†. Gen 19:5a . . And they shouted to Lot and said to him: Where are
the men who came to you tonight?
Everyone was bellowing and clamoring; like impatient fans at wrestling
matches, cage fights, and Roman coliseums; demanding their pound of flesh
and pools of blood.
†. Gen 19:5b . . Bring them out to us, that we may be intimate with
them.
Since all the people of Sodom were in on this-- men, women, children, old
and young alike --it becomes frightfully obvious the townsfolk desired far
more than just stimulating gratification. They were looking for entertainment
of the vilest sort imaginable-- quite possibly a filthy stage show of
unspeakable acts; maybe including bestiality and bondage. Exactly what the
people of Sodom intended to do with the messengers is not said. Scripture is
silent on this matter. It's as if the author drew a curtain over Sodom and
said: This is just too shocking. I'm not going to spell out what the people of
Sodom wanted. You will just have to use your imagination. (No thanks to
internet porn sites and graphic Hollywood movies; we no longer have to use
our imaginations.)
†. Gen 19:6-7 . . So Lot went out to them to the entrance, shut the
door behind him, and said: I beg you, my friends, do not commit
such a wrong.
No doubt those people interpreted Lot's comment that they were "wrong" as
judgmental. It was certain to provoke a hostile response in the typically
indignant manner in which evil people can be expected to act when
somebody criticizes their conduct.
†. Gen 19:8 . . Look, I have two daughters who have not known a
man. Let me bring them out to you, and you may do to them as you
please; but do not do anything to these men, since they have come
under the shelter of my roof.”
Well . . I would kind of like to know exactly how Lot's daughters felt about
that idea. And what about their mom? Do you think she was okay with it? I
guarantee you she was NOT. You moms and dads; would you throw your
little girls to the sharks to protect total strangers-- the little girls you
brought into the world, fed and clothed, read stories to at night, taught them
their prayers, put them through Girl Scouts and ballet lessons, sewed outfits
for their Barbies, and put away money for college?
There are people who, motivated by religious convictions, will let their
children die of treatable conditions rather than take them to a doctor. Was
Lot sort of like that? A man who felt so obligated to protect the guests in his
home that he would sacrifice his own blood kin to do it?
†. Gen 19:9a . . But they said: Step aside! This fellow; they said;
came here as an alien, and already he acts the judge!
People like the Sodomites instinctively know that what they're doing is
wrong, but God pity the soul that dares to tell them so.
Lot called them friends, but when push came to shove, they regarded him as
an outsider. And one thing you just don't do as an outsider is impose either
your values or your beliefs upon others. They will deeply resent you for it--
whether you are right or wrong has nothing to do with it.
†. Gen 19:9b-11 . . Now we will deal worse with you than with them.
And they pressed hard against the person of Lot, and moved forward
to break the door. But the men stretched out their hands and pulled
Lot into the house with them, and shut the door. And the people who
were at the entrance of the house, young and old, they struck with
blinding light, so that they were helpless to find the entrance.
(chuckle) That'll learn em' to keep one eye shut when somebody trips a
flare. The flash was totally unexpected and must have startled Lot right out
of his socks. Up to now, he was given no hint that the two men under his
roof were anything but ordinary travelers. "Giminy! Where did all that light
come from? There was no thunder. Was it some sort of stealth lightening?
How'd you guys do that anyway? Is it patented?"
Normally it takes about twenty minutes for visual purple in the human eye to
adjust to darkness after a sudden burst of bright light. The flash didn't
actually damage anyone's eyesight so that they went blind. It just made
their surroundings difficult to see, like when someone pops your photo in
dim light with a camera.
The situation now takes on a desperate atmosphere of survival. The crowd
has turned into an ugly mob; and it's fight or flight-- no other options. The
Lord's messengers chose flight because their purpose was not to remain in
Sodom, but to leave it in ashes.
†. Gen 19:12-13 . .Then the men said to Lot: Whom else have you
here? Sons-in-law, your sons and daughters, or anyone else that you
have in the city-- bring them out of the place. For we are about to
destroy this place; because the outcry against them before The Lord
has become so great that the Lord has sent us to destroy it.
Lot was like Noah in that his kinfolk, no matter whether they were pious or
impious, had the option of going out with him to safety if they wanted.
Lot's head must have been reeling. Only just a few hours ago he was laid
back, catching up on all the latest news and gossip at the gate; and on the
way home to eat dinner with his family at the end of another routine day. In
a succession of rapidly developing events beyond his control; within 24
hours, before the next sunrise, he would lose his home, his way of life, all
his friends, his career, and all the wealth and possessions and property and
livestock the Lots had accumulated in the 24 years they had lived in the land
of Canaan.
My gosh! He is so caught off guard and must have been terribly shocked at
the tone of those two men. The awful realization of who they were and why
they came to Sodom slowly began to gel in his befuddled mind. I feel so
sorry for him and his family. Calamity, like a 9.0 earthquake right out of the
blue, pounced on them, and came to ruin their life. They will take nothing
with them but some suit cases, the clothes on their backs, and the breath in
their lungs. Lot was a well-to-do cattle baron; but he is just a few hours
away from losing his entire life's work in a fiery inferno. (cf. 1Cor 3:11-15)
Cont.
/
the men who came to you tonight?
Everyone was bellowing and clamoring; like impatient fans at wrestling
matches, cage fights, and Roman coliseums; demanding their pound of flesh
and pools of blood.
†. Gen 19:5b . . Bring them out to us, that we may be intimate with
them.
Since all the people of Sodom were in on this-- men, women, children, old
and young alike --it becomes frightfully obvious the townsfolk desired far
more than just stimulating gratification. They were looking for entertainment
of the vilest sort imaginable-- quite possibly a filthy stage show of
unspeakable acts; maybe including bestiality and bondage. Exactly what the
people of Sodom intended to do with the messengers is not said. Scripture is
silent on this matter. It's as if the author drew a curtain over Sodom and
said: This is just too shocking. I'm not going to spell out what the people of
Sodom wanted. You will just have to use your imagination. (No thanks to
internet porn sites and graphic Hollywood movies; we no longer have to use
our imaginations.)
†. Gen 19:6-7 . . So Lot went out to them to the entrance, shut the
door behind him, and said: I beg you, my friends, do not commit
such a wrong.
No doubt those people interpreted Lot's comment that they were "wrong" as
judgmental. It was certain to provoke a hostile response in the typically
indignant manner in which evil people can be expected to act when
somebody criticizes their conduct.
†. Gen 19:8 . . Look, I have two daughters who have not known a
man. Let me bring them out to you, and you may do to them as you
please; but do not do anything to these men, since they have come
under the shelter of my roof.”
Well . . I would kind of like to know exactly how Lot's daughters felt about
that idea. And what about their mom? Do you think she was okay with it? I
guarantee you she was NOT. You moms and dads; would you throw your
little girls to the sharks to protect total strangers-- the little girls you
brought into the world, fed and clothed, read stories to at night, taught them
their prayers, put them through Girl Scouts and ballet lessons, sewed outfits
for their Barbies, and put away money for college?
There are people who, motivated by religious convictions, will let their
children die of treatable conditions rather than take them to a doctor. Was
Lot sort of like that? A man who felt so obligated to protect the guests in his
home that he would sacrifice his own blood kin to do it?
†. Gen 19:9a . . But they said: Step aside! This fellow; they said;
came here as an alien, and already he acts the judge!
People like the Sodomites instinctively know that what they're doing is
wrong, but God pity the soul that dares to tell them so.
Lot called them friends, but when push came to shove, they regarded him as
an outsider. And one thing you just don't do as an outsider is impose either
your values or your beliefs upon others. They will deeply resent you for it--
whether you are right or wrong has nothing to do with it.
†. Gen 19:9b-11 . . Now we will deal worse with you than with them.
And they pressed hard against the person of Lot, and moved forward
to break the door. But the men stretched out their hands and pulled
Lot into the house with them, and shut the door. And the people who
were at the entrance of the house, young and old, they struck with
blinding light, so that they were helpless to find the entrance.
(chuckle) That'll learn em' to keep one eye shut when somebody trips a
flare. The flash was totally unexpected and must have startled Lot right out
of his socks. Up to now, he was given no hint that the two men under his
roof were anything but ordinary travelers. "Giminy! Where did all that light
come from? There was no thunder. Was it some sort of stealth lightening?
How'd you guys do that anyway? Is it patented?"
Normally it takes about twenty minutes for visual purple in the human eye to
adjust to darkness after a sudden burst of bright light. The flash didn't
actually damage anyone's eyesight so that they went blind. It just made
their surroundings difficult to see, like when someone pops your photo in
dim light with a camera.
The situation now takes on a desperate atmosphere of survival. The crowd
has turned into an ugly mob; and it's fight or flight-- no other options. The
Lord's messengers chose flight because their purpose was not to remain in
Sodom, but to leave it in ashes.
†. Gen 19:12-13 . .Then the men said to Lot: Whom else have you
here? Sons-in-law, your sons and daughters, or anyone else that you
have in the city-- bring them out of the place. For we are about to
destroy this place; because the outcry against them before The Lord
has become so great that the Lord has sent us to destroy it.
Lot was like Noah in that his kinfolk, no matter whether they were pious or
impious, had the option of going out with him to safety if they wanted.
Lot's head must have been reeling. Only just a few hours ago he was laid
back, catching up on all the latest news and gossip at the gate; and on the
way home to eat dinner with his family at the end of another routine day. In
a succession of rapidly developing events beyond his control; within 24
hours, before the next sunrise, he would lose his home, his way of life, all
his friends, his career, and all the wealth and possessions and property and
livestock the Lots had accumulated in the 24 years they had lived in the land
of Canaan.
My gosh! He is so caught off guard and must have been terribly shocked at
the tone of those two men. The awful realization of who they were and why
they came to Sodom slowly began to gel in his befuddled mind. I feel so
sorry for him and his family. Calamity, like a 9.0 earthquake right out of the
blue, pounced on them, and came to ruin their life. They will take nothing
with them but some suit cases, the clothes on their backs, and the breath in
their lungs. Lot was a well-to-do cattle baron; but he is just a few hours
away from losing his entire life's work in a fiery inferno. (cf. 1Cor 3:11-15)
Cont.
/
