violence, rape and inhospitality.
In other words, some modern interpreters of this narrative say that God judged Sodom and Gomorrah because they were violent and inhospitable toward these angels who visited the city. It had nothing to do with homosexuality being a perversion of God’s plan for sexuality.
Well, if the only word we had about homosexuality in the Bible was this passage, they may have been able to make that argument. But this isn’t the only passage about homosexuality. Now I’m not going to belabor this point, but let me make ----quick statements about homosexuality and the Bible.
1. God united the first man and woman in a marriage and blessed that union. This is the “God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve” argument. Now this in itself, is an incomplete argument, but if you couple it with #2, it becomes quite compelling.
2. Jesus used God’s uniting of Adam and Eve, “one man and one woman” as Scriptural evidence against divorce.
Matthew 19: 4 And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who [a]made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? 6 So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”
He was using the first couple as God’s model for all other marriages. He is establishing that despite the fact that many people had violated this “one man and one woman” model, in Biblical history, it was God’s original design for marriage.
With that said, it’s not hard to see that “one man and one woman” as God’s design for marriage, excludes homosexuality.
3. There is no example of a homosexual union in Scripture that is approved. Every homosexual union in Scripture is condemned.
Now when I say this, I’m talking about when the Bible expressly describes a homosexual union. Some have tried to imply that there were homosexual relationships in the Bible that were approved, or at least weren’t condemned. For example, some have postulated that David and Jonathan were a homosexual couple. But the Bible never describes them as engaged in any homosexual act. That idea is just the product of the imagination, seeing “gay” through “gay” lenses.
4. To add to the previous point, no sexual relationship, outside of “one man and one woman” for life, is approved in the Bible.
It’s not just homosexuality that isn’t approved, it’s adultery (sex with someone other than your spouse) pre-marital sex, homosexuality, polygamy (multiple spouses), bestiality, and incest. So the model has always been “one man and one woman” for life.
5. To reiterate, every homosexual act is condemned in Scripture.
Leviticus 20 10 ‘The man who commits adultery with another man’s wife, he who commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress, shall surely be put to death. 11 The man who lies with his father’s wife has uncovered his father’s nakedness; both of them shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them. 12 If a man lies with his daughter-in-law, both of them shall surely be put to death. They have committed perversion. Their blood shall be upon them. 13 If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them. 14 If a man marries a woman and her mother, it is wickedness. They shall be burned with fire, both he and they, that there may be no wickedness among you. 15 If a man mates with an animal, he shall surely be put to death, and you shall kill the animal. 16 If a woman approaches any animal and mates with it, you shall kill the woman and the animal. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood is upon them.
17 ‘If a man takes his sister, his father’s daughter or his mother’s daughter, and sees her nakedness and she sees his nakedness, it is a wicked thing. And they shall be [f]cut off in the sight of their people. He has uncovered his sister’s nakedness. He shall bear his [g]guilt.
6. And to add to that, the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah become a euphemism, throughout Scripture, for God’s judgment.
Zephaniah 2:9 Therefore, as I live,” Says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, “Surely Moab shall be like Sodom, And the people of Ammon like Gomorrah— Overrun with weeds and saltpits, And a perpetual desolation. The residue of My people shall plunder them, And the remnant of My people shall possess them.”
7. And although most of the Old Testament passages about Sodom, after Genesis, do not specifically mention homosexuality, Paul makes it abundantly clear in the New Testament, that homosexuality is condemned.
1 Corinthians 6:9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites,
1 Timothy 1:10 for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine,
Romans 1: 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their [a]women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27 Likewise also the [b]men, leaving the natural use of the [c]woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.
Jude 1: 7 as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the [d]vengeance of eternal fire.
So, it is undeniable that Scripture condemns all sexual sin, including homosexuality. And if we are being honest with ourselves, we would know that our argument is not about whether the Bible condemns homosexuality, but it’s about whether we want to believe the Bible, and trust God’s standards of righteousness. As I’ve said before, you can choose to believe the Bible, or not. But don’t try to twist it to fit your choices.
So back to our story,
10 But the men (the angels) put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut to the door.
11 And they (the angels) smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door.
This is Lot’s first indication that these men are no ordinary visitors. They struck the mob with blindness. But even in their blind state, they were still searching for Lot’s door.
12 And the men (the angels) said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place:
13 For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the Lord; and the Lord hath sent us to destroy it.
14 And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law.
So Lot goes out of his house to warn his family. God has told him that He is going to destroy the city. Now despite Lot’s shortcomings, he is a man of faith. 2 Peter 2:6-8
6 and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, having made them an example to those who would live in an ungodly way; 7 and delivered righteous Lot, who was very distressed by the lustful life of the wicked 8 (for that righteous man dwelling among them was tormented in his righteous soul from day to day with seeing and hearing lawless deeds):
He believes the word of the angels and goes out to try and convince his sons-in-law to escape the city. So it says sons, plural. It never says that Lot had any sons of his own. But he had, at least 2 more daughters. That brings the minimum total of Lot’s direct family to 8 people. If he had 3 more daughters, that would make the number of his immediate family to be 10.
Why is that important? Because God said that He would not destroy the city if He found 10 righteous people in it. Abraham may have thought that surely, Lot and his family will account for 10 righteous people. But even Lot’s sons-in-law didn’t believe him. So the sum total of those who escape the city are four; Lot, his wife, and his two daughters who aren’t married yet. And we’ll find that even these four can hardly be called righteous.
Here we have evidence that Lot had allowed the world to creep into his home. Lot would have had complete control over who his daughters married. But he consented to their marriage to ungodly men. And that doesn’t surprise us, considering how little value he placed on the two daughters who were still living under his roof.
15 And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.
They spent the night trying to convince relatives to leave. But how much time does that actually take? What else were they doing all night? Sleeping? I can’t imagine. If you get a message that your city is going to be destroyed, “Well, let me catch a few z’s before go.” Were they packing? “God’s going to destroy the city.” “Well let me get my suitcase.” “Should we take the good dishes?” And it seems that that kind of him hawing around was exactly what Lot and his family was doing. Because the night passes, the sun comes up, and the angels have to literally drag the four of them from their home.
16 And while he lingered, the men (angels) laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the Lord being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city.
17 And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.
Get as far away from here as you can. But here we have another indication that Lot had become a part of this world. His heart is still in these cities, and among these people.
18 And Lot said unto them, Oh, not so, my Lord:
19 Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die:
20 Behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one: Oh, let me escape thither, (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.
21 And he said unto him, See, I have accepted thee concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow this city, for the which thou hast spoken.
22 Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do anything till thou be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.
23 The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar.
Lot saw a little town in the plain that came to be called Zoar. It was one of the 5 cities of the plain that was slated for destruction. It was originally named Bela, but its name changes here because of Lot’s choosing it as a new home.
Genesis 14:2 they made war with Bera, king of Sodom; Birsha, king of Gomorrah; Shinab, king of Admah; Shemeber, king of Zeboiim; and the king of Bela (also called Zoar).
And he wanted to stop there. He didn’t want to go up into the mountainous areas. I don’t think he understood the magnitude of the judgment that was going to fall on Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities of the plain. He was still in love with the fertile plain. Again, this is evidence that he has become corrupted by the world. He makes another compromise to live in Zoar, rather than separate himself entirely from the world. He stops to settle in this little town. But then the conflagration starts.
24 Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire 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 upon the ground.
God rained brimstone and fire over all those cities. So what exactly does that mean? Well there is evidence in the region of a major geological event after the Bronze Age that decimated the area. Some think that petroleum and gases from under the surface of the ground could have burst out during a major earthquake, and that they were ignited and accompanied by magma coming out of the earth. You might remember that there were tar pits in the area that played a role in a battle between regional kings of the area. (Genesis 14:10) In addition, it says that
26 But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.
Now, I’ve looked in several places to try and determine why Lot’s wife turned into a pillar of salt. And the question I’m trying to answer is “Where did the salt come from?” You see, I approach the Bible with faith. That means that I believe that the events that are described in it, actually happened. So, if I read that God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah by raining fire and Brimstone, or sulfur on the cities, I believe it. Now that doesn’t mean that there was not some natural means that He used to accomplish His purpose. As I said before, the cities of the plain had some noted tar pits and seismic activity. So God could have used those “natural” disasters to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah.
So when I read that Lot’s wife turned into a pillar of salt, I understand that it happened because she took a longing look back at her home. And that looking back was breaking the direct command of the angels. They told them not to look back. So I understand that it happened because of her disobedience. But I want to know the possible natural explanation.
Well I got tired of looking, so I came up with two natural explanations on my own. And they have to do with whether the word “salt” literally means salt (the chemical compound NaCl) or if Lot’s wife was just covered with something that looked like salt. I have no problem with either explanation. In either case, I believe that the text means that she stopped and looked back, and whatever burning substance was raining down from the sky, suddenly came down on her, killed her and covered her on the spot. So that later, Lot and his family could look at the pillar that was her, and mourn over her hesitation.
So maybe it was salt. The Dead Sea is one of the saltiest in the world. And whatever God was raining down could have been, in part, a salt substance from the upheaved ground in some sort of eruption. Or maybe the sulfur that rained down on her took on a salt like appearance, after the disaster was over. So when they came to that spot, it looked like a pillar of salt.
Well, Lot and his family are dragged from Sodom, Lot’s wife dies, and Lot goes to the little town of Zoar, when the disaster strikes.
27 And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the Lord:
28 And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.
That must have been a gut-wrenching scene for Abraham. It was not only evidence of the wrath of God against sin, but it was also a reminder that there were not 10 righteous people in the cities that would cause God to spare them. As Abraham watched the smoke ascend, he had to wonder if Lot and his family had been saved. But God did save Lot, but not for his own sake…
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 the which Lot dwelt.
30 And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar: and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters.
So he becomes nervous about staying in Zoar. He’s seen the complete destruction of the other 4 cities of the plain, he’s seen his own wife killed because her heart was still back in Sodom, so he decides that he needs to get out of town completely.
It’s a sad commentary on the sinful heart of men. We often don’t see the danger of the culture we are marinating in, until judgment touches our door. Until then, we view our sins as “Zoar” compromises. We say to God, “It’s just a little sin, isn’t it?” But as we witness God’s judgment fall around us, we begin to realize that this little sin may bring judgement to our door. So, maybe later in life, we decide to get things right with God. We decide to start living right, and seeking God. We go to church and read our Bibles. We quit partying, or whatever else we know God was not pleased with.
The problem with getting right with God late is, our kids are already grown, they have already made moral and spiritual decisions that begin to set the dye for their lives. And that’s what has happened with Lot. He may now see the value in being separated from the world, but his daughters have carried the world into his own home.
30 And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar: and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters.
31 And the firstborn said unto the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth:
32 Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.
What? This is in the Bible? Yes, and you might recall that one of the principles of Bible interpretation is; “Just because it’s in the Bible, doesn’t mean that God approves of it.
Some people make that mistake as they read the Bible. In this narrative, for example, there is never a statement made, calling this evil, or expressing God’s disapproval. But remember that often in Scripture, a book will just tell you what happened, and expect the reader to understand the undertone of condemnation.
The earliest readers of this story would have been the later nation of Israel. And they would know that God had specifically condemned incest in the law.
Leviticus 20 10 ‘The man who commits adultery with another man’s wife, he who commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress, shall surely be put to death. 11 The man who lies with his father’s wife has uncovered his father’s nakedness; both of them shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them. 12 If a man lies with his daughter-in-law, both of them shall surely be put to death. They have committed perversion. Their blood shall be upon them. 13 If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them. 14 If a man marries a woman and her mother, it is wickedness. They shall be burned with fire, both he and they, that there may be no wickedness among you. 15 If a man mates with an animal, he shall surely be put to death, and you shall kill the animal. 16 If a woman approaches any animal and mates with it, you shall kill the woman and the animal. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood is upon them.
17 ‘If a man takes his sister, his father’s daughter or his mother’s daughter, and sees her nakedness and she sees his nakedness, it is a wicked thing. And they shall be [f]cut off in the sight of their people. He has uncovered his sister’s nakedness. He shall bear his [g]guilt.
So, even as they read this account, they would know that this is sin. But Lot’s daughters had become so corrupted by the culture of Sodom, that they propose this disgusting solution to their virginity.
33 And they made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.
34 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the firstborn said unto the younger, Behold, I lay yesternight with my father: let us make him drink wine this night also; and go thou 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 perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.
36 Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father.
37 And the first born bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day.
38 And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Benammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day.
Moab and Ammon will play a large role in the history of Israel later. The tribes and nations that arise from them become the enemies of Israel. Again, this is a sad commentary on the compromise that Lot made by moving in among, and becoming a part of an evil people.
And we are faced with the same compromise today. Our American culture has turned away from it’s Biblical moorings and accepted the world’s sexual values. Now, we should have expected that from people who are not Christian. They only have sin, Satan, and the world system to guide them. But now we actually have people who profess to be Christian accepting and even embracing the abomination of homosexuality.
Now I’m not saying that we should be hateful people. But we have to learn to navigate living in Sodom. We have to learn how to be “in the world” but not “of the world.” We cannot join the world in accepting this as normal, or as just an alternative lifestyle. If we do, we will find judgment at our door, and our own families corrupted.