Sodom and Gomorrah

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SStudying God’s Word

LActivity: Respectable Sins

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Studying God’s Word

Introduction

In last week’s lesson, we talked about the relationship between Abram and Lot. We saw two examples of how Abram acted in a way that esteemed others better than himself.

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  What did Abram do that demonstrated his character? He sought to resolve the conflict between Lot and his household by offering the pick of the land to Lot, and he went to Lot’s rescue when he was taken captive.

  When Abram recognized the conflict with Lot, he didn’t seek to benefit from the strife. As his elder, Abram could have told Lot which land he was going to move toward. But he didn’t use his authority for his own gain. Lot sought his own benefit and it led to problems.

  As we consider various Old Testament figures, we can see Lot as a negative example and Abram as a positive example. We can seek to emulate Abram’s character, but we don’t want to stop there lest we find ourselves trapped in a form of legalism that is focused on outward actions. Abram was justified by his faith, not his actions.

  We want to make sure that we are connecting these ideas to the greater example of Jesus Christ. We know that Abram’s faith in God was the source of his character. In his actions, we can see Abram as a type of Christ.

  Today, we will continue looking at Abram’s life and examine the judgment of God against sin.

Abraham Pleads for Sodom

Rather than reading the passage today, we are going to listen to it. Have your Bibles open and follow along as we listen to Genesis 18. There are two main ideas in this passage, so listen for those as we hear the Word of God. Play Genesis 18. If you do not have a way to play the passage, have someone read the chapter aloud.

• Who are the individuals in this chapter? Abraham, Sarah, a servant, the Lord, and two other men.
• What are the two main ideas of this passage? The promise of a son is affirmed (verses 1–15) and the pending destruction of Sodom is announced (verses 16–33).
• How did Abraham show hospitality to the three men? He invited them to rest in the shade, have their feet washed, and have some food. Abraham had a calf prepared for them along with curds, milk, and cakes (bread).
• What promise was affirmed in verses 9–15? The promise that Sarah and Abraham would have a son. This will be discussed more in the next lesson.
• Where did this promise appear earlier? Abram was promised by God that he would make him a great nation with many descendants (Genesis 12:2).
• Who were the three men? Looking ahead to 19:1 shows that two of the men were angels. The third is identified as the Lord in verses 17 and 22.
• Where were the three men headed as they left Abraham’s tent? To Sodom.
• What did the Lord reveal to Abraham? He told Abraham that he was going to Sodom to observe their wickedness. Abraham understood that Sodom’s destruction was coming, based on the following exchange with the Lord.
• What does verse 19 tell us about God’s character? God is righteous and just.
• In verse 25, what question did Abraham ask the Lord? Knowing that God is the Judge of the world and that he would do what was right, Abraham asked if God would destroy the righteous with the wicked.
• What was the conclusion of the series of questions Abraham asked of the Lord? If there were only 10 righteous people in Sodom, it would be spared from destruction.

Discover the Truth

Since this promise of a son is repeated, this encounter must be within a few months of God’s last appearance (Genesis 17) when Abraham was told that he would have a son within a year.

• What common response did Abraham and Sarah have when they heard the promise of a son? They both laughed at the idea of bearing a son in their old age—Abraham at 100 (Genesis 17:1, 17:17) and Sarah at 90 (Genesis 18:11–12).

  In Hebrew, Isaac means “laughter.” God had given Abraham the child’s name. As you might imagine, every time Sarah or Abraham used his name, they would be reminded that though they had doubted God’s promises in the moment, God was faithful to fulfill his promises.

  Verses 1, 13, 14, 17, 19, 20, 22, 26, and 33 refer to one of the three men as Lord. You will probably notice in the text that “ Lord” is set in small caps. Most publishers use this format to show that the Hebrew word translated in these instances is YHWH, or Yahweh, rather than Adonai, which is rendered “Lord,” with lowercase letters.

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  Christophany: an appearance of the preincarnate Christ in the Old Testament
  Since this person is also described as appearing as a man, this is understood to be an appearance of the Son before his incarnation. This is called a Christophany (also known generally as a theophany), and we will see more of these appearances as we continue studying through Scripture. We know this cannot be the Father or the Spirit since neither of these has been seen by men and neither has a body. In John 1:18 we learn that no one has seen the Father, but that Jesus has declared him to mankind.

  But was this judgment that God was about to bring a righteous thing? Deuteronomy 32:4 says that God is “a God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.” In order to understand God’s character, we must clearly understand what justice is, because the Bible teaches that God is just. Refer to Attributes of God poster.

• If a judge knew that a criminal was guilty of murder, and the criminal had confessed to the crime, but then the judge let the criminal go free without any punishment, would the judge be just? No, he would be corrupt for not upholding the law.

  Justice is the application of the appropriate punishment for a crime. Scripture is abundantly clear when it speaks of sin and the consequences that it brings. Breaking God’s commands brings his wrath and judgment, and the ultimate penalty is an eternity in hell for those who break God’s commands.

• Knowing that every person (past, present, and future) has sinned, and knowing that God is perfectly just, what should be the fate of every person who has ever lived? Since all have sinned, then all people should be punished by God in hell.

  Thankfully, that is not the fate of all of mankind! We also know that God is merciful.

The Angels Save Lot

Let’s look at the rest of the account of Sodom and then continue to discuss God’s character.

Follow along in your Bible as we listen to Genesis 19:1–29 together. Play Genesis 19, stopping after verse 29. If you do not have a way to play the chapter, have someone read it aloud.

• What do we learn in verse 1 about the two men who were with the Lord at Abraham’s place? They were angels.
• How did Lot greet the men? He bowed before them, addressed them as “lords,” and invited them to stay with him for the night.
• Did Lot know they were angels? There is no indication that he thought they were anything more than visitors. While he addressed them as “lords,” this is a word that is often applied to men as an honorary title, much like we might say “sir” or “gentlemen.” It is from the Hebrew adon and is also translated as “master.”
• Where did the men want to lodge for the night? They wanted to stay in the town square. This is presumably to fulfill their mission of observing the actions of the inhabitants.
• How did the men of the city respond to the visitors that Lot took into his house for the night? They demanded that Lot hand them over.
• What was their intent? They wanted the men so that they could “know them” carnally. “To know” someone is a common idiom for sexual relations. It is the same phrase used for the conception of Cain in Genesis 4:1.
• What clue to Lot’s character is given in verse 9? The people said that Lot had “become the judge,” so he must have pointed out their sinful acts in the past.
• What conflicting offer did Lot make to the men of Sodom? He offered to give them his two virgin daughters for their pleasure.
• How did the angels protect the household of Lot? They blinded all the men of the city to deter them.
• How did the blinded men respond? Even in their blindness, they continued to grope for the door, seeking the men until they became weary.
• When morning came, what command did the angels give to Lot? To flee the city with his family (verses 12–13) and to not look back toward the city (verse 17).
• What request did Lot make? To flee to the city of Zoar instead of to the hills.

  Lot was granted to go to the city of Zoar, to the south, and that city was spared.

• Connecting back to chapter 18, were there at least ten righteous people in the city? No. If there had been, God would not have sent the judgment.
• What was the fate of the cities of the valley? Fire and brimstone fell from heaven, destroying the cities and their inhabitants.
• What was the fate of Lot’s wife? When she turned back to look at the city, God turned her into a pillar of salt.
• According to verse 16, how did Lot escape? God was merciful, and the angels seized him and his wife and daughter by the hand and led them out of the city because Lot had lingered there.

Discover the Truth

The depravity of the residents of Sodom, Gomorrah, and the surrounding cities is obvious from the descriptions of the detestable acts they were willing to commit. Throughout Scripture, Sodom and Gomorrah serve as examples of wickedness and the judgment that follows from unrepentant sin. We even use the word sodomy to refer to sexual perversions (male homosexual acts) today. Even though this is a sinful act, it is not beyond the grace of God to forgive (1 Corinthians 6:9–11).

God’s justice was evident as the punishment was sent upon the sinful people of the cities. However, God was merciful to Lot.

• How is mercy different from justice? Mercy is when you deserve a punishment for your sin, but the punishment is withheld. God is merciful when he pardons people despite their sins.

  God’s mercy toward Lot and his family was evident in removing them from the destruction of the cities. Each of the four had surely sinned, but they received God’s mercy. It was surely sinful for Lot to offer his daughters in place of the visitors he was lodging. As we look at the whole counsel of God, Lot’s character is described as righteous by Peter (2 Peter 2:7). Just like Abraham and everyone else, Lot’s righteousness could not have come from himself—it was from his faith in God. Even though he was sinful, he was considered righteous because of God’s mercy shown to him and his faith in God’s promises.

Respectable Sins Activity

Have students complete the Respectable Sins activity in their Student Guides as a personal reflection.

In our culture, people typically identify certain sins as more significant than others. No doubt some sins are more apparent and even carry stronger consequences for individuals and societies, but is murder, for example, a more damnable sin than gossip or anger? We need to make sure that we are examining these ideas from a biblical perspective.

I am going to ask you to stop and do some personal reflection about your attitude toward sin—not in others, but in your own life. Read the Scriptures and answer the questions in the Respectable Sins activity in your Student Guide. We will come back together in a few minutes and discuss the questions. Allow time for students to write in the Student Guides.

Connect to the Truth

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  As you consider the idea of different levels of sin, do the passages you examined put the sins described into different categories? No, they are all listed together without distinctions. 1 Corinthians 6:9–10 lists thieves, the greedy, and swindlers alongside homosexuals and drunkards, making no distinctions. The condemnation for these acts is not inheriting the kingdom of God.
• Although each of us can find our own sins in these lists, do any of you tend to think of some as “acceptable” and others as absolutely detestable? On what basis do you make these distinctions? Allow for various answers.

  Lot had been surrounded by people who were engaged in a lifestyle of gross sin. It seems that he was willing to tolerate the violation of his daughters but not the homosexual violation of the visitors. Many Christians tend to make lists of sins that they tolerate and those that make them cringe. This can be a dangerous attitude when it comes to our own growth to be more like Christ. I hope you will take some more time this week to consider whether or not your view of sins is in alignment with what Scripture reveals.

  Jesus did not pay more on the cross for homosexuality or murder than he did for gossip or lust. All sin is treason against God, but we cannot forget that his justice has been satisfied by the merciful act of the Son on the cross. Though Christians deserve the wrath of God for their sin, Christ has paid the penalty, and God’s mercy is shown to sinners. There is no need to fear God’s judgment falling on you if you are in Christ because he has extended mercy to you. His perfect love casts out all fear of torment and judgment (Romans 8:1–2; 1 John 4:17–19). Are you living in light of the mercy of God?

Application

As we look at the account of Sodom and Gomorrah, we see several important ideas. First, the faithfulness of God in providing a son, Isaac, through Sarah and Abraham is an obvious fulfillment of the promise made earlier to Abraham and even earlier to Eve (Genesis 3:15). Eventually, the Seed that was promised to Abraham came as the Messiah—Jesus the Christ.

Abraham recognized God’s perfect character and knew that he would not destroy Sodom on a whim. God exercised justice by destroying the cities and their inhabitants for their sinfulness, but he was also merciful. God showed mercy to Lot and his family to the point that the angels practically dragged them out of the city and let them go to a city Lot preferred.

It is certain that Lot was not a perfectly sinless man; nor were his wife and daughters free from sin. It was not because Lot was better than anyone in Sodom that he was shown mercy. If that were the case, it would not have been mercy but something that Lot had earned by his works. God’s mercy toward undeserving sinners is the heart of the gospel of Christ and something all believers can rejoice in.

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  Abraham and Sarah both laughed at the idea of having a child in their old age despite God’s clear promise to them. How does knowing that God was faithful to his promise to them encourage you in your walk before the Lord? Each of us has doubt about the circumstances in our lives, but God is faithful to all he has promised despite our shortcomings. We must put our hope in God, not in our own performance.
• How does God’s promise of the Seed of Abraham, Jesus, demonstrate his mercy? Jesus was sent to take the punishment for sin upon himself—the ultimate demonstration of God’s mercy for sinners. Mercy is extended to sinners who do not deserve it (Romans 5:6–8; Titus 3:3–7).
• The Bible is clear when it speaks against homosexuality as a sin. This is a topic that can spark passions in our culture. If you were sharing the gospel with someone who claims to be homosexual, how could you use 1 Corinthians 6:9–11 to minimize some of the strong emotional reaction that comes with this issue? Using the list of sins in that passage, instead of looking at homosexuality, look at the other sins. Everyone has coveted what others have and slandered others with their speech. It isn’t the nature of the sin that condemns us before God, but the fact that it is a sin. Heterosexual fornicators and adulterers will face the same punishment apart from the forgiveness that is in Christ. The hope of the gospel can reach anyone in sin of any type. That is the good news we should proclaim and the truth pronounced in verse 11.
• Many people object, and say that eternal punishment in hell is not appropriate for the little sins that people commit on earth. Why is it just that any sin against God, from a lie to murder, is worthy of such strong punishment? Because God is perfectly holy and infinitely righteous, any sin against him deserves an infinite punishment. Many people, including Christians, have lost sight of God’s holiness and, as a result, have compromised on the idea of his justice. This has led to their questioning the doctrine of hell, whether its duration or actual existence.
• Analogies can often help describe spiritual truths. Using the analogy of a criminal standing before a judge, how can we help others understand that God is both merciful and just? God acts as a judge for sinners who have broken his laws. Everyone stands guilty before God, and because he is perfectly just, he must punish sin. If he did not administer the punishment, he would not be just. However, the judge can extend mercy to the condemned criminal by accepting payment for the penalty from another. If the Judge paid the penalty himself, he would be satisfying justice and showing mercy. That is what Christ has done—the Judge paid the penalty for the sins of the guilty (Romans 5:6–10).

Group Prayer

Be sure to pray with your class and take requests if time allows.

• Praise God for his unchanging character.
• Ask God that each person would have boldness to share the hope of Christ with others.
• Thank God for his justice and mercy toward sin.