Session 13
what Lot proposed to the angels.
18 But Lot said to them,
“No, my lords ?- ?please.
19 Your servant has indeed found favor with you, and you have shown me great kindness by saving my life.
But I can’t run to the mountains;
the disaster will overtake me, and I will die.
20 Look, this town is close enough for me to flee to. It is a small place.
Please let me run to it ?- ?it’s only a small place, isn’t it? ?-
?so that I can survive.”
21 And he said to him,
“All right, I’ll grant your request about this matter too and will not demolish the town you mentioned.
22 Hurry up! Run to it, for I cannot do anything until you get there.”
Therefore the name of the city is Zoar.
share reactions
to the fact that Lot said no to the angels,
which was the equivalent to saying no to God.
are there times when you have tried to negotiate with God?
How did it turn out?
Highlight the dangers of not completely following His directions for our lives.
people often make excuses for not obeying the things God asks us to do.
Emphasize that God was gracious to Lot as a fulfillment of His promise to Abraham.
Also point out that Lot’s conversation illustrates how people often approach God with their questions.
Zoar
After refusing to flee to the mountains, Lot proposed an alternative sanctuary, the nearby city of Zoar.
The town’s name literally means “small,” which fits Lot’s description.
Zoar, which has also been associated with the town of Bela (Gen. 14:2,8),
was also intended for destruction.
Despite that fact, Lot suggested that it was so small and insignificant that it could be spared for his sake
while the main objective of destroying Sodom and Gomorrah could still be achieved.
This is similar to Abraham’s request that God spare a wicked city for sake of a few righteous people.
While Lot was bargaining with the angels, he was actually bargaining with God.
This bargaining parallels Abraham negotiating with God over the destruction of Sodom.
The difference is that Abraham was speaking through his faith in God’s justice and mercy.
As noted, Lot was consumed with fear.
Lot was able to lead his family to safety before God brought His judgment upon Sodom and Gomorrah.
But it was more because of God’s grace than anything Lot or his family chose to do.