Genesis 18:16-33 – Abraham Pleads for Sodom
We saw in our last lesson that two men and the Lord visited Abraham. When the men were ready to leave, the Lord revealed another purpose for the visit. Abraham was God’s covenant friend so He announced His plan of judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah. Sin was so grievous there and had been for a long time that God would destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. (Gen 18:20) He gave Abraham the opportunity to plead for the righteous people who lived there.
Lot and his family lived in Sodom. Abraham had risked himself and rescued Lot in the past and even though Lot had returned to Sodom, Abraham still wanted to spare him. So Abraham pleaded with the Lord to spare the righteous people of Sodom. He asked, “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? What if there are fifty righteous people in the city?...... The Lord said, ‘If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.’”. – Gen. 18:25-26. Then Abraham spoke up again boldly asking if there are 45 righteous men, then 40, then 30, then 20. Each time God said He would not destroy Sodom if righteous men were found until Abraham was down to 10. (Gen. 18:27-33)
Abraham was humble, but persistent and bold. He was open to God as he talked with Him. He knew God was just and righteous and had all authority. God listened patiently to Abraham as He does when we pray. The passage doesn’t say that Abraham stopped pleading with God, but that God left. “When the Lord had finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home.” – Gen. 18:33.
Does this mean we can change God’s mind? If not, why pray? God does not change His mind. He might improve upon His plans, but God does not change. His plans are already perfect. Prayer does change our circumstances in response to our prayers. I think it is a lesson to Abraham and to us that prayer is important and we should never give up. God allows us to intercede in order to reveal His mercy. It shows that God takes no pleasure in destroying the wicked. It also shows the power of righteous people can have and it teaches us the value of intercession. Prayer gives God the opportunity to mess with your heart and to align it with His.
Abraham’s prayer was effective because it was specific. We often pray in broad, general terms instead of praying for what we really want. God wants us to care for people and intercede on their behalf. There are many people that you probably know that has no one praying for them and their concerns.
Principle: Walking intimately with God by trusting His Word will align our heart’s desire with His.
Gen. 19:1-29 – The Destruction of Sodom
The two angels arrived in Sodom in the evening and Lot met them. The Lord did not come with them. He would not be welcomed there. Lot seemed to know they were divine guests and offered for them to wash their feet and spend the night at his house instead of them staying in the square. After they ate and before they had gone to bed, all of the men (young and old) from all over the city surrounded the house. They wanted the two men visitors to come out and have sex with them. This sounds like rampant homosexuality. They came to gang rape the visitors. Lot pleaded with them not to do this wicked thing and offered his two daughters instead. They didn’t want his daughters and tried to break down the door. Lot was not a man of character and was focused on himself. Hospitality was more sacred than sexual morality to him.
God condemns homosexuality. “If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have don what is detestable…” – Lev. 20:13. “Do not be deceived; neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” – 1 Cor. 6:9b-10. . Our attitude toward homosexuals should be that they are sinners in need of a savior, just like any sinful person.
“God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator – who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even the women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion…..God have them over to a depraved mind to do what ought not to be done……… they not only continued to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.” – Rom. 1:24-32. This was the story of Sodom.
The men outside wanted to break down Lot’s door. The two angels pulled Lot back and struck the men blind so they could not find the door. The two angels told Lot of the coming punishment of the city and told him and his family to leave the city. Lot spoke to his sons-in-law to convince them to flee with him, but they thought he was joking. Lot had no credibility with them and was not a good witness for God. Lot hesitated and was literally dragged from the city by the angels, because his heart was in Sodom. The angels told them to flee for their lives and not to look back.
God destroyed Sodom as an example of that happens to the ungodly. “if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if he rescued lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard) – if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment.” – 2 Peter 2:6-9. God saved Lot, but he lost his friends, his property, his character and his life’s work. Lot was saved because of Abraham interceded for him. We are saved because of the One Who intercedes for us, Jesus Christ. Lot did not deserve to be saved. Neither do we.
Sodom was a city of great sin. Homosexuality was their way of life. God showed great mercy to Lot and his family and let them live because of Abraham’s prayer. This shows that God can save others when we pray. Lot was told to go to the mountains, but he wanted to go the city of Zoar. Lot was selfish when he asked God to save Zoar thinking it would be a better place to live. He wanted things his own way. Lot’s wife didn’t obey the Lord. She liked Sodom and didn’t want to leave so she looked back and was turned to salt. (Gen 19:18-26)
We learn from these events that God doesn’t need our help and we should not try to manipulate people and events of the world. There are similarities between Sodom and the world today. Immorality, perversion and homosexuality are rampant. Homosexuality is always considered sin the Bible – not an alternative lifestyle as people like to refer to it today.
God will judge all the earth. Faith is the only way to escape eternal death. Abraham interceded for Lot and his prayers made a difference.
There was a steady progression of comprise in Lot’s life. He went from looking toward Sodom, to pitching his tent toward Sodom, to living in Sodom and losing everything. Despite the pull of Sodom, Lot was a righteous man who was grieved by the sin around him, but gave in to compromise. 2 Peter 2:7 tells us that Lot was a righteous man, but he is an example of one who looks like he has accepted Jesus as Savior, but never makes Him Lord. There was evil all around him and he made a fatal mistake by living in worldly standards.
Many Christians today live in conformity to our corrupt world. We need to recognize the signs of corruption and need to keep our minds on the things of God. We should not approve of the evil things going on in the world. If we do, we are just as guilty as the sinner. “Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to these very things but also approve of those who practice them.” – Rom. 1:32
It’s not time to negotiate, but to recognize how much God loves you enough to warn you. Lot missed out on fellowship with God and with others. He had no influence on others. He had many chances, but chose the world. He wasted his life. Comprise destroyed Lot’s testimony.
Genesis 19:30-38 – Lot and Daughters
God let Lot live in Zoar, but Lot soon left Zoar even though God had promised to keep him safe there. He did not trust God so he went to live in a cave with his daughters. He lived the rest of his life scared to death.
Lot’s daughters were not familiar with praying. They probably thought because Sodom was destroyed the whole world was destroyed and they were responsible to repopulate the earth. They may have just wanted to preserve the family line. Whatever their reasoning they got him drunk and lay with him. Both became pregnant by their father. They knew their actions were wrong. They lacked trust and respect for their father. Sex between close members in a family is wrong. Their descendants became enemies and obstacles for Israel. God did not punish Lot’s descendants because of this. They became important nations, the Moabites and the Ammonites of today. Jesus was a descendant of Ruth who was a Moabite. God’s grace triumphs over sin.
Here we see again how alcohol can play a part in sexual immorality. Lot was not a good father. He was passive father and let his family spiritual life go by the way side. He had lost all his possession in the destruction of Sodom and now he was wallowing in self-pity and fear. He could have returned to Abraham, but that would mean he would have to confess his sin, humble his pride and face up to his choices. He would have to ask for Abraham’s help; instead we would rather live in a cave.
We see that today concerning salvation. People are so full of pride that they cannot humble themselves and confess their sin and ask God for help. Instead they seem to be comfortable in their sin.
Lot’s daughters could have prayed and waited on God to provide them with the husband they desired. They had never seen their father seek the Lord so this didn’t occur to them. They saw their father’s fear and it spread to them.
Principle: God’s grace triumphs over sin.
Join me here next week for the next chapter in Genesis. -- I encourage you to trust in Jesus.
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