Summary of Genesis 19:15-29:
Finding no one else righteous to save, the angels told Lot to take his wife and two daughters and flee. Lot did not want to go. The angels pulled him and his family away, and God showed them mercy. They told them not to look back or they would be swept away. Lot asked to flee to a small town instead, fearing he couldn’t make it to the mountains. The angels agreed.
When Lot was safe in this town called Zoar, God rained down burning sulphur on Sodom and Gomorrah, destroying them. However, Lot’s wife looked back and turned into a pillar of salt. Abraham saw the destruction the next morning, and God remembered Abraham and brought Lot out safely.
BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 12, Day 4: Genesis 19:15-29
10) Lot hesitated so the angels had to grasp his hand and pull him away. He still did not want to flee to the mountains as instructed, instead opting for a small town to rest in. Lot was so attached to his home he didn’t want to leave his nice life for an unknown life. This fear holds many of us back.
11) God’s judgement is complete and perfect, yet merciful, still giving everyone a chance to turn to Him.
12) Personal question. My answer: Good question. Unsure. Right to be right, maybe? Old life instead of new life. Clinging to security rather than risk.
Conclusions BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 12, Day 4: Genesis 19:15-29
I love this story because it shows immediate consequences of disobeying God with Lot’s wife and oftentimes we see consequences later on down the road. Indecision and hesitancy are things we all face and have to overcome to choose God and his ways.
End Notes BSF Study Questions Genesis: Lesson 12, Day 4: Genesis 19:15-29
We see the angels were the ones who saved Lot and his family. They have to be pulled out of Sodom and urged forward. Luckily, God does this for us as well.
God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because there were only 4 righteous people, rather than 10. Genesis 18
Because Lot was so ingrained in the world, it’s hard to say if he was happy being saved or not.
Yet God in His righteousness would not destroy the righteous people, so He waited until they were save to rain down sulphur.
Many Bible scholars believe the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah now lie below the Dead Sea as the map shows to show God’s complete annihilation of the cities. Sodom and Gomorrah were beautiful places (remember Lot chose them for their beauty), yet the people within, all of whom could have turned to God, were the opposite of beautiful.
Lot’s Wife
Many Bible scholars believe this was a unique judgement on Lot’s wife and she did actually turn to salt. Other think she got caught up in the pyroclastic flow of the fire because she turned back. The verb in Greek connotates a looking intently, as if she paused and would not move forward.
We see Lot’s wife in Luke 17:32 where Jesus speaks of the End Times where those who try to stay in the world will lose their life and not gain eternity.
Never look back in life; look forward to God instead. So many of us lose out on so many opportunities because we hesitate. Keep moving forward.
Abraham probably is grateful he is spared and sees God is faithful.