Sodom and Gomorrah Destroyed

Abraham had worked it out with God that if ten righteous people were found in Sodom, the city would not be destroyed (Genesis 18:32).

Lot, Abraham's nephew who lived in Sodom, had a visit from two angels to whom he expressed hospitality by offering a place to stay the night and to wash their feet (Genesis 19:2). At first, the angels refused Lot's offer, but Lot "...pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat" (Genesis 19:3).

Before the angels turned in for the night, the old and young men from all over the city, surrounded Lot's house (Genesis 19:4). It seems the angelic visitors of Lot had metamorphosed into men or appeared as men to the city dwellers because the men of Lot's city "...called unto Lot, and said unto him, where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them (Genesis 19:5). The men's intentions with the angelic beings were wicked because "...Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him, And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly" (Genesis 19:7).

Instead of bringing the 'men' outside that he knew to be angels, Lot offered his two daughters to the men of the city, so the men would not act wickedly toward the heavenly figures in his home (Genesis 19:8,9).

The men did not take Lot up on his offer and still wanted into his home. They nearly broke down the door (Genesis 19:9). The angels pulled Lot inside and cast blindness upon the men outside so that they would grow tired in finding the door (Genesis 19:11).

The angels told Lot to bring his family out of the city because the Lord had sent them to destroy it (Genesis 19:12,13). Lot and his family were the only six righteous in Sodom which was not enough people to save the city from destruction per Abraham's talk with God (Genesis 18:32). Although it was not enough to save the city, God did not forget Abraham as shown in His mercy toward Lot and his family (Genesis 19:29).

The six to be saved in Lot's family dropped to only four because Lot's sons-in-law did not believe the city would be destroyed (Genesis 19:14).

Time came for Lot, his wife and two daughters to depart the city. The Lord seemed to have helped them along with a miracle in setting Lot and his family outside the city (Genesis 19:16,17). In showing His mercy, God said, "...Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed (Genesis 19:17). The Lord allowed Lot and his family to flee safely to the small city of Zoar before He continued with destroying Sodom (Genesis 19:22).

The sun was risen when Lot arrived in Zoar (Genesis 19:23). "Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven; And he overthrew those cities and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. But [Lot's] wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:24-26).

Abraham could see the smoke from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah from his dwelling in the plains of Mamre (Genesis 18:1;19:28).

It turned out that Lot was afraid to stay in Zoar, so he moved to a dwelling in a cave in the mountain along with his two daughters (Genesis 19:30). In order to preserve Lot's seed, his older daughter said to her sister, "Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father" (Genesis 19:32). "Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father" (Genesis 19:36).

Both daughters had sons. The older daughter named her son "...Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day" (Genesis 19:37). The younger daughter named her son "...Benammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day" (Genesis 19:38).

For your personal reference, turn to Genesis 18 and 19.