Hospitality in Sodom

Sodom was doomed. Three men had come to Abraham's doorstep and though he didn’t realise it at first, two of these were angels and one of them was God Himself. 

Because of Abraham’s liberal hospitality he had the chance to talk with God about Sodom and successfully pray for mercy. If 10 righteous people were found within Sodom the city would be spared, including Lot, Abraham’s nephew.

But there weren’t even 10 righteous people.

And yet, Lot would be saved. Hospitality would again be the means through which God would show mercy just as with Abraham. It was the hospitality of Lot that brought him in a saving contact with the two angels who now went to Sodom.

Abraham did not at first know that the men he took into his house were angels. So it is now with Lot.

Hebrews talks about this:

[Heb 13:2 NKJV] 2 Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so [doing] some have unwittingly entertained angels.

We read in Genesis:

[Gen 19:1-3 NKJV] 1 Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw [them], he rose to meet them, and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground. 2 And he said, "Here now, my lords, please turn in to your servant's house and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise early and go on your way." And they said, "No, but we will spend the night in the open square." 3 But he insisted strongly; so they turned in to him and entered his house. Then he made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.

Lot seems to have a similar character to Abraham in this regard. He saw the two men walking in Sodom in the evening. It was late and it would almost turn to night. And as we see later in the chapter, Sodom did not seem to be a safe place at night for strangers. Lot knew this because later, when the people of Sodom surround his house to get these men and do something evil, he says to them:

[Gen 19:8 NKJV] 8 "See now, I have two daughters who have not known a man; please, let me bring them out to you, and you may do to them as you wish; only do nothing to these men, since this is the reason they have come under the shadow of my roof."

With this mindset Lot rises up, meets them, bows himself and asks them to stay at his home for the night and to wash their feet. He invites them without being asked to provide. And when they rejected the offer, Lot showed his righteous inclinations and his care for these strangers by insisting. And after they give in he made them a feast.

And thus his life was guaranteed and he suddenly had two angels in his house.

The spirit or psyche of Lot here is very similar to Abraham. And it is the hospitality we should have. We be of a spirit that, if the need ever shows up, we may invite travelling strangers who have need of it. We should have a kind of care, even for the stranger, to insist on it if there is a real danger for the stranger. And then when they give in we should be liberal like Lot who made a feast for them. 

It is simply the spirit and brain of hospitality and care for strangers and self-sacrifice. 

He showed an exact opposite spirit of the people in Sodom, of whom it is said they did not care for the needy.