Genesis 19: Judgment, Grace, and Lasting Consequences
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;
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.
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 bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.
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:
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.
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.
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 unto these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof.
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.
But the men put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut to the door.
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.
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; for the Lord will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law.
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.
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, not so, my Lord:
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.
The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar.
Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah 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.
And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the Lord:
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.
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.
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.
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.
And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Ben–ammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day.
Genesis 19 is a powerful and disturbing chapter, revealing the depths of human wickedness, the extent of God's grace, and the devastating consequences of sin. It's a pivotal moment in the Genesis narrative, highlighting God's commitment to justice and His enduring faithfulness to those who trust in Him, even amidst utter depravity. In the previous chapter, Abraham interceded for Sodom, bargaining with God for the sake of any righteous people who might be found there (Genesis 18). This chapter starkly demonstrates the absence of such righteousness, setting the stage for divine judgment.
Sodom's Depravity Exposed (19:1-11)
The chapter opens with two angels arriving in Sodom, likely the same angels who visited Abraham in Genesis 18. Lot, Abraham's nephew, extends hospitality to them, urging them to stay at his house for the night. This act of kindness is immediately contrasted with the overwhelming wickedness of the city.
Before the angels can rest, the men of Sodom, young and old, surround Lot's house, demanding that he bring out the visitors so they can "know" them (Genesis 19:4-5). The language here is unambiguous: the men intend to engage in homosexual rape. This reveals the utter moral decay of Sodom. Tony Evans notes that Sodom had descended into such a den of sin that visitors to the city could not be left in public alone for even a few hours without fear of being raped.
Lot's response is shocking. In an attempt to protect his guests, he offers his own virgin daughters to the mob (Genesis 19:8). This is a disturbing reflection of Lot's moral compromise, revealing how deeply he has been influenced by the culture of Sodom. While his initial hospitality might seem commendable, this action demonstrates a severe lapse in judgment and a distorted sense of values. We are repulsed by such an offer, which reveals Lot’s moral ties to Sodom as well as his failure to believe that God would protect him. Thankfully, the angels intervene, striking the mob with blindness (Genesis 19:11), preventing Lot from carrying out his horrific plan.
Escape from Destruction (19:12-29)
Recognizing the imminent judgment, the angels urge Lot to gather his family and leave the city. They declare God's intention to destroy Sodom because its wickedness has reached a crescendo (Genesis 19:12-13). Lot attempts to warn his daughters' fiancés, but they dismiss his words as a joke (Genesis 19:14). This highlights the danger of ignoring God's warnings. There is no more dangerous place to be than hearing the warnings of God and shrugging them off as if they are a joke.
Even Lot hesitates, clinging to the life he has built in Sodom (Genesis 19:16). The angels, in their mercy, physically pull Lot, his wife, and his two daughters out of the city. They are instructed to flee to the mountains and not to look back (Genesis 19:17). However, Lot pleads to be allowed to go to Zoar, a smaller town nearby, and his request is granted.
As God rains down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah, destroying everything, Lot's wife disobeys the angel's command and looks back (Genesis 19:24-26). Instantly, she is turned into a pillar of salt. Her fate serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of disobedience and attachment to the world. Jesus later uses her as a warning: "Remember Lot's wife!" (Luke 17:32). She thus became a permanent monument of the consequences of disobedience and worldliness. Only because of God’s promise to Abraham were Lot and his two daughters—a mere three people out of the entire city—saved from destruction.
A Shameful Conclusion (19:30-38)
The chapter concludes with a disturbing and tragic account. Lot and his daughters, now living in a cave in the mountains, are consumed by fear and despair. The daughters, believing they will never find husbands, devise a plan to preserve their family line. They get their father drunk on two consecutive nights and each have sexual relations with him (Genesis 19:31-36).
This incestuous act results in the birth of Moab and Ben-Ammi, the progenitors of the Moabites and Ammonites, two nations that would become perennial enemies of Israel (Genesis 19:37-38). This shameful episode underscores the devastating consequences of sin and the lasting impact of a morally compromised environment. When we try to solve God’s “problems” for him, we only create more problems for ourselves.
Lessons for Today
Genesis 19 offers several important lessons for contemporary readers:
- The Seriousness of Sin: The destruction of Sodom is a stark reminder of God's judgment against sin, particularly sexual immorality and blatant disregard for righteousness. While the story clearly shows God’s judgment against homosexuality, it offers a much larger warning.
- God's Grace and Mercy: Despite the overwhelming wickedness of Sodom, God extends grace to Lot and his family, rescuing them from destruction because of His promise to Abraham (Genesis 19:29).
- The Danger of Worldliness: Lot's wife's fate serves as a warning against becoming too attached to the world and its values. Jesus teaches us to be in the world, working for the good of our neighbors, but not attached to the world in sinful ways, contaminated by its rebellion against God.
- Consequences of Compromise: Lot's moral compromises and his daughters' actions demonstrate the long-lasting and devastating consequences of succumbing to the influence of a corrupt culture.
The story of Sodom's destruction is a sobering reminder of the importance of living a life that is pleasing to God, resisting the allure of worldly values, and heeding His warnings. It also underscores the enduring hope found in God's grace and mercy, even in the face of human failure.
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;
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.
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 bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.
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:
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.
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.
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 unto these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof.
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.
But the men put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut to the door.
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.
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; for the Lord will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law.
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.
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, not so, my Lord:
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.
The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar.
Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah 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.
And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the Lord:
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.
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.
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.
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.
And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Ben–ammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day.
Genesis 19 is a powerful and disturbing chapter, revealing the depths of human wickedness, the extent of God's grace, and the devastating consequences of sin. It's a pivotal moment in the Genesis narrative, highlighting God's commitment to justice and His enduring faithfulness to those who trust in Him, even amidst utter depravity. In the previous chapter, Abraham interceded for Sodom, bargaining with God for the sake of any righteous people who might be found there (Genesis 18). This chapter starkly demonstrates the absence of such righteousness, setting the stage for divine judgment.
Sodom's Depravity Exposed (19:1-11)
The chapter opens with two angels arriving in Sodom, likely the same angels who visited Abraham in Genesis 18. Lot, Abraham's nephew, extends hospitality to them, urging them to stay at his house for the night. This act of kindness is immediately contrasted with the overwhelming wickedness of the city.
Before the angels can rest, the men of Sodom, young and old, surround Lot's house, demanding that he bring out the visitors so they can "know" them (Genesis 19:4-5). The language here is unambiguous: the men intend to engage in homosexual rape. This reveals the utter moral decay of Sodom. Tony Evans notes that Sodom had descended into such a den of sin that visitors to the city could not be left in public alone for even a few hours without fear of being raped.
Lot's response is shocking. In an attempt to protect his guests, he offers his own virgin daughters to the mob (Genesis 19:8). This is a disturbing reflection of Lot's moral compromise, revealing how deeply he has been influenced by the culture of Sodom. While his initial hospitality might seem commendable, this action demonstrates a severe lapse in judgment and a distorted sense of values. We are repulsed by such an offer, which reveals Lot’s moral ties to Sodom as well as his failure to believe that God would protect him. Thankfully, the angels intervene, striking the mob with blindness (Genesis 19:11), preventing Lot from carrying out his horrific plan.
Escape from Destruction (19:12-29)
Recognizing the imminent judgment, the angels urge Lot to gather his family and leave the city. They declare God's intention to destroy Sodom because its wickedness has reached a crescendo (Genesis 19:12-13). Lot attempts to warn his daughters' fiancés, but they dismiss his words as a joke (Genesis 19:14). This highlights the danger of ignoring God's warnings. There is no more dangerous place to be than hearing the warnings of God and shrugging them off as if they are a joke.
Even Lot hesitates, clinging to the life he has built in Sodom (Genesis 19:16). The angels, in their mercy, physically pull Lot, his wife, and his two daughters out of the city. They are instructed to flee to the mountains and not to look back (Genesis 19:17). However, Lot pleads to be allowed to go to Zoar, a smaller town nearby, and his request is granted.
As God rains down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah, destroying everything, Lot's wife disobeys the angel's command and looks back (Genesis 19:24-26). Instantly, she is turned into a pillar of salt. Her fate serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of disobedience and attachment to the world. Jesus later uses her as a warning: "Remember Lot's wife!" (Luke 17:32). She thus became a permanent monument of the consequences of disobedience and worldliness. Only because of God’s promise to Abraham were Lot and his two daughters—a mere three people out of the entire city—saved from destruction.
A Shameful Conclusion (19:30-38)
The chapter concludes with a disturbing and tragic account. Lot and his daughters, now living in a cave in the mountains, are consumed by fear and despair. The daughters, believing they will never find husbands, devise a plan to preserve their family line. They get their father drunk on two consecutive nights and each have sexual relations with him (Genesis 19:31-36).
This incestuous act results in the birth of Moab and Ben-Ammi, the progenitors of the Moabites and Ammonites, two nations that would become perennial enemies of Israel (Genesis 19:37-38). This shameful episode underscores the devastating consequences of sin and the lasting impact of a morally compromised environment. When we try to solve God’s “problems” for him, we only create more problems for ourselves.
Lessons for Today
Genesis 19 offers several important lessons for contemporary readers:
- The Seriousness of Sin: The destruction of Sodom is a stark reminder of God's judgment against sin, particularly sexual immorality and blatant disregard for righteousness. While the story clearly shows God’s judgment against homosexuality, it offers a much larger warning.
- God's Grace and Mercy: Despite the overwhelming wickedness of Sodom, God extends grace to Lot and his family, rescuing them from destruction because of His promise to Abraham (Genesis 19:29).
- The Danger of Worldliness: Lot's wife's fate serves as a warning against becoming too attached to the world and its values. Jesus teaches us to be in the world, working for the good of our neighbors, but not attached to the world in sinful ways, contaminated by its rebellion against God.
- Consequences of Compromise: Lot's moral compromises and his daughters' actions demonstrate the long-lasting and devastating consequences of succumbing to the influence of a corrupt culture.
The story of Sodom's destruction is a sobering reminder of the importance of living a life that is pleasing to God, resisting the allure of worldly values, and heeding His warnings. It also underscores the enduring hope found in God's grace and mercy, even in the face of human failure.