Bible Basics: Genesis 18 through 19:29

Chapter 18

Verses 1–2: Sometime after the events in chapter 17, Abraham is resting at the entrance to his tent, midday. Looking up, he sees three men and recognizes them as an in-the-flesh appearance of God and two angels. Out of reverence, he bows before them.

3–5: Humbly, Abraham requests their company and the opportunity to refresh them on their travels. They accept his offer of hospitality.

6–8: Abraham quickly secures Sarah and a servant's help in preparing a choice meal, and presents it to them.

9–10: The men ask Abraham where Sarah is, and he tells them she is in the tent. God gives Abraham a glimpse of his future by reaffirming the promise that Sarah would give birth to a son that same time next year. Sarah overhears this amazing promise spoken once more . . .

11–15: . . . and laughs. She thinks, Now that I’m too old to have kids, and Abraham is just old, will I enjoy a child? Nah. . . Knowing her heart, God asks Abraham why Sarah laughed. After all, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” (v. 14). With authority, God reasserts that he’ll return next year, and she will have a son. Sarah fears God’s reaction to her doubt, and lies to cover over it. But he responds with his typical grace, truth, and love, simply calling out her unbelief while intending to fully make good on his word to them.

16–19: As the men leave, Abraham accompanies them to see them off. They look toward Sodom, and God decides to tell Abraham his plan to destroy Sodom for the great wrongs committed by the people there. In contrast, Abraham has walked closely with God, and would pass on this way of life to his family, household, and descendants. God's love and blessing toward Abraham and Abraham's ready response to receive it and walk rightly toward God and others makes his beautiful friendship with God possible, and brings fullness to his life.

20–22: The two angels continue on to Sodom, while Abraham lingers to talk with God.

23–26: Appealing to God's just character, Abraham asks if God would destroy the entire city if there are still good people in it, even fifty. God acknowledges Abraham's point and request, committing to spare the city if he can find fifty righteous hearts in it.

27–31: Abraham boldly yet humbly asks God more: Would he spare the city if only 45, then 40, 30, or 20 righteous are found? Again, God commits to spare it for even that few people.

Chapter 19:1–29

1–3: The two angels arrive at Sodom later that evening and meet Lot in the town square. He shows them reverence as Abraham had, and invites them to stay at his house for the night. At first they decline, but Lot strongly urges them to come with him. They accept his invitation and eat a dinner he prepares for them.

4–5: Later that evening, all the men of Sodom surround Lot’s house, demanding he give them the angels for sex. This sounds bizarre to our modern ears, but accurately depicts how depraved and destructive the people of the city had become.

6–9: Stepping outside, Lot tries to talk some sense into the mob. He’s so desperate to protect the angels that he offers his own daughters as substitutes to fulfill their warped sexual desires. The men condemn Lot as self-righteous, and threaten to use him for sex instead. As the situation escalates, the mob presses forward to break down Lot’s door.

10–14: Just in time, the angels grab Lot and pull him inside. They blind the men outside, who become disoriented and unable to find Lot’s door to bust in. Then, they urge Lot to get his entire family out of the city before they destroy it. Lot tries to warn his daughters’ fiancés to leave, but they don’t take him seriously and remain behind.

15–22: As dawn nears, the angels urge Lot, his wife, and daughters to flee the city. They hesitate, but the angels grab them by the hands and mercifully lead them out of harm's way. They plan to destroy Sodom and all the cities on the surrounding plain, so they tell them to run for their lives, not look back, and seek shelter in the nearby mountains. Lot can’t imagine surviving there, so he asks permission to escape to a neighboring town. An angel grants his request and spares the town of Zoar for Lot and his family.

23–26: When they reach Zoar, God rains burning sulphur on Sodom and the rest of the plain with its cities. Unwilling to trust and let go of her old life, Lot’s wife disregards the angels’ instruction and looks back, becoming a pillar of salt.

27–29: The next morning, Abraham witnesses the horrible devastation, but also God’s merciful love in sparing the lives of his family members.