THE LORD VISITS ABRAHAM

Genesis 18,19								Lesson 9
Key verse: 18:19

"For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his 
household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, 
so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him."

*GOOD NEWS FOR SARAH (18:1-15)

1.How did Abraham show hospitality to the guests?  Notice how his actions 
are described, the participation of his household, and the content of the meal. 
What does this event show about Abraham and his family?  About the Lord? 
About Abraham's relationship to the Lord?

2.What was the message of good news they brought?  
What was Sarah's response to the good news?  Did they want her to overhear?  
Why? How and why did the Lord rebuke her? What did he want her to learn? (9-15)

*ABRAHAM PLEADS FOR SODOM (18:16-33)

3.Why did the Lord decide to tell Abraham what he was about to do? (16-19) 
What was God's promise and what must Abraham do to claim that promise? (18-19)

4.What did the Lord tell Abraham about Sodom?  What is the implication of verse 21?  
What important lesson about God should Abraham's descendants learn from God's 
dealing with Sodom?

5.What was Abraham's prayer topic?  Why was he so concerned about Sodom?  
What does this show about him?

6.How many times is the word "righteous" or "right" repeated in Abraham's prayer?  
What was the basis of his request to God?  What did he say about himself? What 
can we learn about prayer from him?  What can we learn about God from this conversation?

*THE LORD DESTROYS SODOM (19:1-38)

7.How did Lot show hospitality to the 2 angels?  Compare and contrast Lot's 
treatment of the angels with that of Abraham.

8.How did the people of Sodom treat Lot and his guests?  Were there as many as ten 
righteous men in the city (4,5)? What can you learn in verses 1-9 about 
Lot's life in Sodom? (See 2Pe 2:7,8) How had Lot been influenced by the Sodomites?  

9.What did God's servants decide to do? How did Lot respond to the angel's warning? 
Why was it so hard for him to leave? What request did he make? Why? Why did he finally leave? What does this show about God's grace? What happened to Sodom? To Lot's wife? Why was Lot spared? 

10.What was the problem of Lot's daughters?  How did they rationalize their sin?  
Are there any modern parallels?  What was the tragic fruit of this family?  
What can you learn from contrasting the faith and lives of Abraham and Lot?