Turn the page

          I am just going to admit it. I am such a nerd.  I'm not just saying that because it is the new cool.  (Is that true? I have no idea it just sounded good). I am a deep to the core bonafide nerd.  My first thoughts when I opened my Bible last night were of how much I love the sound of pages turning.  The pages crinkling as they move excite me and make me eager to keep reading.  However, once I get distracted by anything it usually snowballs and it took me a few minutes to stop singing Bob Seger's "Turn the Page" to myself and be able to concentrate.  
          Genesis chapters 19-23 are my subjects today.  I read the majority of these scriptures with my mouth hanging open in somewhat of a shocked state.  Since it's been quite awhile since I've read these stories there were parts that I had totally forgotten and others that were completely new to me. 
          Chapter 19 depicts the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, two cities past the threshold of corruption that were on God's you-must-be-destroyed list.  Abraham's nephew Lot was residing in Sodom with his wife and daughters.  When two angels appeared in the city on a quest to destroy it, Lot gave them shelter in his home.  What followed startled me so much I checked five other translations to make sure I was reading it right. All five said the same thing in only slightly different words.  Some men came to Lots home that same evening and demanded "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them."  Lot's answer was as shocking to me as this question.  He said and I quote "Don't do this wicked thing.  Look I have two daughters who have never slept with a man.  Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them. But don't do anything to these men..."  After reading that particular conversation there was a very loud mental dialogue that I had with myself consisting mostly of "!!!!!!!!!!!!"  I know that things were vastly different with the view of women back then and I'm not going to pretend that I know much about it, but coming from my 21st century post feminist perspective this seemed really out of line.  Perhaps the most shocking detail in this little narrative, for me anyway, is that Lot was the most righteous man in this city and was allowed, along with his family, to flee before the city was destroyed. 
          Now we move on to the rest of this chapter.  Again the shock factor here is most likely just the result of a Grand Canyon sized generation gap, but even knowing that, I still can't help but be a little freaked out.  After Lot and his daughters escaped Sodom and Gomorrahgeddon they settled into the mountains.  Lot's wife unfortunately became overwhelmed with curiosity (I'm starting to think that curiosity is a fatal flaw) and turned back to look at the burning cities after being instructed not to.  Anywho, Lot's daughters realized that there were no men in proximity to impregnate them and carry on their family line.  So of course the obvious answer was to get their dad drunk and get pregnant by him.  
          The last chapters of my reading goes back to the story of Abraham and his long awaited son Isaac so I will wait until tomorrow's blog to include any discussion about that.  It will flow better with tomorrow's reading.  After what we've discussed today, nobody can say that the Bible is boring.  It certainly does not lack drama, suspense, love, hate, and even horror that people love to read about. I'm looking forward to what comes next.