Abraham Series - 11 Genesis 19

Judgment Rains Down - Genesis 19

The story of God's judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah is a difficult one. This is definitely not a 'G' rated movie. Not even 'PG' - there is raw evil here - and because of that, May be tempted to put heads down, avoid looking at this entire horrifying story - and move on to the next, much tamer story of Abraham's life. But God put this chapter into our Bibles for a purpose. And if we ignore it - we are ignoring it to our own harm.

This destruction on Sodom becomes a model of God's judgment on sinful people - and if you read the story carefully - you see many parallels to the story of the flood - where God judged the entire world - but rescued Noah and his family. God judges sinners, but rescues the righteous - because He is faithful to His covenant commitments - - that's the story, in a nutshell. But there is so much more to bring out - so let's dive in.

1 RIGHTEOUS HOSPITALITY ON DISPLAY, vv. 1-3

We are continuing an unfolding story that begins at the beginning of chapter 18, when three visitors show up at Abraham’s tent. It is a Christophany - a pre-incarnate visit of the Son of God. He comes to Abraham, with 2 angels.

Abraham welcomes them, lavishes on them extravagant hospitality - a feast with enough food to send them on with doggy-bags that will keep them fed for weeks.

After dinner, Abraham stands with the three visitors as they prepare to continue on their journey, looking south east, from the hill-country where Abraham lives, down over the Dead Sea and area to the south-east. The Lord confides in him that He is going to judge the twin cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, the edge of which they can see from their perch.

And, in an instant, Abraham turns from host to intercessor.

“Will you destroy everyone in the city, just because some are wicked?” “Will you sweep away the RIGHTEOUS with the wicked?” “Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?!”

The man of faith is concerned that the righteous people of an evil place - don’t get caught up in the dragnet of God’s judgment. Even more than that - Abraham is concerned about God’s good name and reputation.

While Abraham is standing before the Living God, pleading his case … the two angels make the journey into Sodom, to see for themselves how bad things really are. God does NOT have a bad temper - His judgment comes ONLY after careful inspection. That’s the point here.

Verse 1 of chapter 19 tells us that the two angels get to Sodom in the evening. How fitting that just before physical darkness descends, the visitors enter a place where moral darkness is already reigning. And it just so happens that at the very time they arrive - who should be sitting in the gate of the city, but Abraham’s nephew, Lot. In the ancient world, the gat is the place where you enter and exit the city - if you want to get in, you have to pass by the people sitting there. But even more - the city gate is like the city courthouse. It you have a complaint - if you want justice, you bring your case to the men at the city gate.

Here’s Lot - sitting there alone. Don’t miss the providence of God here. Also, don’t miss that Lot is sitting here alone - it’s as if he’s the only one in the whole city who cares about justice.

Through the shadows thrown by dusk’s fading light, he sees the two men arriving and notice his response. Verse 1: “WhenLot saw them,he rose to meet them and bowed himself with hiss face to the earth … v.2 … an said, ‘My lords, please turn aside to your servant’s house and spend the night and wash your feet ...’.”

He welcomes the travelers with reverence and respect - and he offers them hospitality. You can see the family resemblance with Uncle Abraham here. So far, so good.

But don’t miss the veiled concern at the end of v. 2, “Then you may rise up EARLY and go on your way.” That may sound innocuous, except we’re about to find out that the state of the city is so low that what Lot is saying here is: “You’ll probably want to spend as littl time in this city and draw as little attention to yourselves while you’re here - as possible. Then, after you get a good night’s sleep in the safety of my place - you can sneak out of town before everyone wakes up.”

“No thanks,” they say. “We’ll just spend the night in the town square.”

“Right. I think you better come and stay at my place. I insist.”

Lot feels the way we would feel if someone came to the AMBER conference, from out of town. When they arrive to register, you welcome them and ask: “Do you have somewhere to stay? A relative, a friend, a hotel?” They say, ‘No -- that’s fine, I hear that Vancouver is a beautiful city with a mild climate. I’m just going to head into the city and explore. I’ll just sleep on the sidewalk at the corner of Hastings and Main. I want to enjoy some Vancouver ‘hospitality’.’

“Ummm … no.”

Verse 3: “But he PRESSED them STRONGLY.” psr - m’od - Lot urged them to the point of embarrassment. He twisted the arms of these visitors until they give in and follow him home.

This man knows what his city is like - he knows that this is not a good place for visitorys at ANY time - and especially after dark.

2 A CITY OF ABSOLUTE EVIL, vv. 4-11

Everything in Sodom is perverse - absolute evil.

After dinner - inside Lot’s house, the dishes are done and everyone is sitting around the kitchen table, playing Uno. Meanwhile … verse 4 tells us what’s going on OUTSIDE the house:

Genesis 19:4: “But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, BOTH YOUNG AND OLD, ALL the people TO THE LAST MAN, surrounded the house.”

It’s emphatic: grandfathers and fathers and sons - the word translated, ‘young’ - is used in the OT to refer to anyone from a child, who has just been weaned - to a teenager just approaching marriageable age. The narrator is stressing that from the boys to the most senior of senior citizens - all the males surround the house.

And why this massive, city-wide party? Because Lot has guests. The crowd calls out - v. 5, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, that we may KNOW them.”

Make no mistake, they are NOT saying, “Hey Lot, we are a very friendly city here in Sdom - we want to make sure we see your guests face to face so we can give them a handshake and some touristy gifts: My parents went to Sodom and all I got was this lousy t-shirt.”

Not at all - the word, “KNOW - them” - that’s the word for intimacy between husband and wife. The NIV captures the sense perfectly - “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them.”

The whole crowd is calling out.

Dads, we all know the importance of spending time with our kids - It’s fun to get together with other dads and their sons: “Hey son - we are going to have a festival in town tonight - all your friends are going with their dads and granddads - it’s going to be a guys night!

“Sounds fun, dad! It’s been so long since we’ve done anything together. What are we going to do? Go night fishing? Go find a field so we can look at the stars? Learn how to make a campfire and tell scary stories? Are you going to talk to me about how to be a man, dad?”

Not in Sodom … The entire male population of the city comes together around Lot’s house - an starts shouting demands for the guests to be brought outside. The town has gathered for sexual assault.

Just in case you are like Abraham and have been wondering, ever since God’s news that Judgment is coming on these two cities: “What about the innocent?!” … the narrator is making it clear: “There ARE NO innocent.”

It isn’t as though these men are breaking the law - this IS the law in Sodom. It’s not as though you can call 9-1-1 and ask for the police … the whole police force is here - as part of the mob!

Oh the depravity of this city. How do boys get to the point where they would finish dinner, wipe their faces with the napkin, politely take their dishes to the dishwasher, then hold hands with dad and granddad - and run downtown for THIS?!

The answer is - the boys have grown up with the example of godless fathers, who called ‘good’ - ‘evil’ … and ‘evil’ - ‘good’ … who made a mockery of morality to the point that there is NO conscience left.

There are always those, in a group of this size - and you know what it is to have been on the receiving end of sexual abuse. According to statistics - roughly 30 percent of you carry the wounds of unwanted touch or being forced to touch another. Those wounds can be oh, so heavy. See here that the LORD doesn’t take your pain for granted. He cares. He investigates - and He WILL avenge.

Now, some people read this passage and say, ‘The problem here is not homosexuality - it is the violent nature of what they have in mind. That certainly is the problem here in Sodom, but we can’t just leave it there, when we deal with this text - not in OUR society.

ALL homosexual activity - hostile or not - is forbidden in the Bible. It’s a capital offense in the OT. And if you say, “Well - the OT law … if you’re going to appeal to that to say that homosexual activity is wrong - then you also have to say that eating lobster and prawns is wrong … not to mention wearing clothes made of mixed fibres.”

I hear that response so often. But it doesn’t hold up.

Leviticus 18:22, Take a look there. “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.”. This isn’t a command against violent homosexual activity - it is a command against the sexual activity that goes against God’s created order of male and female.

And if you say - ‘well what about the shellfish?’ … look at the context of this chapter. verse 18 is surrounded by God’s commands about human sexuality. There are commands forbidding sexual relations with prarents, sisters, sons and daughters in-law, children and grandchildren. Which of those would you say are okay today? Look at the verses immediately surrounding the command against homosexuality:

Leviticus 18:21: “You shall not give any of your children to offer them to Molech and so profane the name of your God” - Child sacrifice - is that okay?

Verse 23, “And you sahll not lie with any animal and so make yourself unclean with it, niether shall any woman give herself to an animal to lie with it; it is a perversion.”

Would you consider bestiality to be okay now?

And in the NT - Paul writes, in Romans 1:26-27, about the sin of homosexual activity: “For this reason, God gave them up to dishonourable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature. (27) and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.”

Paul is pointint out here that the presence of homosexuality is not a CAUSE of God’s judgment - it is the SIGN of God’s judgment, ALREADY ARRIVED - and it’s the sign of a society that is already UNDER the judgment of God … and it all grows out of the soil of failing to THANK GOD.

That’s where our society is at today.

The Germans hava a saying: “A shadow cannot produce a shadow.” That’s very true. My parent’s generation was a shadow. It kept the morality of the Bible, but the worship and delight in God was gone. There was no THANKFULNESS. My generation continued the decline - buta shadow can’t produce a shdow - so now, today’s generation asks, “What’s the basis of those morals?” And the shadow generation can’t give an answer without worship of the living God - so this generation says, “Forget it - We will make up our own morality and we will celebrate expressive individualism - no matter what the Bible says.”

And at a time when there is increasing pressure INSIDE the Church to ‘un-sin’ homosexual practice - and confuse Jesus’ love for sinners with an affirmation of unrepentant sin …

For the sake of truth, and love for broken people to declare that We will believe what the Bible says about homosexual activity - as well as every other form of sexual intimacy outside of heterosexual marriage - BECAUSE, our authority comes, NOT from the shifting sands of popular cultural opinion, but from the Rock-solid, unchanging Word of God.

We DON’T treat homosexuality as if those who struggle with that temptation are somehow less than we are, just because our struggles are in different areas. We are all broken rebels -and, thank God - there is a redeeming, transforming Saviour who came to rescue us - Jesus Christ who alone can set us free!

In verse 6, Lot steps outside his front door: “Lot went out to the men at te entrance, shut the door after him ...” Stop right there - don’t miss that. He knows the danger that this mob poses to his guests. He has invited them under his roof and takes responsibility for their safety - so he steps outside and closes the door behind him - for the protection of everyone inside. Now it’s the single sheep against a pack of wolves. And he tries to plead with them. Verse 7: “I beg you, my brothers, do not act so wickedly.”

Verse 8: “I have two daughters whoo have not known any man. Let me bring them out to you, and do to them as you please. Only do nothing to these men, for they have come under the shelter of my roof.”

“Are you kidding me?! Take my daughters instead?!” Some people try to defend Lot’s offer here by saying that he was being true to the responsibility in his culture of true hospitality - protecting guests no matter what.

I’m not buying that as an excuse. If your solution to a threat to your guests is to trot your daughters out to a rabid mob of perverts and tell them to, ‘do as you please’ … then you need to come up with a different solution.

Dads - do you have a daughter? I didn’t raise any myself, but I have two precious daughters in-law now, and let me tell you - if I was in a jam and the list of potential solutions to the problem was a short list - there are a few things I could see trying to do - some maybe not even very smart ideas. But handing over my daughter to a crowd of perverts … would be NOWHERE on that list. “OVER MY DEAD BODY will you touch my daughter!”

And I know that every other dad in this place feels the same way I do.

Do you see what’s going on here? We are at the end of years of Lot inching closer and closer to Sodom.

Chapter 13 - There has been a Progression in this man’s life - In chapter 13:12 - Lot chose where he was going to live - according to what his eyes desired. Verse 12, "Lot, settled among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom." One chapter further, 14:12, Lot, "... was dwelling in Sodom." Now here, in chapter 19, verse 1, "Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom." - he’s one of the leading men of the city, sitting on the judge’s bench. And verse _____ he shut the door behind him … the guy who began in a tent - outside Sodom … now has a house right in the middle of town.

Do you see the progression - the logical progression of getting comfortable with sin - making decisions with your eyes, rather than by God's word: Lot starts out on the outskirts of this city - then he moves right into town. And finally - here he is as one of the leading men of the city – sitting in the place of judgment.

And as a leader - Lot's family follows his lead - they have become stained by the culture too. And in the last part of this chapter - after the family (except for Lot's wife) is safely rescued - his daughters, who now have no husbands and no prospects - the eharmony database has been wiped out - since there are no men left alive in Sodom - so in order to solve the problem of not having a way to have children - they come up with the idea and then take turns in getting their father drunk and committing incest with him so that the family line can continue. They are messed up - and no small amount of responsibility for that - lies at the feet of dad -

Let us be aware of the same danger in our lives, friends - we live in our own depraved society - and as we sit in society's sewage - you cannot help but become stinky in your own thoughts - whether you want to or not. So be careful little eyes what you see; be careful little ears, what you hear - be careful what you entertain yourself with and what company you keep.

Lot has done the best thing he can think of to protect his guests - but the men outside are not moved. Not an inch. They respond to his plea - and his offer - by getting more worked up - v. 9, "Stand back!" "Get out of the way"! This fellow came to sojourn - in other words - you are not even a native of our city - you're an immigrant - and now you are telling us how to live?!! "Now we will deal worse with you than with them ..."

But you see what's going on here? Lot got closer and closer to Sodom - until he is living inside the city. And not only does he live inside of it - but he has become one of its leading men - - he has spent so much time in Sodom - that Sodom has gotten into him. He may know God - but he is thinking more and more like a man of his depraved city.

And as a leader - Lot's family follows his lead - they have become stained by the culture too. And in the last part of this chapter - after the family (except for Lot's wife) is safely rescued - his daughters, who now have no husbands and no prospects - the eharmony database has been wiped out - since there are no men left alive in Sodom - so in order to solve the problem of not having a way to have children - they come up with the idea and then take turns in getting their father drunk and committing incest with him so that the family line can continue. They are messed up - and no small amount of responsibility for that - lies at the feet of dad -

Let us be aware of the same danger in our lives, friends - we live in our own depraved society - and as we sit in society's sewage - you cannot help but become stinky in your own thoughts - whether you want to or not. So be careful little eyes what you see; be careful little ears, what you hear - be careful what you entertain yourself with and what company you keep.

Lot has done the best thing he can think of to protect his guests - but the men outside are not moved. Not an inch. They respond to his plea - and his offer - by getting more worked up - v. 9, "Stand back!" "Get out of the way"! This fellow came to sojourn - in other words - you are not even a native of our city - you're an immigrant - and now you are telling us how to live?!! "Now we will deal worse with you than with them ..."

3 RESCUE OF THE FEEBLE, vv. 12-22

At this point in the story - all seems to be lost - - nobody is going to survive. O, but there is gospel in this story.

Just when the mob is in a frenzy that has reached fever-pitch; Lot is about to be destroyed and everyone in the house after him ...

Verse 10: "But the men reached out their hands and brought Lot into the house with them and shut the door." The action slows right down - see the arms stretching out through the door, hands closing around Lot’s collar - and the angel messengers, dragging the helpless man back into safety, inside the house - no help from him whatsoever. Rescued whether he wants to be or not.

“… And SHUT the door” - an echo of God, before the Flood destroys the earth - Noah and his family are safely inside the ark - “and God SHUT the door.”

v. 11, "And they struck with blindness the men who were at the entrance of the house, both small and great, so that they wore themselves out groping for the door."

SEE the pit-bull determination to do evil on the part of the men of Sodom – they have been struck with blindness – with a bright flash of light – Like Saul on the road to Damascus in the NT – but there is no repentance – they don’t fall to the ground – recognizing that God has just sent a message – they are so bent on doing evil that even though they can’t see anymore – they will keep feeling around for a way to get into the house.

Now that the angels have bought a few minutes of breathing room - they sound the alarm - "Do you have anyone else in town? Get your family - and come with us because destruction is coming! The outcry against its people is great!"

Lot goes out and calls to the men who are engaged to be married to his daughters - like Pilgrim in Pilgrim's Progress - Up! Get out of this place, for the LORD is about to destroy the city."

And their response shows a mixture of their own wickedness and Lot's failure as a spiritual leader to his extended family - the young men think it's all a big joke. They don't move.

Verse 15 tells us that, as morning is dawning - the black of night being chased away - just enough daylight to safely travel - the angels "urged Lot" the text tells us. These are desperate times - "Get up! (Can you imagine being able to sleep after a night like they have all just been through) ... Up - v. 15, "Take your wife and your two daughters who are here. Lest you be swept away in the punishment of the city."

And Lot, who had just had his life saved from the mad mob - jumped up and said - "let's go." Well, that's what we would expect, isn't it? A way of escape from this horrible city. But that's not what Lot does.

Verse 16 tells us, "But he (LOT) lingered." Are you kidding me? He's not in a hurry to leave? Well then - go without him. That’s what I would do.

But see the stubborn mercy of God - Verse 16 goes on, "... So the men sezied him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, THE LORD BEING MERCIFUL TO HIM, and THEY BROUGHT HIM out and set him outside the city." Again - whether he wants it or not - God will save the righteous - no matter how foolish they look. And see the image here - of God's angels dragging the resistant man by the hand - and setting him and his family on the outside of the city gates - pointing to the distant hills and saying - run for your lives.

Do not stop and v. 17 says, "do not even look back" - lest you be swept away."

And Lot says, "Sure thing - let's run everyone."

NO - Again - see Lot's resistance. Verse 18, "Oh no my lords. (19) Behold, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have shown me great kindness in saving my life. But I cannot escape to the hills, lest the disaster overtake me and I die. (20) Behold, this ciety is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one. Let me escape there - is it not a little one? And my life will be saved!" You get the idea that Lot doesn't really want to be saved at all.

Doesn't his whimpering make you ill? He loves the city almost more than he wants the Lord.

Derek Kidner: "Not even brimstone will make a pilgrim of him. He must have his own little Sodom if life is to be supportable."

It is good for Lot that I wasn't in charge - of rescuing Lot - because you can see that he loves the world almost as much as he loves life. I want to say – “Just torch him, God! He’s not worth the rescue.”

And 2 Peter

But then I realize – and I wonder whether you realize the same thing – that I am Lot. Oh how good is God – providing for my every need – saving me from my own best laid plans. Patiently putting up with my fickle, feeble faith.

… Rescuing me from my sin and bearing with me in my doubt that He is looking out for my best interests.

He says “Do not love the world, or the things of the world. Do not build up your treasures here on earth, where moth and rust decay and thieves break in and steal” – but I keep seeing new trinkets that capture my eyes … And I say, “Sure thing, Lord! … Look at that shiny car! I want!”

And yet He calls me ‘RIGHTEOUS’.

4 JUDGEMENT RAINS DOWN, vv. 23-29

In v. 23, night’s black has been broken by the morning sun, Lot is safely at Zoar. Now the God committed to protecting the righteous, can act in Judgement.

Verse 24, “Then the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the LORD out of heaven.”

Sulfur and fire do the destroying, but make no mistake about the ultimate cause: “The LORD rained on Sodom and Gomorrah … from the LORD, OUT OF HEAVEN.”

The city - the people the very vegetation on the ground is all destroyed.

I said that LOT is safely in Zoar … his wife is not at his side.

Verse 26: “But Lot’s wife, behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.”

A casualty of judgment - turned into a pillar of salt.

“What’s that all about?”

I don’t know about you, but I grew up with the idea in my head that while she was running, she made the mistake of turning around for one last, quick glance at the city that was her home – and ‘ZAP’ – God blasted her. That doesn’t sound fair – and it isn’t what the Bible says –

The judgment doesn’t come down until Lot is safely in Zoar – He is safely in the place of refuge – but his wife is still behind him on the road somewhere. She didn’t turn back for a quick glance – she stopped and stared and longed for home – You’re familiar with the song, “I left my heart in San Francisco ...”. Lot left her heart in Sodom ... so attached to the things of the city - that she never finished the trip to safety.

LUKE 17:31-32 - - On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back. Remember Lot’s wife.

The section ends, in v. 27: Abraham gazing off into the distance, over the smoke rising from the ashes of what once was the twin cities of Sodom and Gomorrah – we are reminded that he had been standing in that same spot the day before – - he had been face to face with God, pleading with him to NOT destroy the cities - if it meant that the righteous would suffer too.

"Will not the judge of all the earth do right?" And the answer to his question is a resounding 'YES!' He will do right - and more ..

He rescued Lot - Lot tries to be a blessing - but he fails miserably - He fails as a host, he fails as a citizen, he fails as a father and a fails as a husband - - Every social relationship - Lot fails in. He is a bungler - tries to protect his guests - but needs to be protected by them. He tries to persuade his family to flee from the judgment with him - and they think he is joking. He is a buffoon – but God saves him.

2 Peter 2:6 “if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly;”

Gives you hope, doesn’t it?

Story points forward to the end of this age – Jesus come back in glory – and this world will be judged. Revelation.

.1 Corinthians 6:9-11: “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

… AND SUCH WERE SOME OF YOU. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” 

 I want Maranatha to be a church like that—justified sinners battling together to walk in purity, with all of our differing genetic, hormonal, environmental disorders that incline everyone of us, in varying ways, to do sinful things. [1] Whether you are fighting a raging battle against homosexuality or drunkenness or greed or self-centeredness – or gossip – whatever your battle … We want to walk hand in hand – not to prove to God that we are good enough for Him. Not at all.

But because for those of us who believe in Christ - He has already rescued us … not by the hands of an angel – but through the blood of His own Son – every drop of which is more precious than the entire universe – He gave up His life - - so that we could be grabbed and pulled inside to safety and then carried to safety outside of the land of destruction