Why this story matters

(commentary on Genesis 18-19)

(Page 4 of 5)

A Lot of alcohol

Many Christians are staunchly opposed to alcohol consumption and believe it to be condemned by the Bible. And there are passages they can use to try to back this up. Proverbs 20:1 says, “Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise.” Isaiah 5:12 understandably says, “Woe to those who rise early in the morning to run after their drinks, who stay up late at night till they are inflamed with wine.” But these statements are just common sense. Actual prohibitions in the Bible are to do with specific issues. For example, a woman who is about to become pregnant is told she shouldn't drink (Judges 13:4). And if someone makes a vow to become a "Nazarite" they are not to drink alcohol (Numbers 6:3).

Moreover, the Bible contains many passages that take a positive view of alcohol consumption. Deuteronomy 14 says, “When you arrive, you may use the money to buy any kind of food you want—cattle, sheep, goats, wine, or other alcoholic drink. Then feast there in the presence of the Lord your God and celebrate with your household.” Psalm 104:14-15 praises the Lord by saying, “You allow them to produce food from the earth—wine to make them glad.” Isaiah 25:6 says that God will provide “well-aged” wine for a celebration: “In Jerusalem, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will spread a wonderful feast for all the people of the world. It will be a delicious banquet with clear, well-aged wine and choice meat.” Ecclesiastes 9:7 says, “Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for it is now that God favors what you do.” In 1 Timothy 5:23 Paul advises, “Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.” What Paul was referring to was that wine was preferred to water on occasion because the water was often polluted. There are many more passages that put a positive spin on drinking, including, of course, Jesus famously changing water into wine at a wedding festival. And, of course, he drank wine at the Last Supper. So how do abstemious Christians deal with this?

Some prohibitionists have claimed that when the Bible talks about wine it is actually referring to “unfermented grape juice”, meaning the wine would have no intoxicating qualities. However, Lot's drunkenness together with Noah's drunkenness after the flood, clearly demonstrate that biblical wine can be very intoxicating indeed. Because of incidents like these, some determined prohibitionists have claimed that where the Bible talks about wine in a positive way, it refers to grape juice, and where talks about wine in a negative way, it is referring to alcohol. This seems all too convenient. Besides, a couple of the positive verses quoted above refer to the benefits of "well-aged" wine. Where's the benefit in well-aged grape juice?

Furthermore, the alcoholic effect is very important to the writer of this biblical story because it serves to preserve the belief that Lot was a "righteous” man. If he was so drunk that he didn't know what he was doing, he could even be said to be a victim. The girls were to blame. Or, at least, that’s what we’re supposed to think.

 

Who was to blame for the incest?

When it comes to incest between a father and a daughter, the father isn't likely to be innocent. Yet the writer attempts to put all the blame on the young women. Let's examine the events a little more closely.

The author seems to realize that the idea of girls raping their father would be puzzling to readers. Therefore, he gives us a compelling reason for their actions. We are told that they believed their father was the only man left alive: “'Our father is old, and there is not a man on earth to come in to us” (Gen. 19:31 ESV). But this isn't correct. When they left Sodom, Lot pleaded with God to let him go to the town of Zoar. God grants his request and says he will not destroy Zoar: “Very well, I will grant this request too; I will not overthrow the town you speak of" (19:21). The day after the cities are destroyed, Lot observes the aftermath safely from the untouched town of Zoar. Obviously, then, there would have been men in Zoar. Also, Lot's uncle, Abraham, was still alive with all his clan and all his staff not too distant from Sodom.

And it's highly doubtful that the girls could have been successful in their plan to get pregnant. Lot was an old man. He was also unconscious. The chances of getting him to ejaculate without waking him up would be remote. And the odds of just one girl getting pregnant on the first try are low. The odds of both getting pregnant on the first try on successive nights are very remote indeed.

So if the story's historical accuracy is questionable, perhaps it was a parable. Perhaps it was constructed to teach a lesson. The problem is there is no moral message stated anywhere. Surely if this was the purpose, the writer would have let us know. So if the story isn't told in order to teach a moral lesson, what could be the purpose in telling it?

 
 

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