Digging in Deeper: Judges 19:22

“As they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, worthless fellows, surrounded the house, beating on the door.  And they said to the old man, the master of the house, ‘Bring out the man who came into your house, that we may know him.'”  (ESV – Read the chapter)

For Israelites who were later being told this story as part of their people’s dark past, these words would have been chilling even before the narrative of what comes next.  This whole situation would have left them shuddering in terror.  This would have been a story you didn’t tell your children, but waited until they were a bit older and could handle it.  Even now, this isn’t somewhere I’d point my boys to read just yet. Read the rest…

Digging in Deeper: Genesis 19:26

“But Lot’s wife, behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.”  (ESV – Read the chapter)

This has always seemed like such an odd punishment to me.  What would this have been like?  Was it instant?  Did she gradually start to transform from the feet up or the head down?  Is there any kind of a natural explanation for this or was it entirely miraculous?  Was Lot aware of it at first?  Or, did he go on for some distance before realizing he couldn’t hear her trying to keep up any longer?  If only they had smart phones back then!  We could have gotten the whole thing on video.  Imagine how many hits that would have received as a YouTube post… Read the rest…