The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah Genesis 19

This week we come to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. This is a hard section to read because of the perversion of the people living in these cities, but it is also hopeful because we see the Lord's redeeming hand in the midst of gross sinfulness. We see Lot's compromise with sin and how it leads to sorrow and death, and we see the rescue available because of God's mercy. In this passage, we learn that sis is attractive, deafening, and deadly and there is only one way out.

The compromise with sin.

The results of sin.

The only way out - listen to God. GENESIS WEEK 13

Date: November 17

Title: The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah

Main Passage: Genesis 18:16 – 19:38

Secondary Passages: Romans 1:18 – 32, 2 Peter 2:3 – 10, Jude 6 - 7

Passage for Memorization and Meditation: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.” Romans 1:18

Overview: This week we come to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. These chapters in Genesis are hard to read because of the gross perversion of the people living in these cities, and yet they are important to read because they warn us of the real destruction that comes if we stubbornly continue in our sin. Furthermore, they reveal to us God’s redeeming hand in the midst of our sinfulness.

In Genesis 18 God reveals to Abraham his plan to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. In God’s eyes Sodom and Gomorrah must be removed from the earth because they continue in their sin and perversion.

Abraham intercedes for the cities and asks God to spare them for the sake of the righteous living in the cities. Sadly, there are no righteous people in Sodom or Gomorrah, including Abraham’s nephew Lot. When God reveals this to Abraham, Abraham steps aside and allows God’s wrath to fall from heaven. As an act of faith and commitment to God, Abraham doesn’t even venture into the city to warn his own nephew Lot.

In an act of grace, God spares Lot by sending two angels to Sodom to warn Lot and his family. While the angels are in Sodom we get a disgusting glimpse of the perverseness of the people living in Sodom and Gomorrah when the men of Sodom come to Lot’s house and ask him to send the angels outside to be gang raped.

Lot responds by offering his two virgin daughters to the perverted crowd of men. In this, Lot demonstrates that he is a selfish, evil and perverted man who fails to lead, guide and protect his family. He should have defended his daughters but instead he willingly offered them to his perverted friends and neighbors.

In an act of grace, God again intervenes through the angels by striking the perverted men blind. Then the angels tell Lot to get out of the city before God’s wrath consumes the city. Unlike Abraham who repeatedly obeyed God, Lot stays in the city overnight, lingers the next morning and eventually has to be escorted out of the city by the angels. Lot then complains about having to relocate his family and asks the angels if he can continue to live close to Sodom and Gomorrah. The angels kindly agree and send Lot and his family on their way.

41 As God begins to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah for their perversion, Lot’s wife, whom Lot failed to lead, looks back and demonstrates that her commitment is more to Sodom than it is to God. God judges her for this by turning her into a pillar of salt.

After seeing the destruction of Sodom, Gomorrah and his wife, Lot moves into the mountains to live alone in a cave with his two daughters. Lot again fails as a father by neglecting to find husbands for his daughters. In an act of desperation, Lot’s daughters get their dad drunk and have sex with him. The sons that come from Lot’s incest with his daughters are Moab and Benammi. Moab is the father of the Moabites and Benammi is the father of the Ammonites. Both these nations later become bitter enemies of God’s people.

In Lot’s story we see the devastation that comes to families and communities when men stubbornly continue in their sin. In many ways Lot typifies all the men in Sodom and Gomorrah. As a man, Lot should have led, provided, served and instructed his family to godliness. But instead Lot failed. Like the men of Sodom and Gomorrah he became pas- sive, perverted, stubborn and selfish. As such, Lot’s wife loved Sodom more than she loved God and Lot’s daughters lived in light of the values they learned in Sodom instead of living in light of God’s goodness, grace and guidance.

Lot’s story teaches us of the judgment that will come to us if we continue in our stubbornness and sin. Instead, we should run from sin to Jesus.

Furthermore, Lot’s story teaches us of God’s incredible goodness. Though Lot is deserving of annihilation, God re- peatedly spares him and actually uses his evil incest for good. Eventually out of the Moabites comes a woman named Ruth. And from Ruth comes a king named David and a Savior named Jesus.1

Opening Question: Ǝ ēƎƎ('Ǝ+10ƎƎ0%)!Ǝ3$!*Ǝ5+1Ǝ0+(!.0! Ǝ/+)!0$%*#ƎĩƎ%#Ǝ+.Ǝ/)((ƎĩƎ%*Ǝ5+1.Ǝ(%"!Ǝ0$0Ǝ5+1Ǝ'*!3Ǝ %/$+*+.! Ǝ+ čƎƎƎ Why did you tolerate it even though you knew it was ungodly? What consequences did you suffer?

Discussion Questions: Ǝ ēƎƎ! Ǝ!*!/%/ƎøĀč Ǝ ēƎƎ$0Ǝ +!/Ǝ+ Ǝ +Ǝ%*Ǝ0$!/!Ǝ2!./!/ĘƎƎ$0Ǝ +!/Ǝ0$%/Ǝ.!2!(Ǝ+10Ǝ$%/Ǝ $. 0!.ĘƎ Ǝ ēƎƎ!/ .%!Ǝ+ +)Ǝ* Ǝ+)+..$čƎƎ
+. %*#Ǝ0+Ǝ 1 !ƎþƎ3$5Ǝ +!/Ǝ+ Ǝ !/0.+5Ǝ0$!/!Ǝ %0%!/ĘƎ Ǝ ēƎƎ$0Ǝ +!/Ǝ +0Ǝ +Ǝ%*Ǝ!*!/%/ƎøĀĘƎƎ$0Ǝ +!/Ǝ0$%/Ǝ.!2!(Ǝ+10Ǝ$%/Ǝ $. 0!.Ę Ǝ ēƎƎ$0Ǝ +!/Ǝ0$!Ǝ !/0.1 0%+*Ǝ+"Ǝ+ +)Ǝ* Ǝ+)+..$Ǝ.!2!(Ǝ+10Ǝ+ ĝ/Ǝ2%!3Ǝ+"Ǝ/%*Ę Ǝ ēƎƎ$5Ǝ3/Ǝ%0Ǝ2!.5Ǝ#. %+1/Ǝ+"Ǝ+ Ǝ0+Ǝ !/0.+5Ǝ+ +)Ǝ* Ǝ+)+..$ĘƎƎ

Application Questions: Ǝ ēƎƎ *Ǝ3$0Ǝ35/Ǝ.!Ǝ5+1Ǝ0+(!.0%*#Ǝ/%*Ǝ%*Ǝ5+1.Ǝ(%"!Ǝ+.Ǝ%*Ǝ5+1.Ǝ")%(5ĘƎƎ Ǝ ēƎƎ *Ǝ3$0Ǝ35/Ǝ%/Ǝ+ Ǝ.!/ 1%*#Ǝ5+1Ǝ(%'!Ǝ$!Ǝ.!/ 1! Ǝ +0ĘƎ

1 Matthew 1:5, Ruth 4:18 – 22 42 Ǝ ēƎƎ +3Ǝ *Ǝ+1.Ǝ/)((Ǝ#.+1,Ǝ!* +1.#!Ǝ5+1Ǝ0+Ǝ3('Ǝ%*Ǝ0$!Ǝ(%#$0Ǝ+"Ǝ+ Ǝ%*/0! Ǝ+"Ǝ%*Ǝ0$!Ǝ .'*!//Ǝ* Ǝ,!.2!.Ǝ Ǝ sion of sin?

TABLE TIME WITH KIDS

Ǝ ēƎƎ$0Ǝ % Ǝ+ Ǝ +Ǝ0+Ǝ0$!Ǝ0+3*/Ǝ+"Ǝ+ +)Ǝ* Ǝ+)+..$ĘƎ Ǝ ēƎƎ$5Ǝ % Ǝ+ Ǝ !/0.+5Ǝ0$!/!Ǝ0+3*/ĘƎ Ǝ ēƎƎ+!/Ǝ+ Ǝ0+(!.0!Ǝ/%*ĘƎ Ǝ ēƎƎ$0Ǝ/%*Ǝ.!Ǝ5+1Ǝ0+(!.0%*#ĘƎƎ Ǝ ēƎƎ('Ǝ3%0$Ǝ5+1.Ǝ'% /Ǝ+10Ǝ0$!Ǝ*!! Ǝ"+.Ǝ %(5Ǝ.!,!*0* !čƎƎ

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