Study of Lot's Departure from Sodom

Introduction to Lot's Escape

Welcome Prayer Song Silence

Excuse the gap last week but we were out of town.

So we left off with Lot’s sons in law thinking that his saying that Sodom would be destroyed was a joke and they never are spoken of again. So let’s read on from verses 15 – 38 in chapter 19

Genesis 19.15-end

December 18th 2022

15 And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city. 16 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. 17 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. 18 And Lot said unto them, Oh, not so, my Lord: 19 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: 20 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. 21 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. 22 Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar. 23 The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar. 24 Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; 25 And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.

26 But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.

Aftermath and Consequences

27 And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the LORD: 28 And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace. 29 And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt. 30 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. 31 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: 32 Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father. 33 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. 34 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. 35 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. 36 Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father. 37 And the firstborn bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day. 38 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.

Okay back to verse 15:

15 And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the

Angels and Divine Intervention

16 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.

This is a truly insightful passage because from it we discover biblical evidence that angels or messengers of God have the capacity to get directly involved in physical things. Now perhaps when we read took hold of their hands it is figurative but I don’t see why it should be in fact it seems like they were almost pulling them out of the coming fires.

Last year I told a story of coming onto the I 15 in snowy icy conditions and was wondering about why God rarely talks to me and how I came around the bend of the onramp only to be faced with a dozen cars all piled up and along the side with the body of their cars narrowing the passageway between them to an impossibly small space. But I was going too fast to even try to stopping and so I aimed the car the best I could and sort of closed my eyes, bracing for some impact of some sort. And I came out the otherside unscathed with a clear message – I’m always with you.

Sobering. But miraculous for me. I believe that God can, will and does intervene but it’s for His purposes and will and in that he also allows for collisions – I’ve had those too! So the messengers took Lot, his wife and his two daughters by the hands.

Urgency and Action

17 And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he (the messenger of God) said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.

The Hebrew linguists suggest that every word here is emphatic, ESCAPE for thy LIFE! DON’T LOOK BACK! DON’T STAY ON THE PLANE. ESCAPE TO THE MOUNTAIN or you will get consumed! What do we learn? God tells his creations to take action when they need to escape from danger. On several occasions Jesus slipped out of the hands of the Jews who sought his life and didn’t hang around trusting that His Father would put a shield of protection over Him. I am sure God can do things when we find ourselves in danger, like Daniel in the Lions Den or Shadrach Meeshack and Abedmego walking in the fire, or Jonah in the Great fish, but there are also times when He moves us to take action. And this is one of those times as the angels seem to urgently be moving Lot and family along.

18 And Lot said unto them, Oh, not so, my Lord: 19 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:

It seems like Lot was looking at what was going to be destroyed and looking at the Mountain ahead didn’t seem to think that he could make it. What the impediment could be is not known – time, distance, evil doers, wild animals – it was something. So, Lot says

Lot's Plea and God's Mercy

20 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.

Some commentators believe that the parenthetical reference here suggests that Lot was trying to negotiate for some sort of a meager inheritance to have. He had chosen the plain of Sodom but everything on it was going to be destroyed. So when he says, Oh, look at that little city called Zoar, isn’t it little – can I go there instead, which could have meant, can I at least have this tiny little city as a land of inheritance?

21 And he (the messenger) said unto him (Lot), See, I have accepted thee concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow this city, for the which thou hast spoken.

But then the messenger adds

22 Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.

Apparently these heavenly messengers had the strictest commission to take care of Lot and his family – so much

Reflections on Sodom and Gomorrah

So that even the purposes of Divine judgments could not fall on the rebellious until this righteous man and his family had escaped from the place. This outcome proved Abraham’s insight when he was bargaining with God and said, “the Judge of all the earth will do right.” Verse 23)

23 The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar.
24 Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;

Okay, we’ve gotta talk about this passage for a moment. Why? Because it has been used to support at least TWO forms of Deity in the Old Testament and suggests that this is proven by the use of YHWH twice in the single passage. Some counsels demanded that this passage was read as the Father raining down the Son out of heaven but other commentators believe that the two mentions of YHWH could speak to YHWH raining or YHWH sending and the messengers either raining or the messengers doing the sending.

Interpretations of the Event

I only maintain that to appeal to this passage as a support for the Trinity is a mighty stretch – but one that is still made. Check it out. Maybe I’m missing something. Whatever it means what it says is, the Lord rained-brimstone and fire from the Lord. Because the Apostolic Record says that the Father committed all judgment to the Son they assign that to His preincarnate person in this situation but again, it’s not great proof just one that’s used.

There is a whole lot of insights, conjecture, and natural science put forth on explaining the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Many suggest that it pictures the afterlife eternal suffering that God will heap upon the wicked in hell. Others suggest that a shower of nitrous particles might have been rained down from heaven and immediately ignited to consume the cities and the plains of Sodom and Gomorrah. This is supported by the fact that these areas even today abound with asphaltus or bitumen pits. Some believe God merely ignited already existing stores of flammable matter by lightening which too could account for the whole thing going up.

Biblical References

One thing for CERTAIN – the Scripture speaks of this event in a number of places including:

Deuteronomy 29:23 And that the whole land thereof is brimstone, and salt, and burning, that it is not sown, nor beareth, nor any grass groweth therein, like the overthrow of Sodom, and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim, which the LORD overthrew in his anger, and in his wrath:

Deuteronomy 32:32 For their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah: their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter:

Isaiah 1:9 Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.

Isaiah 13:19 says And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees' excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.

Jeremiah 23:14 I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah.

Jeremiah 49:18 As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbour cities thereof, saith the LORD, no man shall abide there, neither shall a son of man dwell in it.

And Jeremiah 50:40 As God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbour cities thereof, saith the LORD; so shall no man abide there, neither shall any son of man dwell therein.

Amos 4:11 I have overthrown some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.

Jumping out to the Apostolic Record, Jesus, speaking to Peter James John and Andrew about His return and what to look for says in Luke’s account in chapter 17:

Luke 17:27 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.

28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;
29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.

The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah

Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.

31 In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back.

32 Remember Lot's wife.

Jesus seemed to believe it was a literal actual event then and he appeal to the destruction that suddenly fell on them to picture for the apostles what the end of that age would look like as well. Of course, as an image of both hell and coming destruction, the items mentioned here called fire and brimstone are often used in scripture to describe the inflicted punishments God would pour out on evildoers in the eternal flames of torments.

Image of Destruction

Interestingly, the Greek word translated to brimstone is theion, which is a derivative word taken from theos, and while it typically refers to sulphur, it literally means, "flashing god-like divinity." This might be the way to see the invisible God as theion or brimstone, and I cannot help but suggest that the consuming fire that He is is impossible to approach without some serious burning away of the carnal fleshly nature if unatoned for. Anyway verse 25

25 And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.

Geologists say that the area forms what is called lake Asphaltites, Dead Sea, or Salt Sea, which, according to the most authentic accounts, is about seventy miles in length, and eighteen in breadth. The waters there are said to be super salty, far beyond the usual saltness of the sea, and hence it is called the Salt Sea. In consequence of this circumstance bodies will float in it that would sink in common salt water and for this reason few fish can survive its waters.

Lot's Wife and Abraham's Journey

So the place is getting torched – verse 26

26 But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.

And on this we could go off-roading for a few hours because the stories are pretty interesting surrounding this event. Some of the early church leaders suggested that the pillar of salt that Lot’s wife became was still out there in their day. Tertullian even wrote a poem about her. But in the end, the scripture only says

26 But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.

And that is pretty wild. I mean, is the message that when God speaks we had better obey Him? There will be other types of sudden deaths in the Old Testament that tend to illustrate the same things.

I don’t know what to say in our day and age because we have people who do all sorts of things against the directives of God and conscience and he doesn’t seem to be turning anyone in to pillars of salt anymore. Not that He can’t but these things are really centered in teaching principles that had application to those ancient times and God using the peoples to reconcile the world to himself.

Lacking any real evidence beyond what the scripture says, we are just going to move forward.

27 And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the LORD:

It seems that maybe Abraham was anxious to know the outcome of his bargaining with God the day before and so he woke early and sojourned forth to where He and the messenger talked.

28 And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.

29 And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in which Lot dwelt.

30 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.

Interestingly, Lot left the place of his choosing (Zoar) and dwelt in the mountains, which apparently suggests that the messengers of God were correct in where they first directed him. However, some commentators suggest that he ought to have stayed in Zoar as the Lord allowed because if he had what will happen next may not…

The Story of Lot's Daughters

So, they are in the mountains. All of Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding plain has been utterly routed.

31 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:

It seems that looking around – both from their home which was destroyed and then from Zoar, they did not believe that there were any men worthy to make their husbands. I could be wrong on this and maybe there were no men in Zoar – but whatever it was the daughters of Lot thought that they were going to be barren and that this would bring an end of Lot’s family line. Much has been said about what they do – everything from it was totally pragmatic to it being an egregious sin of lust. I mean certainly in our day this scene is reprehensible but remember this was a radically different age and time and if what they had done was so utterly reprehensible I think God would have struck them down.

God's Restraint and Perception

Here's the reason I say this. It’s all in the heart and while the decision making was a wee-bit warped it seems like a one off for both daughters, we never read about it again, and it was not something that that they appeared to practice. Had that been the case I think God would have thrown down. Instead He gives the daughters children (after all, He is the giver of life). There is something to be said here about His restraint on the daughters choice. Their mother turned around and boom – she was gonzo, right? But these two arrange to sleep with daddy as incomprehensible as this is to us now and He blessed the union?

That is the wild part of this story. A number of people pick on Lot and his daughters for what goes down here but again, I honestly think God looks at the heart, and to me, in the face of him being so quick to pillorize Lot's wife, I think He did not see them as being vile seductresses – just people making some mistakes. Likewise, we note that Lot did get so bombed that he didn’t know who he was sleeping with. Now, you’ve gotta really be bombed out of your mind to not know THAT you had sex with someone, so the commentators suggest that he probably thought the women were consorts he picked up at Zoar – but what is that about? Again, Lot is described throughout scripture as righteous, so we are not privy to the whole story here and I just happen to think that what they did and what God allowed them to do was a matter of bad decisions or temporary lust and not an evil heart seeking to do evil.

Questions Raised

That begs the question then about Lot’s wife? Why did he turn her into a pillar of salt but not destroy their daughters or Lot for that matter? Can’t honestly say. What we can say is He did choose to give each of them sons! So, let’s read on. So the older says to the younger:

32 Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.

Apparently, they did not think that Lot would have agreed to such actions while sober so they got the man to consume wine. Not it is entirely possible that Lot was not a drinker – and that this first introduction to booze knocked him silly. Whatever the case, verse 33

33 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.

Where it says that “he did not perceive the time she came to his bed, nor the time she left it” this seems to suggest that he had no idea who was making these visits. But again, we might suspect that he knew a visit was being made and that he indulged in whatever was being somehow suggested or offered. Remember, Lot is considered a righteous man by the writers of the AR so we are missing some of the story. Verse 34 – 35

34 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the firstborn said unto the younger, Behold, I lay yesternight with

The Descendants of Moab and Ammon

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. 35 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. 37 And the firstborn bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day.

As an FYI the Moabites turned out to be enemies of the Nation of Israel as they fell from the faith of God, and became idolaters known as the people of Chemosh, and of Baal-peor, (Numbers 21:29; 25:1-3; 22:1-6 and Judges 3:14) Verse 38

38 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.

Ben-ammi means, the son of my people and Moab means the water of my father. Like the Moabites, the Ammonites also turned on the Nation of Israel, and joined forced to resist them. (see, Judges 11:4,24; Deuteronomy 23:3,4)

Mistakes Allowed by God

Here we have yet another mistake in scripture that is allowed by God but winds up being something that would come back to bite the participants. In all three cases, the acts were based on failing faith in God and trusting in the wisdom of man to fix things. In the first situation, Eve and Adam ate the forbidden fruit – and even though to Eve the fruit was pleasant to look at, good for food and would make one wise, it was not the approach God wanted for her and Adam and the end result was death.

In the second instance, Sarah told Abram to take Hagar in as his bride and the offspring of that union, even to this day, remains at war with the seed of promise. And here we have yet another decision based on fear, faithlessness and not relying on the Lord to give these girls husbands and children. The results? A baby named Moab and a baby named Benammi – who would both become enemies to the children of Promise.

Abraham's Journey to Gerar

So, chapter 20 is an interesting little aside tale that I would like to read through before wrapping today up. It will remind some of you of a similar tale from earlier in the life of Abraham and Sarah. Let’s read:

Genesis 20:1 And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar. 2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah. 3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man's wife. 4 But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation? 5 Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this. 6 And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her. 7 Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.

8 Therefore Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ears: and the men were sore afraid. 9 Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said unto him, What hast thou done unto us? and what have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done. 10 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing? 11 And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife's sake. 12 And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife. 13 And it came to pass,

Abraham and Abimelech

When God caused me to wander from my father's house, that I said unto her, This is thy kindness which thou shalt shew unto me; at every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother.

14 And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and womenservants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife. 15 And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee. 16 And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver: behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes, unto all that are with thee, and with all other: thus she was reproved.

God Heals Abimelech's Household

17 So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children. 18 For the LORD had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham's wife.

And we will cover this event next week Lord willing.

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