The Consequence of Self-Centered Living - Genesis 19

©Copyright May 19, 2019 by Rev. Bruce Goettsche

Genesis 19 is one of the most disturbing and at the same time one of the most controversial passages in all of the Bible. It is a passage that is often the focus of one of the hot-button issues of today: homosexuality. Unfortunately, this passage has often been used to beat up people with same-sex attraction. I believe the passage speaks much more broadly to the consequences of self-centered or self-indulgent living.

The first thing we need to do is understand what the passage actually says. We must not make it say more (or less) than what it actually says. It will help to know something about the culture.

A visitor, widow, or orphan was considered to be the disadvantaged in society. The Bible has many rules that promote generosity to the needy or the stranger. The reason behind this was Israel's history. Israel had been a stranger in Egypt and was treated poorly; they were made slaves. Israel was not supposed to follow that pattern. So, mistreatment of a stranger was considered to be shameful and deserved the sternest of rebukes. You need to keep this in mind as you read the account.

That evening the two angels came to the entrance of the city of Sodom. Lot was sitting there, and when he saw them, he stood up to meet them. Then he welcomed them and bowed with his face to the ground. 2“My lords,” he said, “come to my home to wash your feet, and be my guests for the night. You may then get up early in the morning and be on your way again.”

“Oh no,” they replied. “We’ll just spend the night out here in the city square.”

3But Lot insisted, so at last they went home with him. Lot prepared a feast for them, complete with fresh bread made without yeast, and they ate. 4But before they retired for the night, all the men of Sodom, young and old, came from all over the city and surrounded the house. 5They shouted to Lot, “Where are the men who came to spend the night with you? Bring them out to us so we can have sex with them!”

6So Lot stepped outside to talk to them, shutting the door behind him. 7“Please, my brothers,” he begged, “don’t do such a wicked thing. 8Look, I have two virgin daughters. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do with them as you wish. But please, leave these men alone, for they are my guests and are under my protection.”

9“Stand back!” they shouted. “This fellow came to town as an outsider, and now he’s acting like our judge! We’ll treat you far worse than those other men!” And they lunged toward Lot to break down the door.

10But the two angels reached out, pulled Lot into the house, and bolted the door. 11Then they blinded all the men, young and old, who were at the door of the house, so they gave up trying to get inside.

12Meanwhile, the angels questioned Lot. “Do you have any other relatives here in the city?” they asked. “Get them out of this place—your sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or anyone else. 13For we are about to destroy this city completely. The outcry against this place is so great it has reached the Lord, and he has sent us to destroy it.” (Genesis 19:1-13)

There are several interesting things to observe in this passage.

The Compromise of Lot

Back in Genesis 13 we read about Abram and Lot parting ways because they needed more space. Lot chose the Jordan valley east of Sodom and Gomorrah because the land was good. He moved his tents near Sodom. In Genesis 13:13 We are told "The people of this area were extremely wicked and constantly sinned against the Lord."

Most likely Lot liked living near Sodom so he could derive some of the benefits of the city yet still keep his distance. But now in chapter 19 we see Lot sitting in the city gate. This was the place where city leaders met to discuss the business of the city. Lot's home is now IN Sodom.

This is the way compromise works. Each time we give in to something, our ability to resist erodes a little bit more. Eventually, you become what you resolved you would never become.

This fact, combined with the commands of hospitality, helps explain (a little) Lot's offer of his daughters to the mob. We listen to what Lot is saying and we cannot believe our ears! But Lot has compromised to the point where he is struggling to tell the difference between wrong and right. Apparently, this erosion went through the entire family. At the end of the chapter we read about the unseemly plot of the daughters of Lot. We also see Lord's wife unable to turn away from the indulgent life of Sodom and she became a pillar of salt.

Rather than live the life of separation from the world commanded by God, Lot decided to try to straddle the fence. He chose to trust His feeling rather than the Lord. As for Lot's wife, one commentator writes,

The verb for her looking indicates a prolonged, intense gazing at the world she had grown to love. She became part of the judgment as she lingered there on the slopes of the valley.[1]

Lot's wife just couldn't let go of the life she had in Sodom.

Two Mistakes when Reading this Chapter

I believe there are two mistakes people tend to make when dealing with this passage: The first mistake from the example of Sodom is to make this account only about homosexuality. It is always easier to condemn sins with which we don't struggle. When we zero in on homosexuality we are seeing only part of the picture. Listen to what the various prophets said about Sodom:

Sodom’s sins were pride, gluttony, and laziness, while the poor and needy suffered outside her door. (Ezekiel 16:49)

14But now I see that the prophets of Jerusalem are even worse!

They commit adultery and love dishonesty.

They encourage those who are doing evil

so that no one turns away from their sins.

These prophets are as wicked

as the people of Sodom and Gomorrah once were.” (Jeremiah 23:14)

9The very look on their faces gives them away.

They display their sin like the people of Sodom

and don’t even try to hide it.

They are doomed!

They have brought destruction upon themselves. (Isaiah 3:9)

56In your proud days you held Sodom in contempt. 57But now your greater wickedness has been exposed to all the world, and you are the one who is scorned—by Edom and all her neighbors and by Philistia. 58This is your punishment for all your lewdness and detestable sins, says the Lord. (Ezekiel 16:56-58)

The prophets list a number of sins that led to the judgment of Sodom: pride, gluttony (overindulgence . . . especially with food), laziness, indifference to the poor, dishonesty, corrupt leaders, and a flaunting of sin. Is this not what we see in our own day? Listen to some of the things you often hear people say,

"I have to do what feels right to me"

"I have to be true to what I am"

"I can't help the way I was made"

"You don't understand what I have been through"

These statements are used to excuse all of the things for which Sodom was destroyed. In every one of these statements there is the same problem: they excuse us from having to submit to God's authority and design. Whenever we drift from God's will and commands, we are moving away from what is best for us. Do we really think our feelings are more reliable than God's Word? Do we think our ideas of who we are is better than what God declares us to be? Are we really going to blame Him or our circumstances for our sinful, selfish and rebellious behavior? We need to stop pointing our fingers at others and start taking responsibility for our own rebellion.

The second mistake is to dismiss the sinfulness of these homosexual actions. There are people who want us to believe these men were not condemned for wanting to have sex with these men. They say the text was translated wrong. The real issue was the breach of etiquette.

Lot's response of offering his daughters to these men makes that idea look foolish. It is clear what is happening here. These men were steeped in selfish, indulgent, and sinful behavior. Their passions were controlling their lives. Throughout the Bible God clearly condemns same sex lusts. But let's not forget that he condemns all lusts outside of the marriage relationship! Once again there is a tendency to see the sin in others and not see it in ourselves!

It is politically incorrect to say such things in our day and age. We are told to be open-minded, accepting, and non-judgmental. In fact, anyone who dares to say such behavior is wrong may be fired, arrested or ruined for saying such things! (Apparently that sentiment must be what is meant by open-minded, accepting and non-judgmental!)

We are not at liberty to change God's standards or design! No matter what the Supreme Court or any other court has to say, God's standards do not waver. In the book of Jude we read,

7And don’t forget Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring towns, which were filled with immorality and every kind of sexual perversion. Those cities were destroyed by fire and serve as a warning of the eternal fire of God’s judgment. (Jude 7)

The Bible is clear: homosexuality (and every other sexual sin outside of marriage) is contrary to God's design and will, and therefore is sinful. It draws people away from God's perfect design for their life. Again, this holds for any sexual sin. Any sexual act outside of the marriage bond. That is not my standard, it is God's. I am not given ANY right to change what he has declared.

But let's ask a practical question: How should a Christian deal with a Gay person or someone caught in some kind of sexual sin? How do we respond to the person who is openly same-sex attracted? The couple living together? The one who is rumored to be having an adulterous relationship? The short answer: We should act the same way, I believe, Jesus would have done.

Love them. Jesus knew beating people up was not going to help them. As a church we should welcome all people struggling with the issue of sexual purity. We should do so not as a project to work on, but as people of value to God and therefore to us. Much like divorce, God hates homosexuality and other sexual sin because it draws people away from His perfect plan for them, but He doesn't hate the person.

Be honest about what the Bible says. It condemns sexual behaviors that do not co form to God's design. However, we should do this with a willingness to explain that God does not want us to settle for less than what we were made to be.

Pray for them. We should not do this in a condescending way. Ask God to draw them close to Him and draw them into His will. God changes hearts! Hearts are not changed through legislation, name-calling, or hate-filled protests.

Seek to understand (that's not the same as watering down truth). We all think we understand what other people are dealing with. We don't understand unless we ask them to explain to us what is going on.

Help them grow in the Christian faith. It is the Holy Spirit who changes people . . . not us. He will reveal His will to them in His good time.

Conclusions

This is a tragic and distasteful account. Rather than linger on the sordid details, let's try to draw some lessons for us to apply in our own lives.

First, Wanton indulgence is reprehensible wherever it is found. This is not just true in the area of sexual preference or obedience. Any time something (even something innocent) consumes us instead of being captivated by the goodness and glory of the Lord, it is offensive to the Lord. That may be work, sports, spending money, cars, a hobby, a substance, or any other kind of self-indulgent behavior that begins to drive our life. All of these things are idols. They occupy a place in your life that should be reserved for the Lord.

Any time we treat other people as objects that exist for our pleasure, we are guilty of gross selfishness and self-absorption. The only thing such people think about is themselves. In this case, we are ironically our own idol!

Second, If you spend all your time with those who embrace a worldly lifestyle, you will erode in your faith. Not only was it difficult to get Lot out of Sodom, it was hard to get Sodom out of Lot! If you draw your worth, your sense of values, your ethics or morality from the non-believers among you, you will find yourself embracing things you once thought could never get its hooks into you!

You may think you can "handle it" but you are just kidding yourself. You are not as strong as you think you are! The ways of the world are seductive. You compromise even a little and you are soon on a slippery slope that has you living completely contrary to the faith you once professed.

Do you want a test for how much of the world has gotten into you? Here it is: Would your non-Christian friends be drawn to the gospel simply by watching your behavior? Would a stranger notice "something different" (in a positive sense) about you from simply watching your your behavior and listening to you talk? Or would they be surprised that you claim to be a Christian?

In 1 John we are told we cannot love the world AND love the Lord. Both of these want center stage. You can only pick one. You cannot straddle the fence.

The story of God's judgment on Sodom is a sober reminder of the coming Judgment and its suddenness. As devastating as this judgment was on Sodom, Jesus told the leaders of Israel that Sodom would receive more mercy than they would. As devastating as this Judgment was on Sodom and Gomorrah, the Judgment we read about in the book of Revelation will be many times more devastating. Listen to these words from Jesus,

26“When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. 27In those days, the people enjoyed banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat and the flood came and destroyed them all.

28“And the world will be as it was in the days of Lot. People went about their daily business—eating and drinking, buying and selling, farming and building—29until the morning Lot left Sodom. Then fire and burning sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. 30Yes, it will be ‘business as usual’ right up to the day when the Son of Man is revealed. 31On that day a person out on the deck of a roof must not go down into the house to pack. A person out in the field must not return home. 32Remember what happened to Lot’s wife! 33If you cling to your life, you will lose it, and if you let your life go, you will save it.

The account of the Judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah should make us all think. Someone has chillingly said, "If God does not judge the United States, He will have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah."

It doesn't do much good to wring our hands and complain about the moral and ethical bankruptcy of our land. It is a far better use of our time to examine our own lives. Where are we compromising with the world and drifting away from the Lord? Don't hurry past that question! We are likely much more stained by the world than we even realize.

Make this a matter of prayer. Sit quietly before the Lord and ask Him to show you where you are making compromises and give you the courage to do what is right, and the strength to let go of the very things that are killing us spiritually.

It is tough to be a Christian in America right now. We live in a world where any declaration that a behavior is wrong is called hate speech (which in and of itself is a declaration of "wrong"). The temptation to fit in and just go with the majority opinion in our country is great. However, it is also deadly. To presume on the mercy of God is a foolish thing to do. God will not take a vote on which sins should be condemned and which should be called virtue. God has established the standards and He does not change!

Our challenge is this: we are to be loving to all, yet not to compromise the holiness of God. We, His people must be holy, and we pray God will use us to bring lost, troubled, and self-absorbed people to Him. And, let's pray that we can do so before it is too late and we, or our friends, stand before a Judgment that will make the Judgment on Sodom look small by comparison.

[1] Allen Ross and John N. Oswalt, Cornerstone Biblical Commentary: Genesis, Exodus, vol. 1 (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2008), 130.