JUDGMENT BY FIRE

Genesis 19

Victor M. Eskew

 

I.           The Title of Genesis 19

 

A.   Judgment by Fire

B.    Sodom and Gomorrah Destroyed

C.   The End of Cities Consumed by Iniquity (Gen. 19:15)

 

II.         The Key Verse of Genesis 19:  Gen. 19:24-25

 

Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven; and he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.

 

Why this text?  In two brief verses, the Lord describes the judgment that came upon Sodom and Gomorrah.  These verses reveal the totality of the judgment.

 

III.       The Outline of Genesis 19

 

i.               THE EVENTS AT LOT’S HOUSE (Gen. 19:1-14)

ii.              THE EXIT FROM THE CITY (Gen. 19:15-22)

iii.            THE EXECUTION OF JUDGMENT (Gen. 19:23-26)

iv.            THE EVIL OF LOT’S DAUGHTERS (Gen. 19:27-38)

 

IV.        The Lessons from Genesis 19

 

A.   In Genesis 18, we wondered about the identity of the three men who came Abraham.

1.     The two who went to Sodom are called “angels” in Genesis 19:1.

2.     They are distinguished from the Lord, who, they said:  …sent us to destroy it” (Gen. 19:13).

 

B.    Lot also provides us an example of hospitality (Gen. 19:1b-2a, 3b).

 

…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 turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.

 

C.   Some city streets are not safe at night, even for angels (Gen. 19:2b-3a).

 

And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night.  And he pressed upon them greatly.

 

D.   Evil can affect entire populations of people, “both old and young” (Gen. 19:4).

E.    The words, “that we may know them” (Gen. 19:5), carry a sexual meaning.  It is from this that we learn of the homosexuality of the city.  It is also included in the city’s name, “Sodom.”

 

F.     Evil knows no limits.  It will seek to harm even innocent strangers (Gen. 19:5).

 

And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came into thee this night?  bring them out unto us, that we may know them.

 

G.   Lot sought to intercede on behalf of his guests in order to keep them from doing so wickedly (Gen. 19:6-7).

 

And Lot went out the door unto them, and shut the door after him.  And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly.

 

H.   How do we explain Lot’s words found in Genesis 19:8?

 

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.

 

1.     Morris offers several suggestions to explain Lot’s actions:

a.     Hospitality involved protection of one’s guests.

b.    Lot was in a confused state of mind due to the emergency situation on him.

c.    Lot knew the real identity of his guests and sought to protect them at any length, offering first himself, then his own daughters.

2.     No one approves of Lot’s actions.  All believe that he forsook his paternal responsibilities in offering his daughters as a substitute.

 

I.     Sin has no regard for righteous leadership (Gen. 19:9).

1.     The fact that Lot was at the city gate indicates that he had some type of leadership position in the city (Gen. 19:1).

2.     These men rejected Lot’s pleadings, calling him a mere stranger and threatened to do him harm.

 

And they said, Stand back.  And they said again, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge:  now we will deal worse with thee, then with them.

 

J.    Evil will not be restrained from harming others and destroying the property of others (Gen. 19:9b).

 

…And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door.

 

K.   Angels have been given power to perform miracles to accomplish their God-given tasks (Gen. 19:11a).

 

And they smote the man that were at the door of the house with blindness.

L.    Some sinners become more obdurant, even after having received some form of judgment (Gen. 19:11b).

 

…so that they wearied themselves to find the door.

 

M.  We sense the good fortune provided to Lot when he was told to warn his family of the impending destruction (Gen. 19:12-13a).

 

And the men said unto Lot, hast thou here any besides?  son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place:  for we will destroy this place.

 

N.   God is not unjust when He brings destruction upon man (Gen. 19:13b).

 

…because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the Lord; and the Lord hath sent us to destroy it.

 

O.   Not all will take the warnings of impending destruction seriously, not even from those who are very close to them (Gen. 19:14).

 

And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city.  But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law.

 

P.    Earthly ties, even when deeply associated with sin, are not easy to leave.

1.     …the angels hastened Lot… (Gen. 19:15).

2.     And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand… (Gen. 19:16).

 

Q.   Lot’s salvation from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah involved the mercy of God (Gen. 19:16; See Titus 3:5 and I Peter 1:3).

 

And while he lingered the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the Lord being merciful unto him:  and they brought him forth, and sent him without the city.

 

R.    The grace and mercy of God came with conditions (Gen. 19:17).

 

And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life, look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.

 

S.    The abundance of God’s mercy is seen in His honoring the request of Lot to flee to the city of Zoar instead of to the mountains (Gen. 19:18-23).

 

 

 

 

 

T.    God’s judgment will ultimately come (Gen. 19:24-25; See II Peter 3:10-12).

 

Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven, and he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.

 

U.   Lot’s wife violated the conditions of her salvation by looking back and was punished (Gen. 19:26).

 

But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.

 

1.     Brother Richard Curry, one of my instructors at MSOP, said:  “She was turned into a perpendicular column of sodium chloride.”

2.     Jesus exhorts us to “Remember Lot’s wife” (Luke 17:32).

 

V.    Man-made schemes are often fabricated from false assumptions (Gen. 19:31).

 

And the firstborn said unto the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth.

 

W.  Only evil deeds have to be covered up (Gen. 19:32).

 

Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.

 

X.    We learn one of the dangers of alcohol.  It causes one not to know what he is doing (Gen. 19:33).

 

And they made their father drink wine that night:  and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.

 

Y.    The plotting of Lot’s daughters came to fruition and would present future problems for God’s people (Gen. 19:36-38).

 

Thus were both daughters of Lot with child by their father.  And the firstborn bare a son, and called his name Moab:  the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day.  And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Benammi:  the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day.