Beginnings #10
Remember Lot’s Wife
Genesis 18 – 19
Abraham’s Intercession (ch. 18)
A Glorious Guest
Genesis 18:1-2a Then the Lord appeared to him by the terebinth trees of Mamre, as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day. 2 So he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing by him; NKJV
A Humble Host
Genesis 18:2b-5 and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the ground, 3 and said, “My Lord, if I have now found favor in Your sight, do not pass on by Your servant. 4 Please let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. 5 And I will bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh your hearts. After that you may pass by, inasmuch as you have come to your servant.” They said, “Do as you have said.” NKJV
Genesis 18:6-7 So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quickly, make ready three measures of fine meal; knead it and make cakes.” 7 And Abraham ran to the herd, took a tender and good calf, gave it to a young man, and he hastened to prepare it. 8 So he took butter and milk
and the calf which he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree as they ate. NKJV
A Gracious Guest
God came to visit Abraham and Sarah in order to renew His promise and encourage their faith
Genesis 18:9-15 Then they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” So he said, “Here, in the tent.” 10 And He said, “I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.” (Sarah was listening in the tent door which was behind him.) 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age; and Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. 12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?”
13 And the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?’ 14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.” 15 But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. And He said, “No, but you did laugh!” NKJV
God came to warn Abraham about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah
Genesis 18:16-17 Then the men rose from there and looked toward Sodom, and Abraham went with them to send them on the way. 17 And the Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I amdoing, NKJV
God told Abraham in order to:
- Remind Abraham of the importance of obedience
- Point out the reasoning for His justice
- Demonstrate His mercy
Genesis 18:18-21 since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19 For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord, to do
righteousness and justice, that the Lord may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.” 20 And the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave, 21 I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether
according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know.” NKJV
Genesis 18:25 Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” NKJV
James 5:16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. NKJV
Sodom and Gomorrah’s Destruction (ch. 19)
A Wicked City
Genesis 19:1-3 Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them, and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground. 2 And he said, “Here now, my lords, please turn in to your servant’s house and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise early and go on your way.” And they said, “No, but we will spend the night in the open square.” 3 But he insisted strongly; so they turned in to him and entered his house. Then he made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. NKJV
Genesis 19:4-5 Now before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house. 5 And they called to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may
know them carnally.” NKJV
A Man of Compromise
Genesis 13:10 “And Lot lifted his eyes and saw all the plain of Jordan …” NKJV
Genesis 13:12 “… and Lot … pitched his tent even as far as Sodom.” NKJV
Genesis 14:12 “They also took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son who dwelt in Sodom…” NKJV
Genesis 19:1 “… Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom …” NKJV
Lot failed to live a life with the priority of God
Genesis 19:2 “And he said, “Here now, my lords, please turn in to your servant’s house and spend the night …” NKJV
Hebrews 11:9-10 By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; 10 for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. NKJV
Lot failed to recognize the influence that the culture could have on him and his family
Genesis 19:14-16 So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who had married his daughters, and said, “Get up, get out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city!” But to his sons-in-law he seemed to be joking. 15 When the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot to hurry, saying, “Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city.” 16 And while he lingered, the men took hold of his hand, his wife’s hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the Lord being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city. NKJV
When we compromise we lose our ability to reason, we lose the respect of those around us, andwe lose the resolve to do right.
Lot lost his impact on his family and his community
Genesis 19:9 And they said, “Stand back!” Then they said, “This one came in to stay here, and he keeps acting as a judge; now we will deal worse with you than with them.” So they pressed hard against the man Lot, and came near to break down the door. NKJV
Genesis 19:26 But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. NKJV
Abraham stood out as a man of faith as he impacted the world around him – Lot allowed his actions of compromise to destroy his impact and testimony
