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Genesis 18-19

Lesson 11

Visitors For Abraham

To Abraham these appeared at first as men

But he entertained angels unawares Heb 13:2 Do not forget to entertain

strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.

Visitors For Abraham the feet washed at the end of a day's

journey; and this is the first thing that Abraham proposes

second requisite for the refreshment of a weary traveler, viz., rest in the shade

third requisite, and is introduced in its proper order; as eating immediately after exertion or fatigue is very unwholesome

Promise Of A Son Abraham was now ninety-nine years of age,

and this promise was fulfilled when he was a hundred; so that the phrase according to the time of life must mean either a complete year, or nine months from the present time, the ordinary time of pregnancy. Taken in this latter sense, Abraham was now in the ninety-ninth year of his age, and Isaac was born when he was in his hundredth year.

Promise Of A Son Sarah laughed within herself--Long

delay seems to have weakened faith. Sarah treated the announcement as incredible

Ge 18:14 "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."

Promise Of A Son

Is any thing too hard for the Lord? Can any thing be too great a miracle

for him to effect? Lu 1:37 “For with God nothing will be

impossible.”

Promise Of A Son It was to correct Sarah's unbelief, and

to strengthen her faith, that God spoke these most important words; words which state that where human wisdom, prudence, and energy fall, and where nature herself ceases to be an agent, through lack of energy to act, or laws to direct and regulate energy, there also God has full sway, and by his own omnificent power works all things after the counsel of his own will.

Promise Of A Son Is there an effect to be produced?

God can produce it as well without as with means. He produced nature, the whole system of causes and effects, when in the whole compass of his own eternity there was neither means nor being. HE spoke, and it was done; HE commanded, and it stood fast. How great and wonderful is God!

Promise Of A Son

Ge 18:15 But Sarah denied it, saying, "I did not laugh," for she was afraid. And He said, "No, but you did laugh!“

Ac 5:3 But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself?

Looking Toward Sodom Ge 18:17. the Lord said, Shall I hide--The

chief stranger, no other than the Lord, disclosed to Abraham the awful doom about to be inflicted on Sodom and the cities of the plain for their enormous wickedness.

Ge 18:18 "since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?

Since – Inasmuch as; because

Looking Toward Sodom

Ge 18:20 And the LORD said, "Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave

Abraham knows Lot is in Sodom He ‘negotiates’ with the Lord to save

the righteous in Sodom

Lot In Sodom Ge 13:12 Abram dwelt in the land of

Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent even as far as Sodom. But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the LORD.

Strangers come to Sodom Lot shows hospitality – similar to

Abraham

Men Of Sodom Ge 19:5 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."

This account justifies the character given of this depraved people in the preceding chapter, Ge 18:20, and in Ge 23:13. As their crime was the deepest disgrace to human nature, so it is too bad to be described; in the sacred text it is sufficiently marked; and the iniquity which, from these most abominable wretches, has been called Sodomy.

Lot ‘Protects’ His Guests He offered his daughters to the men of the

city He esteemed the persons of his guests as

sacred, and was willing to protect them at all costs. But in this proposal he did very wrong, and showed the weakness of his faith in God.

Of two natural evils, it is often proper to choose the least; but of two moral evils we should choose neither, and should never commit sin to avoid any supposed evil, or obtain any supposed good. The only course of wisdom and safety is to trust in God and do right.

Destruction Announced

Ge 19:13 "For we will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has grown great before the face of the LORD, and the LORD has sent us to destroy it."

Lot To Leave Ge 19:14 "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.

"Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city."

Escape To The Mountains

"Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed (consumed-RSV).“

It is not an ordinary judgment that is coming; a fire from heaven shall burn up the cities, the plain, and all that remain in the cities and in the plain

Sodom Is Destroyed

Ge 19:24 Then the LORD rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the LORD out of the heavens. So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.

Lot’s Wife She became a pillar of salt—The vast

variety of opinions, both ancient and modern, on the crime of Lot's wife, her change, and the manner in which that change was effected, are in many cases as unsatisfactory as they are ridiculous. On this point the sacred Scripture says little.

Lot’s Wife God had commanded Lot and his

family not to look behind them; the wife of Lot disobeyed this command; she looked back from behind him-Lot, her husband, and she became a pillar of salt. This is all the information the inspired historian has thought proper to give us on this subject; it is true the account is short, but commentators and critics have made it long enough by their laborious glosses.

Aftermath

Abraham is anxious Lot and daughters are in Zoar The make Lot drink wine They lay with him From the older – Moab (Moabites) From the younger – Ben-Ammi

(Ammonites)

Why? It does not appear that it was through any

base or sensual desires that the daughters of Lot wished to deceive their father.

They might have thought that it would have been criminal to have married into any other family, and they knew that their husbands elect, who were probably of the same kindred, had perished in the overthrow of Sodom.

Why? They might have supposed that there

was no other way left to preserve the family, and consequently that righteousness for which it had been remarkable, but the way which they now took.

Why? They appear to have supposed that their

father would not come into the measure, because he would have considered it as profane; yet, judging the measure to be expedient and necessary, they endeavored to sanctify the improper means used, by the goodness of the end at which they aimed; a doctrine which, though resorted to by many, should be reprobated by all. Acting on this bad principle they caused their father to drink wine.

Lessons

Lot left influence of Abraham Lot moved into Sodom Wickedness of Sodom – God knew Judgment of God Righteousness of God – mercy on Lot Sins of Lot and daughters

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