THE WOMAN WHO DISOBEYED GOD


[Genesis:19:1-29 [1] And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground; [2] And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night. [3] And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat. [4] But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter: [5] And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them. [6] And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him, [7] And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly. [8] Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof. [9] And they said, Stand back. And they said again, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door. [10] But the men put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut to the door. [11] And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door. [12] And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place: [13] For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the LORD; and the LORD hath sent us to destroy it. [14] And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law. [15] And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city. [16] And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city. [17] And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed. [18] And Lot said unto them, Oh, not so, my LORD: [19] Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die: [20] Behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one: Oh, let me escape thither, (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live. [21] And he said unto him, See, I have accepted thee concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow this city, for the which thou hast spoken. [22] Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do anything till thou be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar. [23] The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar. [24] Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; [25] And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. [26] But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. [27] And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the LORD: [28] And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace. [29] And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt. ].
“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world” (I John 2:15).
The Wicked Cities
Abraham’s nephew, Lot, had chosen the land he was living in, because it was a good place for his cattle. Abraham had given him his choice. But while the land he chose was good for his cattle there were very wicked people living in it. God saw all their wickedness. God hates sin. When men sin they disobey God, and hurt themselves; and God must punish them in order to help them and to warn others.
God decided to destroy the wicked cities and all the people in them. But Abraham asked God if He was going to destroy the good people too, when He destroyed the bad. He asked God if He would save the city if there were 50 saved people there. The Lord said He would. Then Abraham asked if He would save it for 45; the Lord said He would. Then he asked about sparing it for 40 righteous; then for 30; then for 20. The Lord said He would not destroy the city if there were 20 saved ones. Then Abraham begged the Lord not to be displeased with him if he asked Him to spare the city for ten. The Lord said He would spare it for only ten. But there were not even ten saved people there.
The Strange Visitors
One evening Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. He saw two angels coming toward him, and he arose to meet them. He bowed very politely to them. Then he invited them to come into his house and stay there all night. He gave them food to eat, and treated them very kindly.
The Angels Tell Lot to Leave the City
The angels told Lot to take his whole family out of the city. It was so wicked God had sent them to destroy it. The angels even took hold of Lot’s hand to hurry him out of the city. He told Lot and his family to hurry to the mountains. When they were out of the city the fire fell, and Abraham saw the wicked city burning.
Lot’s Wife Disobeyed God
The angels had told them not to look back. But Lot’s wife must have left something back there she loved, or she was curious to see whether the city was really burning, and she looked back. She was terribly punished for her disobedience to God. She became a pillar of salt. Those who obeyed God were saved.
God knows what is best for us, and He does not ask us to do anything that is not for our good. Adam and Eve were disobedient in the Garden of Eden, and their disobedience to God and to His commandments brought sin and sorrow into the whole world. Jesus was always obedient to God, and God said He was well pleased with Him.
1. Why did God send angels to destroy the cities? [Genesis:19:13For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the LORD; and the LORD hath sent us to destroy it.
].
2. Why did God spare Lot and his family? [Genesis:19:16And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city.
].
3. How did the Lord destroy the cities? [Genesis:19:24-25 [24] Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;
[25] And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.
].
4. What happened to Lot’s wife? [Genesis:19:26But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.
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5. What does God say to us about looking back? [Luke:9:62And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
]; [Hebrews:10:38Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
]
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