Memory Verse: 1 Thessalonians 5:25
Brethren, pray for us (KJV)
LESSON TEXT- GENESIS 13 V1-18, 14 V 8-24
Central Truth
God calls Christians to intercede for others.
The Lessons Outline
1. Intense intercession
A. God speaks to Abraham
B. Abraham speaks to God.
2. Perverted and Hopeless Place
A. The wicked men of Sodom
B. Lot rescued by Angels
3. Severity of God’s Judgement
A. Divinely ordered destruction
B. Warning to the ungodly
Teaching Goals
1. Impact and reinforce knowledge: lead Students in considering the biblical account Of Abraham’s bold but reverent intercessory Prayer on behalf of the people of Sodom.
2. Influence Attitudes: help students appreciate the Necessity and effectiveness of intercessory prayer, Exemplified in Abraham’s intercession for Sodom.
Influence Behaviour: encourage students to persevere in prayer and to in clue intercessory prayer to God on Behalf of others in their daily praying.
Introducing the lesson
Write this on a marker board in two columns: Asking of God for one’s own needs. Asking of God on behalf of 0thers. Discuss the difference between seeking God for our own needs and for the Needs of others write their responses under the appropriate Columns. Then ask your students:”How much of your praying is devoted to intercession, or seeking God on behalf of the needs of others?” after responses, ask: which” do you think most of our Asking of God in prayer should be devoted to? Why?” discuss Reminding students that this lesson focuses on an exceptional example of intercessory prayer by Abraham.
Commentary and Application
1. Intense Intercession
A. God Speaks to Abraham
The Lord, accompanied by two angels, and all three in the form of men, appeared to Abraham to tell him about the forthcoming birth of Isaac. After the Lord and the two angels had eaten, they stood, looked in
the direction of Sodom (to the east) and began to walk in that direction. Abraham, having no knowledge of the intention of the three regarding Sodom, walked a short distance with his guests ads they departed to bid them farewell.
Suddenly, a new subject emerged, as the Lord spoke to the two angels. With Abraham standing by listening, the Lord inquired of the angels (in something of a soliloquy), “shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do? Then the Lord spoke about Abraham’s character, describing him as a man who would influence his descendants to live righteously and do justice. Therefore, the Lord concluded He would not hide from Abraham His intention regarding Sodom.
The Lord’s description of Sodom’s impending doom left some hope that the city might yet be spared judgement. The Lord had received many reports of Sodom’s sinfulness (possibly by angels and the prayers of the righteous) and He had appeared in order to observe these reports. By describing His actions in this way to Abraham, the Lord illustrates
that and will not on the outcry of others.
Questions for Application
God appeared to Abraham as a man and conversed with him. Some believe this was a pre-incarnate manifestation of Christ to Abraham. How do you feel about this possibility?
The Lord disclosed to Abraham His intentions regarding Sodom in light of Abraham’s godly character. What does this suggest about the relationship between godly character and close communion with god?
B. Abraham speaks to God
As the two angels went on toward Sodom, before Abraham continued standing before the lord perhaps, indicating that he desired the lord’s attention. He wanted to offer intercession on behalf of the people of Sodom, so the lord remained to hear what he would say.
Genesis 18:23-33 records the most amazing descriptions of communion with God found in the Bible. Abraham inquired pointedly, “Will you seep away the righteous with the wicked? Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?” Abraham was not suggesting that God would be unjust. Rather, Abraham’s questions boldly appealed to God’s justice.
Abraham began his intercession for Sodom by asking god to spare the city if only fifty righteous people were found there. Then he gradually reduced that number until, finally, in answer to Abraham’s intercession, God said he would not destroy Sodom if only ten righteous people could be found in the city.
Questions for Application
How does one practise boldness in prayer while having reverence for God and humility? Explain, offering personal examples if possible.
Why do we need strong belief in God’s justice, mercy, and grace to intercede effectively for others, especially for those for whom there seems little hope they will every be saved?
Response to the Word
God speaks to us through his word. And Scripture invites us to speak to Him as well. Through prayer. By prayer we offer our petitions and intercessions. By our intercession for others, we honour an important part of our calling to be participants in the priesthood of all believers.
Take a moment to examine what priority you place on intercession. In what ways might you establish an even higher priority on intercession?
2. Perverted and hopeless place
A. The wicked Men of Sodom
As indicated, two angels travelled on to Sodom and were greeted by Lot, who was sitting in the gate of Sodom. The gate was an important gathering place in a city, and as a result many men from Sodom were likely present.
In keeping with custom, Lot invited the angels (whom he thought to be men) to stay overnight in his home. When they said they would remain outside on the overnight, Lot insisted, and o they consented and made their way to Lot’s home.
After being treated hospitably in Lot’s home, the two angels were preparing to retire for the night when the men of Sodom came to lot’s door, demanding that he bring out the two men who were his guests, so they could rape them. This evil demand regarding the two guests in lot’s home reveals the wickedness of the men of Sodom.
To dissuade them from their wicked actions, lot offered to bring out to them his two virgin daughters, so they could do to them according to their perverted desires. Some scholars suggests that he may have said this to shock the men, or in hopes that friends in the city would not allow his daughters to be brutalised.
The men of Sodom did not want women. Instead they wanted to satisfy their lusts by raping the two men in lot’s house. So they refused lots offer, threatened bodily harm. And intended to break through the door into his home.
Questions for Application
What evidence does you se that lot had not become fully corrupted by living in Sodom? What evidence do you see that lot was willing to violate his values to persuade the men of Sodom not to harm the men in his home?
Based on this passage, through what process of spiritual decline did the men of Sodom become so wicked that they would rape two men who were visiting their city?
B. Lot rescued by Angels
Suddenly, the two angels came to lot’s rescue. They pulled lot back inside, blinded the men, and shut the door. However, the, men of Sodom were so determined to gratify their perverted desires that they refused to leave.
With lot safely back inside his home, the angels informed him that the Lord hand sent them to destroy Sodom. The people of the city had become so evil that God would no longer withhold His judgement. However, the angels were also sent to take lot and his family out of the city before its destruction. God had not found ten righteous people in Sodom, for whose sake he could spare the city. Yet for Abraham’s sake, God would save lot and his family from the city.
Lot obediently went out, found the two men to whom his daughters were promised in marriage, and pleaded with them to come with him to escape the city. But they refused, believing lot’s warning was a joke or that he was ridiculing them. Their attitude revealed their sinful bond with Sodom as well as their lack of regard for the Lord, the God of Lot.
Question for Application
What was the mission of the two angels who went to Sodom and lodged in the home of Lot? What conclusions can you draw from this concerning the role of angels in relation to humans?
Although God did not find ten righteous people in Sodom, what does the fact that God sent two angels to save Lot and his family from destruction reveal about God’s nature and His regarded for intercessory prayer?
Response to the word
The gospel is good news. Every person who will believe in Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord will have everlasting life. However, God’s destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is a reminder that he will judge those who refuse to repent.
As you ponder this lesson, think about how a Christian should approach the subject of judgement in terms of how we present the gospel. What is the right message? What is the wrong message?
3. Severity of God’s Judgement
A. Divinely Ordered Destruction
Early in the morning, the two angels hurried Lot’s family to a quick escape from Sodom, so as to avoid caught up in God’s judgement on the city. Yet they lingered to the point that the two angels had to forcibly lead them out of the city. One of the angels told them to leave the plain completely by escaping to the nearby mountains. They must not even look back.
Initially, lot was afraid he could not make it to the mountains and was thus permitted to shelter in the town of Zoar. But later they left Zoar and found a cave in the mountains where they had been commanded to go.
After sunrise, lot and his daughters arrived in Zoar-but without lot’s wife because she had looked back with desire and regret toward Sodom and in judgement, had become “pillar of salt”. This may indicate she was caught up in the rain of sulphur that accompanied the judgment on Sodom.
On the morning of Sodom’s destruction, Abraham got up early and went to the place where he had made intercession for the city to be spared destruction. As he looked in the direction of the five cities of the plain, smoke was ascending form them. Abraham realise his intercession had not saved Sodom from being destroyed; God had not found ten righteous people there. But later, Abraham learned that his intercession had prevailed with God to save lot from the city.
Questions for Application
Why do you think lot and his family hesitated to leave Sodom in spite of its extreme evil-even in the face of its destruction? What does this say about how attached people can become to the world? What warning should we take from this?
Although Sodom was not spared, God answered Abraham’s prayer by saving lot from the city. In what way is this instructive for us to understand the ways in which God may choose to answer our prayers?
B. Warning to the Ungodly
In 2 peter 2 we read that God exercised his righteous judgement against Sodom and Gomorrah for their wickedness y destroying these cities. The apostle peter cited their destruction as a warning to the ungodly, that they will not escape divine judgement if they refuse to repent. In particular, peter spoke to the certainty that god’s judgement
would fall on false teachers in the church, and those who follow their evil ways.
Despite lot’s foolish choice to live in Sodom, he was a righteous man, distressed by the filthy manner of life of the wicked. Peter concludes that God’s destruction of Sodom, and his deliverance of lot from that destruction, demonstrated that “the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgement”.
Questions for Application
The bible often speaks of God acting in judgment against the ungodly. For what purpose would you say God acts in judgement?
Why do you think peter cited the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah as a warning to the ungodly? By what means are the ungodly to be informed of this warning, assuming they do not read or believe the bible?
Response to the word
In pondering the severity of God’s judgement against the ungodly, keep in mind that God’s justice and wrath are as much a part of his holy and perfect nature as are love, mercy, and grace. Since God has granted to us the freedom to choose either to do good or evil, how should a Christian approach the topic of judgement?
Think about the ways you might respond to the spiritual needs of the lost. There is intercession. You can present the gospel of Christ. You can inform them as to why they need to be saved. Pray that God will lay a burden for the lost upon you heart. Then in his guidance, act on their behalf with prayer and evangelism.
Call to discipleship
We often speak of the importance of intercession for the lost, only to fall short of practising this important spiritual discipline. This week, be intentional about making a list of people for whom you need to then setting aside regular time to pray for each person on this list.
Ministry in action
Take time at the end of class to pray for the lost in your community. This could include praying for both individuals who need salvation as well as ministries that do the work of evangelism.
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