There is a good bit going on here. So let’s get to it.
Lot is sitting at the entrance to the city of Sodom. The two
angels that were with God who moved on while he talked to Abraham has come to
the city. Lot convinces them to come in, wash their feet and eat a little bit.
Before they all lay down to sleep the men of Sodom come
beating on Lot’s door. They are demanding that he send out the visitors. They
don’t want to greet them kindly though. Remember the men of Sodom are wicked
little men! They want to have sex with the visitors. In my opinion it sounds a
lot like gang rape. No wonder God destroyed the place!
Lot goes out to talk to the men and tells them that they do
not want to do such evil things. He even offers his two daughters so that they
leave the angels alone. The men of Sodom will not hear it. They want the
visitors and they grow angry. They crowd the door to Lot’s home and try to push
the door down.
The angels quickly grab Lot and pull him back into his home.
They then ask if their daughter’s boyfriends are outside. (Side note, they don’t
actually say boyfriends. They are the men promised to the daughters, which in
our time is pretty much a boyfriend.) Lot is then instructed to go out and tell
them to leave Sodom because it is going to be destroyed.
He tries. He tells the boys to leave Sodom, but they don’t
believe him. When Lot returns back into his home the angels tell him that he
must take his family and leave. They even tell him that they will not destroy
Sodom until they are far from it. They tell him to take off to the mountains and
not to look back.
Lot tells them that sending him to the mountains will be killing
him so he asks to go to Zoar instead. They agree to let him go. Lot and his
family go on their way towards Zoar. Remember, the angels told them not to look
back! Lot’s wife didn’t listen, she looked back and was turned into a pillar of
salt.
I actually feel sorry for Lot. In one night he lost his home
and his wife.
God destroys Sodom and Gomorrah with a rain of burning
sulfer. I can imagine that was a painful death for the men living there, but
really, they kind of asked for it.
Lot doesn’t stay in Zoar for long because he is afraid. He
takes his daughters up into the mountains and they live in a cave.
Later on the daughters realize that their family line will
die when their father dies because they have no husbands. This part for anyone in
today’s time may snarl their nose up at what the girls do.
They decide to get their father drunk and sleep with him so
that they become pregnant. He didn’t know what was going on because he was
drunk. I would like to take this moment to point out the dangers of drinking! I
don’t understand why the girls did not travel into a town and find a good mate
for themselves.
They each have a son. The oldest daughter has Moab who
becomes the father of the Moabites. The youngest daughter has Ben-Ammi and he
is the father of the Ammonites.
Genesis 19 is actually pretty messed up.
Genesis 20 goes back to follow Abraham a little more.
Abraham moves around some more and comes to the land called Gerar.
Remember when Abraham went to Egypt and told them that Sarah
was his sister and the Pharaoh took Sarah as his own? Then God cursed the
Pharaoh for taking her. Well, Abraham does it again. In Gerar he tells them that
Sarah is his sister.
The king of Gerar takes Sarah as his wife, but he does not
sleep with her. He has a dream one night where God comes to him. God tells him
that he is as good as dead for taking a married woman. The king pleads his case
though. He tells God that he took her innocently because Abraham said she was
his sister.
God tells the king that he understands that he did not know
and that is why He kept the king from sleeping with Sarah. All the king has to
do is to return Sarah to her husband, if he doesn’t he will die.
The king returns Sarah the next day and asks Abraham why he
lied. Abraham tells him that he did not lie because Sarah is his sister.
Technically she is his half sister, a child with the same father but different
mother. Abraham also says that he did it because there was no fear of God in
Gerar and that they would have killed him for his wife.
These bible times were scary. Could you imagine living like
that now days? We are so comfortable in our lives and we really should appreciate
the simpleness of it.
The king of Gerar, Abimelech (I didn’t want to type his name
a bunch cause it’s so weird.) gives Abraham sheep, cattle and slaves and tells
Abraham he can live anywhere he likes in Gerar. Chances are Abraham won’t be
there long anyways really. Abimelech also gives Abraham a thousand shekels (I
assume that is a lot of money) for his offense of taking his wife.
With all this God is pleased. So He lifts the curse that he
placed on Abimelech. The curse was so that none of his wives would give him
more children. Thank goodness he listened to God and gave Sarah back to her
husband.
Lesson learned from this; listen to God! He is one serious
dude when you cross him. But He is a great and kind God when you do as He asks
of you.
And that is it folks. Continue to read. It’s pretty awesome
all the stuff that has gone on in only 20 chapters and only 28 pages according
to my bible.
Much Love
Heather
