Can it get much worse than it was in Sodom? Instead of welcoming the two strangers with generous hospitality, as is still the custom in the Middle East (and in Mississippi!), the men of Sodom attempted to rape them. And notice that verse 4 is careful to indicate that this was not just an isolated violent gang of thugs. No, everyone was in on the act – all the men of Sodom, both young and old, all the people from every part of town.

And that means it was obvious that Sodom wouldn’t pass the test to which God had agreed in the previous chapter. He had promised not to destroy the city if there were only 10 righteous people there, and no one else stood up with Lot to try to stop the most wicked sort of perversion. In fact, when Lot tried to get his own sons-in-law to escape the imminent judgment of God, even they refused to take him seriously. No, when the angels dragged Lot, his wife, and his two daughters out of the city, there was no one left who had any hope of salvation – all of the rest of the people had passed the spiritual point of no return.

And so today’s passage provides a clear challenge for us modern American Christians. Fpr make no mistake – if God saw fit to destroy Sodom because of their selfishness, violence and perversion, can we imagine our cities deserve anything less? We have a growing problem of human sex trafficking within our borders, as thousands of young girls are imported every year to serve as prostitutes. We have the blood of 60 million unborn children on our hands – most of whom died because their parents simply didn’t want the responsibility of caring for them. So can we pretend any superiority to the men of Sodom in their violent lust? And as we increasingly turn our backs on God’s perfect plan for marriage as the union of one man and one woman for as long as they both shall live, can we honestly expect things to get better?

But we also have a lot of reason for hope, for unlike the situation in Sodom, there are still a lot of souls all around us who can be saved. There are still thousands of people coming to Christ all over the country, and there are still vibrant congregations of believers all around us who are as fervent in their evangelistic zeal as they are earnest in their efforts to live according to God’s perfect law of love. We can all still try to persuade others to follow Jesus, just as Lot tried to persuade his sons-in-law to leave Sodom with him. And we need to get busy – while there’s still time.

Genesis 19:1-14 (NAS)

NAS Genesis 19:1 Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening as Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground.
2 And he said, “Now behold, my lords, please turn aside into your servant’s house, and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise early and go on your way.” They said however, “No, but we shall spend the night in the square.”
3 Yet he urged them strongly, so they turned aside to him and entered his house; and he prepared a feast for them, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.
4 Before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, both young and old, all the people from every quarter;
5 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 have relations with them.”
6 But Lot went out to them at the doorway, and shut the door behind him,
7 and said, “Please, my brothers, do not act wickedly.
8 “Now behold, I have two daughters who have not had relations with man; please let me bring them out to you, and do to them whatever you like; only do nothing to these men, inasmuch as they have come under the shelter of my roof.”
9 But they said, “Stand aside.” Furthermore, they said, “This one came in as an alien, and already he is acting like a judge; now we will treat you worse than them.” So they pressed hard against Lot and came near to break the door.
10 But the men reached out their hands and brought Lot into the house with them, and shut the door.
11 And they struck the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they wearied themselves trying to find the doorway.
12 Then the men said to Lot, “Whom else have you here? A son-in-law, and your sons, and your daughters, and whomever you have in the city, bring them out of the place;
13 for we are about to destroy this place, because their outcry has become so great before the LORD that the LORD has sent us to destroy it.”
14 And Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were to marry his daughters, and said, “Up, get out of this place, for the LORD will destroy the city.” But he appeared to his sons-in-law to be jesting.