Why did Lot give his daughters to the crowd of men?

“Now behold, I have two daughters who have not had relations with man; please let me bring them out to you, and do to them whatever you like; only do nothing to these men, inasmuch as they have come under the shelter of my roof,” (Gen. 19:8).

The context of this verse is that two angels had visited Lot in Sodom in an effort to get him to leave the city since it was about to be destroyed. Apparently these two angels appeared in the form of men. Meanwhile, many of the men of the city, who were homosexual, wanted to have relations with the two men, not knowing they were really angels. But, Lot offered his daughters to the crowd of people instead. The crowd refused the daughters and began to forcibly enter Lot's home in order to abduct the two men/angels so that they might molest them sexually. The angels then blinded the people in the crowd and the crowd dispersed.

Why would Lot offer his daughters to the mob of men since it was a very bad thing to do? Quite simply, what Lot did was wrong. He was hypocritical and ungodly in his action. In that culture, it was extremely important to treat visitors very well since the host of a home in a city automatically represented that city to the visitors. It was a very big deal to make sure the visitors were well treated. This may have played a part in Lot's decision to honor his guests, but it makes no difference. Lot was very wrong to offer his own daughters to the mob.

Some may think that Lot was a very godly man. But this is not the case in this instance. If he were, why was he living in Sodom in the first place? Why did he choose to go there? It is probably true that Lot was a God-fearing man to some extent, but he obviously was compromising his values and was probably being influenced by the sinfulness of the city. In his compromised position, he sinned by offering his daughters.
Finally, we must look at 2 Pet. 2:6-7,

"and if He [God] condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly thereafter; 7 and if He rescued righteous Lot, oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men..."

Even the righteous before God can do things that are wrong. Overall, Lot feared God and trusted in Him -- even though he did wrong by offering his daughters. God does not remember our sins (Isaiah 43:25). Therefore, Lot's sins were not remembered when Lot was described in Peter's account.

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