THE LORD DESTROYS SODOM AND GOMORRAH

GENESIS 18, 19

KEY VERSE 18:18,19

** GOOD NEWS FOR SARAH (18:1-5)

1. Read verses 1-8.  How did Abraham show hospitality to the guests? Notice the verbs and adverbs that describe Abraham's action participation of his household serving and the content of the meal.  What does this event show about Abraham and his family?  About the Lord? 

V1  The LORD appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was  sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day.  v2  Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.  v3  He said, "If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by.  v4  Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree.  v5  Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way-- now that you have come to your servant." "Very well," they answered, "do as you say."  v6  So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. "Quick," he said, "get three seahs of fine flour and knead it and bake some bread."  v7  Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it.  v8  He then brought some curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them. While they ate, he stood near them under a tree.

He served them wholeheartedly and sacrificially.  

He hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them, he bowed down low to the ground.  

He washed their feet.  

He prepared a big meal, very diligently.  

He selected a choice tender calf.

a)  Hurried, bowed, ran, quick.  

The verbs don't suggest an old man.  It was in the heat of the day, yet he quickly served.  

The meal was well prepared.  

a)  He and his family served wholeheartedly.  

They did not spare anything.  See the content of the meal.  

No one in his family complained, everyone worked hard.  Abraham gave a good influence to his family members.

The Lord can visit us anytime.  The Lord visits like a friend.  See Hebrews 13:1-2.

Read verses 9-15.  What was the message of the good news they brought?  How do you think they felt with Abraham's hospitality? What was Sarah's response to the good news? Did they want her to overhear?  Why?  How did the Lord rebuke Sarah? What did he want her to learn?

V9  "Where is your wife Sarah?" they asked him. "There, in the tent," he said.  v10  Then the LORD said, "I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son." Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him.  v11  Abraham and Sarah were already old and well advanced in years, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing.  v12  So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, "After I am worn out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?"  v13  Then the LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh and say, 'Will I really have a child, now that I am old?'  v14  Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son."  v15  Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, "I did not laugh." But he said, "Yes, you did laugh."

See verse 10, "I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son."

They must have felt good.  So they delivered this good news to Abraham and Sarah even using the word, "surely."

She laughed.  See verse 12.

Yes, they wanted her to overhear because Sarah was in God's plan too since she would be a mother of nations.  She too must have faith in God's power firsthand.

In chapter 18, God deals directly with Sarah.  He dealt with Abraham more directly in chapter 17.  Recall the promises: 12, 12:7, 13:14, 15:4-5, 17:16-19, 18:10-14.  

Sarah must hear about Isaac and put faith in God Almighty.

Verse 13-15.

Nothing is too hard for the Lord.  God created all things.  Nothing is impossible for him to do.

** ABRAHAM PLEADS FOR SODOM (18:16-33)

3. Read verses 16-22.  What was the Lord's plan for Abraham and what promises had he given Abraham and his descendants?

See verse 18.  "Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation and all nations on earth will be blessed through him."  God chose him.

b)  How must Abraham train his children so that they might inherit the promise of God?

He must train his children to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is just and right.  

Abraham must set an example for his children and household.  He must teach them about the Lord and how to obey the Lord and please the Lord by faith.  

This is the way that God would make a nation of faith.  We must teach others to obey God so that they might inherit the promises of God.  Without obedience to God, God cannot bless us.  

In these verses, 17-19, God reveals his future plan to Abraham.  As God's friend, God reveals many secrets to Abraham, especially about the future.

5. a)  In the light of this, what did the Lord tell Abraham about Sodom?

Verse 20, "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous that I will go down and see what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me.  If not, I will know."

God did not need to share what he was going to do with Abraham.  But now He shares his plan about Sodom and Gomorrah as if He needs Abraham's opinion about this matter.  But He did share his plan with Abraham because He regarded Abraham His partner or His friend.  They share their opinion and based on that, they make a decision what to do.

b)  What is the implication of verse 21?

The outcry of sin reached God's ears.  God would judge Sodom and Gomorrah.  God can't ignore sin.

c)  What important lesson about God should Abraham's descendants learn from God's dealing with Sodom?

God is not only the God of blessing, but the God of judgment.  The outcry had reached him and he had waited long enough.  He would act in justice.  See 13:13.

6. a)  What was Abraham's prayer topic?

To save the righteous people in Sodom and Gomorrah.

b)  Why was he so concerned about Sodom?

Lot was living there.

c)  What does this show about him?

He had shepherd heart for Lot and he knew that God is just and right and would punish Sodom.  Abraham's heart is beginning to boraden.  

Praying for others shows that our heart is broad like God's.

At first, Abraham was only preoccupied with his own problems.  But now he has a concern to pray for others.  He prayed for something that he couldn't get any immediate benefit from.  

God did not say he would destroy Sodom.  But Abraham knew that God is just and righteous and would certainly do it.  

Learn to pray for others' salvation.

7. a)  How many times is the word "righteous" or "right" repeated in Abraham's prayer?

Eight times.

b)  What was his basis of his request to God?

Verse 25, "....Will not the Judge of the earth do right?"  That God could no wrong since he was the Judge of all the earth.

c)  What was his attitude about himself before God?

He was very humble.  See verse 27.  "...though I am nothing but dust and ashes..."

d)  What can we learn about prayer from him?

1)  To go before God with humility and reverence and with persistence, knowing that God is the Judge and that he alone is righteous.

2)  Learn to knock, ask and seek continually.

Abraham continually knocked at the door of God's heart.  He knew that there was only one righteous person in Sodom, Lot.  So he kept on praying for him.  

3)  Abraham based his prayer on God who is the righteous Judge.  See how he kept going down from 50 righteous people until he got to 10.  He believed that God is the God of righteousness and mercy.  How could he judge both the righteous and the wicked together?  He can't judge in the wrong way.  

Abraham did not base his prayer on his own worth or goodness.  His prayer was based on the righteousness of God.

e)  What can we learn about God?

God answers the prayers of the humble.

**  THE LORD DESTROYS SODOM (19)

8. a)  How did Lot show hospitality to the 2 angels?

He got up to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground.  

He asked them to turn aside to his house and wash their feet and spend the night and go on their own way in the morning.  

He prepared a meal for them, baking bread without yeast.

b)  Compare and contrast Lot's treatment of the angels with that of Abraham.

Lot did not make much of an effort in his preparation.  His meal he prepared was spares and cheap compared with Abraham who took time and chose the best.

Lot's compromised life made him slow to respond and to serve.  He had no real joy in serving them.  He seemed to serve out of havit or duty and not from his heart.  

He was not a good influence on his family.  They weren't there to help him.  

Abraham's actions show the abundant life of faith.  His life depended on God and his family participlated.  They had growing joy.

9. a)  How did the people of Sodom treat Lot and his guests?

They did not treat them well.  Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom - both young and old - surrounded the house.  They wanted to have sex with them.  This is perversion.  They had no standard.  They were bold in their sins.  When man abandons God, he becomes worse than an animal.  See Romans 1:18-32.

b)  Were there as many as ten righteous men in the city?

No.  Only one, Lot.

10. a)  What can you learn here about Lot's relationship with the people of the city?

He called them "friends."  He made no difference to them.  He did not try to influence them with faith.  He tried to be quiet and compromise.  This was his great sin.

b)  What clues can you find about his life in Sodom?

He was just as wicked as they were.  He tried to compromise and keep his mouth shut.  He was not a light and salt.  

When he tried to do something, they began to pressure him.  See verse 9.  This was after he wanted to offer his two virgin daughters to them in verses 6-8.  

He knew that they were living wicked lives, but he chose to do nothing.  He was badly influenced.  

We can either be an influence or be influenced.  

Because of his compromised life, he was powerless to do anything even though he knew that what they were doing and how they were living was wrong.  

Our soul never has deep rest when we follow our sinful desires.

c)  How had Lot and his family been influenced by the Sodomites?

See verses 8, 14.

11. a)  What did God's servants decide to do about Sodom?

Destroy it.  See verse 13, "Because we are going to destroy this place.  The outcry to the Lord against its people is so great that he has sent us to destroy it."

b)  How did Lot respond to the angles' warning and urgent push to leave?

Verse 16.  He hesitated.

c)  Why was it so hard for him to leave?

He loved his life in Sodom too much and wanted to save all materials and pleasures in Sodom.  He did not want to lose any pleasure in Sodom.  So he did not want to leave his home right away, though the destruction was coming.

His money, his hope, his future plan, his pleasure was in Sodom.  Lot had trouble to make the decision between heaven and hell.  The judgment was coming yet he still hesitated.  

We should flee fromthe coming wrath of the Lord and hide in Jesus.

When we put our hope and future plan in this world, we are in trouble.  Never love anything in the world.  If you love anything in the world, the love of God is not in your heart.

d)  Why did he finally go?

The men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them out of the city because the Lord was merciful to them.  See verse 16.

e)  Where did he want to go?  Why?

He wanted to go to a nearby town.  It is like a small city.  He still wanted pleasure seeking and materialistic life in the city.  Probably, he did not accept the message of judgment that seriously that he had planed to go back to Sodom after God's judgment and enjoy city life again.  He regarded God's judgment small event.

12. What happened to Lot's wife?  Why?

She looked back and became a pillar of salt.  See verse 26.  She loved her life too much.  We should not look bak at the life of sin we left when Jesus called us.  Going back or even looking back can ruin our lives of faith and make us useless.

b)  To Sodom and Gomorrah?

God rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah.  God judges the wicked with everlasting fire.  Disobedience brings God's wrath.  Now Sodom and Gomorrah are believed to be under the Dead Sea.  There is no life.  This judgment of God is a warning to all.  This is how God will deal with the ungodly on the final day of judgment.

c)  Why had the Lord rescued Lot?

Because of Abraham's intercessory prayer for him.  See 19:29.  Our prayers can move God's heart to save others.

13. a)  What was the problem of Lot's daughters?

They were sexually assaulted in their minds and hearts and perverse.

b)  How did they rationsalize their sin?

They said in verse 31, "Our father is old and there is no man around here to lie with us as is the custom all over the earth..."  They wanted to lie with their father in order to have their own offspring.  This is perversion.  Situation ethics.  The end justifies the means.

c)  Are there any modern parallels?

Incest.

d)  What was the tragic fruit of this family?

Their offspring became the enemies of God's people.  The Moabites and Ammonites would in the future, always be at war with the Israelites.

13. a)  What can you learn from contrasting the faith and lives of Abraham and Lot?

Abraham held onto the invisible promises of God.  He struggled to live by faith and as a result, God could bless him.  He had great joy and a nation of faith, even Jesus, came from him. 

Lot did not consider God's promises important.  He was only concerned with the hear and now.  He wanted to live with God's blessing and at the same time, he wanted to enjoy the world.  We saw the result of his life in chapter 18-19.  Many people start the Christian life, but become sidetracked.  Christian life is a pilgrim's journey.

 

 

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