Genesis 19:30-38

2007.Sep.11 02:43

Lot’s Legacy

Read Genesis 19:30-38 | Full Chapter

Now Lot went up out of Zoar and lived in the hills with his two daughters, for he was afraid to live in Zoar. So he lived in a cave with his two daughters. And 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 all the earth. Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve offspring from our father.” So they made their father drink wine that night. And the firstborn went in and lay with her father. He did not know when she lay down or when she arose.
(Genesis 19:30-33, ESV)

Maybe I should create a subsection of this site called “Biblical Patriarchs Getting Drunk and Doing Stupid.” Lot’s lot (ha ha) in life has dropped rapidly. From being very wealthy and successful, he is reduced to living in a cave, fearful, without any male heirs. Actually, I think the last point is irrelevant, except that it happens to be a central point to this last look at Lot’s biography. Perhaps Lot is a righteous man, or at least desires to be, but he’s also a foolish man. He may have faith, but it is weak. He had asked to go to Zoar, but is now afraid to live there. Is he afraid that he might be turned to salt as his wife? Afraid that the people of Zoar might be no different than those of Sodom? Afraid that he would be resented as the foreigner who escaped? What? I want to shout at him, “Go find Abraham and Sarah!”

No. Lot chooses a cave. He chooses also, for his daughters, a life alone. His daughters, following a twisted logic – that they could have a) learned from their father, b) learned from the people of Sodom, c) developed all on their own – conclude that the best solution to ensuring the continuance of their family name (here, I am wondering, “Why bother?”) is:

a) Get their dad drunk and sleep with him

b) Beat their father senseless and try to lead normal-ish lives

c) Convince their father they should go find their relatives.

Go guessed it, they chose A!

The next 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 offspring from 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 became pregnant by their father. The firstborn bore a son and called his name Moab. He is the father of the Moabites to this day. The younger also bore a son and called his name Ben-ammi. He is the father of the Ammonites to this day.
(Genesis 19:34-38, ESV)

I find myself thinking about the upbringing of these two women, that this plan seems good. Yes, it works, technically. Both women become pregnant and Lot’s name is carried on.

To me, the legacy these three leave is one of righteousness spoiled. It’s seems all were taught some amount of obedience to Jehovah. I’m speculating in the case of the daughters, but at least Lot had seen his aunt and uncle walk in righteousness. For what righteousness and faith they had, and the faith of Abraham, they were saved from destruction of a town that was ugly to them, but in which Lot chose anyway to live. It’s not an awful legacy, but its so full of “What could have beens?”

Like Abraham and Sarah, Lot and his daughters sought another way than God’s to have descendants (No, I do not care that Lot was drunk; even if his daughters had used some BC date-rape drug on him, he long since acquired culpability in this mess. As it stands, he appears to be quite okay with getting completely drunk two nights in a row). Unlike Abraham and Sarah, this story ends there. Maybe it’s just because God didn’t give Lot the same extra chance he gave to Lot’s relatives. But, I think, Lot had already decided how far his faith was willing to go.

Or, maybe God didn’t think Lot really cared about having descendants. After all, Lot had offered these same daughters to be raped, and probably killed. As a dad, Lot pretty much sucked. For Lot’s daughters who wanted children–for whatever reason–Jehovah did give them children, and he blessed those children. Which leaves me thinking of God’s grace.

Genesis 19:27-29

2007.Sep.01 15:37

Saved for another’s sake

Read Genesis 19:27-29 | Full Chapter

Second Peter has the following to say about our friend, Lot:

Lot lived right and was greatly troubled by the terrible way those wicked people were living. He was a good man, and day after day he suffered because of the evil things he saw and heard. So the Lord rescued him. This shows that the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their sufferings and to punish evil people while they wait for the day of judgment.
(2 Peter 2:7-9, CEV)

It’s probably quite clear that I am not impressed by Lot. So, I’m trying to reconcile this statement with what I see from Lot’s life. I suppose Lot did live right, at least from the legalistic standpoint, although I think his actions and attitudes belie (surprise, surprise) the sinfulness of his flesh. Still, I have trouble with actually saying someone lived right when he tried to hand over his daughters to be raped. He was certainly troubled by the wickedness of his fellow Sodom folks, but that trouble seems to be more actual trouble rather than that he was “spiritually bothered” by it.

Well, since 2nd Peter is generally considered canonical, and since I hope that I have no pretensions of my writing being such, I figure I have yet more to understand from the story of Lot. Regardless of Lot’s level of righteousness, how much better could his life have been if he had made different choices. God had not called Lot to be an apostle to the people of Sodom, and so, in my opinion, he left far too late. More thoughts.

And Abraham went early in the morning 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 looked and, behold, the smoke of the land went up like the smoke of a furnace. So it was that, when God destroyed the cities of the valley, God remembered Abraham and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow when he overthrew the cities in which Lot had lived.
(Genesis 19:27-29, ESV)

What is Abraham thinking now? I’m not going to try to guess, but what a powerful and heart-wrenching moment this must have been. The might of Jehovah so clearly displayed, and yet how God must have wished not to display it. God loves me, but he doesn’t require me. Unrighteousness separates us from God; the people of Sodom and Gomorrah had already removed themselves from the Lord’s presence, and in judgment, he destroyed them. How pointless the revelries of the people of Sodom the night before. They gained frustration, then destruction. How pointless.

But there’s more to this story. Abraham had asked for the lives of those ten hypothetical righteous. And God would have saved the city for those. And even though, in the end, he only found four (apparently; anyway, he led four out), Jehovah still remembered Abraham and their discussion and saved those four, although Lot’s wife’s salvation was rather abbreviated. So, I’ll return to Second Peter. “This shows that the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their sufferings.” And if the godliness of Lot is sufficient, how much wonderful hope I can have in Jehovah’s saving power. And I ought to be humble when I receive it. Because, on the scale, am I living better than Lot? I hope so, but, then, I know I have faults; I am disobedient to God far too often, even knowing how good he is.

Genesis 19:26

2007.Aug.27 21:33

Lot’s wife

Read Genesis 19:26 | Full Chapter

But Lot’s wife, behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.
(Genesis 19:26, ESV)

In Kurt Vonnegut’s novel, Slaughterhouse Five, he discusses this moment:

And Lot’s wife, of course, was told not to look back where all those people and their homes had been. But she did look back, and I love her for that, because it was so human. So she was turned to a pillar of salt. So it goes.

Anyway, that’s what The Quotations Page says he wrote. I have the book, but I may forget to check. Anyway, that stuck with me. It is a very human reaction. When we leave behind something that is part of our life, we often want that one last look. We may keep a piece of memorabilia, perhaps some silly thing that would mean nothing to someone else. Lot’s wife is leaving her home, her community. It’s a pretty crummy community, but it is the community that she and her family became a part of, after they split ways with Lot’s relatives.

So, I understand her looking back. It is very human. It’s pretty amazing that she was the only one of the four who did so. But it’s also very striking that she was behind Lot. I checked about five other versions and all but one had language indicating she was physically following Lot. As a husband, this pisses me off. I’d like to hope that there would never be a situation in which I would run ahead of my wife when running from danger. Heck, even when we’re driving home in separate cars, I like for her to be in front of me. Because I want myself between any danger and her and because I want to be able to respond immediately if something happens. I can’t know if she’s in danger if she’s behind me. Now, that may be foolish when considering which one of us would better handle this indeterminate danger and there’s times that I’ve acted differently than this–when, because I’ve been busy, I haven’t immediately responded to a problem. Which is a problem I need to work on. But, come on, Lot. City being destroyed. Get between your wife and it! (By the way, men who claim their religion says that women should walk behind them need to have their —- cut off and shoved down their throats. My opinion.)

This again suggests to me that Lot has issues of selfishness and fear which override his care for his family and his desire for righteousness. How easily such emotions and attitudes (especially of selfishness) can get in the way of the actions we should be taking and in the way of faith. Lot may have had faith, but it seems that he had a lot of other stuff. Lot’s wife may have had faith, but she also had some other stuff. I’m inclined to be more understanding of her stuff than of his. But, so what? In either case, how much more could they have had by seeking first Jehovah. And how much more I? That’s our rhetorical question for today.

Genesis 19:23-25

2007.Aug.23 03:03

The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah

Read Genesis 19:23-25 | Full Chapter

Before I jump into this week’s passage, I was reading in 2 Peter last week and came across a passage about Lot that may be a bit more positive about him than I have been. I’ll examine that more in a couple of weeks when I return my focus to Lot. Also, I’d like to note that I feel…erm…iffy about this particular article/study/whatever. I’m just not sure where to go with it or if have any useful comments. But, then, it is a study after all.

The sun had risen on the earth when Lot came to Zoar. Then the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur 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.
(Genesis 19:23-25, ESV)

According to an unsophisticated search on BibleGateway, Sodom is mentioned 28 times outside of Genesis in the Contemporary English Version. My impression, after a quick survey is that these references generally refer to pending destruction and/or comparisons. Here’s a few samplings:

Unless the LORD of hosts
Had left us a few survivors,
We would be like Sodom,
We would be like Gomorrah.
(Isaiah 1:9, NASB)

You and the people of Jerusalem
are evil
like Sodom
and Gomorrah.
(Jeremiah 23:14, CEV)

You people of Jerusalem have sinned twice as much as the people of Samaria. In fact, your evil ways have made both Sodom and Samaria look innocent.
(Ezekiel 16:51, CEV)

So I tell you that on the day of judgment the people of Sodom will get off easier than you.
(Matthew 11:24, CEV)

We should also be warned by what happened to the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and the nearby towns. Their people became immoral and did all sorts of sexual sins. Then God made an example of them and punished them with eternal fire.
(Jude 1:7, CEV)

One thing I notice is that Jehovah exercises his judgment on Sodom and the other cities of the plain, while retaining it in other cases for a later day of judgment. Groups who are deep in communal sin are compared to Sodom, and in several Biblical cases, judged to be worse. Perhaps then Sodom is an example of when a community has taken sin too far. As in, if your town is worse than Sodom, you need to change completely, and you need to change yesterday. If that is the case, perhaps God destroyed Sodom to make clear to future generations that such sin is unacceptable, even in the context of a fallen earth; this then is the line at which a community can no longer survive.

Or maybe not.

There is also the question of Jehovah’s justice. God’s sense of justice and fairness is not the same as my natural sense of these things. I can often come to an understanding of his actions, but sometimes my immediate take on his justice is that it is not intuitive. Why judge Sodom so harshly? Why give mercy to so many others? Of course, I have a hard time questioning God’s giving mercy to anyone, since I am so grateful he has given mercy to me. And yet…and yet…and yet.

Is it worth thinking about such things? Yes, it is. But let me not forget, in such thoughts, God’s holiness, nor his mighty hand. I may not understand the details of his decision, but I rejoice both in his grace and his righteousness. And I also must be humbled by these things. When I find myself proud, I want to remember how easily God overthrew these proud cities.

Genesis 19:18-22

2007.Aug.11 19:53

Negotiations

Read Genesis 19:18-22 | Full Chapter

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.
(Genesis 19:18-22, NASB)

When Abraham negotiated with Jehovah regarding his planned destruction of the cities of the plain, Abraham’s motives were not entirely selfless, insofar as his nephew lived in Sodom, but neither could I call his intent selfish. In Lot’s negotiation, there is no such gray; his motives are entirely self-centered. Lot, quite possibly because of Abraham’s plea, has been slated for rescue, along with his wife, and two of his daughters, but he is not satisfied.

Lot’s selfishness and/or fear (or, perhaps, some as yet unexplored attribute) is so great that he is completely missing the point. The city he is living in is about to be destroyed because of their sin. His family has been singled out for rescue. Despite his delay, the angelic messengers have basically forced Lot to let them save his life and family members. Perhaps all this would clue Lot into the idea that’s it time to get going. But, no, he decides that just fleeing to the mountains is not good enough. How about a city. That’s not a big deal, right?

Now, at this point, if I were in the angels’ shoes, Lot would be real close to a smiting. The fact that Jehovah tolerates our negotiations at all is a huge testament to both his patience and kindness. It’s also a testament to how foolish we can be. Does Lot really think that Jehovah has ordered his salvation just to see him die in the mountains? Okay, that seems pretty silly, but look at my own life. How many times have I negotiated with God on some “little thing”, and how many blessings has that cost me?

Genesis 19:15-17

2007.Aug.07 21:57

Delay

Read Genesis 19:15-22 | Full Chapter

As morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be swept away in the punishment of the city.” But he lingered. So the men seized 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. And as they brought them out, one said, “Escape for your life. Do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley. Escape to the hills, lest you be swept away.”
(Genesis 19:15-17, ESV)

If I find myself wondering about Lot’s sons-in-law refusing to believe Lot’s warning, I find myself quite annoyed that even Lot, when it comes to it, doesn’t take the warning seriously. I find this frustrating, because this is often my attitude: I’m pretty certain, God, that you want me to…but I’m not quite ready.

Jehovah directs Jeremiah to raise a similar warning, this time for the people of Judah:

Raise the signal to go to Zion!
Flee for safety without delay!
For I am bringing disaster from the north,
even terrible destruction.
(Jeremiah 4:6, NIV)

Again, the destruction is a result ”"of the evil [they] have done" (Jeremiah 4:4, NIV) , of their determined disobedience. Again, delay is not an option. The time to repent is immediate, if not already past. To delay when Jehovah has commanded us to move, be it physically, spiritually, or otherwise is to invite destruction. It may be only because of Abraham that Lot escaped despite his delay.

Contrast this to the reaction of Ninevah at Jonah’s warning:

When the king of Nineveh heard what was happening, he also dressed in sackcloth; he left the royal palace and sat in dust. Then he and his officials sent out an order for everyone in the city to obey. It said: None of you or your animals may eat or drink a thing. Each of you must wear sackcloth, and you must even put sackcloth on your animals. You must also pray to the LORD God with all your heart and stop being sinful and cruel. Maybe God will change his mind and have mercy on us, so we won’t be destroyed.
(Jonah 3:2-9, CEV)

Obedience to Jehovah is an inherently drastic action for our fallen species. Obedience after delay, while still worth something, is a statement to God that I either do not take him fully seriously or I do not trust him. Lot fears for leaving what he knows, as did the Israelites upon Jeremiah’s warning. To fear earthly things is to not trust Jehovah. Lack of faith breeds disobedience because our flesh has an avenue (fear, worry, other emotions) to deceive.

Obedience is an immediate decision, usually followed by immediate action. It is incorrect to say, “I will stop this behavior tomorrow.” When Jehovah instructs me, I need to respond without delay. Even in cases where the instruction includes “do this tomorrow”, the decision is for now. Watch the brothers James and John react to Jesus’ calling: "Immediately He called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went away to follow Him" (Mark 1:20, NASB) . Particularly instructive about this passage is that even Jesus acts immediately. However the Jesus-God-Holy Spirit thing works, Christ is immediately obedient to call the brothers Zebedee, and they are obedient to follow.

Genesis 19:12-14

2007.Jul.29 01:40

You’re Joking…Right?

Read Genesis 19:12-14 | Full Chapter

Then the men said to Lot, “Have you anyone else here? Sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or anyone you have in the city, bring them out of the place. For we are about to destroy this place, because the outcry against its people has become great before the LORD, and the LORD has sent us to destroy it.” So Lot went out and said to his sons-in-law, who were to marry his daughters, “Up! Get out of this place, for the LORD is about to destroy the city.” But he seemed to his sons-in-law to be jesting.
(Genesis 19:12-14, ESV)

One of the favorite cries against God is unfairness. Well, Lot at least can’t claim that here. Jehovah’s messengers tell Lot that the city will be destroyed and to get himself and all those he cares about out. Lot, for his part, believes them, and goes out the find some guys about to marry some of his daughters, in order to share the warning. His sons-in-law listen to Lot and assume he’s joking.

I find Lot fascinating. He’s the sort of husband and father I do not want to be. And, yet, I see a lot of him in myself. The security of the cities of the plains would sound inviting. Trusting my own reason to save me could well be my first reaction to situation clearly beyond my abilities. Wanting to go out on my own and prove myself: check. So, I’m going to spend a little time digging into a few words in this passage. I may over extrapolate and over interpret but I think there’s at least some good reminders for me in here.

If my father-in-law came to me and said “Up! Get out of this place, for the LORD is about to destroy the city,” I’ll admit my first thought would be that he was joking. But I know my father-in-law would not leave it at that, but make it clear that he was not joking. Once assured of that, I believe I’d get up and leave the city. I know I can trust my father-in-law. That Lot’s son-in-laws persist in assuming he’s joking makes me believe there’s something significantly (but not perhaps surprisingly) wrong with their relationship. Either his sons-in-law don’t respect their elders particularly, or Lot has not acted so as to gain their trust. Or both. That would be my guess: both. Lot strikes me as the type of guy who could justify to himself making fools of his sons-in-law just for a few laughs.

I want to live in such a way as to earn the trust of others. Why should I expect Jehovah to speak to me, or especially through me, if I have not shown throughout my life that I can be trusted? It’s tempting to ignore the “little” things, the just living right things, focusing instead on the “big success stories”. How many people have wanted to change the world, and forget to live right. Lot focused on building his wealth and his comforts. His sons-in-law will only be the first relationship he loses.

In contrast, I look at my father-in-law. Why is it that I would easily trust him and get out of the city? Because, I know, by the way he lives his life, that he values other people, especially his family, more than worldly success. He would not make such a joke because no matter how much fun he may have gotten out of it, it would have damaged a relationship, and I know him enough to know he wouldn’t do that. And I hope that throughout my life, people could say that about me.

Genesis 19:9-11

2007.Jul.26 21:25

Lot’s Place

Read Genesis 19:9-11 | Full Chapter

But they said, “Stand back!” And they said, “This fellow came to sojourn, and he has become the judge! Now we will deal worse with you than with them.” Then they pressed hard against the man Lot, and drew near to break the door down. But the men reached out their hands and brought Lot into the house with them and shut the door. 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.
(Genesis 19:9-11, ESV)

As we return to action in the not-exactly-peaceful town of Sodom, negotiations between Lot and the leaders of the attempted gang rape are breaking down. The residents of Sodom refuse to back down in their demand to rape the guests, who–unbeknown to them–are probably angels. Lot’s counter of his two virgin daughters is not, they feel, good enough. And so negotiations have degraded into taunting. “Oh, yes, little Lot, thinks he’s a judge; couldn’t hack it with his uncle, so he joined us. But now, he thinks he’s better than us. We’ll show you, a–wipe.”

And as those closest to the door move to carry out their threat against Lot, let us pause and examine their accusations. The people of Sodom are basically attacking Lot for a holier-than-thou attitude. And, as soon as I typed that, this picture becomes so much more clear, so much more contemporary. The truth is is that Lot probably is significantly holier than anybody else around his doorstep, and he may well be the most qualified to administer justice of the men in Sodom, but that’s not really the point.

There’s a trap here. Comparing my “righteousness” to that of others is a sure path to deeper sin. I can always find somebody and some metric that shows me to be “better”. And that’s where taking on a holier-than-thou attitude can be so tempting: I can prove (to myself) that I am better and so whitewash (to myself) my own sins. A more useful perspective is my holiness versus Jehovah’s holiness. Okay, not feeling so hot about myself. However much more righteous I may act than any other given person, it is infinitesimal compared to how I have failed to live up to God’s standards. Realizing this and then that via Jesus’ sacrifice, God does consider me holy is humbling, and I realize that it’s not nearly as humbling as it ought to be, as it would be if I would force myself totally out of my pride and fully consider his holiness and my sin.

Lot seems to be fine with sticking to comparisons of himself to other humans. Sure, he’s not so bad. Not compared to the others in this place. But. He’s in the wrong place. Lot’s inability to handle this situation was apparent from the moment the others showed up at his home. How could he do anything to halt this determined crowd? The decision that lost Lot this battle came when he chose the cities of the plains, knowing their wickedness.

But Jehovah is a God of grace. What Lot cannot handle, the messengers of Jehovah deal with easily. It’s a non-event. Poof, y’all are blind and since you’re not used to being blind, the chances of getting in this house tonight are roughly nil. If only Lot had been aware of who was in his home. It begs the question of why he wasn’t aware. A question for which I have no immediate answer, but a lot of ideas. More importantly is the reminder to ask Jehovah for greater discernment and continually choose to be aware.

I suppose Lot was instead relying on his ability to reason out of the situation. Did it ever occur to him to rely on the God of Abraham and Sarah?

Genesis 19:4-8

2007.Jul.14 15:41

Sin

Read Genesis 19:4-8 | Full Chapter

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. And they called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, that we may know them.”
(Genesis 19:4-5, ESV)

The sin of the people of Sodom is a grab bag. Lack of Inhospitality is noted in the Wikipedia article. Rape, at least attempted. Those are the two obvious. It strikes me as rather unnecessary to focus that for part of the group the rape they wish to commit is homosexual. But it’s in the grab bag too. And we can get caught up in any particular piece of their brutality, but that misses the point. A whole community bands together to rape travelers stopping for the night, a whole community which refuses to see its sin in such a vile action.

I find myself thinking of human slavery, particularly the enslavement of Africans brought to the Americas and of their descendants (Ha, beat that for PC!). How do we get to these points? At what point in our minds does any given war turn from reasons to just violence. How do we arrive at starting wars without reason? At some point, you find yourself banging on a pulpit saying, “These are the children of Ham and this is God’s punishment,” and you don’t even realize that you’ve embraced sin. Here’s a hint though: if you’re extrapolating from the curse of a recently drunk and rather pissed man to explain away your actions, you’re probably sinning.

How do you get there? It’s maybe not so much a slippery slope as the slow accumulation of excuses and apathy. Every sin that we say “just once more” or “not really so bad”, they add up. Or maybe there’s some other way. I am, after all, 25 and entitled to be completely wrong in my understanding of human nature. I am confident in what to do to keep from finding myself at that point: pray to Jehovah, study the Bible, keep myself around other believers so they are able to correct me, both through general association (church meeting, Bible studies, dinner, the like) and with defined accountability relationships (which I am not doing a good job of keeping up on).

Wow. That didn’t go where I was planning.

Lot went out to the men at the entrance, shut the door after him, and said, “I beg you, my brothers, do not act so wickedly. Behold, I have two daughters who 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.”
(Genesis 19:6-8, ESV)

The thing with Lot is he wasn’t always part of this community, so we can actually watch him sliding (hyuck, hyuck) into it. The thing that stands out to me like a green rhino playing banjo in a cornfield is that Lot calls the men at the entrance–those people closest to the house and likely the leaders–“brothers”.

Okay. Think about that.

Not the rhino; “Brothers”.

The next thing he does is far more vile. He offers the group his daughters to rape instead. And yet, because he’s named the leaders of a gang rape “brothers”, the element of surprise that he would do so is gone. Lot has accepted this community and its sin. He continues to live in it, and considers himself close enough to its leadership to call them brothers. Lot has already accepted this community and made himself a part of it.

Look even at his reasoning. He does not say, “Do not rape,” or even “Do not rape the guests of this town,” but only “Do not rape my guests”. Lot may be the most righteous among the people standing outside his home, but somewhere along the line, he lost the line. He’s already accreting the willingness to sin of his neighbors.

The people of Sodom have engaged a lifestyle of sin, and Lot, for his part, has not rejected it.

Genesis 19:1-3

2007.Jun.24 02:50

Hospitality II

Read Genesis 19:1-3 | Full Chapter

The two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them and bowed himself with his face to the earth and said, “My lords, please turn aside to your servant’s house and spend the night and wash your feet. Then you may rise up early and go on your way.” They said, “No; we will spend the night in the town square.” But he pressed them strongly; so they turned aside to him and entered his house. And he made them a feast and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.
(Genesis 19:1-3, ESV)

So, the two angels who had gone with Jehovah to meet Abraham arrive at the gate of Sodom. Jehovah, who, as I understand it, had appeared incarnate alongside with these angels, apparently doesn’t continue on to Sodom in such incarnate form. Anyway, the company recorded is now two. And who should they encounter, but the nephew of the very Abraham whom earlier had given them a meal at his tent. Lot’s biggest Biblical appearance up to this point is his parting of ways with Abraham, and the issues that preceded it.

Lot, I’ve noted, seems to have benefited greatly from the blessings on his uncle and aunt, but there’s no indication that he developed any kind of relationship with Jehovah, or strove for obedience and faith as his relatives have (generally) done. And when Abraham offered Lot his choice of the land, Lot chose the cities of the plain, despite their notoriety for sin, happy to stay there even after being pummeled in war. But he did seem to learn some hospitality. Although, perhaps because I know the end of this story, Lot’s hospitality strikes me as maybe less genuine.

Lot invites the angels to spend the night at his house. Honorable enough (well, maybe). They initially refused, but "he urged them greatly" (Genesis 19:3, ASV) and they relent. Like Abraham, Lot prepares and/or has prepared a meal for his guests. So, he does seek to do bless them, and to do the right thing. I can however think of two things that contribute to the unsavory taste Lot leaves me with:

1. My reading is that Lot pressed them against their plans until they gave in. Maybe that was the right thing to do, but had I been in their shoes, it would have greatly annoyed me. That might be a personal problem with me, though. Not sure. In either event, Lot does keep them from their intended business, which was to observe the city. Then again, the city does manage to make itself observable in the end.
2. Speaking in hindsight, Lot ought to anticipate what will come. He is a poor host in that he has lived in Sodom and is familiar with their acceptance of sin, and lack of hospitality. On the other hand, he has two daughters who at least haven’t been raped yet (Genesis 19:8), as one might expect they would have been, judging by the crowd later in this chapter. So, maybe he didn’t have full warning.

If anything, the passage is a reminder that hospitality and kindness are more than just a set of rules. Lot does all the right things, but somehow he misses the (possibly glaring) issue of protecting his guests. Hopefully without sounding too trite, one of the reasons we so need God’s wisdom is because it can be so easy, in the moment, to miss what in hindsight was so obvious.