Genesis 19:15

THE DESTRUCTION OF SODOM. -- Genesis 19:15-26.

GOLDEN TEXT. -- Escape for thy life. -- Genesis 19:17. TIME. --About B. C. 1894. PLACE. --Sodom and Gomorrah, in the Plain of Jordan. HELPFUL READINGS. -- Genesis 18:23-33; Genesis 19:1-14; Luke 17:28-32; Deuteronomy 29:22-27. LESSON ANALYSIS. --1. Flight for Life; 2. The Doom of Sodom and Gomorrah; 3. Looking Back.

INTRODUCTION.

The position of the cities of the plain has been much disputed. The prevalent opinion has been that they were located south of the Dead Sea, and probably on. portion of the plain which has now been converted into. shallow portion of the lake. The Dead Sea is converted into two parts by projections of the land, which really make of it two lakes--the northern very deep, and the southern very shallow. It is held that this southern part covers the old sites of the city, and that it subsided. few feet at the time of the great catastrophe, or has been covered by the waters rising above their former level. Lieut. Conder, however, and some other weighty authorities, hold that Sodom was situated north of the lake, and point to the fact that when Abraham and Lot had their interview at Bethel, many miles northwest of the Dead Sea, "Lot lifted up his eyes" and saw the plain with its cities. The Valley of Jordan, north of the Dead Sea, is visible from Bethel, but not the south.

The Dead Sea is 46 miles in length, and is of very uniform width, its greatest breadth being. little more than ten miles. At about one-fourth of the distance from the southern extremity, it is nearly crossed by. low peninsula from the eastern side, dividing the northern from the southern portion, and while the north and larger part is 1300 feet deep, the southern part has. depth of only 13 feet of water.

The moral causes of the destruction of the cities of the plain are apparent; the physical causes are not so well settled. Josephus ascribes it to lightning striking the bituminous soil of the plain, penetrated with asphaltum, and setting it on fire. Others insist that the overthrow was mainly due to earthquakes and volcanic influences. Geikie says: "The Bible account is very striking and simple. 'The Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire out of heaven, and overthrew them and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.' This seems to imply. terrific storm of lightning and tempest, but we may well suppose that an earthquake added its terrors. Fire from above might kindle the layers of asphalt, with which the plain abounded, and tremblings of the earth might aid the storm-flood in overwhelming everything. There is no geological reason against regarding the shallow part of the lake. result of the catastrophe; for. slight depression of the ground, such as often happens elsewhere, would at once submerge it."

I. THE FLIGHT FOR LIFE.

15. And when the morning arose.

The night had been one of excitement in Sodom, in which the utter depravity of its wicked inhabitants had been fully set forth. All the persuasion and importunity of Lot were not sufficient to prevent the men of the city from. shameless and utterly brutal crime. The outrage was not one perpetrated by. few roughs, but "the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter," compassed the house around, and sought to perpetrate the nameless and shameful crime. They were only prevented by. confusion sent upon them by divine power from even treating Lot himself worse than they had sought to treat his visitors. The whole account reveals. community so far gone in depravity as to be unfit to exist. After the wicked inhabitants were baffled, Lot was bidden to warn his sons-in-law and daughters that they might escape at once, but "he seemed as one that mocked to his sons-in-law."

With the dawn of day the angels hastened Lot.

His tardiness was such that the angels threatened him with the possibility of being involved in the destruction of the city. It was natural that he should cleave to his home, and be loth to leave. part of his family behind.

Lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.

As Calvin says: "Not that the Lord casts the innocent rashly on the same heap with the wicked, but that the man who will not consult his own safety, and who being even warned to beware, yet exposes himself by his sloth to ruin, deserves to perish." Let it be noted that salvation is conditional--that of Lot upon escaping, that of Noah on building and entering the ark, that of the bitten Jews upon "looking at the brazen serpent," ours upon turning to and obeying Christ.