Abraham's Visitors/ Sodom and Gomorrah

Bible Point: God makes miracles happen.

Key Verse: "For I know the plans I have for you, " declares the Lord." Jeremiah 29:11

Bible Exploration: Genesis 18:1-19:29

When God made it clear that his intent was to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham was horrified. He had likely done business with people there, and his nephew, Lot, lived there with his family. So Abraham pleaded with God to spare the few who were still faithful. Notice that God’s response was not to spare just the righteous; God said the whole city would
be saved if only 50 righteous people lived there. It’s helpful to remember here God’s definition of righteous. Abraham was declared righteous because of his faith, not because of a righteous lifestyle. As Abraham voiced his pleas ever more carefully, God promised to spare the city if only 10 righteous people could be found there. However, there weren’t even 10 faithful people there.
Lot’s position at the gate to the city indicated that he was a man of influence there, perhaps even a judge. His insistence that the visitors stay at his home was almost a requirement of
the culture. The moral degradation of this city is obvious in the text, so no further comment is needed here. Lot apparently was at least somewhat involved in what was happening in the
culture, as evidenced by his offering of his daughters to the men who were seeking sex with the visitors.
God did an amazing thing in sparing the lives of Lot and his family. Lot didn’t appear to deserve it, just as we don’t deserve the grace God gives to us. But we can be thankful that God is
wonderfully merciful and still does amazing things for us.

To think about and discuss:
• Why do we so easily accept God’s miracles in history, but have such a hard time accepting his actions in our lives today?
• What kind of actions would God have to take to convince you of his miraculous power?
• What miracle have you experienced that surprised you?
• Why do miracles happen?
• Why does God use miracles in some situations, but not others?

Family Worship Challenge:
• Help your family members write a song celebrating God’s miracles. Choose a tune familiar to your children, and have them help you replace the words with words that describe God’s miracles in the Bible and in their own lives. Then sing the song together each morning to start the day with praise for God’s great power.