Sneak Peek
Not Your Mama's Bible Story
Those who know their Bibles will recognize the quote “For The Sake Of Ten Men” as being part of the story of Sodom and Gomorrah.
For those who are unaware, Sodom and Gomorrah are famous for being ancient cities that God destroyed due to their sin. Lot is famous for being the only righteous man living there. His wife is famous for becoming a “pillar of salt” when she turned around, disobeying the only order given by their angelic saviors.
But there’s actually a lot (pun not intended) we don’t know about Sodom and Gomorrah. In all honesty, I don’t think anyone can say they understand why the cities were destroyed. The sin the Bible reports taking place there is no worse than anything reported in today’s news—but God hasn’t destroyed our country (yet). So I would argue that there was more to the story, and that it’s up for extrapolation and interpretation.
In this rendition, I have taken artistic license to create a work of fiction, loosely based on the Biblical account. It is not my intent to fill in the blanks of scripture, but to make my readers consider the various characters, their motives, and how God handles cases of moral ambiguity. Ultimately, I use scripture as a jumping off point for a moral examination of society, and as a mechanism for deeper consideration of the everyday social norms we’ve come to take for granted.
Vignette
Molech lifted up his eyes. The entire palace was in flames. He stared in horror at the chaos surrounding him. Everywhere he looked, fiery hail rained down. The skies were dark and angry; the hail, fierce and resolute.
Adonai, in his heart he called on the God of his fathers, engaging with the depths of his soul, speaking authentically for the first time in over a decade.
Adonai. Yahweh Ha-Elohim–what have you done?
For the sake of ten men, came the answer. For the sake of ten men, I would have stayed my hand. But I have looked through your ranks, and only one man with a pure heart was I able to find. And so I have not spared you.
Molech roared in rage and agony as the voice came again:
You have a choice to make.
Prologue
20 Years Ago…
It was time for Lot to give his answer.
He and his uncle had decided to part ways—there wasn’t enough land for the both of them. Now, as he stood at the top of the hill, looking down, all he saw was verdant beauty.
One needed good land to be successful. Without it, one could not grow crops or breed livestock. It would be important for him. It would be important for his wife. One day, it would be important for their children.
“Hello, love,” his new bride came out of the tent, wrapping her arm around him and stealing a kiss. “What are you up to?”
“Abraham has asked us to split up,” he told her gently, his lips playing over her forehead. “We’re going to choose a place to settle down. We won’t be nomads any more.”
She looked at him, surprised. “But it’s all we’ve ever done,” she said. “What will this mean for us?”
He looked down, across the plain, handsome mountain standing proudly at its edge. “There’s a city down there—two of them, actually,” he said. “The surrounding area is lush, and good for crops. We could live there, if you like.”
She pondered his proposition, eyes wide and sparkling as she beheld the greenery of the valley.
“I think city life could be exciting,” she said. “In fact, I think I’d welcome the change. Some new friends would be wonderful. Maybe it’ll be like living in the city again!”
“Maybe I could be a merchant,” Lot agreed. I’m sure their commerce is strong.
“We could get an apartment!” she squealed, thinking of all the possibilities. “I could decorate it for us!” She squeezed him tightly, excited at the prospect of a new life.
“Then it’s settled,” said Lot. “I’ll tell Abraham tomorrow. We’ll move to Sodom, and make a new life for ourselves there.
“I can’t wait!” she said, squeezing him tightly as she rocked. “Oh Lot, this is going to be so much fun.”
He turned and kissed her passionately, breathing her hair in deeply as he considered the impact this move would have on their lives. Nomadic life had been good to them, but this change seemed like it would be positive for their family. The city would bring with it opportunities to serve God in new ways. Lot, for one, was excited to shine his light in a dark place. Out here in the country it was lovely, but there was no one to witness to. Now he would have a new way to be used by the Lord.
His wife, for her part, didn’t seem like she was considering such things at this exact moment. She rather nuzzled his chest, giggled, and pulled him back into the tent, teasing smile on her face.