Lesson 10 – Sarah, Sodom, and Abimelech (Genesis 18-20)
Lesson 10 – Sodom and Gomorrah
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Scripture Passage: Genesis 18:1-20:18
This post and others in the series are adapted from the content of the lesson syllabus authored by group moderator Rob Perry. Content is for study and research only, not for other distribution without written permission. Contact the webmaster, Mike Foxworth.
OPEN IT
1. What is your favorite city or part of the country, and what do you like about it?
EXPLORE IT
2. Who visited Abraham, and how did Abraham respond to their visit? (Gen.18:2-8)
3. What did Abraham's visitors tell him, and how did Sarah respond to their message? (Gen.18:9- 12)
4. How did Sarah respond when the Lord confronted her? (Gen.18:13-15)
5. How did Abraham respond to the Lord's plan? (Gen.18:16-33)
6. Who visited Lot? (Gen.19:1-2)
7. How did the men in Sodom and Gomorrah treat Lot's guests, and how did Lot respond? (Gen.19:4-8)
8. What happened to the men surrounding Lot's house? (Gen.19:9-11)
9. When Lot and his family fled the city, what did his visitors tell them to do and not to do? (Gen.19:16-25)
10. Why did Lot leave Sodom at the last minute? (Gen.19:12-22)
11. What did Lot's wife do, and what happened to her? (Gen.19:26)
12. What did Lot's daughters do? Why? (Gen.19:30-38)
13. What did Abraham say about Sarah, and what happened as a result?(Gen.(Gen.20:1-2)
14. How did God speak to Abimelech, and what did He tell him? (Gen.20:3-7)
15. What did Abimelech do in response to what God told him? (Gen.20:8-10)
16. What explanation did Abraham give for what he did? (Gen.20:11-13)
17. What did Abimelech give Abraham, and what was Abraham's response? (Gen.20:14-18)
GET IT
18. In what ways do we become hardened by the evil around us?
19. How can we avoid falling into the sinful patterns that others consider good or normal?
APPLY IT
20. How can you resist becoming desensitized to sin in the culture around you?
Explore It Answers
This section is designed to prompt thoughts about how and why to derive each scripture-based answer, so the actual answer is based upon individual study and may not be fully disclosed here. Here, also, are parallel verses for the key scripture texts.
Biblical Answer 2
Who visited Abraham, and how did Abraham respond to their visit? (Gen.18:2-8)
Key Scripture: Genesis 18:2-8 | Parallel Texts: Romans 12:18; Proverbs 16:7; Matthew 5:9
Biblical Answer 3
What did Abraham's visitors tell him, and how did Sarah respond to their message? (Gen.18:9- 12)
Key Scripture: Genesis 18:9-12 | Parallel Texts: Psalm 24:1; Acts 17:28; Romans 14:12
Biblical Answer 4
How did Sarah respond when the Lord confronted her? (Gen.18:13-15)
Key Scripture: Genesis 18:13-15 | Parallel Texts: Romans 12:18; Proverbs 16:7; Matthew 5:9
Biblical Answer 5
How did Abraham respond to the Lord's plan? (Gen.18:16-33)
Key Scripture: Genesis 18:16-33 | Parallel Texts: Genesis 10:32; Deuteronomy 32:8; Acts 2:6-11
Biblical Answer 6
Who visited Lot? (Gen.19:1-2)
Key Scripture: Genesis 19:1-2 | Parallel Texts: Genesis 21:1-2; Romans 9:9; Hebrews 11:11
Biblical Answer 7
How did the men in Sodom and Gomorrah treat Lot's guests, and how did Lot respond? (Gen.19:4-8)
Key Scripture: Genesis 19:4-8 | Parallel Texts: James 1:19-20; Proverbs 15:1; Ephesians 4:31-32
Biblical Answer 8
What happened to the men surrounding Lot's house? (Gen.19:9-11)
Key Scripture: Genesis 19:9-11 | Parallel Texts: Romans 12:18; Proverbs 16:7; Matthew 5:9
Biblical Answer 9
When Lot and his family fled the city, what did his visitors tell them to do and not to do? (Gen.19:16-25)
Key Scripture: Genesis 19:16-25 | Parallel Texts: Psalm 24:1; Acts 17:28; Romans 14:12
Biblical Answer 10
Why did Lot leave Sodom at the last minute? (Gen.19:12-22)
Key Scripture: Genesis 19:12-22 | Parallel Texts: Galatians 3:8; Acts 3:25; Genesis 18:18
Biblical Answer 11
What did Lot's wife do, and what happened to her? (Gen.19:26)
Key Scripture: Genesis 19:26 | Parallel Texts: James 1:19-20; Proverbs 15:1; Ephesians 4:31-32
Biblical Answer 12
What did Lot's daughters do? Why? (Gen.19:30-38)
Key Scripture: Genesis 19:30-38 | Parallel Texts: Romans 12:18; Proverbs 16:7; Matthew 5:9
Biblical Answer 14
How did God speak to Abimelech, and what did He tell him? (Gen.20:3-7)
Key Scripture: Genesis 20:3-7 | Parallel Texts: Genesis 1:27; Genesis 9:6; James 3:9
Biblical Answer 15
What did Abimelech do in response to what God told him? (Gen.20:8-10)
Key Scripture: Genesis 20:8-10 | Parallel Texts: James 1:19-20; Proverbs 15:1; Ephesians 4:31-32
Biblical Answer 16
What explanation did Abraham give for what he did? (Gen.20:11-13)
Key Scripture: Genesis 20:11-13 | Parallel Texts: Deuteronomy 32:8; Acts 17:26; Revelation 7:9
Biblical Answer 17
What did Abimelech give Abraham, and what was Abraham's response? (Gen.20:14-18)
Key Scripture: Genesis 20:14-18 | Parallel Texts: James 1:19-20; Proverbs 15:1; Ephesians 4:31-32
Commentary Summary
In Genesis 18:1-20:18, Sodom and Gomorrah highlights doctrinal themes such as God’s character, human accountability, and the certainty of His redemptive purpose. God's protection of Abraham is presented in this chapter but not in a way that excuses Abraham's repeated sin of deceiving others about his relationship to Sarah. The emphasis is theological, asking what the text teaches about creation, covenant, judgment, grace, salvation, and the trustworthiness of God. This summary is designed to identify the major truths being taught, not merely repeat the narrative details.
In Sodom and Gomorrah, the flow of Genesis 18:1-20:18 emphasizes practical faith, obedience, and response to God. Abraham offered Abimelech a flimsy excuse for his duplicitous portrayal of Sarah as his sister: that Sarah actually was his half-sister. The focus here is pastoral and applicational, showing how the lesson challenges the reader to trust, repent, endure, worship, and walk in obedience. This summary is intentionally more devotional and exhortational so it does not simply duplicate the doctrinal wording used in the other commentary summaries.
Within the broader storyline of Genesis and the Bible as a whole, Genesis 18:1-20:18 helps move forward the pattern of promise, failure, mercy, and restoration that runs through Scripture. Abimelech threw that attempt at self-justification right back at Abraham, telling Sarah to give the silver he gave to her to her brother. This summary is shaped to sound more like a Bible Project overview by emphasizing literary flow, biblical themes, and how the lesson contributes to the unified story of Scripture. The goal is to locate the passage in the wider narrative rather than repeat the same doctrinal or devotional emphasis.
Last Week
The climax of God's covenant concerning Abram's heirs is emphasized by the signs given to him as reminders: the change of his name to Abraham and of his wife's name to Sarah. Most importantly, the sign of circumcision will be a reminder not only to Abraham, but also to future generations. Circumcision, however, was not merely an outward sign.
This Week
Meaning God's protection of Abraham is presented in this chapter but not in a way that excuses Abraham's repeated sin of deceiving others about his relationship to Sarah. Abraham offered Abimelech a flimsy excuse for his duplicitous portrayal of Sarah as his sister: that Sarah actually was his half-sister. Abimelech threw that attempt at self-justification right back at Abraham, telling Sarah to give the silver he gave to her to her brother.
Next Week
The covenant people of God deserve eternal death in hell. To provide a substitute to take their place, God did not spare His own Son, His only begotten Son whom He loves. Christ Himself became the Lamb of God's provision.
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