Genesis Vol 3.pdf - College Press

LOT’S LAST DAYS 19:1-38
stood before Jehovah: 28 aiid he looked toward Sodom
and Gon$owah, aiid toward all tJge land of the Plain, and
beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the lalid went up as the
swzolte of a furllace.
29 And it came to pass, wheiz God destroyed the cities
of the Plaiiz, that God reii$e?nbered Abraham, uiid seiit Lot
out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the
cities ii? which Lot dwelt.
(I) At sunrise “Jehovah rained upon Sodom and
Gomorrah brimstone and fire from Jehovah out of heaven,”
etc. “Fire from Jehovah”: probably for emphasis to make
it clear that this was a judgment from the Lord and not
a natural phenomenon. (SIBG, 243, comment on v. 17) :
“The Angel Jehovah has now come up from Abraham,
and charged Lot and his companions to depart with the
utmost haste, and without the smallest regret, from that
rich country abounding with sensual indulgence (Luke
9:62; Phil. 3:13, 14; Matt. 24:16-18).” The Divine
command was, “Escape for thy life,” that is, “it is enough
that you save your life; do not try to save your wealth
also.”
(2) Obviously, from correlation of various Scriptures,
the cities destroyed were not only Sodom and Gomorrah,
but also Admah and Zeboiim (cf. Amos 4:11, Isa. 1:9, 10;
Gen. 14, Deut. 29:23, Hos. 11:8), Bela, or Zoar, of the
five cities of the Jordan circle being exempted, in response
to Lot’s appeal, vv. 21, 22. Note v. 22: the catastrophes
wrought by God are always under His control: “this one
is not unleashed until Lot has safely reached Zoar; by that
time the sun has fully risen.”
(3) The nature of the catastrophe has been a matter
of much speculation. The means causing the destruction
are said to have been “brimstone and fire” (“sulphur and
fire”) poured out so plentifully on the doomed cities that
God is said to have “rained” them down “out of heaven.”
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