Bible Stories The guilty cities Genesis 19:1-30- Sodom and Gomorrah

(Gen. 19: 1-30)

The two angels went to Sodom. Lot was sitting at the gate of the city. When Lot saw the two angels coming toward him, he went to meet them at once. Lot led the two angels to his house. The angels said to Lot: "God is displeased with this city. He has sent us to sunk it.  Take out of the city everything that belongs to you.”

When Lot told his daughters and the husbands of his daughters that God was going to destroy the city of Sodom, they did not believe him. They thought that Lot was just joking.

Meantime, many people were informed of the ar­rival of the two angels. They surrounded Lot's house, desiring to harm his visitors. However, the wicked plan did not work out, because the people were struck with blindness by God. and hence, could not find the door to Lot's house.

The next morning, the angels told Lot that if he did not take his wife and daughters out of the city, their faith will be the same as of the city.

The angels took Lot's hand, and the hand of his wife, and the hands of his two daughters and led them out of the city.

 The angels then said to Lot: 

"Do not look back. Do not stay in this country. Go, save yourselves in the mountains."

Lot's wife did not obey the angels. She looked back and was turned into a pillar of salt.

No language can describe what was left of Sodom and Gomorrah. It was so sudden, so complete, so terrific. Flames above, flames beneath, flames all around.   Men, women, children, domestic animals, houses, treasures, and even the very soil was swallowed up by the rain of fire and brimstone.

The guilty cities were sunk forever into a pool of burning bitumen and seething waters, now called the Dead Sea. No fishes can live in that sea; neither can plants grow on its shores – fearful and lasting proof of God’s punishment of sin.