“But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.
“Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven” (Luke 6:35- 37).
You probably remember the story of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis. Two angels, appearing as men, approached the gates of Sodom. Most likely they were dressed like any ordinary person.
Abraham’s nephew Lot sat at the city gate, possibly in some official rank. (He may have been one of the city elders who welcomed visitors). When Lot saw the two strangers, he greeted them – perhaps aware in his spirit of something supernatural in their countenance.
When the angels told Lot they were going to sleep in the streets that night, Lot was horrified. Scripture says Lot was a righteous man, living in a wicked city full of homosexual mobs – lusting, raping, violent men on the prowl. Lot’s soul was vexed by all the indescribable evil he saw in Sodom. Day and night, the society had grown steadily more vile. Eventually Sodom’s sins reached heaven – and now God had sent the two angels to monitor the city.
Lot immediately invited them to his house as overnight guests. He was so persistent that the angels agreed to go home with him. So Lot took them into his house and fed them.
Yet before the angels could retire for the night, a noisy, wild mob of homosexual men gathered on the street outside. They surrounded Lot’s house and pounded on the door, screaming, “Bring out those two men! Give them to us that we might know them” – meaning, “Send them out so we can have intercourse with them.”
What an unbelievable, ugly scene! These wild men were intent on gang-raping
the two visiting strangers. Lot was so desperate, he did something inconceivable: He offered his two daughters to the mob! He told them, “Let me send out my daughters instead of these men. You can do with them as you please.” As a father of two daughters, I cannot comprehend Lot’s action. It absolutely strains my mind!
After Lot refused to give up the two men, the Sodomites pushed him aside and tried to break down the door. The angels, no doubt using supernatural strength, pulled Lot into the house and shut the door behind them. At this point, they had seen enough; they knew they had to act.
First, they placed a spell of blindness over the mob. Talk about the blinding power of lust: Even after being blinded, the Sodomites staggered around, still trying to find the door to Lot’s house. They were under judgment and didn’t even know it!
Next, the angels took Lot aside and told him, “In the morning we’re going to destroy this place. The cry of wickedness has grown too loud in the Lord’s ears! Now, go warn your sons – in-law that you all must leave the city. At dawn you and your family must flee. We can’t do anything until you’re gone!”
Early the next morning, Lot tried to awaken his sons-in-law. But the Bible says they scorned him. They probably laughed at him, rolled over and went back to sleep. So the angels told Lot, “Go now! Take your wife and daughters and get out of the city. Run and don’t look back!”
But Lot lingered. For some reason he couldn’t bring himself to go. In spite of all he’d seen and heard in Sodom, in spite of the angels’ warnings, he hesitated.
(No Ratings Yet)