This week we are continuing our study in the book of Genesis with chapters 18-19, and the interaction between Abraham and God Himself; and the rescue of Lot from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. This study will help us understand the history and importance of not only the faithfulness of God through His Covenant Promise, but the love He has for His people, even those who are flawed like Abraham, Lot and us!

Defending our faith and developing a Biblical worldview based on our understanding of God’s Word takes time and practice, and must be part of a lifetime commitment we make to the LORD. It should form our purpose and identity in everyday life as we grow closer to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, modeling Him to our family, friends and neighbors. As Christians, it is more important than ever to know what we believe, and why we believe it, and then apply that to who we are on a consistent basis, and this can only be done if we know Jesus and what His Word teaches.

All class sessions include a time for prayer and reflection, a presentation, and a Bible study section. You will find the presentation overview and Bible study questions at the truthfaithandreason.com website with basic answers for your review and, or to use as a leader’s guide.

Presentation

Foundations Bible Study
Genesis Chapters 18-19

INTRODUCTION AND REVIEW 

Prayer cards: Take a minute and write your name on the index card provided, and add any special prayer request you might have. Exchange cards at the end of the class.

Review:

1. What did we learn about God’s Covenant and Abram’s weaknesses in chapters 16-17 last week?
2. What is our focus verse, why is it important, and what other Covenants does it relate to?

Focus verse
THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT

“Now the Lord said to Abram,

“Go forth from your country,
And from your relatives
And from your father’s house,
To the land which I will show you;
2 And I will make you a great nation,
And I will bless you,
And make your name great;
And so you shall be a blessing;
3 And I will bless those who bless you,
And the one who curses you I will curse.
And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” “  Genesis 12:1-3 (NASB)

Three Parts of the Covenant:

1. Land
2. Nation
3. Blessing – (relates to the Seed Promise)

Chapter Reading for Step #3: Context
– What does it say?

Chapter 18-19:29

• 18:1-8
• 18:9-15
• 18:16-21
• 18:22-33
• 19:1-11
• 19:12-22
• 19:23-29

Discuss (summarize) the chapters

Going Deeper Questions for Step #4:  Interpretation(Genesis 18:1-15) Who appeared to Abraham while he was sitting by the oaks of Mamre, and what are some clues that help us know? Review: What is a Theophany or Christophany? Discuss: How did Sarah respond to what God said would happen, and would we have responded differently?

18 Now the Lord appeared to him by the ^[a]oaks of Mamre, while he was sitting at the tent door in the heat of the day. ² When he lifted up his eyes and looked, behold, three men were standing opposite him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth, ³ and said, “^[b]My Lord, if now I have found favor in Your sight, please do not ^[c]pass Your servant by. ⁴ Please let a little water be brought and wash your feet, and ^[d]rest yourselves under the tree; ⁵ and I will ^[e]bring a piece of bread, that you may ^[f]refresh yourselves; after that you may go on, since you have ^[g]visited your servant.” And they said, “So do, as you have said.” ⁶ So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, “^[h]Quickly, prepare three ^[i]measures of fine flour, knead it and make bread cakes.” ⁷ Abraham also ran to the herd, and took a tender and ^[j]choice calf and gave it to the servant, and he hurried to prepare it. ⁸ He took curds and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and placed it before them; and he was standing by them under the tree ^[k]as they ate. ⁹ Then they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “There, in the tent.” ¹⁰ He said, “I will surely return to you ^[l]at this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door, which was behind him. ¹¹ Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; Sarah was past ^[m]childbearing. ¹² Sarah laughed ^[n]to herself, saying, “After I have become old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?” ¹³ And the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I indeed ^[o]bear a child, when I am so old?’ ¹⁴ Is anything too ^[p]difficult for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, ^[q]at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” ¹⁵ Sarah denied it however, saying, “I did not laugh”; for she was afraid. And He said, “No, but you did laugh.”

The LORD God appeared to Abraham with two Angels. This appearance is known as a Christophany/Theophany:

• In understanding the persons of the Trinity, their individuality and roles, we will always see that Jesus is the one who shows us God in human form as no one can see God in His full glory and live (Exodus 33:20; 1 John 4:12)
• When Theophanies/Christophanies happen there is always a first-person pronoun like “I or Me” used.
• Other signs include giving praise or glory; bowing, praying to or referencing as LORD

Additionally clues that tell us this is an appearance of the LORD (usually only found in word for word versions like NASB or KJV)…

• 2 Abraham bowed, and no one told him to get up – for example like the Angel does in Revelation 22:8-9: “I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed me these things. But he *said to me, “Do not do that. I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brethren the prophets and of those who heed the words of this book. Worship God.””
• 10 one of them said “I will surely return to you at this time next year…” First person “I” is used in verses 14, 17, 19, 21, 26, 30, 31, 32
• “LORD” is used (YHWH) in verses 13, 14, 17, 19, 20, 22, 26, 33
• Capital “He” is used in verses 15, 19, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33
• Verse 21 capital “Me” is used
• Capital “You” is used in verses. 23, 24,25, 28
• In verse 25 Abraham calls Him: “the Judge of all the earth”
• Discussion: Sarah “laughed to herself” (v. 12) which apparently was a doubtful laugh because God called her out on it – (probably being surprised He knew she laughed) she denied it, which shows her guilty conscious.
• Thought: This is probably a different laugh than Abraham’s earlier – his was a laughter of joy and unbelief at what WOULD happen i.e. “I can’t believe this could actually happen”.
• God made an important statement here for all of us to remember in verse 14: “Is anything too difficult for the LORD? And, of course it happened just the way God said it would.

(Genesis 18:16-33) In this part of the story the LORD (YHWH) stays behind to talk with Abraham while the other two men (Angels) head for Sodom. What did Abraham ask for and how did God respond? Discuss: Why do you think God entertained Abraham’s questions/requests? Was Abraham right in questioning God?

¹⁶ Then the men rose up from there, and looked down toward Sodom; and Abraham was walking with them to send them off. ¹⁷ The Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, ¹⁸ since Abraham will surely become a great and ^[r]mighty nation, and in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed? ¹⁹ For I have ^[s]chosen him, so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring upon Abraham what He has spoken about him.” ²⁰ And the Lord said, “The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is indeed great, and their sin is exceedingly grave. ²¹ I will go down now, and see if they have done entirely according to its outcry, which has come to Me; and if not, I will know.” ²² Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, while Abraham was still standing before the Lord. ²³ Abraham came near and said, “Will You indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? ²⁴ Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; will You indeed sweep it away and not ^[t]spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous who are in it? ²⁵ Far be it from You to do ^[u]such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth ^[v]deal justly?” ²⁶ So the Lord said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will ^[w]spare the whole place on their account.” ²⁷ And Abraham replied, “Now behold, I have ^[x]ventured to speak to the Lord, although I am but dust and ashes. ²⁸ Suppose the fifty righteous are lacking five, will You destroy the whole city because of five?” And He said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” ²⁹ He spoke to Him yet again and said, “Suppose forty are found there?” And He said, “I will not do it on account of the forty.” ³⁰ Then he said, “Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak; suppose thirty are found there?” And He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.” ³¹ And he said, “Now behold, I have ^[y]ventured to speak to the Lord; suppose twenty are found there?” And He said, “I will not destroy it on account of the twenty.” ³² Then he said, “Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak only this once; suppose ten are found there?” And He said, “I will not destroy it on account of the ten.” ³³ As soon as He had finished speaking to Abraham the Lord departed, and Abraham returned to his place.

• In a sequence of questions Abraham goes from asking God to save the city if there were 50 righteous, eventually down to, and stopping at, 10. God agreed each time (knowing that there ultimately would not be that many).

Discussion:

• We can see that God knew Abraham’s heart wanting to save Lot (again), and God honored that request by taking Lot and his daughters out (unfortunately not his wife).
• Many different answers have been given as to why Abraham stopped at 10 – It is speculation at best since the text does not tell us (It might be he thought that was how many people in Lot’s family, or there had to be at least that many righteous in the city). In reality, there were only 3, and maybe only 1 (Lot himself).
• Abraham had to have a comfortable relationship with God to be able to ask at this depth – and God obviously loved Abraham (hesed) to entertain his questions at this level.
• Abraham may have never understood how God answered him, since he saw from the mountain top the burning of the cities below, but God did answer his heart by saving Lot from the destruction of the wicked. (Note: The Bible does not tell us Abraham and Lot ever saw each other again)

(Genesis 19:1-29) Summarize: What happened when the two men (Angels) went down to Lot’s house in Sodom, and what was the outcome? Discuss: Why do you think Lot’s family did not take the Angels’ warning seriously? Cross-reference 2 Peter 2:6-8 – Was Lot considered to be a righteous man?

Summary:

The Angels, upon entering the city, were met by Lot who bowed down in reverent respect, but the men of the city were depraved, so Lot took the men/Angels into his own home. When the men of the city demanded Lot to give them up, Lot offers his daughters. The Angels struck the men with blindness (yet they still tried to get to them). Lot tried to warn others, like his son-in-laws, but they would not listen. The Angels then took Lot, his wife and two daughters out of the city. Even though they were told not to look back, Lot’s wife did, and she died (turned into a pillar of salt).

• The depravity was apparent right away with the actions of the men of Sodom.
• Lot’s family did not seem to take him seriously – that goes to his character and reputation – they thought he was joking, or did not know what he was saying, and either ignored him (like the son-in-laws) or were slow in response. His wife eventually looked back (it seemed she longed for what she was leaving more than her relationship with her family and/or God).
• Lot even offered up his daughters to stop the men of the city, and though we don’t understand that, culturally speaking, it was probably very normal for that day and especially in that city.

Was Lot a righteous man?

On face value, and examination of Lot’s life, we might say no, he was not a righteous man, but Peter tells us differently in 2 Peter 2:6-8:

“and if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly lives thereafter; and if He rescued righteous Lot, oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men (for by what he saw and heard that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by their lawless deeds), then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment,””

• Only God knows our heart, and He knew Lot’s – but remember how our lives can affect others outwardly (and their chance at salvation). It has been said: “The only Bible many will ever read, is the one they see in us; the only Jesus they will ever know is the one they know through us.”

Step #5: Application for chapters 18-19
– How do I use what I have learned?

Discuss for application: Do we see the same attitude in people today, toward God and His Word, that the people of Sodom and Lot’s wife had? If so, give some examples.

Answers will vary, but could include…

Ch. 18:

• We can ask God anything with a true heart – He may not always answer the way we want, but He does answer, and He does promise to be with us always.
• Sometimes God says yes, sometimes no, and sometimes He says you’ve got to be kidding! And, actually a lot of the time He says wait. God’s timing is not our timing and He knows what is best for us in the long run… we don’t.

Ch. 19:

• It is important to understand that we, like Lot, set a reputation for ourselves. Many Christians profess Christianity, but then live in complete opposition and instead embrace the culture of the day with its desires and ideologies.
• As Christians, the Bible shows us that God is true to His Word, He will never fail, and we can take confidence in that fact, especially when we have doubts, hardships and trials.
• When push comes to shove, and tragedy hits, do our friends and loved ones come to us for prayer and comfort, or believe us when we suddenly speak about the things of God? Or, do they laugh at us and think we’re kidding because we’ve never acted serious about it before?

HOMEWORK

Read Genesis chapters 19:30 through 21, then answer the following questions:

1. (Genesis 19:30-38) In this part of the story Lot’s daughters do the unthinkable. Why did they do this and what was the outcome? Going Deeper:Two sons were born out of this situation. What can you uncover about their descendants and their relationship later on with Israel?
2. (Genesis 20:1-18) Abraham and Sarah repeat the same mistake they made earlier in Egypt (12:9-20). How is this story different? Discuss:What example is being set for Abraham and Sarah’s descendants when they repeat these kinds of exploits, and does it make us think how our own repeated behaviors could affect our next generation?
3. (Genesis 21:1-21) In this chapter, the long-awaited son of the promise is born. What is his name and what does it mean? Discuss:What happened that caused Sarah to drive out Hagar and Ishmael, how did God help them and where did they end up? What did God say to reassure Abraham, and why?
4. (Genesis 21:22-34) What covenant did Abraham make with Abimelech and why? Going deeper: Give an example where the following names come up later on in the Bible, and in what context:  Beersheba and Philistine.

Please continue to join us each week for Foundations Bible Study and the book of Genesis!

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You will not find this material in the public school curriculum even though it is based on solid evidence and grounded in research. It is ironic that following the evidence to where it leads stops at the door of our public schools as they will not let a “Divine footprint” in!  Join us as we examine evidence for Christianity and learn how to become a thoughtful defender and ambassador of your faith.

Click into the resource page of this website to view many of the top Christian thinkers and apologists along with some of their work; connecting to these types of resources is essential in your Christian growth.

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Teri Dugan

TeriDugan@truthfaithandreason.com

1 Peter 3:15