Lot and that Salty Situation

History, if we don't study it and know it, it's often said we repeat it. Why we'd repeat history and all the terrors that lie behind us within it is beyond me. I decided to take a look at the very beginning of everything with Genesis. I do understand and realize those were very different times, but whoa.....

Take a peek at Lot for instance. He's hanging out near the city, perhaps he's mindlessly spearing some fish or something while minding his own business, when all the sudden two angels appear. Lot obviously sees them but does not freak out one bit. Nothing like, 'Dude, are you seeing this?!?!' - he didn't so much as take a selfie with them! He didn't run to them, ask for autographs or make a scene at all. He simply rose up, sauntered over to them....and bowed. How respectful and humble. I feel like we could learn something from Mr. Lot here. I mean, he even offered to wash their feet! That's a pretty humble act to offer to a couple of strangers who just walked into your life out of nowhere. Okay, to be fair, we'd likely all be pretty humbled and go over the top for a couple of angels, well at least most of us. Lot cooked a huge meal for them since they said "no thanks" to the foot thing (smart since feet are kinda gross). Who in their right mind would say no to a super amazing home cooked meal? Lot knew how to get right to the heart of being hospitable. Food is where it's at. You can never go wrong with food.

Now is when the conflict to the story comes in. A good story always has a conflict scene. Other people heard that Lot was entertaining strangers - even angels (gossip spread quickly back then too it seems). The evil, angry men of the city huffed and puffed and tried to blow Lot's doors down to get to these angel men. Lot, the great father he was, offered his two virgin daughters to the angry men in an attempt to protect the angel men. Hello, can we all scream "Daddy Issues" here?!? Thanks a lot pops. Hospitality may have gone a little too far with this one. Again, yeah, these are different times....but dude, low blow to your girls there, right to the heartstrings. You just met these two guys! Sure, they may be angels, but the girls are your daughters!

Thankfully, the angel men stepped up and saved the poor innocent girls and I suppose daddy dearest too. They made those evil, gruesome men blind so they couldn't find the door to bang it down and break their way in. Thank you dear angels and saviors of the night. We need more guys like you wondering about. The angels warned Lot and told him to get out of the city because it was going to be destroyed. Lot's son-in-laws would not listen to Lot when he told them of the angels' warnings, so he just took his wife and the two daughters he seemed so eager to hand over to the evil men of the city not so long ago. The angel men directed Lot to escape to the mountains. He convinced them to let him escape to a small city named Zoar instead. I have no idea why he was so hesitant to go to the mountains. I love the mountains. I'd love to escape to the mountains on any given day.

Then God poured brimstone and fire out of the Heavens all over Sodom. I can't imagine what a site that was. The thing is, when the angels gave direction for Lot's family to leave, they told them specifically to not look back. Some people clearly do not listen. Lot's wife was unfortunately one of those. She looked back. I can't truly blame her. I imagine the sounds were pretty intense when fire and brimstone were literally pouring from the sky onto the city. How strong you'd have to be and what great obedience and willpower you'd have to keep to NOT look. Oh what great strength that would take. Lot's wife looked.

She immediately became a pillar of salt! Uhhh.....Huh?

Ok, your wife turns to a pillar of salt. Have you ever seen a pillar of salt? I haven't. I can only try to imagine what it would be like for a person you are walking on a trail with to suddenly turn into a solid pillar of salt. I'd like to think the daughters were maybe a little startled? I know they likely had daddy issues, but this was their mom (I think?) Yet, there's no reaction from Lot or the two girls? Maybe that part just wasn't recorded? I can't believe any of them did NOT react to it somehow in some way. I don't quite know for sure how things were back then exactly, but I know I'd react to all of this. I'd be like - what the what?

What do you do when your wife turns to a pillar of salt? Do you take some salt back with you as a keepsake? Maybe a little extra for your turkey dinner? I don't know, something! Was this man completely emotionless? I'm hoping they left a few details out here because that doesn't seem exactly reasonable no matter what time of decade you are in. At some point we are still all human, maybe just a little salty.

Wrapping up this crazy story, Lot eventually leaves this detour city of Zoar with his two daughters and heads up to those mountains which were suggested way earlier by those angel men. The daughters realize at some point they are all alone with their father in the mountains and they suddenly worried no one would carry on their father's seed or whatever. The girls proceed to intoxicate their father and basically rape him to get pregnant and ensure that precious seed gets carried on. There we go, there's more of those daddy issues I guess. But then, we all saw that coming right? I realize back in the day it wasn't considered rape and they had to procreate and whatnot. I guess that's another reason I'm thankful we live in the now days.

History - - are we repeating it? I guess if God sends angel men and says go, just don't ever look back so we can keep the salt for the food where it belongs.

(Genesis 19)

#genesis #lot #sodom #saltpillar #history #dontlookback #angels