Lot's Wife and Daughters
Lot's wife made some really bad decisions. When we studied Eve and Sarah, we saw God become gracious when these women made bad decisions. However, Lot's wife did not receive the grace that the other women did. I believe God wants to send a strong message through Lot's wife. Let's discover what that message might be.
Day 1: This will be background for the story of Lot and his wife and daughters. This is where Abraham and Lot were leaving together after God called them to leave their homes.
Read Genesis 13:5-13
5 And Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents, 6 so that the land could not support both of them dwelling together; for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together, 7 and there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram's livestock and the herdsmen of Lot's livestock. At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were dwelling in the land.
8 Then Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left.” 10 And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.)11 So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed east. Thus they separated from each other. 12 Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom. 13 Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord.
Lot and Abraham broke apart to avoid any fights between their men. They were competing for land. Notice that Lot chose the land that seemed fertile for himself. This reveals a bit of selfishness in Lot. We also see that Sodom was wicked. This is even before God has talked to Abraham about how sinful they are. They must have been in a pattern for sin for a long time. What is interesting is that Lot chose the beautiful landscape even with the sinners there. I'm not sure if Lot knew that the people of Sodom were great sinners or not, but I think that if they were well known throughout the land for their sin, Lot probably would have heard about it. This is the beginning of a big mistake for him. His selfishness lead his family down the wrong path.
Read Genesis 14: 8-24
8 Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) went out, and they joined battle in the Valley of Siddim9 with Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar, four kings against five. 10 Now the Valley of Siddim was full of bitumen pits, and as the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some fell into them, and the rest fled to the hill country. 11 So the enemy took all the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their provisions, and went their way. 12 They also took Lot, the son of Abram's brother, who was dwelling in Sodom, and his possessions, and went their way.
13 Then one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, who was living by theoaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and of Aner. These were allies of Abram.14 When Abram heard that his kinsman had been taken captive, he led forth his trained men, born in his house, 318 of them, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. 15 And he divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and defeated them and pursued them to Hobah, north of Damascus. 16 Then he brought back all the possessions, and also brought back his kinsman Lot with his possessions, and the women and the people.
Abram Blessed by Melchizedek
Possessor of heaven and earth;20 and blessed be God Most High,
who has delivered your enemies into your hand!”
Abraham Intercedes for Sodom
God Rescues Lot
God Destroys Sodom
Below is the blank study that you can use if you would like to do it by yourself without my opinions.
Lot's Wife and Daughters
17 After his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley).18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) 19 And he blessed him and said,
“Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
And Abram gave him a tenth of everything. 21 And the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the persons, but take the goods for yourself.” 22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have lifted my hand to the Lord, God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth, 23 that I would not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’ 24 I will take nothing but what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me. Let Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre take their share.”
Abraham risks a good deal to save Lot. Note that previously, Lot took the better land for himself, but Abraham is willing to sacrifice over 300 men for Lot. Abraham's reaction to being saved is to give 10% of his earnings to the Lord. He wouldn't take anything from Sodom, however, because Sodom would claim that Abraham's riches came from him instead of being a gift of God. We should risk our stocks and our precious gifts for the sake of others. When we have blessings, we should give back a percentage to the Lord.
Day 2: This is more background on Sodom and Gomorrah and why the Lord decided to wipe them out.
Remember when the angels came and told Sarah she would have a son? Then she laughed, and God said that nothing is too hard for Him. This next section happens before God leaves Abraham and Sarah.
Read Genesis 18:16-33
16 Then the men set out from there, and they looked down toward Sodom. And Abraham went with them to set them on their way. 17 The Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, 18 seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19 For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.” 20 Then the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, 21 I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know.”
22 So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. 23 Then Abraham drew near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?”26 And the Lord said, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”
27 Abraham answered and said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. 28 Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?” And he said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.”29 Again he spoke to him and said, “Suppose forty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of forty I will not do it.” 30 Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found there.” He answered, “I will not do it, if I find thirty there.”31 He said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it.” 32 Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.” 33 And the Lord went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.
Notice that God sent the same three men as inspectors. He wants to see if their "outcry" is as bad as he thinks it is. Abraham takes time to plead for a few people. When he does so, he treads carefully. Each time he asks for something, he humbles himself before the Lord and confesses that God will do what he wants. God responds to Abraham's plea by admitting that he will save 10 righteous if he can find them in the city. Abraham continues to pray for the city to be sure that God will save whoever is holy there. God's response each time is that he will do it. What can we learn from this? I think I can learn that God does listen to us, especially when we humble ourselves before Him and ask for something without relinquishing our hope. Is there someone you need to pray for today repeatedly with a humble heart?
Day 3: Know that Lot is Abraham's nephew, but Abraham considers him a brother. Also, notice that anyone who is sitting at the gateway of the city is of high status in the city. Also remember that the angels are coming to see if there are even 10 people worth saving in the city as God promised Abraham.
Read Genesis 19:1-29. This is the meat of the story.
19 The two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them and bowed himself with his face to the earth 2 and said, “My lords, please turn aside to your servant's house and spend the night and wash your feet. Then you may rise up early and go on your way.” They said, “No; we will spend the night in the town square.” 3 But he pressed them strongly; so they turned aside to him and entered his house. And he made them a feast and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.
4 But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, all the people to the last man, surrounded the house. 5 And they called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, that we may know them.” 6 Lot went out to the men at the entrance, shut the door after him, 7 and said, “I beg you, my brothers, do not act so wickedly. 8 Behold, I have two daughters who have not known any man. Let me bring them out to you, and do to them as you please. Only do nothing to these men, for they have come under the shelter of my roof.” 9 But they said, “Stand back!” And they said, “This fellow came to sojourn, and he has become the judge! Now we will deal worse with you than with them.” Then they pressed hard against the man Lot, and drew near to break the door down. 10 But the men reached out their hands and brought Lot into the house with them and shut the door. 11 And they struck with blindness the men who were at the entrance of the house, both small and great, so that they wore themselves out groping for the door.
12 Then the men said to Lot, “Have you anyone else here? Sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or anyone you have in the city, bring them out of the place. 13 For we are about to destroy this place, because the outcry against its people has become great before the Lord, and the Lord has sent us to destroy it.” 14 So Lot went out and said to his sons-in-law, who were to marry his daughters, “Up! Get out of this place, for the Lord is about to destroy the city.” But he seemed to his sons-in-law to be jesting.
15 As morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be swept away in the punishment of the city.” 16 But he lingered. So the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, the Lord being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city. 17 And as they brought them out, one said, “Escape for your life. Do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley. Escape to the hills, lest you be swept away.” 18 And Lot said to them, “Oh, no, my lords. 19 Behold, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have shown me great kindness in saving my life. But I cannot escape to the hills, lest the disaster overtake me and I die. 20 Behold, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one. Let me escape there—is it not a little one?—and my life will be saved!” 21 He said to him, “Behold, I grant you this favor also, that I will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken. 22 Escape there quickly, for I can do nothing till you arrive there.” Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.
23 The sun had risen on the earth when Lot came to Zoar. 24 Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the Lord out of heaven. 25 And he overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. 26 But Lot's wife, behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.
27 And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the Lord.28 And he looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and toward all the land of the valley, and he looked and, behold, the smoke of the land went up like the smoke of a furnace.
29 So it was that, when God destroyed the cities of the valley, God remembered Abraham and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow when he overthrew the cities in which Lot had lived.
First of all, we see that all the men, young and old, came to the house to force the angels into sexual acts. This is what the Bible means when it says they wanted to "know" the men. Abraham asked for God to save 10 people of the town if he could find them, but everyone at this point was involved in this sick crime of raping angels! There is something significantly grotesque about this story. It probably has something to do with really holy people being taken advantage of, and it is intensely sad that ALL of the men in the town are doing this. Men should be the leaders of the town, and they are leading in the wrong direction.
Lot does his best to stand up to the people of the city. First, he offers his daughters--I'm not sure how we are supposed to feel about this. I think you can take it that he is willing to sacrifice his family for the angels, which is a good thing, but it is also a little extreme. Lot actually almost gives his life as the people of the town prepare to kill him for not allowing them to take the angels. The punishment to these men is that the angels blind them. Eventually, they are fried in the fire, but the angels blind them at first. This could be taken as a metaphor for the blindness they have towards God.
The angels say "the outcry to the Lord against its people is so great that he has sent us to destroy it." This tells us more about the character of God. He will not allow any peoples to be so utterly disgusting and engaged in sin so deeply. Previously, God destroyed the world in a flood because of such sin, and he is destroying a city as a result. This shows how holy and perfect God is, and it displays his great need for justice. He will not allow people to act this way.
Notice Lot's first response when the angels tell him to hurry up: he lingers. Why would someone linger when they know that the town is full of sin? This could indicate his connection to the city. The angels are merciful and drag him along. This is the second time angels have physically pulled Lot out of harm's way.
Lot's family was only lead out because "the LORD was merciful to them." God was merciful partially because of Abraham's prayer. Even though God promised to save 10, he ended up saving 4.
Notice the command the angels give. They tell the family to not look back or stop anywhere in the valley. Verse 26 seems so little, but it is such a big deal. Lot's wife looked back and became a pillar of salt. There are different ideas of what this might mean. Some say that Lot's wife "ate and drank and lived for the things of the world...Can we not conjecture that the fifteen-word Old Testament biography of Lot's wife was written for those who love the things of the world more than the things of the spirit, those who do not possess the pioneering courage to leave a life of ease and comfort and position for a life of sacrifice, hardship, and loneliness? Does not her biography also speak a message to those who are unwilling to flee from iniquity when all efforts to redeem iniquity have failed?" (Deen, Edith). This is a strong message to me as materialism has always been a struggle. I think God is making a big statement here about the cost of materialism. It can literally cause you to disintegrate. When we get the change to move forward toward salvation, many women are tempted to turn back and look towards material things we have left behind in our pursuit of holiness. We should not be tempted to look back towards those things. We should only look forward to the goodness of God. Earthly goods are temporary and they will pass, but God's gift is salvation if we will flee sin. The city of Sodom was full of sin and temptation. However, she was not willing to flee from that sin.
What can we learn here from Lot's wife? How are we meant to flee from sin and temptation? How should we respond to God's commands? We should turn from sin to salvation. We should run away without looking back when we are faced with sin, and we should remember that we are called to "Set [our] minds on things above, not on earthly things. For [we] died, and [our] life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is [our] life, appears, then [we] will appear with him in glory. Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming" (Col 3:2-6). We can tell from the story of Lot's wife that God does not take it lightly when someone values earthly things over a divine calling. In what ways are you looking back at earthy things instead of looking at the Lord?
Day 4: We will study Lot's daughters.
Read Genesis 19:30-38
30 Now Lot went up out of Zoar and lived in the hills with his two daughters, for he was afraid to live in Zoar. So he lived in a cave with his two daughters. 31 And the firstborn said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is not a man on earth to come in to us after the manner of all the earth. 32 Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve offspring from our father.” 33 So they made their father drink wine that night. And the firstborn went in and lay with her father. He did not know when she lay down or when she arose.
34 The next day, the firstborn said to the younger, “Behold, I lay last night with my father. Let us make him drink wine tonight also. Then you go in and lie with him, that we may preserve offspring from our father.” 35 So they made their father drink wine that night also. And the younger arose and lay with him, and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose. 36 Thus both the daughters of Lot became pregnant by their father. 37 The firstborn bore a son and called his name Moab. He is the father of the Moabites to this day. 38 The younger also bore a son and called his name Ben-ammi. He is the father of the Ammonites to this day.
Even though the angels originally told Lot to go to the mountains, he decided to go to Zoar. Then, he left and went to the mountains anyway!
In verse 31 they want to lie with him because they think there isn't anyone on earth left to have children with. This shows how they are trusting and relying on their own strength rather than relying on the Lord (remember how Sarah did this too when she told Abraham to lay with Hagar?). In any situation where people take matters into their own hands and away from God, it does not result in the good that we think it will. We have to be patient.
How drunk must Lot have been to have slept with his daughters without even knowing when she laid down and when she got up? This is another story to indicate the negative impact of drinking too much. People are more apt to take advantage of you, and you may not even know it happened.
What can we learn from these two daughters? How should we respond to the "manner" of the earth (aka. customs)? We should never go against the Lord's callings and commandments to follow the customs of the world. This has a great impact on me because it means I can't just say, "everyone spends money on running shoes." I need to really think about whether I am making decisions based on customs and culture or making decisions based on the Lord. I think it is difficult to see the line sometimes.
Note: the Moabites and the Ammonites fought with the Israelites. They were bad tribes throughout history, and they were born through Lot's family.
Should we take matters into our own hands and make sure to make things happen to us even if we have to risk sinning to do so, or should we wait on the LORD? Think about what you might need to trust God to take care of for you rather than taking matters into your own hands. What do you need to do to wait on the Lord? In what way are you giving into culture?
Day 5: Read Luke 17:28-36. Jesus is recalling the impact of Sodom and Gomorrah, and he shows how the destruction of these cities is similar to the destruction of the world.
28 Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, 29 but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all— 30 so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed. 31 On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back. 32 Remember Lot's wife. 33 Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it. 34 I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken and the other left. 35 There will be two women grinding together. One will be taken and the other left.”
When the end time comes, people will be eating and drinking, buying and selling, they will be consumed in the things of this world. What do you fill your time with, and where will you be when God decides to send his son back?
Our response to Christ's second coming should be to leave all of our earthly things behind. It is important to know that the less earthly things we have, the easier it will be to leave them. Jesus says we should learn from Lot's wife not to cling to the things we have gathered in this world.
Jesus actually is interpreting part of this for us. He is revealing to us that Lot's wife was consumed with her material goods. He tells us that people were eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building when the sulfur rained. This could imply that Lot's wife was consumed with these things, not with things of the LORD and serving Him, when the sulfur came. He also tells us that we should leave our material goods to live a sacrificial life for the LORD.
This is a great verse to keep us reminded of the ultimate vision. We should not be looking toward material things. We should be looking toward Jesus' coming and anticipating his arrival. We don't want to be caught eating, drinking, buying, and selling.
If we try to keep our life here, we will lose it, but it we try to let go of the life we have here, we will save our lives eternally.
What can we learn from Lot's wife? God calls us to not become invested in the world we live in. We should be invested in the world we seek to live in for eternity.
What can we learn from Lot's daughters? Wait on the Lord to give us the things that we need. Do not take matters into our own hands.
The following is questions and scripture without my opinions:
Day 1: This will be background for the story of Lot and his wife and daughters.
Read Genesis 13:5-13
Why did Lot and Abraham break apart?
What did Lot choose for his people? What does Lot's choice of land say about his character?
What do we know about Sodom? Who is living there?
Read Genesis 14: 8-24
What does Abraham risk to save Lot? Note that previously, Lot took the better land for himself, but Abraham is willing to sacrifice over 300 men for Lot.
What is Abraham's response to being saved?
Why would Abraham not accept anything from Sodom? Why do you think that the LORD required this promise?
Remember when the angels came and told Sarah she would have a son? Then she laughed, and God said that nothing is too hard for Him. This next section happens before God leaves Abraham and Sarah.
Day 2: More background.
Read Genesis 18:16-33
Notice that God sent the same three men as inspectors. He wants to see if their "outcry is as bad as he thinks it is.
What does Abraham do in response to God's anger?
What is God's response to Abraham's plea?
What does Abraham continue to do?
What is God's response each time Abraham asks a new question?
What can we learn from this?
Day 3: Know that Lot is Abraham's nephew, but Abraham considers him a brother. Also, notice that anyone who is sitting at the gateway of the city is of high status in the city. Also remember that the angels are coming to see if there are even 10 people worth saving in the city as God promised Abraham.
Read Genesis 19:1-29
Does the verse say what kind of many, or how many came to Lot's house?
Do you think it is important to know that it is males, not females, who surrounded the house in search of the angels?
What makes this story so grotesque?
Do you think Lot makes a good decision in standing up to the city?
What is your response to Lot's offering up his virgin daughters for the town?
What is the first punishment for the men who were seeking out the angels?
The angels say "the outcry to the Lord against its people is so great that he has sent us to destroy it." What do you think that means? What characteristics does this reveal to us about God?
What is Lot's first response when the angels tell him to hurry up? How do the angels respond when Lot hesitates? What do you think this shows about Lot that he won't leave Sodom? Note: this is the second time we see the angels saving Lot's life.
Lot's family was only lead out because "the LORD was merciful to them."
Notice the command the angels give.
Again, we see God's character here. What is He revealing to us about Himself with the punishment He gives Sodom and Gomorrah?
verse 26 seems so little, but it is such a big deal. Why was Lot's wife turned into a pillar of salt? Did she have a warning about not looking back?
What does Lot's wife looking back reveal about her character? What does this show about her feelings for a city so sinful that it has to be destroyed?
God remembered his promise, which is why Lot and his daughters lived--God actually only saved 3 people from an entire city.
What can we leaven here from Lot's wife? How are we meant to flee from sin and temptation? How should we respond to God's commands?
Day 4: We will study Lot's daughters.
Read Genesis 19:30-38
Even though the angels originally told Lot to go to the mountains, he decided to go to Zoar. Then, he left and went to the mountains anyway!
In verse 31 why do they say that they want him to lie with them?
How drunk must Lot have been to have slept with his daughters without even knowing when she laid down and when she got up? What does this reveal about the nature of drinking?
What can we learn from these two daughters? How should we respond to the "customs" of the world? Should we take matters into our own hands and make sure to make things happen to us even if we have to risk sinning to do so, or should we wait on the LORD?
Day 5: Read Luke 17:28-36
What were the people doing when fire and sulfur rained down from heaven?
What does God tell us our response should be to Christ's coming again?
What does Jesus think we should learn from Lot's wife?
Jesus actually is interpreting part of this for us. He is revealing to us that Lot's wife was consumed with her material goods. He tells us that people were eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building when the sulfur rained. This could imply that Lot's wife was consumed with these things, not with things of the LORD and serving Him, when the sulfur came. He also tells us that we should leave our material goods to live a sacrificial life for the LORD.
What does God tell us to take away from Lot's wife's story?
This is a great verse to keep us reminded of the ultimate vision. We should not be looking toward material things. We should be looking toward Jesus' coming and anticipating his arrival. We don't want to be caught eating, drinking, buying, and selling.
What can we learn from Lot's wife?
