Study Early In The Morning Daily Devotions

SUNDAY, 19 FEBRUARY 2023

TEXT: Genesis 19:1-11

1. The two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them, and bowed down with his face to the ground.

2. He said, “Please, my lords, turn aside to your servant’s house and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you can rise early and go on your way.” They said, “No; we will spend the night in the square.”

3. But he urged them strongly; so they turned aside to him and entered his house; and he made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.

4. But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, all the people to the last man, surrounded the house;

5. and they called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, so that we may know them.”

6. Lot went out of the door to the men, shut the door after him,

7. and said, “I beg you, my brothers, do not act so wickedly.

8. Look, I have two daughters who have not known a man; let me bring them out to you, and do to them as you please; only do nothing to these men, for they have come under the shelter of my roof.”

9. But they replied, “Stand back!” And they said, “This fellow came here as an alien, and he would play the judge! Now we will deal worse with you than with them.” Then they pressed hard against the man Lot, and came near the door to break it down.

10. But the men inside reached out their hands and brought Lot into the house with them, and shut the door.

11. And they struck with blindness the men who were at the door of the house, both small and great, so that they were unable to find the door.

(New Revised Standard Version Holy Bible)

TOPIC: DOWNTOWN SODOM

Lot’s choice of Sodom was informed first by its attractive pasturelands. He could also have been attracted to the city by its urbanization. It appears as if Lot had life going well for him at Sodom.

Our text tells us that the two angels found him sitting at the gateway into downtown Sodom. It is also possible that he could have been a prominent citizen of the city to be found sitting at its gate. So, while his uncle Abraham was living out there in tents, Lot was enjoying city life!

The luxury of city living did not seem to have changed Lot completely because at least he still had the cultural discipline of being hospitable to strangers. When the city men demanded to have sex with his guests, he stood in the way offering his virgin daughters in exchange.

Going back to the beginning of this drama however, we note that Lot did not have the spiritual discipline of Abraham, his uncle. There are people who register as members of a church because of its structural beauty and availability of modern musical instruments.

This is not necessarily wrong but attending a church just because of its structural beauty or being attracted to a person purely on external looks is a problem.

QUESTION: Are you hanging out somewhere “downtown?”

PRAYER: Lord, correct my judgment and perception of life. Help me to reason under Your guidance. Amen.