There is a verse just three verses before this passage that indicates that something is about to happen. Chapter 18:16-17 says, "When the men got up to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way. Then the LORD said, 'Shall I hide form Abraham what I am about to do?'" I definitely think that God is referring to the destruction that's about to happen. I wonder why he would feel he needed to hide it from Abraham? Would it be too much for him to handle? Is it because Abraham knows that Lot is there?
As the reading begins, God wants to visit Sodom to see if the outcry about Sodom is as bad as what he's been hearing. It says that the men head to Sodom, but Abraham remains standing before the LORD. And this is where he begins bargaining. He asks if God will really sweep away all of Sodom, the righteous with the wicked? He asks, if there are 50 righteous people, will he forgive them and spare them? Abraham has some pretty bold language here, saying "Far be it from you to kill the righteous with the wicked- treating the righteous and the wicked alike! Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?" (ch. 18 vs. 25) Such a bold statement to make before the God of the heavens and earth! But God hears him. He will spare the whole city if 50 righteous are found. Abraham carries on with this bargaining until he gets it down to 10 righteous. And God agrees. If as little as 10 righteous people are found in Sodom, God won't destroy it. Deal.
The two angels approach the city. Lot is at the gates. They say they'll spend the night in the square and he pleads with them to come to his house. While there, the men of the city surround the house, call out to Lot and tell him to bring out the men so they can have sex with them. Lot pleads with them, and even offers his OWN DAUGHTERS, who are virgins, for the men to sleep with. His two daughters, who we later find out are already pledged to be married. But they insist, they want the men that entered the town. They even try to break down the door. The angels reach out and pull Lot back in, and then tell him he must leave the city with his family, as they are going to destroy it. The sons-in-laws don't believe Lot, and he hesitates, but the angels grab his hands, and the hands of his wife and daughters and lead them out of the city. They tell him to flee, not to look back. Then the LORD rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah and kills every living thing there, including vegetation. Lot's wife looks back on the city, and is turned into a pillar of salt.
The next morning, Abraham saw the smoke rising from the cities. But God kept his promise by sparing the lives of Lot and his daughters. They settled in the mountains. I have no idea why the next part is in the Bible, or if it was even considered wrong in this day and age, but the daughters became concerned they they couldn't continue their family line without males around. So they both get their father, Lot, drunk and sleep with him and get pregnant. So strange.
In Genesis 20, we see that Abraham moves on again. And ONCE AGAIN, he tells Sarah to say that she is his sister. And once again she is taken by a king, Abimelech. (Isn't she like 100 now??) But the king doesn't touch her, and when God warns him that he has taken a married woman and is as good as dead, the king pleads with God saying he did it under a clear conscience. God agrees and says to return Sarah. Abimelech does and asks Abraham why he would do such a thing. Abraham goes so far as to say that she IS his sister (she is his half sister), but the point of the matter is that she's first and foremost his WIFE. Abraham prayed for Abimelech's family and God reopened their wombs, which he had closed because of Sarah. What I don't understand is why God didn't punish Abraham?
Sarah does have a son, they name him Isaac, and at a feast where they are blessing him, Ishmael (the son of the slave named Hagar) is mocking Isaac. Sarah wants to have him gotten rid of. But this bothers Abraham, because Ishmael is also his son. God again promises that he will make Ishmael into a great nation, and so Abraham sends him off with his mother into the desert with water. When the water runs dry, Hagar thinks they will die. Ishmael starts to cry and God hears him. They see a well, are saved, and God continues to watch over him for the rest of his life. He becomes an archer, and the father of many nations.
This is also the chapter where God tests Abraham by asking him to sacrifice his son. Abraham goes through with all the plans, and has his son bound on the altar with his knife raised when God steps in. He says to Abraham that He knows he fears the LORD and not to lay a hand on the boy. He provides a ram for the sacrifice instead of Abraham's son.
Matthew 6:25-7:29
Do not worry about your food or clothes. Life is more important. The birds trust God to provide for them and you are more valuable than the birds. "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (ch. 6 vs. 33-34) Do not judge, or you will be judged. Don't look at the speck in someone else's eye when you've got a log in your own. Watch out for false prophets. You will recognize them by their bad fruits. Every good tree bears good fruit. And every bad tree, bad fruit. "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, "Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me you evildoers'"
Psalm 8:1-9
LORD, your name is majestic over all the earth.
Even children and little babies praise you from their lips.
The heavens, the moon, the stars are all set in place by you.
How is it that you are even mindful of us, much less LOVE us??
You made us just lower than heavenly beings.
And we are crowned with glory and honor.
We are so unworthy!
You made us rulers over this vast creation.
Do we treat it well? Do we treasure it well?
Are we thankful? Do we take advantage of this gift?
You are MAJESTIC over all the earth.
May we understand that to its full extent and live in thankfulness.
Psalm 9:1-12
I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart.
To other people I will tell how wonderful you are.
I will be glad, rejoice and sing praises to you O MOST HIGH
You uphold me, even among my enemies.
You judge righteously.
Let me not doubt that.
You rebuke us. We need it.
You destroy the wicked. You are the Judge.
You reign forever.
You govern with justice.
The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.
Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you. (vs. 10)
We will proclaim your name among the nations.
Proverbs 2:6-22
The LORD gives wisdom.
He is a shield to those who walk blameless.
He guards the course of the just and protects the faithful.
THEN you will understand what is right and just and fair- every good path.
For WISDOM will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you.
Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men,
who leave the straight paths to walk in dark ways,
delight in wrong
rejoice in perverseness,
whose paths are crooked
and ways devious.
WISDOM will save you from the adulteress and the wayward wife
You will walk in the ways of good men,
stay on the righteous path.
As the reading begins, God wants to visit Sodom to see if the outcry about Sodom is as bad as what he's been hearing. It says that the men head to Sodom, but Abraham remains standing before the LORD. And this is where he begins bargaining. He asks if God will really sweep away all of Sodom, the righteous with the wicked? He asks, if there are 50 righteous people, will he forgive them and spare them? Abraham has some pretty bold language here, saying "Far be it from you to kill the righteous with the wicked- treating the righteous and the wicked alike! Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?" (ch. 18 vs. 25) Such a bold statement to make before the God of the heavens and earth! But God hears him. He will spare the whole city if 50 righteous are found. Abraham carries on with this bargaining until he gets it down to 10 righteous. And God agrees. If as little as 10 righteous people are found in Sodom, God won't destroy it. Deal.
The two angels approach the city. Lot is at the gates. They say they'll spend the night in the square and he pleads with them to come to his house. While there, the men of the city surround the house, call out to Lot and tell him to bring out the men so they can have sex with them. Lot pleads with them, and even offers his OWN DAUGHTERS, who are virgins, for the men to sleep with. His two daughters, who we later find out are already pledged to be married. But they insist, they want the men that entered the town. They even try to break down the door. The angels reach out and pull Lot back in, and then tell him he must leave the city with his family, as they are going to destroy it. The sons-in-laws don't believe Lot, and he hesitates, but the angels grab his hands, and the hands of his wife and daughters and lead them out of the city. They tell him to flee, not to look back. Then the LORD rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah and kills every living thing there, including vegetation. Lot's wife looks back on the city, and is turned into a pillar of salt.
The next morning, Abraham saw the smoke rising from the cities. But God kept his promise by sparing the lives of Lot and his daughters. They settled in the mountains. I have no idea why the next part is in the Bible, or if it was even considered wrong in this day and age, but the daughters became concerned they they couldn't continue their family line without males around. So they both get their father, Lot, drunk and sleep with him and get pregnant. So strange.
In Genesis 20, we see that Abraham moves on again. And ONCE AGAIN, he tells Sarah to say that she is his sister. And once again she is taken by a king, Abimelech. (Isn't she like 100 now??) But the king doesn't touch her, and when God warns him that he has taken a married woman and is as good as dead, the king pleads with God saying he did it under a clear conscience. God agrees and says to return Sarah. Abimelech does and asks Abraham why he would do such a thing. Abraham goes so far as to say that she IS his sister (she is his half sister), but the point of the matter is that she's first and foremost his WIFE. Abraham prayed for Abimelech's family and God reopened their wombs, which he had closed because of Sarah. What I don't understand is why God didn't punish Abraham?
Sarah does have a son, they name him Isaac, and at a feast where they are blessing him, Ishmael (the son of the slave named Hagar) is mocking Isaac. Sarah wants to have him gotten rid of. But this bothers Abraham, because Ishmael is also his son. God again promises that he will make Ishmael into a great nation, and so Abraham sends him off with his mother into the desert with water. When the water runs dry, Hagar thinks they will die. Ishmael starts to cry and God hears him. They see a well, are saved, and God continues to watch over him for the rest of his life. He becomes an archer, and the father of many nations.
This is also the chapter where God tests Abraham by asking him to sacrifice his son. Abraham goes through with all the plans, and has his son bound on the altar with his knife raised when God steps in. He says to Abraham that He knows he fears the LORD and not to lay a hand on the boy. He provides a ram for the sacrifice instead of Abraham's son.
Matthew 6:25-7:29
Do not worry about your food or clothes. Life is more important. The birds trust God to provide for them and you are more valuable than the birds. "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (ch. 6 vs. 33-34) Do not judge, or you will be judged. Don't look at the speck in someone else's eye when you've got a log in your own. Watch out for false prophets. You will recognize them by their bad fruits. Every good tree bears good fruit. And every bad tree, bad fruit. "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, "Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me you evildoers'"
Psalm 8:1-9
LORD, your name is majestic over all the earth.
Even children and little babies praise you from their lips.
The heavens, the moon, the stars are all set in place by you.
How is it that you are even mindful of us, much less LOVE us??
You made us just lower than heavenly beings.
And we are crowned with glory and honor.
We are so unworthy!
You made us rulers over this vast creation.
Do we treat it well? Do we treasure it well?
Are we thankful? Do we take advantage of this gift?
You are MAJESTIC over all the earth.
May we understand that to its full extent and live in thankfulness.
Psalm 9:1-12
I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart.
To other people I will tell how wonderful you are.
I will be glad, rejoice and sing praises to you O MOST HIGH
You uphold me, even among my enemies.
You judge righteously.
Let me not doubt that.
You rebuke us. We need it.
You destroy the wicked. You are the Judge.
You reign forever.
You govern with justice.
The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.
Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you. (vs. 10)
We will proclaim your name among the nations.
Proverbs 2:6-22
The LORD gives wisdom.
He is a shield to those who walk blameless.
He guards the course of the just and protects the faithful.
THEN you will understand what is right and just and fair- every good path.
For WISDOM will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you.
Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men,
who leave the straight paths to walk in dark ways,
delight in wrong
rejoice in perverseness,
whose paths are crooked
and ways devious.
WISDOM will save you from the adulteress and the wayward wife
You will walk in the ways of good men,
stay on the righteous path.
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