Section 7 - Part 8b: God Judges Sodom and Gomorrah

Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening as Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground. And he said, “Now behold, my lords, please turn aside into your servant’s house, and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise early and go on your way.” They said however, “No, but we shall spend the night in the square.” Yet he urged them strongly, so they turned aside to him and entered his house; and he prepared a feast for them, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. Before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, both young and old, all the people from every quarter; 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 have relations with them.” But Lot went out to them at the doorway, and shut the door behind him, and said, “Please, my brothers, do not act wickedly. “Now behold, I have two daughters who have not had relations with man; please let me bring them out to you, and do to them whatever you like; only do nothing to these men, inasmuch as they have come under the shelter of my roof.” But they said, “Stand aside.” Furthermore, they said, “This one came in as an alien, and already he is acting like a judge; now we will treat you worse than them.” So they pressed hard against Lot and came near to break the door. But the men reached out their hands and brought Lot into the house with them, and shut the door. They struck the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they wearied themselves trying to find the doorway. Then the two men said to Lot, “Whom else have you here? A son-in-law, and your sons, and your daughters, and whomever you have in the city, bring them out of the place; for we are about to destroy this place, because their outcry has become so great before the Lord that the Lord has sent us to destroy it.” Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were to marry his daughters, and said, “Up, get out of this place, for the Lord will destroy the city.” But he appeared to his sons-in-law to be jesting. When morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Up, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away in the punishment of the city.” But he hesitated. So the men seized his hand and the hand of his wife and the hands of his two daughters, for the compassion of the Lord was upon him; and they brought him out, and put him outside the city. When they had brought them outside, one said, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you, and do not stay anywhere in the valley; escape to the mountains, or you will be swept away.” But Lot said to them, “Oh no, my lords! “Now behold, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have magnified your lovingkindness, which you have shown me by saving my life; but I cannot escape to the mountains, for the disaster will overtake me and I will die; now behold, this town is near enough to flee to, and it is small. Please, let me escape there (is it not small?) that my life may be saved.” He said to him, “Behold, I grant you this request also, not to overthrow the town of which you have spoken. “Hurry, escape there, for I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” Therefore the name of the town was called Zoar. The sun had risen over the earth when Lot came to Zoar. Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven, and He overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. But his wife, from behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt. Now Abraham arose early in the morning and went to the place where he had stood before the Lord; and he looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the valley, and he saw, and behold, the smoke of the land ascended like the smoke of a furnace. Thus it came about, when God destroyed the cities of the valley, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when He overthrew the cities in which Lot lived. Lot went up from Zoar, and stayed in the mountains, and his two daughters with him; for he was afraid to stay in Zoar; and he stayed in a cave, he and his two daughters. Then the firstborn said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is not a man on earth to come in to us after the manner of the earth. “Come, let us make our father drink wine, and let us lie with him that we may preserve our family through our father.” So 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 or when she arose. On the following day, the firstborn said to the younger, “Behold, I lay last night with my father; let us make him drink wine tonight also; then you go in and lie with him, that we may preserve our family through our father.” So 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. Thus both the daughters of Lot were with child by their father. The firstborn bore a son, and called his name Moab; he is the father of the Moabites to this day. As for the younger, she also bore a son, and called his name Ben-ammi; he is the father of the sons of Ammon to this day.

Contextual Reminder:

What kind of text is Genesis? What genre?

Historical Narrative.

Can we apply everything in the text to our lives?

Why not?

This is not an epistle.

Lot’s Relationship with Sodom Great over Time:

Lot pitched his tent in Sodom:

Genesis 13:10–12 (NASB95) Lot lifted up his eyes and saw all the valley of the Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere—this was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah—like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt as you go to Zoar. So Lot chose for himself all the valley of the Jordan, and Lot journeyed eastward. Thus they separated from each other. Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled in the cities of the valley, and moved his tents as far as Sodom.

Lot dwelt in Sodom:

Genesis 14:12 NASB95

They also took Lot, Abram’s nephew, and his possessions and departed, for he was living in Sodom.

Lot sat at the gate of Sodom:

Genesis 19:1 NASB95

Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening as Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground.

Section 2: The Angels Tell Lot to Gather His Family

New American Standard Bible (1995) Chapter 19

12 Then the two men said to Lot, “Whom else have you here? A son-in-law, and your sons, and your daughters, and whomever you have in the city, bring them out of the place; 13 for we are about to destroy this place, because their outcry has become so great before the LORD that the LORD has sent us to destroy it.” 14 Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were to marry his daughters, and said, “Up, get out of this place, for the LORD will destroy the city.” But he appeared to his sons-in-law to be jesting.

What did the angels tell Lot to do?

Find whomever he had in the city

Bring them out of the city

What was Lot’s Response to the angels?

He immediately went to those he cared about to warn them.

In the midst of understanding the judgement of God, he warned his family.

He had to be told to leave

Genesis 19:15 NASB95

When morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Up, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away in the punishment of the city.”

What was the response of Lot’s family?

They didn’t believe Lot.

What does this say about his family?

Do we warn our families of the judgement to come?

Do we believe in the judgement to come enough to warn our family?

What kind of influence did he have?

He did not appear to have the position with them to ensure they took him seriously

He did not appear to present it in a way where they took it seriously

Section 3: Lot Requests to go to Zoar

New American Standard Bible (1995) Chapter 19

15 When morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Up, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away in the punishment of the city.” 16 But he hesitated. So the men seized his hand and the hand of his wife and the hands of his two daughters, for the compassion of the LORD was upon him; and they brought him out, and put him outside the city. 17 When they had brought them outside, one said, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you, and do not stay anywhere in the valley; escape to the mountains, or you will be swept away.” 18 But Lot said to them, “Oh no, my lords! 19 “Now behold, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have magnified your lovingkindness, which you have shown me by saving my life; but I cannot escape to the mountains, for the disaster will overtake me and I will die; 20 now behold, this town is near enough to flee to, and it is small. Please, let me escape there (is it not small?) that my life may be saved.” 21 He said to him, “Behold, I grant you this request also, not to overthrow the town of which you have spoken. 22 “Hurry, escape there, for I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” Therefore the name of the town was called Zoar.

What did the angels have to do with Lot?

Urge him to leave.

Why?

Lot hesitated

Why would lot do this if he was a righteous man?

2 Peter 2:6–8 NASB95

and if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly lives thereafter; and if He rescued righteous Lot, oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men (for by what he saw and heard that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by their lawless deeds),

What does this say about the Lord?

The Lord was compassionate towards Lot.

Where does Lot want to go?

Zoar

Why?

Lot is fearful of living in the wilderness

Lot makes excuses

Location of Zoar:

~15 mile straight shot

What does the angel say about Zoar?

Though it is small, they were going to overthrow it.

What does this tell us?

It is as wicked as Sodom and Gomorrah

How does the angel respond to the request?

He grants it but with a warning that he cannot begin to judge Sodom and Gomorrah until Lot gets to Zoar

About Zoar:

NOTE: On the Map - The Madaba Map, also known as the Madaba Mosaic Map, is part of a floor mosaic in the early Byzantine church of Saint George in Madaba, Jordan.

Lot fled to Zoar as a desperate plea for mercy during the imminent destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. He begged not to be sent to the mountains, claiming he was unable to make such a long journey quickly. This could have been due to his advanced age1. Fearing he would not reach the mountains in time, Lot asked to take refuge in a nearby city, hoping it might be less guilty and more easily spared2.

Lot specifically pointed out a small town nearby, emphasizing its smallness twice and suggesting that allowing it to remain unharmed would not significantly diminish the judgment’s effectiveness1. His request was granted, and the town was spared specifically for Lot’s sake1. Interestingly, the town’s original name is unknown, and it came to be called “Zoar,” which is linked by wordplay to the word “little” or “insignificant”1. However, Lot eventually left Zoar, fearing it might still suffer a similar fate to Sodom, and went to live in a cave in the mountain region east of the Dead Sea2.

1Paul Kissling, Genesis, The College Press NIV Commentary (Joplin, MO: College Press Publishing Company, 2009), 156–157.

2Samuel Rolles Driver, “LOT,” in A Dictionary of the Bible: Dealing with Its Language, Literature, and Contents Including the Biblical Theology, ed. James Hastings et al. (New York; Edinburgh: Charles Scribner’s Sons; T. & T. Clark, 1911–1912), 3:151.

Zoar emerges in biblical narrative as a small but significant city with a remarkable story of divine mercy. Located at the southeast end of the Dead Sea, Zoar’s name means “little” or “insignificant”, and it was also known as Bela during Abraham’s time1. While originally slated for destruction alongside Sodom and Gomorrah, Zoar was uniquely spared. When Lot pleaded for refuge, God agreed to withhold judgment until Lot and his family reached the town, ultimately preserving Zoar when the other cities in the plain were destroyed1.

“The presence of God’s people makes a difference,” and Zoar’s survival exemplifies this principle. The town escaped righteous judgment solely because God had mercy on it for Lot’s sake—a righteous man whose presence influenced divine intervention1. Interestingly, Lot eventually perceived Zoar as unsafe and moved to a cave with his daughters, where a troubling incident occurred: fearing they would never marry, his daughters contrived an incestuous plan, resulting in the birth of Moab and Ben-Ammi, who became the progenitors of the Moabites and Ammonites1.

Additional biblical passages referencing Zoar include Deuteronomy 34:3, which mentions it as a geographical boundary, and Isaiah 15:5 and Jeremiah 48:34, which reference Zoar in the context of Moabite territory.

1Got Questions Ministries, Got Questions? Bible Questions Answered (Bellingham, WA: Faithlife, 2014–2021). [See here, here, here, here.]

After the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Zoar experienced a fascinating trajectory. Initially, Zoar was one of the cities slated for destruction, but it was spared at Lot’s request. God agreed to withhold His judgment until Lot and his family reached Zoar, and then specifically spared this little town when the other cities in the plain were destroyed1.

However, Lot soon perceived Zoar as unsafe and moved to the hill country, settling in a cave with his two daughters. In this isolated setting, his daughters, fearing they would never marry, devised an incestuous plan. They got Lot drunk and had sexual relations with him on two consecutive nights, resulting in the birth of two sons: Moab (father of the Moabites) and Ben-Ammi (father of the Ammonites)12. Interestingly, Zoar was later mentioned in Isaiah as being part of the nation of Moab, located on or just south of Moab’s southern boundary13. “The presence of God’s people makes a difference,” and Zoar escaped destruction only because of God’s mercy toward the righteous Lot1.

1Got Questions Ministries, Got Questions? Bible Questions Answered (Bellingham, WA: Faithlife, 2014–2021). [See here, here, here, here.]

2W. Hall Harris III et al., eds., The Lexham English Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012). [See here.]

3Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, “Zoar,” in Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988), 2:2205.

Zoar appears in several biblical passages, primarily in Genesis and later prophetic texts. It was originally known as Bela, a city with its own king during the time of the kings who battled in the valley of Siddim (Gen 14:2, 8).

In the narrative of Lot, Zoar plays a crucial role during the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. The city was specifically named Zoar when Lot was instructed to escape there, and he arrived as the sun was rising (Gen 19:22–23). Interestingly, Lot eventually left Zoar out of fear and went to live in a cave in the mountains with his two daughters (Gen 19:30). Later biblical references place Zoar in geographical contexts, mentioning it in relation to the Negev, as a landmark in Moab, and in prophetic oracles describing the region’s distress (Deut 34:3; Isa 15:5; Jer 48:34). “Hurry, escape there, for I cannot do anything until you arrive there” – a divine instruction that not only saved Lot but also gave the city its name.

Archaeological findings for Zoar are limited but intriguing. Early surveys revealed no archaeological evidence predating the Hellenistic Period, with soundings showing only Byzantine and Arabic ruins12. However, the site of eṣ-Ṣâfī has not been fully excavated, and there are indications that parts of the site were occupied in biblical times, including during the Early Bronze Age and Iron Age. Scholars even suggest that biblical Zoar might be located in a different area of the site or on a nearby stream2.

Despite the archaeological limitations, historical sources provide fascinating context. Fascinating evidence includes a Roman document mentioning a cavalry unit stationed at Zoar in the early fourth century, and the Madaba Map—a beautiful 6th-century AD mosaic—which places Zoar at the southern end of the Dead Sea1. Medieval Arab geographers frequently referenced the town (called Zughar) as an important commercial center known for dates, indigo, and sugar. Crusaders even described encountering a pleasant town called Segor with many palm trees2. While definitive archaeological proof remains elusive, the historical references suggest Zoar was a significant location in the region’s history.

1David Elton Graves, The Location of Sodom: Key Facts for Navigating the Maze of Arguments for the Location of the Cities of the Plain (Electronic Christian Media, 2018), 106.

2D. M. Howard Jr., “Zoar,” in The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Revised, ed. Geoffrey W. Bromiley (Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1979–1988), 4:1203.

The story of Zoar offers profound theological insights into divine mercy, judgment, and the transformative power of righteous presence. Zoar was one of the cities slated for destruction alongside Sodom and Gomorrah, but it was uniquely spared when Lot pleaded for refuge. God agreed to withhold judgment until Lot and his family reached Zoar, and then miraculously preserved the city1.

The most significant theological lesson is that Zoar’s survival demonstrates God’s mercy—it “escaped the righteous judgment of God” solely because of the presence of a righteous man. This illustrates a profound spiritual principle: “The presence of God’s people makes a difference.” Just as salt preserves and light illuminates, believers serve as a spiritual preservative that can temporarily hold back divine judgment1. However, this preservation is temporary—ultimately, “this earth will be judged when Jesus returns,” and Christians are called to live with an awareness that “the light of Jesus in us needs to shine for the glory of God”1. Interestingly, Lot’s subsequent actions in Zoar—involving an incestuous incident with his daughters—also reveal the complex human narrative that often accompanies divine intervention, with his daughters’ actions leading to the founding of the Moabite and Ammonite peoples1.

1Got Questions Ministries, Got Questions? Bible Questions Answered (Bellingham, WA: Faithlife, 2014–2021). [See here, here, here, here.]

Lot’s experience in Zoar reveals profound spiritual lessons about fear, faith, and the consequences of worldliness. While in Zoar, Lot began to experience intense fear, primarily concerned about potential further judgment from God. The city was situated in the midst of widespread destruction, which likely intensified his anxiety.1

Lot’s fear demonstrated a significant lack of faith. Despite God having answered his petition to spare Zoar, he remained anxious and uncertain. Even if he perceived ongoing wickedness in the city, this fear was unjustified.2 The narrative teaches a crucial spiritual lesson: deliverance is not just about escaping physical destruction, but about being rescued from one’s own spiritual weaknesses. “Rescued from the world’s doom, driven forth from its vain joys,” Lot was expected to turn completely to God, yet he remained trapped by fear and spiritual instability.3 As one commentator poignantly notes, Lot’s story is “a precious lesson to the humble believer,” prompting a heartfelt prayer: “Cleanse me, O Lord, from secret faults!” His journey illustrates the ongoing need for spiritual vigilance and dependence on God’s grace.3

1Leadership Ministries Worldwide, Genesis (Chapters 12–50), The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible (Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide, 1996), 2:106.

2H. C. Leupold, Exposition of Genesis (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1942), 574.

3Robert S. Candlish, The Book of Genesis (Edinburgh: Adam and Charles Black, 1868), 325–326.

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