Bible Commentaries
Genesis 19

Verses 1-38

CHAPTER 19 The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah

1. The angels visit (Genesis 19:1-5 )

2. Lot and the Sodomites (Genesis 19:6-11 )

3. The destruction of Sodom announced (Genesis 19:12-13 )

4. Lot and his sons-in-law (Genesis 19:14 )

5. Lot brought forth (Genesis 19:15-17 )

6. Lot’s request (Genesis 19:18-20 )

7. The escape (Genesis 19:21-25 )

8. Lot’s wife (Genesis 19:26 )

9. Abraham looks on (Genesis 19:27-29 )

10. Lot’s shame (Genesis 19:30-38 )

This is a chapter of judgment. How great the contrast with the preceding one! There Abraham sat under the tent door and the Lord appeared unto him; here two angels come to Sodom at even and Lot sits in the gate of Sodom. Joyfully Abraham had run to meet the heavenly visitors and willingly the Lord and His companions had entered in to be comforted by Abraham. Lot invites the angels likewise but they say “Nay; but we will abide in the street all night.” Only after Lot pressed upon them greatly “did they enter his house.” The feast was not like Abraham’s feast of fine meal and a calf, but only unleavened bread. Poor, selfish Lot! He had gone down to Sodom; from the tent pitched toward Sodom he had landed in Sodom and there he had no longer a tent, but he had a house. He had settled down and given up his character as pilgrim. His daughters had become perfectly at home in Sodom and married unbelieving Sodomites. More than that Lot had taken a position in Sodom. “He sat in the gate of Sodom” and the mob said “This fellow came in to sojourn and he will be judge” (Genesis 19:9 ). He held an influential position there and most likely attempted the reformation of Sodom. That he was greatly troubled is learned from the New Testament. “he was vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked” (2 Peter 2:7 ). Lot is the picture of thousands of Christian believers, who are carnally minded and worldly. There are many who have settled down in the world, from which they have been separated and delivered by the death of Christ and like Lot they will be saved “so as by fire.”

From the fourth verse to the eleventh in this chapter (Genesis 19:4-11 ) we find a short description of the awful wickedness of Sodom. Its gross immoralities, the fearful fruits of the lust of the flesh have since then become proverbial. In this connection we may well remember the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, “Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot ... even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of Man cometh” (Luke 17:28-30 ). This Christian age will not end in universal righteousness; it will end in apostasy from God and His Word, in iniquity and lawlessness, and these will be followed by a fiery judgment. Indications of such an ending of this age of boasted progress are numerous and becoming more pronounced. Among these immoralities, the looseness of the marriage ties, and adulteries are prominently in the lead. The great cities of Christendom are modern Sodoms and the immorality in them is perhaps worse than in the ancient, lewd cities of the valley of Jordan. This will be getting worse and worse and the end will be judgment. And now the angels give the message of the impending judgment. Sodom was to be destroyed by fire. Lot believed the message, but when he had spoken the word to his two sons-in-law, “Up get you out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city,” they took it as a joke and believed not. They might have been saved if they had believed. They perished in Sodom. Even so it is now at the end of this age. “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of His coming?” (2 Peter 3:3-4 ). If one preaches and teaches the soon coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, to be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord (2 Thessalonians 1:7-8 ), he is laughed at and scorned, called a pessimist. Perhaps the two sons-in-law called Lot a pessimist.

Notice Genesis 19:24 . “Then Jehovah rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from Jehovah out of heaven.” Here was a Jehovah on earth and He called to Jehovah in heaven.

Lot’s history ends in shame. Moab and Ammon begotten in wickedness have a history of shame. No record is given of the death of Lot.