God Destroys These Cities

 Three angels visited Abraham, God's hand-picked founder of his chosen nation, Israel. They came disguised as men, travelers along the road. Two of them went down to Sodom and Gomorrah, to observe firsthand the wickedness in those cities.

The other visitor, who was the Lord, stayed behind. He revealed to Abraham that he was going to destroy the cities because of the evil ways of their people. Abraham, a special friend of the Lord, began to bargain with God to spare the cities if there were righteous people in them.

First Abraham asked if the Lord would spare the cities if fifty righteous people lived there. The Lord said yes. Boldly, Abraham kept bargaining down, until God agreed not to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah if even ten righteous people lived there. Then the Lord departed.

When the two angels arrived at Sodom that evening, Abraham's nephew Lot met them at the city gate. Lot and his family lived in Sodom. He took the two men to his home and fed them.

Then all the men of the city surrounded Lot's house and said, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them." (Genesis 19:5,NIV) By ancient custom, the visitors were under Lot's protection. Lot offered the homosexuals his two virgin daughters instead. Furious, the mob rushed up to break down the door.

The angels struck the rioters blind! Leading Lot, his wife, and two daughters by the hand, the angels hurried them out of the city. The girls' fiancés would not listen and stayed behind.

Lot and his family fled to a tiny village called Zoar. The Lord rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah, destroying the buildings, the people, and all the vegetation in the plain.  Lot's wife disobeyed the angels, looked back, and turned into a pillar of salt.

The Scripture
Genesis 18:23-19:20

Lot
And Abraham drew near, and said, Will You also destroy the righteous with the wicked?  Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: will You also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous who are therein?  That be far from You to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from You: Shall not the Judge of all the Earth do right?  And the Lord said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, the I will spare all the place for their sake.  And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the fifty righteous: Will You destroy all the city for lack of five?  And He said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it.  And he spoke unto Him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there.  And He said, I will not do it for forty's sake.  And he said unto Him, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there.  And He said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there.  And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there.  And He said, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake.  And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there.  And He said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake.   And the Lord went His way, as soon as He had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place. 

Two Angels
And there came to Angels to Sodom at evening: and Lot said in the gate of Sodom and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground.  And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and you shall rise up early, and go on your ways.  And they said, No; but we will abide in the street all night.  And he (Lot) pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a fest, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat. 

The Mob 
But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom (homosexuals), compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter:  And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the Men which came in to you this night? Bring them out unto us, that we may know them.  And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him.  And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly.  Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do you to them as is good in your eyes: only unto these Men do nothing; for therefore came They under the shadow of my roof.   And they said, Stand back.  And they said again, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal with you, than with Them.  And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door.

The Angels  
But the Men put forth Their hand, and pulled Lot into the house to Them, and shut to the door.  And they smote the men who were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door.

Lot
And the Men (angels) said unto Lot, Have you here any besides? son in law, and your sons, and your daughters, and whatsoever you have in the city, bring them out of this place.  For We will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the Face of the Lord; and the Lord has sent Us to destroy it.

The Sons-In Law 
And Lot went out, and spoke unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city.  But he seemed as one who mocked unto his sons in law.

Lot Delivered
And when the morning arose, then the Angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take your wife, and your two daughters, which are here; let you be consumed in the iniquity of the city.  And while he lingered, the Men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the Lord being merciful unto him: and They brought him forth, and set him without the city.  And it came to pass, when They had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for your life; look not behind you, neither stay you in all the plain; escape to the mountain, let you be consumed.  And Lot said unto them, Oh, not so, my Lord: Behold now, Your Servant has found grace in Your sight, and You have magnified Your Mercy, which You have showed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die.  Behold now, this is city near to flee unto, and it is a little one: Oh, let me escape thither, and my soul shall live.  And He said unto him, See, I have accepted you concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow this city, for the which you have spoke.  Make haste, escape quickly; for I cannot do any thing till you come out of Sodom.

Destruction 
The sun was risen upon the Earth when Lot entered into Zoar.  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.

Lot's Wife 
But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.

Abraham
And Abraham got up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the Lord: And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.  And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt.