Why did the Lord destroy Sodom and Gomorrah and the other cities of the plain? Weren’t all the cities, technically, in rebellion against God? Weren’t Egypt and Mesopotamia? Why, then, did the Lord consider Sodom and the other cities of the plain so wicked, that they needed to be judged immediately, even to the point, where Lot had to be forcibly removed, in order to allow it to happen?
It is difficult to express the true nature of that atmosphere that lingered in the cities of the plain during the time of Abraham and Lot. Peter claims that Lot had been tormented daily, by the wicked behavior of the citizens of Sodom, and was, himself, being worn down by the pressure of continually seeing and judging (Genesis 19:1) the great wickedness in the city. It was very stressful to live there (cp. 2Peter 2:6-8). The Kings’ Highway, the great trade route between Egypt and Mesopotamia, ran through Sodom and the other cities of the plain. Genesis 19:5, 9 describes a typical welcome, visiting strangers might have, when their journeying took them through one of these cities. They were raped!
Such a thing is practiced as a matter of course in our modern prisons, and the thing isn’t done for mere sexual gratification, but as a means for the strong to dominate the weak. At its core, the practice involves the total loss of freedom for the weak. Not only doesn’t the weaker individual have any say in what goes on around him, but he doesn’t even have power over his own body. In the context of Genesis 19, the stranger was totally dominated by his stronger hosts, and was completely humiliated and demoralized by the men of the city. It was stressful in the extreme, and there was no way out, once the stranger was in the city.
This wasn’t simply a sinful society, it was utter depravity run amok, vis-à-vis there was no protection for the innocent from any lawful authority, viz. Lot’s efforts to protect his guests. Respect for law and order had completely broken down. Thus, we are able to understand the immediacy of the need for judgment.
In the morning, just as Lot entered the little city of Zoar, the Lord, who had come to Abraham with two angels, called down fire and brimstone from the Lord in heaven and rained judgment down upon Sodom and Gomorrah, thus, overthrowing the cities of the plain, killing all their inhabitants and destroying all their vegetation (Genesis 19:23-25).
Lot’s wife turned back, not to observe what had occurred, because Lot and his daughters also looked back to observe what was done. Why else was Lot afraid to live in Zoar, and why else did Lot’s daughters believe there wasn’t a man left for them to marry, so they could give their father descendants (Genesis 19:30-31)? Indeed, all looked back and saw what the Lord had done, but Lot’s wife’s looking had an ulterior meaning; she mourned over the loss of the city she considered her home. Therefore, she took part in the city’s judgment and was turned into a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:26).
Finally, in the morning Abraham, also, looked toward Sodom and observed the smoke of the Lord’s judgment upon the cities of the plain. He stood at the place, where he and the Lord stood, while they discussed the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah. Ten righteous souls couldn’t be found in Sodom, and, therefore, the city was judged. However, in answer to the prayer of his friend, Abraham, the Lord saved Lot and his daughters out of the judgment, with which he judged the cities of the plain (Genesis 19:27-29).
Smoodock's Blog 