10. Sodom & Gomorrah destructed - سدوم اور عمورہ تباہ
Genesis 19
Do you remember that Abraham took the visiting angels a little way away? Then the angels said that they wanted to see with their own eyes how wicked the people were in Sodom and Gomorrah, for God wanted to destroy the city. Then Abraham had asked: if there are still 10 good people living in that city, will You destroy that city too? No, God had said, then I will spare that city for the sake of those ten good people.
The next morning, Abraham got up and walked outside. He saw smoke and fire in the distance. He was startled; there was the place where his cousin Lot and his family had gone to live. Oh, so God is going to destroy those cities after all... Abraham understood that those cities were on fire in the distance. So there weren't even 10 good people in that city. Abraham knew that God would not be mocked. If people commit sins, evil things, then punishment will come. And evil things were happening. Instead of honoring God, those people served idols; sexual abuse was very common, and they did not think of the poor people who had no money to buy food, they were filled with cruelty . But what about Lot’s cousin? Abraham had prayed so hard for his salvation. He was troubled and sad... and when Sarah heard this, she was sad too. They hoped so much that Lot had been saved by God.
Abraham and Sarah did’nt yet know that God has thought of Lot. God has heard Abraham’s prayers.
God had sent two angels to warn Lot and his family to run away fast and not look back. But Lot found it difficult to leave. Lot’s wife also did not feel like fleeing. They both liked to live in this region with its fertile green meadows. Lot hesitated. Would something so terrible really happen to the city? His daughters’ boyfriends laughed at Lot and said that Lot was joking.
But the angels took Lot, his wife, and his two daughters by the hand and said: “Come, flee for your lives, do not look back and do not stop anywhere. Flee to the mountains, right now and quickly! Otherwise, things will go wrong.” The destruction of the city with burning sulfur from heaven had begun.
Lot’s wife could not do it. She loved that city so much. She would miss her friends, her home. She could not say goodbye to it. She did stand still and looked back. After all, the angels had warned that things would go wrong then. But in her thoughts, she was bound to that city. And then fire, salt, and sulfur came upon the city and also upon Lot’s wife. She became a pillar of salt: She died as she stood there, covered with a thick layer of salt and sulfur.
Later in history, Yeshua/Jesus was on earth, and He said that He would come at the end of world history to bring judgment, a punishment, upon this earth. He warned: Beware then, do not be like Lot's wife.
At that moment, do not look back at the sinful life, but go immediately to where I call you. For if you want to hold on to the evil life, just like Lot's wife, then you will die. But if you follow Yeshua/Jesus, hold on to Him, then you will live.
Lot and his two daughters fled further to the small town of Zoar. Later, he went to live in a cave in the mountains with his two daughters. They were saved from judgment.
In this day and age, the place where Sodom and Gomorrah in Israel long ago formed a great, beautiful city has now turned into a sea of very salty water. It is the deepest place on earth. The water of that sea is extremely salty. Fish and plants cannot live in that water. Nor do plants grow around that water.
If you go wading there, you notice that the water lifts you up. You can simply float without drowning. You cannot swim there. There is no water like this anywhere else on earth. It still smells of sulfur.
This place in Israel is a warning to all people that one day Jesus will come to punish evil. But most of all. He wants to save you and me from this world to belong to Him. So if you hear His voice, do what He says. He loves you. You will be spared.
Questions?
Questions for children based on the story of **Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19)**:
**Story Comprehension**
- What did Abraham ask God: "If there are still **10 good people** in the city, will You destroy it too?" What did God answer?
- What did the two angels tell Lot and his family to do? What did they warn them **not** to do?
- What happened to Lot's wife when she looked back?
- Where did Lot and his two daughters flee to?
- What did the two angels take Lot, his wife, and his daughters **by** to get them moving?
**Thinking & Reflection**
- Why do you think Lot's wife looked back? What do you think she was missing?
- Why do you think Lot's daughters' boyfriends laughed at Lot? What would *you* have done if you were one of the daughters?
- Why do you think Abraham was so sad when he saw the smoke in the distance?
- The angels said, "Flee for your lives." Why do you think it's sometimes hard to leave something behind, even when you know you should?
**Connection to Today**
- The story says that where Sodom and Gomorrah once stood, there is now a very salty sea where nothing can grow. Why do you think the writer mentions that?
- Jesus said, "Do not be like Lot's wife." What does that mean for us today?
- The story ends with God wanting to save people. How does that make you feel?
**Creative**
- If you were one of the two angels, how would you convince Lot to leave quickly? What would you say?
- Draw or describe what you imagine the "pillar of salt" looks like.
- Write a short letter from Abraham to Lot, telling him he's safe now.
Maak jouw eigen website met JouwWeb