提要
亞伯拉罕能在自己的帳棚裡接待從主來的使者一定令他興奮極了。他見到那三位客人就知道他們絕非常人，所以馬上俯伏在他們面前，稱呼他們：「我主」。主再一次向亞伯拉罕保證他和撒拉將生一個兒子。當時的帳棚通常分隔成兩部分，就像今天有些貝都因人的帳棚一樣，一部分用來待客，另一部分遮閉起來屬私人活動的範圍。撒拉可能就是躲在帳棚的私人區聽他們的對話。當她聽見主的使者宣佈她將生一個兒子時，她因不信而在心裡暗笑，因為她早已過了生育的年齡。後來撒拉撒謊，否認她曾發笑。主責備她，並要她知道，在主沒有難成的事。
我們也看到主和亞伯拉罕之間奇妙的友誼。主說：「我所要做的事豈可瞞著亞伯拉罕呢……我已經認識他（意思是，他們是長久以來的親密朋友）。」當上帝將祂對所多瑪、蛾摩拉的計畫告訴亞伯拉罕，我們看見亞伯拉罕對那些城裡的罪人表現出偉大的愛和憐憫。亞伯拉罕為他們代求，他認識上帝道德的屬性，知道祂不會使義人與罪人同亡，所以他跟上帝討價還價，求上帝饒了那城，如果其中還有十個義人的話。兩位天使到了所多瑪，發現羅得坐在城門口，表示他可能身列所多瑪的領導和統治階層。羅得曉得所多瑪罪惡的光景，他堅持要兩位天使到他家過夜。到了晚上，那城裡的人連老帶少邪慾攻心，來到羅得門前，強迫他交出兩位客人，好讓他們逞其獸慾。該城明目張膽的惡行使我們聖潔的上帝再也不能容忍。毀滅是他們唯一配得的審判。
天使催促羅得和他的妻子、兩個女兒逃離那城。從幾件事上可看出羅得是個屬肉體的人，他代表與世俗妥協的信徒，亞伯拉罕則代表敬虔，屬靈的信徒。羅得住在一座罪惡之城，並與充滿罪惡的世俗之輩為友；這對想要跟從主的人有很壞的影響。羅得的問題在於，他保持沈默，沒有嘗試去影響周圍的人遵從主道（參彼後2：6~8）。他不但選錯地方居住；又做了錯事，要將自己的兩個女兒交給惡人遂其所願，顯見他已經受了那個社會邪惡之風的影響。他甚至容許自己的女兒嫁給所多瑪人，他的女婿不能分辨好歹，反而輕忽羅得對他們的警告。羅得捨天使指示的山上不去，堅持要逃往又小又近的瑣珥城，這點也顯出他世俗的心。諷刺的是，羅得最後還是住進了山裡，因為他怕住在瑣珥城。
羅得的妻子也被所多瑪的生活型態所吸引，雖然她跟著天使逃跑，但她的心還留在罪惡之城，所以，當她依依不捨的回顧所多瑪時，就變成了一根鹽柱。耶穌在路加福章十七章卅二節還用這件事來提醒我們。所多瑪邪惡的影響力也及於羅得的兩個女兒，她們犯了可怕的罪，使父親醉酒，好讓自己能從父親懷孕。這場罪結出來的後代是摩押人和亞捫人，這兩族人成為以色列人的宿敵。羅得妥協和隨從肉體的生活導致家破財亡。他在所多瑪努力經營所得的一切財物和高位都化為烏有，因他失去了一切。
我們應該像亞伯拉罕，思念屬靈的事，並且謙卑的活在上帝面前，而不要像羅得。耶穌將祂再來之前的日子與所多瑪、蛾摩拉罪惡滔天的地步相比擬。我們也活在類似的、罪惡張狂的時代裡，求主幫助我們不要效法這世界，也不向世界妥協。雖然我們住在這世界，但我們不要愛世界，也不要與邪惡的世界有分，如果我們遵行上帝的旨意，我們就將活到永遠（約壹2：15~17）。
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Overview
How excited Abraham was to offer hospitality and welcome into his tent three visitors from the Lord. As soon as he saw them, he knew they were no ordinary men, so he ran out and prostrated himself before them and addressed one of them as ‘his Lord’. Once again, the Lord reassured Abraham of the son he and Sarah would have. The tent was normally divided into two, as in some Bedouin tents today; one which was open for guests and another was closed and more private. Sarah was likely inside the more private half of the tent listening to their conversation. Sarah laughed in disbelief when she heard them announce that she would have a son, for she was far past the age of bearing a child, and then she lied, denying that she had laughed. She was rebuked fro it and told that nothing is impossible for the Lord.
We also see here the amazing friendship between Abraham and the Lord who said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing… For I have known him” (meaning for a long time they have been close friends)”. When God shared His plans with Abraham concerning Sodom and Gomorrah, we see the great love and compassion that Abraham had for the sinful souls in those cities. He interceded on their behalf, Knowing the moral attributes of God, Abraham knew He would never let the righteous perish with the wicked, so he bargained with God to spare the cities if there be just 10 righteous among them. The two angels went to Sodom and found Lot sitting at the gate, meaning he was probably involved in politics and in the leadership of Sodom. Knowing the evil of the city, Lot insisted that the angels enter into his house and stay for the night. At night the men of the city, both young and old, perverted and full of lust came to Lot’s house to force him to give them the strangers that they might sexually abuse them. The blatant, open wickedness was more than our Holy God could bear. Destruction was the only fitting judgment for them.
The angels rushed Lot, his wife and two daughters out of the city to flee for their lives. Several things revealed the carnality of Lot, who represents the carnal, compromising believer, whereas Abraham represents the godly, spiritual believer. Lot was living in an evil place and keeping company with sinful, worldly people. This can have a bad effect on those trying to follow the Lord. Lot’s problem was that he remained silent and did not try to influence his community to walk in the ways of the Lord, thus he was living in the wrong place (see 2 Peter 2:6-8), He did the wrong thing in offering his two virgin daughters to the wicked men: he had been influenced by the wickedness of the society. He even allowed his other daughters to marry men of Sodom who did not do what was right, for they disrespectfully ignored his warning to them. Then, his insistence to glee to the small city of Zoar, he was worldly-minded. Ironically, the mountain is where Lot ended up because he was afraid to live in the city of Zoar.
As well, Lot’s wife was caught up with the lifestyle of Sodom and, although she followed the angel and fled, her heart remained there, so when she looked back with longing she became a pillar of salt. Jesus reminded us of this sad incident in Luke 17:32. The wicked lifestyle in the city of Sodom affected his daughters as well, for they committed an awful sin in getting their father drunk so as to conceive children from him. Their descendants of those offspring were the Moabites and the Amonites who became constant enemies of the children of Israel. Lot’s compromising and carnal life led to the destruction of his family and all he had worked for in Sodom. His high position ad prosperity were in vain, for he lost everything.
We should be as Abraham, thinking spiritually and living humbly before God, rather than as Lot. Jesus likened the days before His coming to how it was In the time of Sodom and Gomorrah, when their wickedness reached heaven. We are living in a similar day such as that, filled with blatant sin. May the Lord Help us not to be conformed to this world and to not compromise with the world. Although we live in the world, we are not to love and participate in the ungodliness of the world, but if we do the will of God we will abide forever (1 John 2:15-17).
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