Lot went out to the men at the entrance, shut the door after him, and said, “I beg you, my brothers, do not act so wickedly. Behold, I have two daughters who have not known any 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.” But they said, “Stand back!” And they said, “This fellow came to sojourn, and he has become the judge! Now we will deal worse with you than with them.” Then they pressed hard against the man Lot, and drew near to break the door down. But the men reached out their hands and brought Lot into the house with them and shut the door. And they struck with blindness the men who were at the entrance of the house, both small and great, so that they wore themselves out groping for the door.
Genesis 19:6-11
Lot's response to the men of Sodom had me off guard when I first read of the account a few years back. I was startled to see that a "man of God" would compromise to let his daughters be defiled rather than to completely reject the men that were against him and full of lustful desires towards the visiting men. My eyes at the time had not yet been fully opened to why the Lord would allow that- since I presumed that every person in the Bible was to be a godly man/woman who did what the Lord desired. Of course it wasn't until recently I understand how wicked people are- including godly men! We are all sinners and being so, the conclusive argument would be that no one is perfect. Yet Lot did everything in his sinful mind to keep from sin (and still he failed.) Time and time again the accounts I hear in the Word shows how sinful humans are and how merciful God is all the way to the end until the sinner no longer care to heed His warnings.
However what was all the more startling was the recent study of the text by a theologian when he said he noticed that at the end of the ordeal the men were struck with blindness. All of them! (You would think that God may easily have killed them right then and there for perverse thoughts yet He struck them with blindness.) And even with such a merciful act from the Lord, they were still groping for the door! You would think after ALL of them being struck with blindness they would realize who they are dealing with and immediately begin to repent of their wrong-doings. Yet, it was not so.. They groped for the door. They were still in the midst of wanting to fulfill their lustful desires even in the midst of that incredulous moment of God's hand on their eyes. I wonder as of late, whether or not that still is applicable today. We are struck with certain situations and issues on behalf of God's mercy so that we may repent.. All the good as well as the bad is clearly a sign from the Lord's loving kindness is it not..?
