05 - Chapter 5

CHAPTER V.

Wickedness of Sodom -- God determines to destroy it -- Angels sent to announce the Fact -- Lot endeavors to arouse his Sons-in-Law, and induce them to flee with him -- Is unsucessful -- Probable Reasons.

We come now to a most important, but eventful part of our story. The wickedness of the posterity of Ham, in the vale of Siddim, had become so great, and their conduct so abominable, that a decree had gone out from the Creator, to destroy them and their cities by fire and brimstone, as it was called, from heaven. The fate of these devoted cities had already been communicated to Abraham, who had interceded long and anxiously in their behalf; especially in behalf of Sodom, where Lot resided. He had not succeeded, however, in obtaining even a short respite of the sentence. The only hope he now had was founded on a promise of the Most High, that Sodom should be spared, if ten righteous persons persons were found in it; but unfortunately there were not five, as we see by the result. A friend of mine, who is a profound biblical student, once observed, that he thought Abraham’s extreme anxiety on account of Lot -- his prayers and intercessions -- most plainly implied doubts of his piety, and fears, even, that the contagion of evil example had produced its sad, but too common effects, on this young, and once comparatively inoffensive young man. Even his language, is his expostulations and pleadingss in behalf of the devoted city, -- his peradventures, -- seem to have had a deep meaning. These suggestions of my friend are valuable. There can be no doubt, it seems to me, of Abraham’s fears. Nay, more, I think it not improbable that the good man knew, from Lot’s luxurious manner of living, and his connivance at the vices of the people of Sodom, though they might not yet have sunk him to their own beastly level, had still become so offensive to Heaven, especially when his early religious education was duly considered, that he was in very great danger of being destroyed with the more wicked, though at the same time more ignorant Sodomites. When the time was at hand in which the Lord had determined to inflict his judgments, two angels were sent, one evening, to Sodom, to apprise Lot of what was about to take place, that he might have time to escape. There is much reason for believing that his kindness towards Lot was out of regard to his friend Abraham, at least in part; and not on account of the goodness of Lot, though he was quite a good man, in comparison with the Sodomites, undoubtedly. The angels who were sent to see Lot, found him sitting in the gate of the city. They approached him, on their approach, like men -- probably like young men. Lot, with that hospitality which then prevailed in many eastern countries, and for which Abraham was greatly distinguished, rose up, at their approach, to meet them and make his obeisance to them. He also invited them into the house, and offered them water with which to wash their feet, considered as one of the most common marks of politeness, and lodging for the night; but they declined accepting his kind offers, and insisted rather on remaining in the street all night. But Lot was unwilling that they should stay out of doors, and he urged them to come in, till they at last consented. When he had received them into his house, he had some unleavened bread prepared for them, of which they partook, or seemed to partake; and the evening was taken up with the ceremonies which the rules of eastern politeness to strangers required, and with agreeable and profitable conversation. The wicked conduct of the Sodomites soon became manifest, in their treatment of these strangers. They had heard of their arrival, and they soon began to throng around the house in great numbers, to see them. At length they grew insolent, and demanded of Lot that he should bring them out; openly declaring that they wished to abuse them.

Lot at first undertook to reason with them. They were his friends and neighbors -- perhaps some of them his very relatives, at least, by marriage. He spoke to them in a gentle manner, and begged them not to be so uncivil and unkind. The men, he said, were strangers, and came under his roof for protection. But all he could say was of no avail. They even began to threaten him. But just as they began to press upon him, to execute their threats of violence, the strangers whom he had received as guests -- the angels, I mean -- reached forth their hands to Lot, and pulled him into the house, and shut the door. And now followed a scene, which, distressing as it was, greatly magnified the might power of God. The crowd of Sodomites around the door, consisting of men and boys of almost every age, were every one of them smitten with blindness; so that they were even perplexed to find the door; and when they found it, they seemed not to be able to act in concert sufficiently to enable them to open it. And now it was that the celestial messengers made known to Lot their character and their errand. They informed him that the cry of the wickedness of the cities of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboim, and Bela, had risen to heaven; that God had sent them to destroy them, and that they were about to execute their commission.

Then they inquired about his family; whether he had not sons and daughters, and other relatives who were not at home with him; urging him, if he had any usch, to bring them out of Sodom, immediately, that they might not perish in the general destruction. Lot’s family then with him at home, consisted of himself, and wife, and two daughers.

Indolent and inactive as Lot might have become by this this time, the information thus given to him of the terrible fate that awaited Sodom, at first aroused him, and he obeyed the injunctions of the angels. He went out into the city, late in the night as it had now become, and told his son-in-law what was to happen to Sodom, conjuring them to escape for their lives from the city. But he seems to have made no impression upon their minds. The Scriptures assure us that he seemed to them "as one that mocked."

"Had Lot been a holy and an exemplary man, could they have received his message in this manner? And does not the result here mentioned -- their mocking -- prove that they had very little respect for his character, and that there was little in it, in fact, desrving of respect?"

I do not think so. True, I regard him as a very worldly man; so much so, as to be scarcely entitled to the name of a good man, though it was sometimes applied to him. But then I derive my opinion from other considerations, a part of which have already been mentioned. Further reasons will also appear in the progress of the next chapter.