II Peter 3:9 tells us, “The
Lord … is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but
that all should come to repentance.” Though he knew “…the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly,”
as Genesis 13:13 tells us, he would not completely destroy them without
making sure they were beyond salvage.
The Lord and two angels had appeared to Abraham, as ordinary men. While the Lord finished talking to Abraham,
the two angels went on to Sodom to investigate.
When the angels came to Sodom, they found Lot sitting in the
gate, in a place of authority, as we see in Genesis 19:1-2. “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.”
Lot had lived in Sodom for about twenty years. He was very familiar with the wickedness of
the city, as we see in II Peter 2:8. “For that righteous man dwelling among them,
in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their
unlawful deeds.” The angels were
planning on camping in the street where they wouldn’t bother anyone, but Lot
knew the risk they would be taking and invited them into his house where they
would be safer.
Genesis 19:3-5 tells us Lot prevailed on them to come into
his house. “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.” The men of the city had seen the angels,
and before long surrounded Lot’s house, demanding that he bring the men out so
they could gangbang them.
God allows mankind to
choose whether they want to please him or do as they please, and they had chosen
to reject him, even perverting his plan for sex and reproduction. Because that was their choice, Romans 1:24-27
tells us, “Wherefore God also gave them
up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own
bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and
worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for
ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them
up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into
that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural
use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working
that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their
error which was meet.”
God may allow them to continue in their sin for a while,
giving them an opportunity to repent, but they seldom appreciate it, as Romans
2:4 says. “Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and
longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?” Lot tried to convince them to change
their attitudes in Genesis 19:6-8. “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.”
Lot had lived so closely with the people of Sodom that his
own ideas of right and wrong had been distorted, as I Corinthians 15:33
warns. “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.” He thought it would be okay if they
gangbanged his daughter instead. Sadly,
many people today who oppose homosexuality and same sex marriage feel that
promiscuity and adultery are acceptable.
God’s law specified that those who perverted the sex act were to be executed,
whichever form it took.
Instead of considering Lot’s warning, the men of Sodom
turned on him, accusing him of thinking he was better than they were, as
Genesis 19:9-11 describes. “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.” Had the angels not had supernatural power, the
men would have destroyed Lot’s home in their determination to force the angels
into homosexual activity. Even the loss
of their eyesight did not deter them, but they finally gave up because they
couldn’t find a way in.
Unfortunately people who become deeply involved in sin often
ignore even the obvious consequences. It
is amazing how many drug addicts, gamblers, or sexual sinners refuse to stop
regardless how much it hurts them or their families. Their sin takes such control of their mind
they can no longer make logical decisions, as Romans 1:28 tells us. “And
even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over
to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient.” Rather
than warning others of the danger, they begin to actively get others involved,
as Romans 1:32 says. “Who knowing the judgment of God, that they
which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have
pleasure in them that do them.” At
this point, they have become effectively unsalvageable. Destroying them is the only way to prevent spreading
their wickedness, just as it is necessary to destroy an animal with rabies.
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