November 15, 2020 – Genesis 18 – 19

Lesson Date: November 15, 2020

Focal Scripture Passage: Genesis 18:1-20; 19:1-28

AIM: To lead students to discover some consequences of sin and sinful associations, and to commit to turn from their sin and break any sinful associations they might have.

Before class: Read the notes on Genesis 18 – 19 found in the Sunday School Teacher Book. Write the following questions on the marker board or chalkboard:

“Why do people sin?”

“What are some of the costs of sin?”

“What are some dangers of associating with sinful people?”

“If you choose to sin today, how long might the results of that sin be with you?”

Think about some real-life stories you could share with the class about the cost of sin and the dangers of sinful associations. Don’t give names or clearly identifiable descriptions.

INTRODUCTION (Create Learning Readiness): Tell a few stories about the cost of sin and the dangers of sinful associations to the class. If you don’t feel comfortable telling true stories, use the following case studies:

• Over the continued objections of his wife, a man insisted on relaxing after work with his friends at the local bar. He became intoxicated, left the bar, and caused an accident that killed a little boy.
• A teenager rebelled against her parents and hung around with the wrong crowd.       Soon she adopted an immoral lifestyle and contracted a sexually transmitted disease.

Read the questions written on the board. Tell the class in today’s lesson they will discover answers to those questions. This lesson is about the cost of sin and the dangers of hanging around with sinful people, but first, we are going to learn about an amazing encounter Abraham had with God.

HEART OF THE LESSON (Bible Study):

1. Review.
   • Remind the students that we are studying the book of Genesis.
   • Ask: “What was last week’s lesson about?” (the foolishness of becoming impatient and trying to do things our way instead of God’s way).
2. God’s Promise to Abraham.
   • Ask a volunteer to read Genesis 18:1-5.
   • Explain the following:
     • The Lord appeared to Abraham while he was living in the plains of Mamre (locate on the Map of Canaan).
     • Abraham saw three men approaching.
     • The three “men” were actually a pre-incarnate appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ and two angels (compare Gen. 18:22 and 19:1).
     • Abraham invited the Lord and the two angels to stop for rest and a meal. They agreed and Abraham served them a nice meal.
   • Ask a volunteer to read Genesis 18:9-10.
   • Ask: “What did they ask Abraham?” (“Where is Sarah, your wife?”).
   • Ask: “What did the Lord tell Abraham?” (that Sarah would have a son).
   • Read Genesis 18:11-15.
   • Ask: “Was Sarah still physically able to bear children?” (no).
   • Ask: “How did Sarah react when she heard what the Lord said?” (she laughed).
   • Ask: “What did the Lord ask in verse 14?” (“Is anything too hard for the Lord?”).
   • Remind the class that God had repeatedly promised to give Abraham a son. In last week’s lesson we learned that Abraham and Sarah became impatient, so he had a son by a “surrogate” mother, Hagar. In spite of their faithless fleshly efforts, God was still going to give a son to Abraham through Sarah.
   • Read the first question written on the board.
   • Ask the students to suggest answers to the question.
   • Explain that one reason people sin is that they do not believe God: they don’t believe God’s promises and they don’t believe God will punish them for their sin.
   • Tell the class that people sin because they don’t believe God.
   • Summarize: The Lord and two angels appeared to Abraham. God promised to give Abraham a son through his wife, Sarah.
3. God’s Plan and Abraham’s Intercession.
   • Ask a volunteer to read Genesis 18:17-21.
   • Tell the class God told Abraham He was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah.
   • Ask: “According to verse 19, what did God know about Abraham?” (that he would raise his children to follow and obey the Lord).
   • Ask: “According to verse 20, why was God going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah?” (because their sin was so terrible; see also Gen. 13:13).
   • Tell the students the two angels went to Sodom, while Abraham stood before the Lord.
   • Remind the class that Abraham’s nephew Lot and his family lived in Sodom.
   • Explain that in verses 23-33 Abraham interceded for Sodom, asking God to spare the city if there were as few as ten righteous people living there.
   • Summarize: God told Abraham He was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham interceded, and God agreed to spare them if ten righteous people lived there.
4. The Angels and the Men of Sodom.
   • Ask a volunteer to read Genesis 19:1-3.
   • Ask: “Where was Lot when the angels arrived?” (sitting in the city gate – a place of transacting business and passing judgment; this was where the city leaders sat).
   • Lot insisted that the angels come and stay in his home.
   • He prepared a feast and placed it before them.
   • Read Genesis 19:4-5.
   • Ask: “Who came to Lot’s door?” (old and young men from throughout the city).
   • Explain the following:
     • The word know in verse 5 refers to having sexual relations (see Gen. 4:1).
     • Sodom was known for homosexuality (the city gave its name to the sin of sodomy).
     • The wicked men of Sodom saw newcomers arrive in town so they wanted to sodomize them.
   • Read Genesis 19:6-9.
   • Ask: “What did Lot offer the men to try to protect his guests?” (his two virgin daughters).
   • Tell the students as hard as it is to comprehend, Lot was willing to turn his two daughters over to the sex-crazed mob outside his house in order to protect his guests. No father in his right mind would do such a thing!
   • Read the third question written on the board.
   • Explain that one of the dangers of associating with sinners is accepting their sinful ways and even adopting their wicked ways.
   • Ask: “Did the men of Sodom want Lot’s two daughters?” (no, they wanted the two men; see Rom. 1:27).
   • Ask a volunteer to read Genesis 19:10-11.
   • Ask: “What did the angels do?” (pulled Lot to safety and blinded the men of Sodom).
   • Summarize: The angels arrived in Sodom. The men of Sodom were so wicked they wanted to have sexual relations with the angels.
5. God Delivered Lot from Sodom.
   • Ask a volunteer to read Genesis 19:12-14.
   • Ask: “What did the angels say to Lot?” (they asked about Lot’s family and told him to get them all out of the city; they told Lot they were going to destroy Sodom because of its extreme sinfulness).
   • Ask: “What happened when Lot tried to get his sons-in-law and their wives (his daughters) to leave Sodom?” (they thought he was crazy and refused to go).
   • Tell the students verse 14 is one of the saddest verses in the Bible. Lot lived in Sodom for many years, giving tacit approval to its vices by his very presence. When he tried to warn his sons-in-law that God was going to send judgment they laughed in his face.
   • Read the third question written on the board.
   • Tell the class one of the dangers of associating with sinful people is losing your influence with your family.
   • Read Genesis 19:15-26.
   • Lecture on those verses using the following outline:
     • In the morning the angels told Lot to take his wife and two unmarried daughters and leave Sodom.
     • Lot lingered, hesitant to leave the city. The angels took them all by the hand and brought them out of Sodom.
     • The angels told them not to look back, but to flee to the mountains.
     • Lot bargained with the angels, asking if they could go instead to a nearby small town, Zoar (locate on the Map of Canaan).
     • When they got to Zoar God rained down fire and brimstone (burning sulphur), destroying Sodom and Gomorrah, all their inhabitants, the plain, and all the vegetation.
     • Lot’s wife disobeyed the angels’ instructions (v. 17) and looked back toward Sodom. She was instantly transformed into a pillar of salt.
   • Read the second question written on the board.
   • Tell the students one of the costs of sin and compromise is losing your family
   • Summarize: God delivered Lot and his two unmarried daughters from the destruction of Sodom, but he lost his wife, his married daughters, his sons-in-law, and any grandchildren he had.
6. The Rest of the Story.
   • Read Genesis 19:27-28.
   • Even though Abraham was 35 miles away, he saw the smoke of Sodom and Gomorrah ascending like smoke from a great furnace. This was a huge fire!
   • Tell the class that Lot and his two daughters left Zoar, went up into the mountains, and lived in a cave.
   • Explain that the daughters thought there were no more men left on earth, so they got their father drunk, had incestuous relations with him, and gave birth to children whose descendants would be Israel’s enemies, the Moabites and Ammonites.
   • Summarize: Lot had an incestuous relationship with his two remaining daughters. They gave birth to Moab and Ammon.

PERSONAL APPLICATION: Ask: “When you look at the sinful world in which we live, do you ever wonder how wicked humans can get?” Tell the students the depths of man’s depravity are vividly illustrated in this lesson through the actions of the men of Sodom, Lot, and Lot’s daughters.

Read the questions written on the board and ask the class to give answers to each one based on today’s lesson. They should name some of the following answers:

• Why do people sin? They don’t believe God (Gen. 18:12-14), or they are allured by the fleeting pleasures of sin (Heb. 11:25), or they don’t believe God will judge their sin.
• What are some of the costs of sin? Death, destruction, perversity, broken family relationships, heartache, being alone, and reminders of your sinful behavior for the rest of your life.
• What are some dangers of associating with sinful people? You will become like those you spend time with. You will become accustomed to and accept their wicked behavior. You may even adopt some of their wicked practices. You will lose influence with your family. You may be left with nothing.
• If you choose to sin today, how long might the results of that sin be with you?       Lot’s two sons reminded him for the rest of his life of his incestuous relationships with his daughters.

Ask: “Why did God spare Lot and his immediate family?” (simply because of His love and mercy toward Abraham – Gen. 19:29).

Remind the class of the old saying: sin will take you farther than you ever wanted to go, keep you longer than you ever wanted to stay, and cost you more than you ever wanted to pay.

Tell the students today they have discovered some consequences of sin and sinful associations. Ask them to commit to turn away from their sin and break any sinful associations they might have. Voice a closing prayer.

CONCLUSION: Encourage the students to follow through on the commitments they have made today. Tell them next week’s lesson is about the birth of the son God promised to give Abraham.