Every Woman's Bible Genesis sampler - Flipbook - Page 38
GENESIS 19
this time next year, and your wife, Sarah, will have
a son!”
Sarah was listening to this conversation from
the tent. 11Abraham and Sarah were both very old
by this time, and Sarah was long past the age of having children. 12 So she laughed silently to herself and
said, “How could a worn-out woman like me enjoy
such pleasure, especially when my master—my
husband—is also so old?”
13 Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah
laugh? Why did she say, ‘Can an old woman like me
have a baby?’ 14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? I
will return about this time next year, and Sarah will
have a son.”
15 Sarah was afraid, so she denied it, saying, “I
didn’t laugh.”
But the Lord said, “No, you did laugh.”
Abraham Intercedes for Sodom
Then the men got up from their meal and looked
out toward Sodom. As they left, Abraham went with
them to send them on their way.
17 “Should I hide my plan from Abraham?” the Lord
asked. 18“For Abraham will certainly become a great
and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will
be blessed through him. 19I have singled him out so
that he will direct his sons and their families to keep
the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just.
Then I will do for Abraham all that I have promised.”
20 So the Lord told Abraham, “I have heard a great
outcry from Sodom and Gomorrah, because their sin
is so flagrant. 21I am going down to see if their actions
are as wicked as I have heard. If not, I want to know.”
22 The other men turned and headed toward Sodom, but the Lord remained with Abraham. 23Abraham approached him and said, “Will you sweep away
both the righteous and the wicked? 24 Suppose you
find fifty righteous people living there in the city—
will you still sweep it away and not spare it for their
sakes? 25Surely you wouldn’t do such a thing, destroying the righteous along with the wicked. Why, you
would be treating the righteous and the wicked exactly the same! Surely you wouldn’t do that! Should
not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?”
26 And the Lord replied, “If I find fifty righteous
people in Sodom, I will spare the entire city for their
sake.”
27 Then Abraham spoke again. “Since I have begun,
let me speak further to my Lord, even though I am
but dust and ashes. 28 Suppose there are only fortyfive righteous people rather than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?”
16
19:6-8 This story of Lot is deeply troubling. He offered his
daughters to be raped, prioritizing the protection of his outof-town guests. And his future sons-in-law were among those
rioting outside (19:14)! Lot’s willingness for his daughters
to marry men who apparently were among the violent sex
28
And the Lord said, “I will not destroy it if I find
forty-five righteous people there.”
29 Then Abraham pressed his request further.
“Suppose there are only forty?”
And the Lord replied, “I will not destroy it for the
sake of the forty.”
30 “Please don’t be angry, my Lord,” Abra ham
pleaded. “Let me speak—suppose only thirty righteous people are found?”
And the Lord replied, “I will not destroy it if I find
thirty.”
31 Then Abraham said, “Since I have dared to speak
to the Lord, let me continue—suppose there are only
twenty?”
And the Lord replied, “Then I will not destroy it
for the sake of the twenty.”
32 Finally, Abraham said, “Lord, please don’t be
angry with me if I speak one more time. Suppose
only ten are found there?”
And the Lord replied, “Then I will not destroy it
for the sake of the ten.”
33 When the Lord had finished his conversation
with Abraham, he went on his way, and Abraham
returned to his tent.
Sodom and Gomorrah Destroyed
19
That evening the two angels came to the entrance of the city of Sodom. Lot was sitting
there, and when he saw them, he stood up to meet
them. Then he welcomed them and bowed with his
face to the ground. 2 “My lords,” he said, “come to my
home to wash your feet, and be my guests for the
night. You may then get up early in the morning and
be on your way again.”
“Oh no,” they replied. “We’ll just spend the night
out here in the city square.”
3 But Lot insisted, so at last they went home with
him. Lot prepared a feast for them, complete with
fresh bread made without yeast, and they ate. 4 But
before they retired for the night, all the men of
Sodom, young and old, came from all over the city
and surrounded the house. 5 They shouted to Lot,
“Where are the men who came to spend the night
with you? Bring them out to us so we can have sex
with them!”
6 So Lot stepped outside to talk to them, shutting
the door behind him. 7 “Please, my brothers,” he
begged, “don’t do such a wicked thing. 8 Look, I have
two virgin daughters. Let me bring them out to you,
and you can do with them as you wish. But please,
leave these men alone, for they are my guests and
are under my protection.”
offenders, his disregard for his daughters’ safety, and his hesitation to leave such a corrupt city (19:16) all demonstrate how
depraved he had become. He may have been morally superior
to his neighbors (2 Peter 2:7-8), but not by much. God’s decision to destroy the city was thoroughly justified.
