There were only 5 people at our Saturday night Bible study this week. We studied Genesis 19. I'm just going to share a few things that we discussed, and open it up for any comments, questions, insights, etc.
A few questions:
- Did Lot know that the men he took into his home were angels?
- Why was Lot sitting at the gate of the city?
- Why was Lot willing to send his virgin daughters out to the wicked men?
- Why didn't Lot's son-in-law's believe him?
- Did God spare Lot because he was righteous or because of Abraham's plea?
- Why did Lot's wife look back?
- Was Lot at fault for impregnating his daughters, or was it only their responsibility since he was drunk?
- Did Lot's daughters really think that there were no other men left on the earth?
Comments/Insights:
We discovered a reference to Lot's wife being turned to salt in Luke 17:32. Then in Luke 17:33 it says, "Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it." We found that this same verse appears 10 times in the gospels! It must be very significant for us, and something that we should understand in context of Lot's wife looking back. She was trying to hold on to something that was going to be destroyed. Are we doing the same? Is heaven really what is most important to us, or are we more concerned about our earthly life? Please add any thoughts you have about this.
In Genesis 19:29 it says that "he (God) remembered Abraham, and he brought Lot out of the catastrophe that overthrew the cities where Lot had lived." This seems to imply that Lot was saved for Abraham's sake, and not because of his own righteousness. If this story is a kind of parallel to the end times (as it seems to imply in Luke 17:32 & other NT references), is this an example of how God will save our lives, not because of our own righteousness, but because of the one who pleads for us and gave His life?
There is also a reference to Sodom and Gomorrah being destroyed in 2 Peter 2:5-10. This seems to imply that Lot was a righteous man, which seems questionable from the original story. It may also be an encouragement to those of us who are going through trials.
It was pointed out that the children of Lot's daughters turned out to be the Moabites and the Ammonites who became enemies of Abraham's descendents. However, Ruth was a Moabite woman, and Jesus was born of the lineage of Ruth and Boaz.
Please study this chapter and add any thoughts, comments, or questions to the discussion.
