Explanation - Salt's Witness (Genesis 19)

 

Explanation

Salt's Witness

(Genesis 19) 

Genesis 19 is a chapter in the Book of Genesis in the Bible. It tells the story of the destruction of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and the escape of Lot and his family.

Two angels arrived in the city of Sodom, and Lot, the nephew of the patriarch Abraham, welcomed them into his home. The men of Sodom, known for their wickedness, surrounded Lot's house and demanded that he bring out the visitors so they could engage in sexual acts with them. Lot, trying to protect his guests, offered his virgin daughters instead, but the men refused.

Seeing the gravity of the situation, the angels pulled Lot back into the house and struck the men outside with blindness. They then informed Lot of God's plan to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah due to their extreme wickedness. The angels instructed Lot to gather his family and leave the city to escape the impending destruction.

Lot went to his future sons-in-law, who were going to marry his daughters, and warned them of the destruction to come, but they didn't take his warning seriously. As morning approached, the angels urged Lot to hurry and take his wife and two daughters out of the city.

As they fled, the angels instructed them not to look back. Unfortunately, Lot's wife couldn't resist and looked back, instantly turning into a pillar of salt. Lot and his daughters continued on their journey and found refuge in a small town called Zoar.

Meanwhile, God rained down sulfur and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, completely destroying the cities and all their inhabitants. Lot and his daughters, now fearful and alone, settled in a cave in the mountains.

Lot's daughters, thinking that they were the only survivors, feared that they wouldn't have children and decided to get their father drunk and have sexual relations with him to preserve their family line. They each became pregnant, and their offspring would eventually become the ancestors of the Moabites and Ammonites, two nations in biblical history.

The chapter concludes with the birth of Lot's grandsons. The story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and the actions of Lot and his daughters highlight the consequences of wickedness and the importance of obedience to God's instructions.

Salt's Witness

 

In Sodom's realm, a tale unfolds,

Where wickedness thrived, and darkness enfolded.

Lot, righteous in God's sight, resided there,

With angels arriving, a warning to bear.

 

"Come, enter my humble abode," he pled,

A shelter from chaos where safety was spread.

The men of Sodom, consumed by their lust,

Demanded the visitors, their intentions unjust.

 

Lot, desperate to protect his guests from harm,

Offered his daughters, a shield to disarm.

But the angels intervened, blinding their sight,

Revealing God's wrath, impending the night.

 

Escape, they must, from this city of sin,

The angels' message, the truth deep within.

Lot, his family, to flee with great haste,

To leave behind Sodom, not a moment to waste.

 

A warning given, but disbelieved,

Sons-in-law scoffed, their fate undeceived.

As dawn approached, the angels did insist,

"Escape to the mountains, resist the abyss."

 

Lot's wife, tempted by the past she'd known,

Looked back with longing, her heart turned to stone.

A pillar of salt, her final fate,

A testament to disobedience's weight.

 

Lot and his daughters ventured alone,

Seeking refuge, a place they'd call home.

Zoar, a small town, offered solace and peace,

A haven where their weary souls found release.

 

Yet fear plagued their hearts, in the mountain's embrace,

Alone and forgotten, their family's trace.

In desperation, Lot's daughters devised a scheme,

To preserve their lineage, fulfill their dream.

 

Intoxicated their father, they lay with him,

A decision born from desperation, grim.

Two nations arose, Moab and Ammon their names,

Born from the choices that brought them such shame.

 

"Sodom and Gomorrah," a cautionary verse,

A tale of wickedness, consequences diverse.

God's judgment fierce, but His mercy revealed,

In the midst of destruction, grace was concealed.

 

Salt's witness, a reminder for all to heed,

To follow God's path, and His laws to succeed.

From the ashes of sin, redemption does spring,

Lessons from Genesis, our souls to bring.

Explanation

 

Verse 1: "Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them, and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground."

In this verse, two angels arrive in the city of Sodom, and Lot, who is Abraham's nephew, is sitting at the gate. When Lot sees the angels, he immediately shows them respect and honor by bowing down before them.

 

Verse 2: "And he said, 'Here now, my lords, please turn in to your servant's house and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise early and go on your way.' And they said, 'No, but we will spend the night in the open square.'"

Lot, recognizing the dangers that await the angels in the open square, urges them to come to his house and stay the night. He offers them hospitality, including the opportunity to wash their feet, a customary act of refreshment and hospitality in that culture. However, the angels initially decline and express their intention to spend the night in the open square.

 

Verse 3: "But he insisted strongly; so they turned in to him and entered his house. Then he made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate."

Lot persists in his invitation, and eventually, the angels agree to go with him and enter his house. Lot prepares a feast for them, which includes unleavened bread, and they all share a meal together.

 

Verse 4: "Now before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house."

As night falls and before everyone goes to sleep, all the men of Sodom, young and old, gather around Lot's house. This assembly of people from all over the city demonstrates the widespread wickedness and depravity that pervaded Sodom.

 

Verse 5: "And they called to Lot and said to him, 'Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally.'"

The men of Sodom demand that Lot bring out the two angels so that they can engage in sexual acts with them. This wicked act demonstrates the depth of immorality prevalent in the city.

 

Verse 6: "So Lot went out to them through the doorway, shut the door behind him."

In an attempt to protect his guests, Lot goes outside and shuts the door of his house behind him. He intends to reason with the men of Sodom and prevent them from harming the angels.

 

Verse 7: "And said, 'Please, my brethren, do not do so wickedly!'"

Lot pleads with the men of Sodom, addressing them as "brethren," in an attempt to appeal to their sense of reason. He implores them not to engage in such wicked and immoral acts.

 

Verse 8: "See now, I have two daughters who have not known a man; please, let me bring them out to you, and you may do to them as you wish; only do nothing to these men, since this is the reason they have come under the shadow of my roof."

Desperate to protect the angels, Lot makes a shocking offer to the men of Sodom. He offers his two virgin daughters to them instead, suggesting that they can do whatever they want with them. Lot emphasizes the sanctity of hospitality, stating that the angels are under his protection, and he cannot allow them to be harmed.

 

Verse 9: "And they said, 'Stand back!' Then they said, 'This one came in to stay here, and he keeps acting as a judge; now we will deal worse with you than with them.' So they pressed hard against the man Lot, and came near to break down the door."

The men of Sodom reject Lot's offer and respond with anger and aggression. They accuse Lot of acting as a judge, interfering with their desires and judgments. They threaten to deal with Lot even worse than they intended to with the angels, pressing hard against him and attempting to break down the door of his house.

 

Verse 10: "But the men reached out their hands and pulled Lot into the house with them, and shut the door."

In a swift and miraculous intervention, the angels inside the house reach out and pull Lot back inside, rescuing him from the violent mob outside. They close the door, ensuring Lot's safety and the protection of the angels. This act highlights the supernatural power and divine intervention involved in this situation.

Verse 11: "And they struck the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they became weary trying to find the door."

The angels, recognizing the imminent danger that the men of Sodom posed, take action. They strike the men outside the house with blindness, rendering them unable to find the entrance. This act of divine intervention confuses and frustrates the men, preventing them from carrying out their malicious intentions.

 

Verse 12: "Then the men said to Lot, 'Have you anyone else here? Son-in-law, your sons, your daughters, and whomever you have in the city—take them out of this place!'"

The angels, addressing Lot, express their concern for the safety of his family members. They urge Lot to gather anyone he has in the city, including his sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or any other relatives, and lead them out of Sodom to protect them from the impending destruction.

 

Verse 13: "For we will destroy this place because the outcry against them has grown great before the face of the Lord, and the Lord has sent us to destroy it."

The angels clarify the reason for their presence and the impending destruction of Sodom. They explain that the outcry of the city's wickedness and depravity has reached the Lord, and He has sent the angels to execute judgment and destroy the city.

 

Verse 14: "So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who had married his daughters, and said, 'Get up, get out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city!' But to his sons-in-law, he seemed to be joking."

Lot obeys the angels' instructions and goes to his sons-in-law, who were betrothed to his daughters, and warns them about the impending destruction. However, Lot's sons-in-law do not take his warning seriously. They perceive his words as a joke or an exaggeration, failing to recognize the seriousness of the situation.

 

Verse 15: "When the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot to hurry, saying, 'Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city.'"

As dawn breaks, the angels urge Lot to hasten his departure. They emphasize the urgency by urging him to rise quickly and gather his wife and two daughters who are present, emphasizing the dire consequences if they linger and remain in the city during the impending punishment.

 

Verse 16: "And while he lingered, the men took hold of his hand, his wife's hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the Lord being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city."

Despite the urgency, Lot hesitates or lingers, possibly showing reluctance or attachment to the city. In response, the angels take hold of his hand, his wife's hand, and the hands of his two daughters. This act of divine intervention demonstrates God's mercy towards Lot, ensuring his safe removal from the city and setting them outside its boundaries.

 

Verse 17: "So it came to pass, when they had brought them outside, that he said, 'Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed.'"

Once outside the city, the angels issue a clear command to Lot and his family. They instruct them to escape for their lives, emphasizing that they should not look back or remain anywhere in the plain surrounding the city. Instead, they are urged to flee to the mountains to ensure their safety and avoid the imminent destruction.

 

Verse 18: "Then Lot said to them, 'Please, no, my lords!'"

In response to the angels' command to flee to the mountains, Lot respectfully pleads with them, expressing his concerns or reservations regarding this plan.

 

Verse 19: "Indeed now, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have increased your mercy which you have shown me by saving my life; but I cannot escape to the mountains, lest some evil overtake me and I die."

Lot acknowledges the favor and mercy shown to him by the angels, recognizing that they have saved his life. However, he expresses his fear of going to the mountains, apprehensive that some danger or evil might befall him there, potentially leading to his demise.

 

Verse 20: "See now, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one; please let me escape there (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live."

Lot proposes an alternative plan to the angels, suggesting that a nearby city would be a safer refuge for him. He appeals to them, describing the city as small or insignificant and asserting that his life would be preserved if he were allowed to flee there.

 

These verses depict the urgency of the situation, Lot's attempt to warn his sons-in-law, the angels' guidance and intervention, and Lot's plea for an alternative refuge as they prepare to escape from the impending destruction of Sodom.

Verse 21: "And he said to him, 'See, I have favored you concerning this thing also, in that I will not overthrow this city for which you have spoken.'"

The angel responds to Lot's plea to escape to a nearby city, assuring him that his request has been granted. The angel confirms that the city Lot mentioned will not be destroyed, showing divine favor and mercy towards Lot.

 

Verse 22: "Hurry, escape there. For I cannot do anything until you arrive there.' Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar."

The angel urges Lot to hurry and escape to the designated city without delay. The angel explains that the destruction cannot commence until Lot and his family have reached their destination. As a result of this encounter, the city is named Zoar.

 

Verse 23: "The sun had risen upon the earth when Lot entered Zoar."

Lot and his family, following the angel's instructions, reach the city of Zoar after the sunrise. They have successfully escaped the destruction that awaits Sodom and Gomorrah.

 

Verse 24: "Then the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the Lord out of the heavens."

As Lot and his family find safety in Zoar, the Lord executes His judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah. He rains down brimstone and fire upon the cities, signifying their complete destruction. This act demonstrates the severity of God's wrath against the cities due to their widespread wickedness.

 

Verse 25: "So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground."

God's judgment extends to the entire plain, encompassing not only the cities but also all the inhabitants and vegetation within the region. The destruction is comprehensive, leaving nothing behind.

 

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

Despite being specifically instructed not to look back, Lot's wife disobeys and turns her gaze towards the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. As a consequence, she is instantly transformed into a pillar of salt, serving as a lasting reminder of the consequences of disobedience.

 

Verse 27: "And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the Lord."

Meanwhile, Abraham, who had interceded on behalf of the cities, goes to the same location where he had previously stood before the Lord. This indicates his awareness of the destruction that has taken place.

 

Verse 28: "Then he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain; and he saw, and behold, the smoke of the land which went up like the smoke of a furnace."

From his vantage point, Abraham looks in the direction of Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding plain. He witnesses the aftermath of the destruction as he sees the smoke rising from the devastated land, likening it to the smoke of a furnace.

 

Verse 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 had dwelt."

In the midst of the destruction, God remembers Abraham and his earlier intercession for the righteous in Sodom. In response to Abraham's plea, God rescues Lot from the midst of the upheaval, ensuring his safety and fulfilling His promise to spare the righteous.

 

Verse 30: "Then Lot went up out of Zoar and dwelt in the mountains, and his two daughters were with him; for he was afraid to dwell in Zoar. And he and his two daughters dwelt in a cave."

After staying in Zoar for a period, Lot and his daughters leave the city and take refuge in the mountains. Lot's fear or concerns about dwelling in Zoar lead him to choose a more secluded location. They eventually settle in a cave.

 

Verse 31: "Now the firstborn said to the younger, 'Our father is old, and there is no man on the earth to come in to us as is the custom of all the earth.'"

In the cave, Lot's daughters have a conversation with each other. The eldest daughter expresses a concern that their father is old and that there are no other men left on the earth who could fulfill the customary role of procreation.

 

Verse 32: "Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve the lineage of our father."

As a result of their concern, the daughters devise a plan. They decide to make their father drink wine and then lie with him in order to ensure the continuation of their family line.

 

Verse 33: "So they made their father drink wine that night. And the firstborn went in and lay with her father, and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose."

The daughters proceed with their plan, and that night, they make their father drink wine until he becomes intoxicated. The eldest daughter goes in and lies with Lot while he is unaware of her actions, emphasizing his impaired state.

 

Verse 34: "It happened on the next day that the firstborn said to the younger, 'Indeed I lay with my father last night; let us make him drink wine tonight also, and you go in and lie with him, that we may preserve the lineage of our father.'"

The following day, the eldest daughter informs the younger daughter about her encounter with their father. They decide to repeat the act, making Lot drink wine again and the younger daughter lying with him, driven by their belief that it is necessary to continue their family line.

 

Verse 35: "Then they made their father drink wine that night also. And the younger arose and lay with him, and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose."

As planned, the daughters give their father wine again, causing him to become intoxicated. The younger daughter goes in and lies with Lot, similar to what the eldest daughter had done the previous night, and Lot remains unaware of these events.

 

Verse 36: "Thus both the daughters of Lot were with child by their father."

As a result of their actions, both of Lot's daughters conceive and become pregnant through their encounters with their father.

 

Verse 37: "The firstborn bore a son and called his name Moab; he is the father of the Moabites to this day."

The firstborn daughter gives birth to a son whom she names Moab. He becomes the ancestor of the Moabites, a people who would exist throughout history.

 

Verse 38: "And the younger, she also bore a son and called his name Ben-Ammi; he is the father of the people of Ammon to this day."

Likewise, the younger daughter gives birth to a son whom she names Ben-Ammi. He becomes the progenitor of the Ammonites, another people who would have a significant presence in the future.

 

These verses describe the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, the fate of Lot's wife, Abraham's observation of the aftermath, Lot's relocation to the mountains and subsequent dwelling in a cave, and the events surrounding the conception of Lot's grandsons through his daughters. It portrays the consequences of disobedience, God's fulfillment of His promises and protection of the

Important Points

 

The wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah: The chapter begins by highlighting the extreme wickedness and depravity of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, which leads to their impending destruction.

 

Lot's hospitality and the arrival of the angels: Lot, who is living in Sodom, demonstrates hospitality by welcoming two angels into his home, unaware of their divine nature.

 

The wickedness of the men of Sodom: The men of Sodom surround Lot's house and demand to have sexual relations with the angels, showcasing the pervasive immorality and disregard for God's laws in the city.

 

The rescue of Lot and his family: The angels intervene and rescue Lot and his family from the impending destruction. They blind the men of Sodom and urge Lot to flee with his wife and daughters to a safe place.

 

The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah: As Lot and his family escape, God rains down brimstone and fire upon the cities, completely destroying them and the surrounding region.

 

Lot's wife turned into a pillar of salt: Lot's wife disobeys the command not to look back at the destruction and is transformed into a pillar of salt as a consequence.

 

Lot's relocation and the birth of his grandsons: Lot and his daughters settle in a cave in the mountains. The daughters, believing that no men are left to father their children, engage in incestuous relationships with their father, resulting in the births of Moab and Ben-Ammi, the ancestors of the Moabites and Ammonites.

 

These key points emphasize the wickedness and judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah, the intervention and rescue of Lot and his family, the destruction of the cities, and the subsequent events that unfold within Lot's family.