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So, we saw last time that Lot offered hospitality to the strangers but they said no but we will spend the night in the open square. Spending the night in the open square was very common when weather permitted that sort of thing. Travellers would come in and spend the night in town squares quite regularly at that time. However, given what we are going to find out about Sodom will soon demonstrate that it is a dangerous city and Lot knew that so he simply saying to them,  no, you need to sleep outside, come and spend the night in my home. As a matter of fact, verse three says Lot insisted strongly. So, they return with him and go into his house, and he serves them a meal and baked unleavened bread and they eat. He is extending hospitality, a Middle Eastern tradition certainly of a righteous man and he is entertaining them as his guest The plot continues in verse 4.

“Now before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house. And they called to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally.”

This is obviously reference to homosexuality only it's probably more than that it's probably a shorthand reference to all forms of debauchery. They're saying hey you've got some men in your house bring them out we want to have a carnal relationship with them. If you will recall the reason these visitors came to the city in the first place was to investigate and see if it's the wickedness and the suffering that had come up cried out to heaven was true and, the Lord comes down here to check the place out. They were gathering first-hand evidence that this is as wicked as they heard it was. I think is an important observation is see that the wickedness of Sodom permeated every segment of society.  Look at verse 4 again, both old and young all the people from every quarter. So, everybody is affected by the sine there. They have come to Lots house demanding that these guests be given to them to be abused and violated.

So, Lot went out to them through the doorway, shut the door behind him, and said, “Please, my brethren, do not do so wickedly! See now, I have two daughters who have not known a man; please, let me bring them out to you, and you may do to them as you wish; only do nothing to these men, since this is the reason, they have come under the shadow of my roof.”

(Gen 19: 6-8)

This is incredible one way you can look at that is he was guarding his guest which that is clearly going on but in the process, he is suggesting that they commit a sin with his own daughters. It appears he's going to prevent a sin by allowing another sin to be committed. How is that even conceivable. This just doesn't look good. Does it Some have suggested this may have been a shrewd move , as they were homosexuals so offering them his daughters might not have put them in danger. The story continues.

And they said, “Stand back!” Then they said, “This one came in to stay here, and he keeps acting as a judge; now we will deal worse with you than with them.” So, they pressed hard against Lot, and came near to break down the door. But the men reached out their hands and pulled Lot into the house with them and shut the door. And they struck the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they became weary trying to find the door.

(Gen 19: 9-11)

Wow what a challenging scripture. What in heavens name is going on here? How to we deal with this, God doesn’t seem to be appearing in a particularly positive light here. Well, I hope and plan to give you some helpful insights into all this in the next episode.