Vacating Lot

Genesis 19:1-29

OK- so I'm swinging back to part of my original idea. Here, the men refered to in chapter 18 are called angels...but the number has gone from 3 to 2, so it seems that 3rd "man" might have been God, which means the conclusions I derived may have some validity after all. I guess there's something to be said for having all the facts.

This is a pretty troubling passage in my mind. There's no attempt to even find those 10 virtuous men- I guess Sodom's so far gone, it's a safe bet that they aren't there. The angels come and Lot (realizing they're angels?) bows before them and begs them to stay. Is he worshipping them? Showing humility? Simply being hospitable? Have a good idea of what might be in store for them?

Regardless, he convinces them to stay and EVERY man in Sodom comes to Lot's house demanding Lot to release these angels to be at their mercy. It seems like Sodom is usually a tale combatting homosexuality, and while the bible does talk about homosexuality in other places, I think the bigger issue here may be forced sex without consent. Would this behavior be acceptable if the angels were female?

Lot apparently thinks so- he offers his daughters (?!) in their place. How is this ok on any level? Maybe he thinks that at least the rape will be heterosexual in nature. How far gone to you have to be to think that the gang rape of your daughters is an acceptable compromise? Even if it wouldn't have been rape with his daughters, the offer of them sexually is puzzling from someone that God is actively saving in the same context.

There also seems to be a lack of concern for women expressed or at least implied in this passage. What does it say about the value of women in this time (even from God's people) that Lot was willing to give up his daughter's virtue? What does this say about God's feeling toward the genders? In the new testament it says that in Christ there is no man or woman- does this indicate a change in policy? And if so, what brought that change about?

Despite all the troubling questions- there's at least one comforting message in this passage. God takes a servant less than perfect and actively works to save him. Lot's knee deep in the big city, and instead of letting him go down in flames, He sends the angels- they go to destroy, but at the same time, they save Lot. He even bargains with them to escape somewhere easier to survive , they have to pressure him to hurry and they tell him that they can't destroy Sodom until he reaches the city. It sounds like God really wanted to save him- and it only stands to reason that he wants the same for me.

Sometimes he might need to prod me, sometimes I might be stubborn and resist change- but He's still with me, not wanting me to perish- encouraging me to keep moving away from sin and toward Him.

Finally, what's with the salt thing? I get that she was punished for looking back (wow- there's a lesson for me there about looking back and leaving sin behind- not dwelling, just moving forward), but why salt? Why not just strike her dead? Why not a melting goo? Is there some significance to being a pillar of salt?

And what about Gomorrah? We don't really hear about them until the destruction happens. Sodom commits the sin (at least the one we read about) but Gomorrah receives the same fate. Maybe they were in the same boat, but why do we hear about their destruction and not their sin?

Just seems odd.

Talk to you tomorrow,
Chip