Where in the text is it written that the LORD caused the men of Sodom to be SPIRITUALLY blinded? Nowhere. Very clearly, what IS said in the text is that the angels who came to visit Lot smote the men of Sodom with blindness that rendered it difficult for them to find the door into which they desired entrance.
I'll try to be succinct but if you have questions, ask or go to the chapters and read. The events and clues begin in Gen. 18: First clue: 1.) And The LORD appeared unto him [Abraham.] Abraham saw three super-natural men and he recognized the appearance of the LORD. Abraham only uses the name LORD [YHWH] when he speaks with them. Sometime the three seem to speak in unison. vs 9: "And they said unto him, 'Where is Sarah thy wife?'" Another instance they seem to be one entity. vs 10 And HE said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son.'" This sort of exchange reminds me of, "Let's create man after our [plural] image [singular]..." Never did Abraham mention any other name for those who had arrived. He never asked the name of the other two. He bowed down to all three when he met them. In other instance created angels told people not to bow down to them. So ... ?
2.) Now there was a mission to be accomplished that night. What was it: vv. 20-21
And the LORD said, "Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;
I WILL GO DOWN NOW, and see whether thy have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto
ME; and if not,
I WILL KNOW.
Now did the LORD God lie???!!! or does God always tell the truth? I suggest the truth and yet one of the three we know as
THE LORD did not go down NOW. Yet the other two did. vs. 22 And the [two] men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sod: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD." Well, what I see is that the other two DID GO right away [at once right then =
NOW]. Of course, Abraham began bargaining with the third person to come to him that day.
The two super-natural men [some people refer to them with the noun angels - which simply means a created virtuous visible messenger from the ONE God super-natural in nature --- IOW a presence not of flesh. The three were all super-natural.
3.) Well, the two went earlier into town ON MISSION to stay in the streets all night for The LORD had said. It was still early and
when LOT saw them he bowed down with his face toward the ground [in the same way Abraham had bowed down in vs Gen. 18:2 ...the men did not prevent him from worshiping them!!! Don't you wonder why?
Also Lot never address the two personages except by the name: "my lords." He then invited them to spend the night at his house. First they said "Nay, but abut we will abide in the street all night." Remember that was what the ONE said HE would do. Yet one of the lords stayed to talk to Abraham and the other two lords went into S & G. I purposely am calling all three 'lords' at the moment to show that I think they are closely associated and because I believe there is ONE God who uses ONE image to represent
HIMSELF [our image to represent us as an emanuel - who can come into the world representing the ONE God - Genesis 2:26a]. Do you see that I am suggesting the ONE God can used his image anyway he wishes. It could be seen in visions, in dreams, out right, and I think in this case HE was seen as three lords. Do you know that Abraham never knew the name YHWH ... but he and Isaac only knew him as God Almighty. It took Moses to introduce mankind to names like I AM and YHWH.
Well anyway, two of the three lords went into town while the third stayed behind. Now, had God lied about going right away into S&G???
I think not; so, what is the mystery? My version: Lord # 1 stayed behind but the other two did what God had said:
Go down NOW. Yet, when they got there
they DID NOT STAY IN THE STREET ALL NIGHT AS GOD HAD SAID." What's up??? Did these two lords have freewill???
The plot continues: Later that night an angry mob went to Lot's house.
What had made them angry? Why did they single out Lot's house?Why were they angry with the two with Lot??? Gen.19:9 And they [the mob] said,"Stand back." And they said again, "
This ONE FELLOW CAME in to sojourn, and
HE will needs be A JUDGE:
IOW, it was the third Lord who had stayed behind. He completed the mission to stay in the street ALL NIGHT to judge for sin! This allowed the other two to have freewill to go home with Lot for the third Lord could do the job all by himself.
THE MEN in the crowd being of one mind said, "Now we will deal worse with thee [Lot],than with
them [the one at the door and the two inside]. And they [the mob] pressed sore upon
THE MAN [the sojourner], even [upon] Lot, and came near to break the door."But the
men [inside] put forth
their hand, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut the door."
Wow, an amazing sentence up above. Two [super-natural] men put forth THEIR [plural] hand [singular] to pull Lot inside. Why is there only one hand when it says that
they put forth a hand? I just think this implies that all three lords were working in unison to get the job done.
Now notice ... they did not pull the sojourner who was being manhandled by the mob!!! They left him in the street. Their Lordship and partner whom Abraham had worshiped just like Lord worshiped the two with him!!!
It was the two inside who did the miracle - they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door [to Lots house]. Now, show me if you can if any created angel was ever able to do a miracle. They were messengers. These two did the miracles of God. Jesus once said something like this: If you can't believe the words I say then at least believe the miracles I do... miracles which prove he was God. I'd suggest this is an example of the same truth about the three lords who appeared to Abraham.
Now, regarding the mob that was blinded by the two inside, it seems when they were unable to see Lot's door they were still able to wander away and leave them alone. The LORD speaking to Abraham had not lied about anything. He was going down NOW and the two did. He said he would spend all night in the streets and he for he was never pulled into Lot's house. He said he was going into the streets all night and be a judge. He did and this is why the people were so angry and wanted to harm HIM and the other two.
Now, the two Lords had not done anything to make anyone angry; so, what made the mob show up at his house? Could it have been that the ONE God used his one image to come as three personages to accomplish the mission?
If you read onward in Gen. 19:13-16... You will see how the two with Lot talked about how
they had come to destroy this place ...
because the sins had waxed great before the face of the LORD.
How did they know that? They did not speak with the Lord who was out side at the door.
And in the morning the angels [the two lords] hastened Lot and his family lest they be consumed in the iniquity of the city.
What I see: One invisible God using his ONE created image to manifest his presence as
three individuals - each having freewill, power to do miracles ... working together to accomplish a mission to judge and bring punish. All the ONE God. HE is they. THEY are he.
If you wish to claim that at that moment the men of Sodom became blinded SPIRITUALLY, you're basically thereby telling us you're a loon who wishes to not be taken seriously by rationally-thinking people who have read the text, since, clearly, those rape-minded Sodomites were already SPIRITUALLY blinded up to that point in time.
Jesus did just that miracle. He was being pressed hard by a mob who wanted to kill him I think throw him off a cliff. He was suddenly able to walk right out of the mob and they did not know where he had gone even though they could physically see and looked all around for him. I think you deny the power of God and limit him by placing human limitations on HIM.
BTW, Why do you have to call someone a derogatory name [a loon]. Can't you express your ideas without putting others down. Just saying.
