Genesis 19: What Sodom means

 Welcome to the Daily Bible Chapter. My name is James Leroy Wilson and I invite you to join me as we discover new insights and new perspectives from a very old book.

GENESIS 19: What Sodom means

I'm reading Young's Literal Translation (YLT) and the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

Lot is fearful of letting go, of leaving the past behind, even when his neighbors reveal themselves to be wicked (to say the least). He is so accommodating, so compromised, that he'll send his daughters out to be raped to spare his angelic guests.

The angels have to forcefully get Lot and his family out of Sodom; that's the degree of Lot's attachment to the city, his fear of change, and his unwillingness to believe this is actually happening. 

And, Lot's wife "looked back." She let the past consume her.

Lot and his daughters seemed to have lost everything because he delayed in listening to the voice of the LORD.

In previous installments I've speculated that the LORD represents the "inner knowing" i.e. "in-tuition" (I don't recall where I first read that). What gets in the way of intuition is denial: "that's not REALLY going to happen, will it?"

Lot knew his whole way of life was leading to disaster but couldn't let go until he just barely escaped.

The end of the chapter is about Lot's daughters desiring to get pregnant from Lot as there were no other men available. Presumably, the daughters needed children of their own, especially male children, to in turn care for them in their old age. This underscores the level of deprivation Lot reached. The trauma of Sodom seems to have made him fearful of living in another city.

It all raises the question: if Lot loved Sodom so much, how was he not just as wicked as his neighbors? Why was he spared?

To me, Lot's behavior seems like that of an addict. For a modern analogy, it's as if Sodom was where the drug-makers and drug dealers were, and Lot was the addict. One can be a "righteous" person and also an addict, but whatever is causing the addiction must be destroyed. 

Perhaps surrendering to a "higher power" that resides in your consciousness is the only way an addict's life can be saved. The sooner, the better.

James Leroy Wilson writes Daily Miracles, The Daily Bible Chapter, JL Cells, and The MVP Chase. Thanks for your subscriptions and support!

(Photo credit: TyshkunVictor)