GENESIS: Rescuing Lot
I love camping. I am very blessed to have a camper trailer and it is easy for us to pack up each morning, travel to a new spot, and set up again that night for a new adventure.
I went on a 16 week trip, and while I was away I called the camper trailer “home” and to differentiate it, I referred to my permanent home as “home, home.”
But what about living in a tent?
We camped at a free camp spot in the south coast of NSW and there were lots of people who had pitched a tent and lived in them permanently. Would you like to permanently be camping and call your tent home?
Back in Genesis, a long time ago, there was much more land and much less people, so it seems that everyone could have their own land if they could look after it, build on it and raise livestock. Abram was someone who had plenty of animals, a wife and some workers too! He was able to claim land and develop it.
What do you think?
Do you know what types of houses people can live in?
Guess the name of each type of house from the clues:
What is the type of house that is made out of compacted snow and usually shaped like a dome? An igloo.
Can you guess the name of the wood and straw style huts that Fijians build? A Bure, or some people call it a bungalow.
What is the name of the house built using wooden poles in a cone shape and covered with animal skin, designed by native Americans to be a great shelter and also to be portable? A tipi.
If you could pitch a tent and camp anywhere in the world, where would you choose?
Story Time!
Abram and Lot had families and workers and livestock and lived close by with other locals from the area Canaan.
Bible Passage: Genesis 13:7-9,13-18
“There wasn't enough pastureland left for Abram and Lot with all of their animals. Besides this, the men who took care of Abram's animals and the ones who took care of Lot's animals started quarreling.
“Abram said to Lot, “We are close relatives. We shouldn't argue, and our men shouldn't be fighting one another. 9 There is plenty of land for you to choose from. Let's separate. If you go north, I'll go south; if you go south, I'll go north.”
And when Lot looked around, he saw there was plenty of water in the Jordan Valley. All the way to Zoar the valley was as green as the garden of the Lord or the land of Egypt. 11 So Lot chose the whole Jordan Valley for himself, and as he started out toward the east, he and Abram separated. 12 Abram stayed in the land of Canaan. But Lot settled near the cities of the valley and put up his tents not far from Sodom, 13 where the people were evil and sinned terribly against the Lord.
Lot was able to choose where he wanted to pitch his tent. He chose to live in a very evil place called Sodom. He made a devastating choice.
After Abram and Lot had gone their separate ways, the Lord said to Abram:
Look around to the north, south, east, and west. 15 I will give you and your family all the land you can see. It will be theirs forever! 16 I will give you more descendants than there are specks of dust on the earth, and someday it will be easier to count those specks of dust than to count your descendants. 17 Now walk back and forth across the land, because I am going to give it to you.
18 Abram took down his tents and went to live near the sacred trees of Mamre at Hebron, where he built an altar in honor of the Lord.”
Abram chose to continue to follow God.
Some time later, Sodom was actually attacked by a group of kings and the captured Lot plus a lot of other things. Abram heard about it, found out where he was being help, snuck in one night and rescued Lot and a heap of other people too!
God came to Abraham and had a chat with him.
Bible Passage: Genesis 18:20-33
The Lord said, “Abraham, I have heard that the people of Sodom and Gomorrah are doing all kinds of evil things. 21 Now I am going down to see for myself if those people really are that bad. If they aren't, I would like to know.”
And Abraham asked him, “Lord, when you destroy the evil people, are you also going to destroy those who are good? 24 Wouldn't you spare the city if there are only 50 good people in it? 25 You surely wouldn't let them be killed when you destroy the evil ones. You are the judge of all the earth, and you do what is right.”
26 The Lord replied, “If I find 50 good people in Sodom, I will save the city to keep them from being killed.”
27 Abraham answered, “I am nothing more than the dust of the earth. Please forgive me, Lord, for daring to speak to you like this. 28 But suppose there are only 45 good people in Sodom. Would you still wipe out the whole city?”
“If I find 45 good people,” the Lord replied, “I won't destroy the city.”
29 “Suppose there are just 40 good people?” Abraham asked.
“Even for them,” the Lord replied, “I won't destroy the city.”
30 Abraham said, “Please don't be angry, Lord, if I ask you what you will do if there are only 30 good people in the city.”
“If I find 30,” the Lord replied, “I still won't destroy it.”
31 Then Abraham said, “I don't have any right to ask you, Lord, but what would you do if you find only 20?”
“Because of them, I won't destroy the city,” was the Lord's answer.
32 Finally, Abraham said, “Please don't get angry, Lord, if I speak just once more. Suppose you find only 10 good people there.”
“For the sake of 10 good people,” the Lord told him, “I still won't destroy the city.”
33 After speaking with Abraham, the Lord left, and Abraham went back home.
I wonder if Abraham had asked about one person, whether God would have said he wouldn’t destroy the city. I’m thinking he would save the one person.
Bible Passage: Genesis 19:13-29
The two angels said to Lot, “The Lord has heard many terrible things about the people of Sodom, and he has sent us here to destroy the city. Take your family and leave. Take every relative you have in the city, as well as the men your daughters are going to marry.”
14 Lot went to the men who were engaged to his daughters and said, “Hurry up and get out of here! The Lord is going to destroy this city.” But they thought he was joking, and they laughed at him.
15 Early the next morning the two angels tried to make Lot hurry and leave. They said, “Take your wife and your two daughters and get away from here as fast as you can! If you don't, every one of you will be killed when the Lord destroys the city.” 16 At first, Lot just stood there. But the Lord wanted to save him. So the angels took Lot, his wife, and his two daughters by the hand and led them out of the city. 17 When they were outside, one of the angels said, “Run for your lives! Don't even look back. And don't stop in the valley. Run to the hills, where you'll be safe.”
18-19 Lot answered, “You have done us a great favor, sir. You have saved our lives, but please don't make us go to the hills. That's too far away. The city will be destroyed before we can get there, and we will be killed when it happens. 20 There's a town near here. It's only a small place, but my family and I will be safe, if you let us go there.”
21 “All right, go there,” he answered. “I won't destroy that town. 22 Hurry! Run! I can't do anything until you are safely there.”
23 The sun was coming up as Lot reached the town of Zoar, 24 and the Lord sent burning sulfur down like rain on Sodom and Gomorrah. 25 He destroyed those cities and everyone who lived in them, as well as their land and the trees and grass that grew there.
26 On the way, Lot's wife looked back and was turned into a block of salt.
27 That same morning Abraham got up and went to the place where he had stood and spoken with the Lord. 28 He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and saw smoke rising from all over the land—it was like a flaming furnace.
29 When God destroyed the cities of the valley where Lot lived, he remembered his promise to Abraham and saved Lot from the terrible destruction.
God hates sin.
God saves those who are good and who love him.
Lot was good, but chose to live in a sinful, evil city.
It is very hard to find good people to be with when you are with evil - his wife turned back and his daughters’ finances were not “good.”
Surround yourself with people you want to be like, and it will be much easier to become the person you want to be.
Question Time!
Which character in this story do you understand the most? Why?
Which character do you want to be like the most? Why?
How can you become more like them?
