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Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them, and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground”.

(Gen 19: 1)

In order to appreciate this verse, we need to remember that in chapter 18 three people came to Abraham one of whom was the Lord and the other two were Angels. Then we are told that they left for the city of Hebron together and then stopped on their way where you could see the city of Sodom and then they had a conversation with Abraham. This is picking up where that left off and it simply saying and the two Angels who previously left Abraham came back to Sodom in the evening and see Lot sitting at the gate of the city. That is deeply significant. In the Old Testament the city always had a gate, and that gate is where people congregated and a lot of times it's where the officials of the city met, it was something like a modern-day Town Hall. What is fascinating is to look at the book of Genesis and trace Lot’s on-going relationship with the city of Sodom. In chapter 13 we were told he pitched his tent facing the city. Then in chapter 14 were told he moved into Sodom and lived there In this verse we were told he was sitting at the gate, so this means that lot has become integrated with the city of Sodom. He's making his living there he's transacting his business there that's part of what is involved in being in the gate. He may in fact now be an official of the city which is the significance of saying he was by the gate. This means he was now one of the civic leaders of Sodom. Interesting Lot was originally part of Abrahams cohort and he would have had enough of a sense of righteousness to know that immorality that was going on there.

The latter part of verse one says when he saw the men approach he arose met them bowed himself with his face toward the ground. This is a middle eastern form of respect and greeting to them, I don't think at this point he necessarily understood they were Angels. At any rate he offers them hospitality in the next verse 

“And he said, “Here now, my lords, please turn in to your servant’s house and spend the night and wash your feet; then you may rise early and go on your way”.

(Gen. 19: 2)

And we shall find out how they responded to Lot’s offer of hospitality in the next episode.