The Fractured Reality of Sodom 5: The View From Outside

Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled in the cities of the valley, and moved his tents as far as Sodom. Now the men of Sodom were wicked exceedingly and sinners against the LORD. (Genesis 13:12-13 NASB)

Then they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food supply, and departed.  They also took Lot, Abram's nephew, and his possessions and departed, for he was living in Sodom. (Genesis 14:11-12 NASB)

 The king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give the people to me and take the goods for yourself."  Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have sworn to the LORD God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth, that I will not take a thread or a sandal thong or anything that is yours, for fear you would say, 'I have made Abram rich.'  I will take nothing except what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their share." (Genesis 14:21-24 NASB)

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. (Genesis 19:1 NASB)

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. (Genesis 19:9 NASB)

The problem of Sodom and Gomorrah wasn't a secret.  When Lot settled there after he and Abram left Egypt, it was known what sort of place it was.  In spite of that, he settled close.  Very shortly thereafter, he is found living inside the city, having given up his tents (we're not sure about the flocks, herds, etc.).

Abram knows what sort of place Sodom is, how it's view by his Master, and doesn't accept anything from their king.  In fact he says something rather interesting, he says that he doesn't want the king of Sodom to be able to say that he made Abram rich.  The reason I find that interesting is how he ties wealth to Sodom.  Lot's wealth seems to evaporate, yet the city and its king are known for wealth.  There isn't a reason given, but in that time period, trade is the usual manner in which cities and people gained wealth.  The reason that Lot chose that area was because, as the text says, it was lush like the garden of God.  So, agriculture would likely have played an important part, both farming and herding.

On the other hand, they really weren't soldiers or at least not good ones, and one consistent thing about agrarian cultures is that they can usually wallop city-folk.  They only lose because they don't have the numbers, but man-for-man bet on the farmer.  That's not very..."good" deductive reasoning or even an educated guess; really it's more personal observation and prejudice.  But it leaves room for another marginal hypothesis on where the wealth of Sodom came from.  What if it were gambling and other "pleasure" commerce?  Is it a general truth that people who work hard, also play hard?  Maybe not, but it is often true, especially if they work hard remote from their homes and families.  So what if Sodom were filled with distilleries, bordellos, casinos, and restaurants?  Perhaps all of these were combined into an "Inn" where travelers passed the night.  Who knows, but it's not as likely as trade commerce.  Those sorts of things may have been present, but it is a long shot that they fueled the economy (although distilleries do burn well...).

The reason I bring up those particular business types is because they fuel the degradation of my culture and country, at least in my opinion.  Those sorts of businesses make  their income from the weakness of people.  Both legal and illegal chemicals to loose touch with reality are available here.  While prostitution is illegal (except in outlying regions of Nevada), it is a common vice in major cities.  Now casinos are popping up on Native American Reservations all across the country.  And restaurants feed a natural, but over indulged human appetite.

I like restaurants, and frequent them; but I'm gaining weight (not their fault, but they don't hep either).  I don't drink, don't have a problem with people who do, but it's hard not to read at least one local news source without one of the articles announcing another alcohol-related death.  Prostitution is wrong, most people agree with that, yet in movies, advertising, and other entertainment sex is usually a part of the "attraction".  Gambling consumes peoples time, finances, and souls; my opinion, and I know it's not alone in that, but there it is.  These examples of "commerce" are hurting my country and my people.

As I said, I do participate in some of these businesses, well, restaurants anyway.  So, in a sense I too am "entranced" by Sodom, giving in to the attraction of what I know to be wrong, or at least dangerous.  On other elements, I look on but don't address the problems, somewhat like the cities and regions around Sodom.  They traded with them, contributing to their wealth and, therefore, their degradation.  How far off am I from Lot and others?  Not as far as I should be.  I believe my Master calls it "holiness" and it gets tough really fast.  Time to, once again, put on my "big boy pants" and get after it.  See you tomorrow?

The Fractured Reality of Sodom 2: The Mob, The Judge, And The Angels

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; 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."  But Lot went out to them at the doorway, and shut the door behind him, and said, "Please, my brothers, do not act wickedly.  "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."  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.  But the men reached out their hands and brought Lot into the house with them, and shut the door.  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. (Genesis 19:4-11 NASB)

I don't know where to start.  I was expecting to be shocked, to find a wickedness, but the depths of this shocked me.  I was hoping to somehow rescue the character of Lot from his surroundings, but I'm failing.  I'm trying to find some cultural or ethnic tradition or something that explains what I read, but I'm not finding it.  So, I will simply unpack it and let be what it is.

The men of Sodom, from all over the city and from all age groups, form a mob.  It's not said this is usual or not, a festival or not, but they circle themselves around the house.  Their intent is the men who came to Lot's house; they want to "know" them, and, in this case, it would be "biblically".  So a mob, forming for no other clear reason than to take the men who just came to the city, encircle Lot's house and call for him to send them out.  Remember that Lot strongly urged the angels, who intended to stay in the plaza, to stay with him.  I infer from this that the mob was neither an isolated occurrence, nor surprising to Lot.  He seemed to know what was coming.

Some sort of "carnival" (in the ancient sense of that word) would go a long way to explain their behavior, but none is mentioned.  Perhaps every night was "carnival night" in Sodom.  The moral conditions of the place are not explained, but merely described.  It's creepy.  The attitude that spawns such behavior is in every part of the city, and in every generation of them.  They don't "grow out of it" at some point.  It is pervasive, insidious, and completely irrational.

Before you jump all over the "irrational" judgement, ask yourself, how do these people conduct trade with other cities or regions if this is how they treat visitors?  How can they survive without commerce?  The very fact that they are known by other cities and regions was demonstrated in chapter 14, so how can they adopt this mode of behavior and still remain a viable presence?  It is truly irrational to behave as they are.

And yet, Abraham considers them a moral blight on the land even as he rescues their goods (and Lot) from conquering kings.  So, they are known for their evil even before this.  And yet, they are tolerated by their neighbors.  They aren't a military power (they lost a battle where 318 + 4 won), so what is it that they have which is so "tolerable" to their neighbors?  And it's not just their neighbors.

When Lot goes out to speak with them, he calls them "brothers"!  Really?  Seriously?  The whole passage quickly takes on the surreal psychotic feel very quickly.  How can such a place exist?  Even during the 30-years war, the Catholics and Protestants agreed on one thing, the destruction of Muenster was necessary.  They joined forces and burnt it to the ground.  It was recognized by both sides as an evil place.  Why that hasn't happened here, long ago, baffles me.

"And everyone's okay with this?"  Lot's answer to their plea is to send out his virgin daughters.  I'm shocked!  I have no explanation for such a suggestion.  It could be part of hospitality in that culture, but I don't find other examples of it.  First he calls them "brothers" and then offers them his daughters if they will just leave the visitors alone.  They refuse.  Of course they do.  Why would a mob of men want a couple of women when there are two men as options?  The place is upside down, and the condition is pervasive, and for whatever reason, "acceptable" to their neighbors.

So, at what point does such insidious evil become acceptable to me?  What has to happen to me and what do I need to experience to find such things acceptable?  Probably way too much.  But what if the people and attitude of Sodom wasn't "acceptable" to their neighbors (they didn't necessarily do the same things), but the neighbors were apathetic?  Now I'm closer to fitting the description.  How often to I turn a blind eye or deaf ear to the wickedness of my own country?  It's become such a cacophony that it blends into a constant noise I have learned to ignore.  There's just too much of it to deal with, it seems hopeless to stand against it.

But that is me living in Sodom, calling the people "my brothers", and seeking to mollify them by sacrificing what is precious to me.  I haven't reached that point yet, but really, how far away is it?  When I don't speak out against the vocal evil, isn't that tacit acceptance?  When I refuse to point out that my Master is against behavior am I not loosing my moral ground?  At least Lot tried to be a judge to bring some semblance of righteousness to the place.  It did no good but have I even tried that? 

I think I am supposed to judge from my Master's perspective.  I am to be vocal about what my Master says is important.  I am supposed to be "judgmental" because my Master has given me, and all His followers, the responsibility to be a vocal proponent and an object lesson of what He says.  But am I?  Do I address the evil around me as the evil it is?  Do I point out wickedness?  No, I don't.  And more often than not it is because I am aware of the wickedness in my own life and do not see myself as qualified to point it out.  I fear being a hypocrite who is as bad as those he criticizes.  But my Master calls me to be His broken and cracked jar of His glory.  He has called me and my fellow believers to own the failures of our lives and cry out against the evil around us.  It takes both confession and proclamation.  It's not comfortable; less comfortable than apathy against the evil.

So, to change I have to man-up, put on my "big boy pants", and stand in integrity against the evil of my community.  Integrity means owning my failures, but not letting them disqualify me from vocally and actively standing for my Master's views.  Bold words.  Now I need to give them hands and feet, and therefore steel.  Deep breath.  Okay, let's do it.