Angels Visit Sodom
- The city of Sodom is first mentioned in Genesis 10:19.
- When Lot separates from Abram and settles there we are told it was a place of wickedness and great sin against the Lord. — Gen. 13:13
- Now we find Lot at the city gates.
- This relays that Lot has become an important figure in the city over his many years there.
- Usually the elders of a city were stationed at the gates inspecting those who come and go.
- As the angels of the Lord enter we see that Lot has not lost the tradition of hospitality.
- He knows the wickedness of the city and pleads with the men to come to his home.
- Like Abram, he serves a feast to his guests, though it pales in comparison.
- As night falls the true colors of Sodom come to light. The men of Sodom want to rape the angels of the Lord. — vs. 5
A Pillar of Salt
- God's wrath is rightly being poured out on Sodom and its neighboring companion in sin, Gomorrah.
- God's grace and mercy is clearly seen in providing a way of escape for Lot and his family.
- They are told to "escape" and "not look back." — vs. 17)
- Lot's wife does look back and is turned into a pillar of salt — vs. 26
- Many try to explain this phenomena geologically as large salt deposits are well known in the area of the Dead Sea where Sodom existed. However, this explanation misses the theological reality. Salt is a preservative.
- Lot's wife looked back and, if allowed to escape, would have preserved a little of Sodom in the new place Lot would dwell.
- Instead, as a pillar of salt, God has memorialized her and preserved the idea of complete escape with no longing for the wickedness left behind.
- This is why the New Testament tells us to "remember Lot's wife." — Luke 17:32-33
The Wrath of God
- The wrath of God is a topic most unpleasant to discuss. However, all have sinned against God and deserve His just and righteous wrath. — Romans 3:23; Deut. 32:4
- As we discuss wrath, our focus should always be the "escape" God provides. — 2 Peter 2:1-9; 3:9
- Jesus saves those who deserve the wrath of God!
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