International S. S. Lessons.
By Editor
"So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading." —Neh. 8:8 Lesson VII.—Sunday, February 18, 1894.
[Note.—The questions which follow are merely suggestive for the student on the leading points of the lesson; it is presumed that the thorough student will think of many more as he studies the subject. References, where verses alone are given, always refer to the lesson scripture printed above. All other references are given in book, chapter, and verse. The text printed is that of the Revised Version, not because it is especially preferred, but because it is not found in every family, as is the common version.] 22. And the men turned from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the Lord. 23. And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou consume the righteous with the wicked? 24. Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city; wilt thou consume and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? 25. That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked, that so the righteous should be as the wicked; that be far from thee; shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? 26. And the Lord said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sake. 27. And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes; 28. Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous; wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, I will not destroy it, if I find there forty and five. 29. And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for the forty's sake. 30. And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak; peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there. 31. And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord; peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the twenty's sake. 32. And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once; peradventure there shall be ten found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the ten's sake. 33. And the Lord went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham; and Abraham returned unto his place. Golden Text.—"Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" 1. Give a synopsis of the first twenty-one verses of Genesis 18. Note 1. 2. As two of the angels went from Abraham, which way did they go? Verse 22. 3. Who remained with Abraham? 4. How did Abraham address the Lord? Verses 23, 24. 5. How did he plead God's mercy and justice? Verse 25. 6. How did the Lord answer him? Verse 26. 7. For how many righteous persons did Abraham then plead that the Lord would spare Sodom? Verses 27, 28. 8. What was the Lord's reply? 9. What was the result of Abraham's plea for forty's sake? Verse 29. 10. What was the next number for which Abraham plead? Verse 30. 11. What did he then ask of the Lord? Verse 31. 12. What was the limit of the number? Verse 32. Note 2. 13. After Abraham's prayer, what did the Lord do? Verse 33. Note 3. 14. Was the city of Sodom spared in answer to Abraham's prayer? Note 4. 15. Of what are the times of Sodom a type? "Likewise even as it came to pass in the days of Lot; they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; but in the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all; after the same manner shall it be in the day that the Son of Man is revealed." Luke 17:28-30. 16. Of what is the fate of Sodom a type? "Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them, having in like manner with these given themselves over to fornication, and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the punishment of eternal fire." Jude 7.
"And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, having made them an example unto those that should live ungodly; and delivered righteous Lot." 2 Peter 2:6, 7. 17. What may we learn from this? "The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished." 2 Peter 2:9, Common Version. 18. What question was asked by Abraham? Golden text. 19. How will it be answered by all the righteous when the punishment of the wicked is past? Note 5.
"And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and222the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are thy works, O Lord God, the Almighty; righteous [just] and true are thy ways, thou King of the ages." Rev. 15:3. 1. Shortly after the events of our last lesson three angels, one of whom was the Angel of God's presence, or the Lord Jesus Christ, appeared to Abraham as he sat in his tent door. With true Eastern hospitality, he welcomed and entertained them. They then told Abraham, who was at that time ninety-nine years of age, that Sarah, his wife, should bear him a son. We also have an account of Sarah's disbelief of what the angel said. In this scripture we have revealed the Lord's determination to destroy Sodom, because of its great and grievous sin, and also a fulfillment of what was afterward stated by the prophet, "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets." But the Lord declares he will make known to Abraham that which he will do. 2. Let not the Lord be angry.—Despite the large faith of men, of necessity their view is hedged around by human limitations. God is never angry with any genuine plea for mercy; and no human being was so anxious to spare Sodom as he was. Abraham evidently thought that in so large a city there would be fifty righteous people. And yet as he plead with the Lord, and saw with clearer vision as he drew nearer the divine presence, he doubtless realized more fully the wickedness of the city, and, therefore, the need of greater mercy. He at last asked the Lord to spare the city for ten's sake. That probably was about the number of Lot's family. Just as long as there are those in a city or nation who by their righteousness and faith can do that city or nation good, just so long God will spare it. 3. The angels to Abraham had a twofold message, first, that Abraham should have an heir—a wonderful encouragement to the man of faith—and, secondly, that his nephew, Lot, was in danger because of the destruction of Sodom. 4. Sodom had become so wicked that the ten righteous were not to be found there. To the urgent message of the angels, only Lot and two of his daughters took heed. The nineteenth chapter of Genesis, which the student should read, tells us that when Lot warned them, even his own relatives mocked him. And his wife was so corrupted with the base associations of Sodom that she looked back with longing upon the devoted city, and was herself destroyed. God did all he could for Sodom. Just as long as there was hope for its inhabitants, just so long God sent his message of mercy to turn them from their sins. But when Sodom became so identified with sin as to mock the very messengers of God, God, in his mercy to them and the future generations which might spring from them, could do nothing else but destroy them. 5. Just and true.—Such the righteous who see God's judgment on the wicked will declare him to be. He does all that infinite love can do to redeem men from their sin. All who will choose God and his ways will have a part in that great salvation. All who will not do this thereby identify themselves with sin. God loves the sinner, but he hates the sin, because sin is death and destruction. When, therefore, man identifies himself with sin so as to become a part of sin, he thereby chooses the finished work of sin, which is death. This will be the case in the great judgment day of God, and those who have identified themselves with sin will be destroyed as utterly as was Sodom. The "eternal fire" of Jude 7 burned up those cities with the wicked, as Peter says, turned them to ashes. The everlasting fire into which the wicked will be cast will burn them up root and branch; but the Lord will save all those who trust in him.