Study the following scriptures:
- Genesis 13. After living in Egypt for a time, Abraham and his family return to Canaan. Abraham settles in Hebron, and his nephew Lot settles near Sodom.
- Genesis 14:1-2, 8-24. Lot is taken captive and is rescued by Abraham (14:1-2, 8-16). Abraham pays tithes to Melchizedek and refuses to accept the spoils of war from the king of Sodom (14:17-24).
- Genesis 18:16-33; 19:1-29. The Lord says that he will destroy Sodom and Gomorrah because of the people's wickedness (18:16-22) Abraham pleads with the Lord to spare the cities if he can find righteous people living there (18:23-33). Lot and his family are commanded to leave Sodom (19:1-23). The Lord destroys Sodom and Gomorrah (19:24-29).
- At first Lot "lived in the cities of the plain," outside Sodom, but he "pitches his tent toward Sodom" (Genesis 13:12). Later he lived in the city of Sodom itself (Genesis 14:12). What things might we do that are the spiritual equivalent of pitching our tents toward Sodom?
- What did Abraham ask when he learned that the Lord was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah? (See Genesis 18:23-32.) What do we learn from the fact that the Lord would spare the cities if righteous people could be found in them?
1 comment:
Watching Lot's progression (or going backward at times) is powerful to me because it is so easy to get caught up in the things of the world. First Lot pitched his tent toward Sodom, then he lived in Sodom, and then when he left, he lingered and didn't want to go far away from Sodom. After receiving the direction to "escape to the mountain," Lot said, "And I cannot escape to the mountain... Behold, this city is near to flee unto." (Genesis 19:16-20) It is sobering to ask myself how far from Sodom have I fled? All the way to the mountain or right outside the city?
In contrast, I love Abraham's response when the king of Sodom offers him the fine things of Sodom: "I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine." (Genesis 14:23) It takes a lot of courage for me to say no that emphatically and completely! Abraham was serious about fully following the Lord.
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