Before they had gone to bed all men from the city of Sodom young and old surrounded the house. They shouted to Lot "Where are the men who came to your home tonight? Bring them out so we may abuse them." Homosexuality was so characteristic of Sodom that it is still called sodomy. Lot stepped outside to talk to them. He shut the door behind him." I beg you my friends don't do such a wicked thing. Look, I have two daughters. I'll give them to you to do with as much as you wish. But leave these men alone. They are under my roof." Ancient hospitality obliged to protect his guest in every situation. "Get out of our way" they yelled " We let this man settle among us and now he tries to tell us what to do! We'll deal with you far worse than with those other men" they lunged at Lot and began breaking down the door.

But the two men inside the reached out and pulled Lot in and shut the door. They blind the men of Sodom. So they could not find the door. Then the men said to Lot " Do you have any relatives? Sons-in-law , sons and daughters ". He said " Get them out of here for we are going to destory this place. The outcry of the place has reached to heaven and God has sent us to destroy it. " So Lot rushed out to tell the men who were going to marry his daughters. He tried to explain them but the young men looked at him and thought he was crazy. As morning dawn the angels urged Lot to take his wife and two daughters and get out of here or he will be caught in the city's destruction. When he hesitated the two angels seized his hands. They also took hands of his wife and two daughters and led them safely outside the city, for the Lord was merciful to them.  Lot's hesitated perhaps because he didn't want to leave his material possessions. Ten righteous people were required to save Sodom had now been reduced to four. Their deliverance is due to their own mercy and not human righteousness. As soon as they brought them out, one of them said to run for their  , not to look back and run to the mountain's or you all will perish.

But Lot says to them, "No my lords, please you have been so kind to me and saved my life. You've granted me such mercy so let me flee to the little town over there instead of into the mountain." "All right", the angel said "I won't destroy the little town. But hurry! For I can't do anything until you are there". From that  the name of the town is Zoar which means little city.

The sun was rising as Lot reached the town. Then the Lord rained down fire and flaming tar from heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah. He utterly destroyed them, along with other cities towns and plains all life was wiped out. Lot's wife looked back as she was following along behind him and she became a pillar of salt. 

The morning Abraham was woke up early. He hurried out to the place where he had stood before the Lord. He looked out across the plain to Sodom and Gomorrah. In the distance he saw columns of smoke  and fumes, as from a furnance rising from the cities there. So God heeded Abraham's plea and kept Lot safe. He removed him from the rainstorm of death that engulfed the cities.

- Even when given number of 10 righteous people was not fullfilled the Lord still didn't let the righteous die. He saved Lot and his family.

- Lot's wife had disobeyed and due to that she had to suffer the same fate as the city of Sodom and Gomorrah. Obeying God give us peace and joy.

"Very well" they said. "Do as you have said."

So Abharam ran quickly to the tent and said to Sarah "Quick! Mix up some pancakes! Use your best flour and make enough for the three of them!" Then he ran out to the herd and chose a fat calf. He told a servant to hurry and butcher it. Soon, he took cheese and milk and the roast veal, and set it before the men. He then stood beneath the trees besides them as they ate. "Where is your wife Sarah?" they asked him. "In the tent," he replied.

Then the Lord said, " Next year I will give you and Sarah a son!" Sarah was listening from the tent door behind him. Now as both of them were very old and  she had already past the age of childbearing

So she laughed to herself as she couldn't believe that woman at her age and the husband similar to her age could together produce a child. So the Lord asked Abharam, "Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say 'Can an old woman like me have a baby?' Is anything too hard for the Lord? Next year,  just as I told you, I will see to it that Sarah has a son." But she denied laughing as she was afraid.

- if you want to be God's friend you need to be humble.

- you should have a heart to serve the Lord willingly just like Abharam. He could have easily called his servents but he served God by himself. 

- God's power isn't limited like us. He is an infinite being beyond time itself. 

- Trust is an important part of friendship. So if you want to build a friendship with Lord you need to trust him.

 

Abram agreed. This took place 10 years after Abram had come to Cannan for the first time. Back then it was a custom to sleep with the maid or a concubine if you weren't able to have a child from your wife. So that's how it is legal for him to have Hagar as his wife. But it is never been said that God accepted such a matramony. Here we can see by agreeing to what Sarai said, he listened but he never asked what God had to say in this matter. Sometimes as human beings we also face such a delamma. We don't ask what God wants and we try to bring the solution on our own. Instead we should  trust Him ,have faith in Him and trust in His promise.

So Abram slept with Hagar and she became pregnant. After that she started to behave very arrogantly towards Sarai. So she said to Abram "It's all your fault. Now this servant girl of mine despises. And it was I who let her be your wife. May the Lord judge you for doing this to me!. 'You have my permission to punish the girl as you see fit," Abram replied. So Sarai treated her badly and she ran away. The angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert along the road to Shur.

The angel said "Hagar, Sarai's maid, where have you come from? Where are you going?" She says "I am running away from my mistress". So the angel says"Go back to your mistress act as you should. For I will make you into a great nation. Yes, you are pregnant and your baby will be a son. You will name him Ishmael ('God hears'), because God has heard your woes. He will be as free and untamed as a wild donkey! He will be against everyone, and everyone will feel the same toward him. But he will live near the rest of his kin."

After this incident Hagar spoke of the Lord as"the God looked upon me." For it was He who appeared to her.For she thought,"I saw God and lived to tell it." Later that well was named "The well of the living one who sees me." It lies between Kadesh and Bered. So Hagar gave Abram a son. Abram named him Ishmael. Abram was 86 years old at that time.

- Try to always find what God wants you to do. So never try to runaway from your problems. Try to take advice from the Lord as it is the best advice you can get.

-  Remember, even when you are a part of someone's schemes God will not foresake you. He will provide something good from that bad situation.

- We should not blame each other when the idea doesn't work. As it was Sarai's idea and when the plan didn't work he blamed Abram. So we should take responsibility of our own actions.

These kings( of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela) joined their forces and mobilized their army in Siddim valley(that is the valley of the dead sea).For 12 years they were under the rule of king Kedorlaomer. But now in 13th year, they rebelled. 

In the Fourteenth year king Kadorlaomer and his allies went and defeated Rephaites in Ashteroah Karnaiam, the Zuzites in Ham, Emites in Shaveh Kiriathaim and Horites in mountain Seir, as far as El Paran near the desert. Then they turned back and went to En Mishpat(another name for Kedash). It means spring of judgement. It is called Meribah Kedash which means "quarreling at Kedash". They conquered the whole terrotery of the Amalekites, as well as the Amorites who were living in Hazazon Tamar.

 

Then king of Sodom, Gamorah, Admah, Zeboiim and Bela unsuccessfully attacked king Kadorlaomer and his allies in the Siddim valley. Now the valley of Siddim was full of tar, pits. The king of Sodom and Gamorah fled, some of the men fell into them and rest fled into hills. The four kings siezed all their goods and food  went away. They also took Lot and his possession with them as he was living in Sodom.Here we can see that Lot choice depend on his eye sight he never tried to find about the sin of those  people.

One of the person who had escaped came and reported to Abram. At that time Abram was living near the oaks belonging to Mamre the Amorite(brother of Eshcol and Aner, Abrams allies). When Abram came to know that Lot was captured he summoned all the men born into his househoulds.With them he chased their army as far as Dan. Here we can see generous natture of Abram He not only gave first choice to Lot but also he rescued him. He divided them and attacked the army from several directions. He also persued the fleeing  to Hobah, north of Damascus. He brought back all the loot that was been taken. He also rescued Lot and everything he owned.  318 trained men born in his household. It's a clear indication of Abram's great wealth. We don't know how large the army of the four kings were but Abram fought with only 318 house-hold servents. Still he brought back everything as God was with him.

As Abram came back after defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings with him. The king of Sodom came out to meet him. Then Melchizedek(king of righteousness) the king of Salem (Jerusalem), brought Abram bread and wine. He was the priest of God. So he blessed Abram by saying: "The blessing of the supreme God, Creator of heaven and the earth, be upon you, Abram. And blessed be God, who has given your enemies over to you".

So Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of all the loot Abram understood the principle of tithe . The king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give me the people and keep the goods for yourself". But Abram said to the king "I made a solemn promise to the Lord, the supreme God, creator of heavens and the earth. I will not take. So much as a single thread from you. Then you might say,' Abram is rich for what I gave him! '. All I'll accept is what these young men of mine have eaten. But give a share of the loot to Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre, my allies."

- First of all Abram gave Lot the chance to select the place he wanted to reside and second of all Abram saved Lot from the captivity of the four kings. He always played the role of the elder.

-Abram had 318 household servents who were able to fight . This shows how good of a leader Abram is as he is been able to handle the army with skillfulness.

- Abram didn't took any part from the loot as the credit of Abram's richness would go to the king of Sodom. Abram will take the credit of his richness only from God.

Now Lot who was moving about with Abram was  also a very wealthy person as he had flocks, herds and tents. There were too many animals but there wasn't enough pasture for everyone. So the herdsmen of Abram and Lot used to quarrel each other.Bethal and Ai did not have enough water or pasture for such large flocks and herds. At that time Cannanites and Perizzites were also living there. Perizzites may refer to rural inhabitants in contrast to city dwellers.

So Abram told to Lot, "Let's not have any quaralling between you and me, or between your herdsmen and mine, for we are brothers. I"ll tell you what we'll do

Choose any section of the land you want. I will take what's left. If you go to the left, I'll go to the right; if you go to the right I'll go to the left." Abram's action towards his nephew symbolize the verse Philippians 2:4 " Each of you should look not only to your own interests but also to the interests of others." After his journey to Egypt he learned to put his faith on God. He himself would not accept wealth except by the Lord's blessings.

Lot looked up and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan was well watered, like the garden of Eden, like the land of Egypt, toward Zoar. So Lot chose for himself the area of Jordan valley and set out towards the east. Both of them parted their ways. Abram lived in the land of Cannan while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and lived near the city of Sodom. Now the men of Sodom were wicked and they sinned greatly against  God. Here we can see that Lot wasn't well aware of the people living in the Jordan valley and so he settled there.

After Lot parted his ways with him, the Lord  God spoke to Abram. He said "Look as far as you can see in everyway. I am going to give it all to you and your descendents. And I am going to give you so many descendants that like dust, they can't be counted! Hike in all directions and explore the new land I am giving you. Then he moved his tent to the oaks of Mamre near Hebron. He built an altar to the Lord God there and worshipped Him."

- Its better to be a giver than a taker.

- Stop trying to act on your on own and let God make a way for you.

- There are many different types of insurance such as life insurance, general insurance which gives peace to our mind. But it is nothing when compared to the faith in Lord our God. As all the insurance always have some terms and conditions. But there aren't any terms and conditions when we put our faith in God.

- There are times when there is nothing left and the only thing that is left is to put our faith in God.