Lesson 8: Living Righteously in a Wicked World

“Lesson 8: Living Righteously in a Wicked World,” Old Testament Class Member Study Guide (2001), 6

“Lesson 8,” Old Testament Class Member Study Guide, 6

Lesson 8

Living Righteously in a Wicked World

Study the following scriptures:

Genesis 13. After living in Egypt for a time, Abraham and his family return to Canaan. Abraham settles in Hebron, and his nephew Lot settles near Sodom.
Genesis 14:1–2, 8–24. Lot is taken captive and is rescued by Abraham (14:1–2, 8–16). Abraham pays tithes to Melchizedek and refuses to accept the spoils of war from the king of Sodom (14:17–24).
Genesis 18:16–33; 19:1–29. The Lord says that he will destroy Sodom and Gomorrah because of the people’s wickedness (18:16–22). Abraham pleads with the Lord to spare the cities if he can find righteous people living there (18:23–33). Lot and his family are commanded to leave Sodom (19:1–23). The Lord destroys Sodom and Gomorrah (19:24–29).

At first Lot “lived in the cities of the plain,” outside Sodom, but he “pitched his tent toward Sodom” (Genesis 13:12). Later he lived in the city of Sodom itself (Genesis 14:12). What things might we do that are the spiritual equivalent of pitching our tents toward Sodom?
What did Abraham ask when he learned that the Lord was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah? (See Genesis 18:23–32.) What do we learn from the fact that the Lord would spare the cities if righteous people could be found in them?