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| And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing [them] rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground; Lot recognizes the Holy agents, and was probably expecting them, because he is standing by the gate of the city. Their arrival was mediated by Uncle Abraham. Lot conducts himself with worship, bowing himself, with his face toward the ground. He beckons them to stay with his family. This is a noble gesture, considering how unsafe, Sodom was. Then again, a man of faith would not challenge their ability to defend themselves, they were ANGELS! The Angels didn't need defending. It was a humanistic effort, which turned out cartoonishly horrific. The 2 angels arrive in the evening. Evening-
Why does God's DAY begin at sunset? Why does He mark every Holy Day by the same order of evening/sunset as the morning/sunrise? The Angels arrive in Sodom at sunset. This marks a new day. Gen 1:5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. Gen 8:11 And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth [was] an olive leaf pluckt off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth. _____________________________________  | |||||||||
| And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night. Lot's offer was outwardly gracious, "wash your feet" (refresh yourselves)... The angels respond in a slightly humorous way, telling him that they'd prefer to stay out all night. This was Mesopotamia's equivalent to Las Vegas. They may have been there to rescue others, too, but, Lot prevented that, by locking out the trespassers, while he was saved. | |||||||||
| And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did baked unleavened bread, and they did eat. Lot emulates the graciousness of his uncle Abraham. This is a show of respect. It's through others that we also learn our standards of behavior. He bakes a quickcake and feast for them to eat, like Abraham and Sarah did. Lot is between two worlds, like the contemporary man in the 21st Century. He makes a good living in Sodom, but, he is losing the spark. He reacts in ritual, not true solemnity, and heartfelt joy at these angels.  Of course, they were also agents of doom. Notice how he wants them to spend the night and then get on their way quickly. He knows they are here for destruction, and he'd prefer not having his business and home obliterated by a holy holocaust. Maybe the angels were on their way to Ninevah, again? | |||||||||
| But before they lay down, the men of the city [even] the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter. "The men of Sodom" have come to define "sodomites," based on an assumption that they practiced this sex act, and were intent on having sexual knowledge of the angels. Sodom was equivalent to our modern cities. The men of Sodom saw Lot escort these angels from the gate, and both young and old men wanted to see the angels for themselves. They may have well come to see them, and who knows if they may have repented and be saved? Lot never gave them the chance. | |||||||||
| And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where [are] the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them. "...that we may know them."
pleas for knowledge of a sexual nature, but, that's not how it's written. There were words to use for sexual immorality, but, the word Joshua used in transcribing Genesis, is "know" of a general sense. It was Lot, who assumes that they wished to "sodomize" the angels. Why would young men, as boys, be at the door to sodomize the glorious angels? Are the children of sinners not loved by God? Don't depraved people need God? Don't sinners long for knowledge of good? | |||||||||
| And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him, | |||||||||
And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly.
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| Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as [is] good in your eyes: only these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof. Oh great. This time he not only assumes they're there to sexually assault the angels, but, he's willing to give rapists his two virgin daughters, to rape and kill. Oh well. They're only girls. (It's not like the angels couldn't have kicked Sodomite butt if they laid a finger on them. They were there to destroy the town... D'oh) Living in the proximity of corruption, Lot, an otherwise good man, has become jaded and perverse. As we'll see with his wife, she had an even harder time leaving the Big Apple... Who knows what Lot was thinking, but, it was in the strength of a carnal mind. | |||||||||
| And they said, Stand back. And they said [again], This one [fellow] came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, [even] Lot, and came near to break the door. The angels must have been very perturbed. Lot is puffing his feathers, as a dangerous show and game of chicken. | |||||||||
| But the men put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut the door. Lot is about to get himself killed. I wonder if Lot looked like "Homer Simpson" to the angels? The angels were there to shephard Lot, and his family, because God had promised Abraham to attend to them. | |||||||||
| And they smote the men that [were] at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door. While Lot was tinkering and being argumentative with the crowd of men, the Angels had no difficulty in dealing with the mob. | |||||||||
| And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring [them] out of this place: | |||||||||
| For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the LORD; and the LORD hath sent us to destroy it. | |||||||||
| And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; the the LORD will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law. He withers, the weight of the world on top of his shoulders. Lot runs out of steam after his son-in-laws laughed at him. His machismo was wounded. Instead of fleeing, taking his two daughters and wife, he collapses and does nothing until the morning. There was no real concern for the safety of his wife and daughters. He withers, the weight of the world on top of his shoulders The angels had to rouse and literally "short-rope" these people, and get them to git going. This region, on the hills near the salt sea, or Dead Sea, known as the Valley of Shittim: Click on map for closer look at the region where Sodom and Gomorrah was, as well as where Abraham was, in Mamre, in Hebron.  Gen 14:3 All these were joined together in the vale of Siddim, 'which is the salt sea. The salt sea corresponds with the composition of the town's bedrocks and chemical composition. The region now shows high levels of sulfur- BRIMSTONE.  | |||||||||
| And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take they wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.  | |||||||||
| And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city.  | |||||||||
| And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain lest thou be consumed.  | |||||||||
| And Lot said unto them, Oh no, not so, my Lord: Lot has a hard time comprehending. He's hypnotized by the life he had been living. He's arguing with the angels, there to save him. | |||||||||
| Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me and I die: | |||||||||
| Behold now, this city [is] near to flee unto, and it [is] a little one: Oh, let me escape thither, ([is] it not a little one?) and my soul shall live. | |||||||||
| And he said unto him, See, I have accepted thee concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow this city, for the which thou hast spoken. | |||||||||
| Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar. A desirable place to live, so Lot beseeches the angels to let them stay there, and sparing the city. Gen 13:10 And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain' of Jordan, that it [was] well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, [even] as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar. Gen 14:2 [That these] made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, which is Zoar. Gen 14:8 And there went out the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (the same [is] Zoar;) and they joined battle with them in the vale of Siddim; | |||||||||
| The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar. | |||||||||
| Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah fire and brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; | |||||||||
| And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.  | |||||||||
| But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.  Pillar-
Pillar - Netseeb- is used as a standard, to stand for something, or as a defense, as in it's use to describe garrisons. Lot's wife is vaporized, with the crust of the dead salt sea, encapsulating her dust and congealing into a sign of wonder. She was frozen to the spot, as a pillar, and as a sign of the heavenly event that transpired. Salt Sea=Dead Sea=Vale of Shittim=Sodom and Gomorrah, Zoar, were all prospering cities in the salt sea region. Gen 14:3 All these were joined together in the vale of Siddim, which is the salt sea. The word "salt" occurs 41 times in 35 verses: Lev 2:13 And every oblation of thy meat offering shalt thou season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat offering: with all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt. In Leviticus, salt is required by God, so the Priests load on the NaCl. Salt preserves, and improves the flavor of meats. Salt also was life-giving, especially in desert climates, where minerals are depleted by sweating and drinking larger quantities of fluids. Salt, and minerals from the Dead sea, are still a luxury commodity. Back then, I'm sure the salt mine workers were valuable in producing salt, which was life and death to desert dwelling nomads. Sodom sounds like the goldmine towns that sprung up in California, in 1849. Salt was almost as good as gold, to the desert bedoin, whose lives were improved by salt. The cross-section of salt-mine workers, merchants, food, beverage, and other commodities created a flourishing community, although crude, like the wild, wild west. Without refrigeration, having proximity to a vibrant modern city, built from the labor of the salt mines, enhanced Lot's wealth and helped preserve the meat he raised. His affluence meant much to him, and it was hard to leave that behind, even at the cost of his life. As it was, his wife, and his daughter's husbands all perished. Lot's wife was flash fried, and left encrusted with the valuable salts and minerals that built their affluent lives in the rowdy life in Sodom. We can't judge Lot, because he reacts like the average homosapien, with his logic misguided, but, his priorities are different than those of his Uncle Abraham's. We all are tested, and Lot showed many lapses of good reasoning. While he was considered a good man, what is acceptable to man, and what is acceptable to God, are two different things. We all need to pray for the will to become positive pillars to those around us, not pillars of shame, like Lot's wife. We need to establish the LORD as our focal point, and not take our eyes off of HIM. Lot's wife was preserved, like the meat preserved in salt. It was a gruesome, gastly and ironic sign. | |||||||||
| And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the LORD: | |||||||||
| Abraham had beseeched the LORD to save Lot and his kin. God is true to his promises. Lot had to be pulled along, almost in a daze, not recognizing the strength of the angels sent there to protect him, and destroy the two cities.
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| And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar: and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters. Even knowing the promise to Abraham, Lot is fearful, and not able to trust in the LORD. He is looking for Abraham to come out in battle-gear to save him, without understanding how God saves our souls, but, our material lives are left behind. | |||||||||
| And the firstborn said unto the younger, Our father [is] old, and [there is] not a man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth: | |||||||||
| Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.  | |||||||||
| And they made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose. | |||||||||
| And it came to pass on the morrow, that the firstborn said unto the younger, Behold, I lay yesternight with my father: let us make him drink wine this night also; and go thou in, [and] lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father. | |||||||||
| And they made their father drink wine that night also: and the younger arose, and lay with him; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.  | |||||||||
| Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father. | |||||||||
| And the firstborn bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same [is] the father of the Moabites unto this day. MOAB-
The region that Moabites dwelled, is in modern "Karrak," east of Dead Sea, vale of Shittim, and across from Jericho. Moab has had an intricately laced relationship with the Abrahamic tribes, as it was documented through the sojourn of the Hebrews, behind Moses, Aaron and Miriam, through the wilderness and towards the Promised Land. They were alternately blessed and cursed. Ruth, from "Book of Ruth" was the only non-Hebrew born hero of the Bible. She was the grandmother of King David, and she was a Moabitis. She represents complete salvation in grace, as she is also the ancestor of Jesus Christ. The measure of God's standard of mercy, is determined by how the sons of Abraham treat their brothers. That applies to the great nephews, as well. Exd 15:15 Then the dukes of Edom shall be amazed; the mighty men of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them; all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away. Num 21:11 And they journeyed from Oboth, and pitched at Ijeabarim, in the wilderness which [is] before Moab, toward the sunrising. Num 22:1 And the children of Israel set forward, and pitched in the plains of Moab on this side Jordan [by] Jericho. Num 22:3 And Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they [were] many: and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel. After Israel was established, Moab greatly influenced the Israeli culture, and the Jews adopted many of their gods and goddesses, of the great Jealousy, regarding the prevalent Mesopotamian religion and idols. This brings doom to both Moab and Jerusalem. The Prophets have many sections of specific curses and events involving the Moabites, Ammonites and the Hebrews. Isaiah 25:10 For in this mountain shall the hand of the LORD rest, and Moab shall be trodden down under him, even as straw is trodden down for the dunghill. Jeremiah 9:26 Egypt, and Judah, and Edom, and the children of Ammon, and Moab, and all [that are] in the utmost corners, that dwell in the wilderness: for all [these] nations [are] uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel [are] uncircumcised in the heart. Jer 25:21 Edom, and Moab, and the children of Ammon, Jer 27:3 And send them to the king of Edom, and to the king of Moab, and to the king of the Ammonites, and to the king of Tyrus, and to the king of Zidon, by the hand of the messengers which come to Jerusalem unto Zedekiah king of Judah; | |||||||||
| And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Benammi: the same [is] the father of the children of Ammon unto this day. | |||||||||
