Session 1: The Household

Session Overview

Creedal Statement

Key Elements

• Key Passage: Genesis 15:1–19:38
• Scripture Memory: “Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain; unless the Lord protects the city, its watchmen stand guard in vain.” Psalm 127:1
• Catechism: Q: What institution is core to society and God’s work in the world? A: Family.

Introduction

The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the upright will flourish. There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death. Proverbs 14:11–12

The house of the godly is a little church, the house of the wicked a little hell … Oh incorporate yourselves into a religious family, the house of a good man is perfumed with blessing … Pious examples are very magnetical and forcible … Let us ingraft ourselves among the saints; by being often among the spices, we come to smell of them. Thomas Watson, The Art of Divine Contentment

In our efforts to understand Christian community, no more basic unit of human relationship exists than the family. When ordered after God’s design, the family is one of the most powerful contexts of faith formation. In a healthy family, children are nurtured to relate to other humans with genuine love and selfless affection. Husbands and wives are models of fidelity and loyalty for the next generation. Siblings are given years of practice in showing genuine love and self-lowering concern for others. The integrity of the family is uniquely designed to express its maturity in care for those outside of the family. A family can grow in relationships internally as it learns to care for those outside of the family.

But dysfunction in the family can exert an equal but opposite influence in the world. The absence of faith can set an entire generation on a trajectory away from God. Wrong views of marriage and sexuality can leave gaping wounds in the relational and emotional fabric of children. An imbalanced inward focus can cause family life to atrophy, while inattention to the culture of one’s family is a most devastating neglect. While the prospects of family life are abundant when rooted in God’s promises, the risks of devastation and heartache are acute when God’s design for family is neglected. To understand Christian community, we must understand the family unit as a basic environment where we can practice and develop a godly approach to interpersonal relationships.

The book of Genesis helps us understand the importance of family. In Genesis 15:1–19:38, we find a narrative of Abram (later named Abraham) and his family: a mix of faithful examples of family life and sad displays of faithlessness. Firmly rooting his family in faith, Abram believed God’s promises to make him into a father with many descendants and to give him the promised land of Canaan. Years without a child caused Abram and Sarai to doubt and distrust God’s plans for their family. The attempt to have children through Sarai’s servant highlighted the devastating effects of trying to approach family in one’s own design.

Eventually, God established his covenant with Abram through the sign of circumcision. So significant was this covenant that God changed the names of Abram and Sarai to Abraham and Sarah. Placing his family under the coverage of God’s covenant promises, Abraham used his family as an outpost to serve God’s purposes in the world. He welcomed strangers into his care in the practice of hospitality, he was given a mandate to instruct future generations in God’s ways, and he interceded on behalf of the righteous in Sodom. The wickedness of Sodom and the disgrace of Abraham’s nephew, Lot, expose the real threats that exist from building our families on values from the surrounding culture.

Family relationships are at the foundation of our faith formation and the well-being of society. To the extent that we establish our families in the faith, we prepare ourselves to enjoy God’s blessings. When we design our families after our own liking, we are preparing for our own demise. The stakes are high. Dysfunction in the home can have effects for generations to come. While Christians live in a different era than Abraham and Sarah, the principles of their family narrative are relevant to us today. In fact, for all of us who place our faith in Christ, we are part of Abraham’s family. What better way to order our home than to consider the displays of faithfulness in this story as examples and the moments of faithlessness as grave warnings in the building of a Christian home?

Biblical Interpretation: Hearing the Word

Study the Text: Christian disciples ground themselves in God’s inspired word. In this movement, you will study the details of the biblical text in order to accurately understand what God’s word says.

Observation Questions

Read (or listen to) the whole passage of Scripture. Discuss the questions below for each section of the story. Pay attention to the details of the text to recall what the passage is saying. Use the focus verses to guide your conversation.

Storycraft

Theological Dialogue: Discussing the Plot

Explore the Text: We grow as Christ’s disciples when we root our lives in the truth. In this movement, you will explore the important teachings of this biblical passage.

Discussion Questions

Have someone in your community share their summary of the biblical story. As a community, discuss the following questions together.

Biblical Commentary

Read the following commentary of the biblical passage. Use this explanation to help gain a better understanding of the biblical narrative and important biblical principles that the passage teaches.

Passage Introduction

Key Idea

The family is the basic unit of community life for faith formation and societal well-being.

Passage Overview

In God’s design, the family is a critical part of God’s unfolding purposes in the world. The interpersonal relationships formed in one’s family shape one’s perspective of community and faith throughout life. As with Abraham’s family, godly families are founded upon faith in God’s promises. When we chart our own course in family life, our defiance of God’s plan for the family will result in pain and hardship. These effects can last for generations. On the contrary, when we establish our families in a covenant relationship with God, our homes can become vehicles for God’s work in the world. Practicing hospitality, focusing on intergenerational impact, and interceding for the surrounding world are crucial ways families can be engaged in God’s mission. The sorrowful narrative of Lot and Sodom highlights the need for constant watchfulness as the surrounding culture seeks to attack and threaten the integrity of the family. Our commitment to godly relationships begins with a commitment to the family. As you learn about Abraham’s household, let his faithfulness instruct and his mistakes warn as you invest in this most special relationship domain of the family. Use the following commentary to help your thinking about the family to be rooted in biblical teaching.

Prizing Family as the Bedrock of Faith Formation

The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked, but He blesses the home of the righteous. Proverbs 3:33

For families, let Christ be the chief governor of the family … Let every one be as a house of Christ, to dwell familiarly in, and to rule. Where Christ is, all happiness must follow. If Christ goeth, all will go. Richard Sibbes, The Bruised Reed and Smoking Flax

Introduction

We can only hope to understand Christian community if we grasp God’s vision for the family. This is true not only because the church (as we will later see in this study) is God’s family, but also because human families are a foundational context where we come to learn a godly approach to relationships. In God’s design, he planned that one husband and one wife would marry in a covenant relationship. In a loving bond of promised faithfulness, they will bear children. These parents will raise their children in the ways of God and serve together in God’s mission. In so doing, a godly family has the potential of making an impact in surrounding society in its own day and for generations to come. To learn God’s ways of family life is to equip ourselves with one of the most powerful weapons for Christian living and mission.

In Genesis 15:1-19:38, we witness God’s interactions with the family of Abram (later renamed Abraham). Abram had faith in God’s promises and laid the most significant foundation for godly family life. In contrast, when Abram and his wife Sarai later defied God’s design for the family, they brought hardship and pain both into their family and into human history. Years later, God established his covenant with Abraham and his family through the sign of circumcision, showing that covenant relationship with God is a critical pillar to family life. Abraham’s family practiced hospitality to strangers, bore responsibility for establishing future generations, and interceded for those in Sodom. The demise of Sodom (and later dysfunction of Lot’s family) highlights how the family itself is under constant attack from the surrounding culture and how God’s people must be vigilant to resist such attacks.

In this story, we not only witness God’s specific dealings with Abraham but also God’s plans to use his family as part of his purposes in the world. The narrative is powerful in Abraham’s courageous displays of faith as much as it is disheartening for the ways people fail to realize God’s design for the family. Both of these extremes are important for our formation. While we must attend to faithful examples as models to be emulated, we must heed faithless examples as warnings by which to be cautioned. As we launch our journey into the basics of Christian community, may Abraham’s story help us sketch a picture of God’s design for this most precious unit of human relationship—the family.

He Believed the Lord: Faith as the Foundation of a Godly Home

Biblical Narrative (Genesis 15:1–21)

Some time after Abram rescued his nephew Lot by defeating opposing kings (cf. 14:1–24), God spoke to him in a vision (15:1). God told Abram to “not be afriad” because God was his “shield” and his “very great reward” (15:1). In the face of God’s promise of peace, protection, and prosperity, Abram voiced his concern to God about the fact that he had no child (only a servant named Eliezer) to be his heir (15:2–3). Even though Abram was childless, God told Abram that the servant would “not be [his] heir,” but he would eventually have a child of his own: “one who comes from your own body will be your heir” (15:4). God brought Abram outside and told him to try to number the stars (15:5). God told Abram that his offspring would become as numerous as the stars (15:5). At this, Abram “believed the Lord, and it was credited to him as righteousness” (15:6).

Not only did God promise Abram that he would have a child to be his heir, God also promised Abram that he would give him the land of promise as his possession (15:7). After Abram asked God how he would know that this would come to pass (15:8), God told him to “bring Me a heifer, a goat, and a ram, each three years old, along with a turtledove and a young pigeon” (15:9). Abram did as God said. Then, Abram cut the animals in half and laid the halves opposite of each other (15:10). Abram drove away birds that came to the dead animals (15:11). When the sun went down, Abram fell into a deep sleep (15:12). God told Abram how his offspring would be afflicted in a foreign land for four hundred years, how God would rescue them from that nation, and how this people would eventually prosper (15:14). Abram would die as an old man (15:15), but his people would eventually come back to take possession of the land (15:16). In addition to this word of promise, “a smoking firepot and a flaming torch appeared and passed between the halves of the carcass” (15:17) and God “made a covenant with Abram” (15:18), promising to give his offspring the promised land (15:18–21).

Biblical Principles.

Meaningful Place in Human History and the World. The family is of great importance to human experience. It not only provides the proper setting for human development and a crucial context for faith formation, but it also offers a means for each generation to leave a continuing mark in the world. Through the family, one’s legacy can endure and continue past one’s own lifespan. After God expressed his protective and peace giving presence to his servant, Abram’s great concern was for a child (15:2). Although Abram’s household had already grown (cf. 14:14), his ongoing lineage would be cut short without a child. God’s promise that Abram would have a son of his own (15:4) also came with a promise that his offspring would multiply for generations to come (15:5).

Along with the promise for a child, Abram was also promised a land that he (and eventually his offspring) would possess (15:7). As much as the interpersonal relationships in the family unit give one a place in this world (during one’s generation and beyond), land also helps to establish a family’s place in the world. The family unit—in its relationships, ancestry, heritage, and physical residence—helps humans have a sense of belonging in life. When family is healthy and sound, it gives humans firm bearings by which to operate in the world. On the contrary, when families are fragmented and dysfunctional, this impairs one’s ability to navigate life well and thus threatens the well-being of future generations.

Participation in God’s Purposes. The family is also central to God’s purposes in the world. God’s promise to Abram for offspring and land would fulfill God’s plans and purposes for future generations (15:13–16, 18–20). So vital is the family that God accomplished his redemptive purposes in the world through Abram’s household. Linked together by genuine faith (15:6), believers in Christ are spiritual descendants of Abram. Our participation in this faith-based lineage makes us participants in God’s global purposes. What God began through Abram, he has continued throughout each generation through devoted followers who have come to sincere faith. Although not every family has the exact same role to play in God’s cosmic purposes, we can be confident that God continues to use the family unit as a crucial context for accomplishing his work in the world.

Possession of Divine Promises. For the family to enjoy such a role in God’s work, God’s role in the family is of paramount importance. Families are best built on God’s promises. In this narrative, Abram was promised both offspring (15:4) and land (15:7). Like Abram, the hope for offspring and land resonates with basic human longings for belonging and a meaningful life that extends to future generations (beyond one’s own life on earth). But such a mark can only be accomplished if God works on our behalf. God gives promises to address our deep inner longings for community, security, and significance. God’s vision to Abram of peace, protection, and prosperity—“do not be afraid,” “I am your shield,” “[I am] your very great reward” (15:1)—are crucial to building a godly family. The proper response to God’s promises is faith. Families can only thrive when we prioritize faith in God’s promises (15:6). As with Abram, our faith is galvanized by a covenant relationship with God (15:18) in which our lives are offered to God in full trust and surrender. As families function to build the next generation (15:13–14, 16, 18–21), faithfulness in one’s family today can impact families yet to come.

When We Do as We Please: Faithlessness Resulting in Family Strife

Biblical Narrative (Genesis 16:1–16)

Although Abram received God’s promises in covenant form, he and his wife did not fully trust God. Abram’s wife, Sarai, “had borne him no children,” but she did have “an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar” (16:1). Sarai told her husband that because “the Lord has prevented me from bearing children,” Abram should sleep with Hagar so she could “build a family by her” (16:2). After Abram and Sarai lived in Canaan for ten years, Sarai took Hagar and gave her to Abram as a wife (16:4). Abram slept with Hagar and she conceived a child. When she learned that she was pregnant, Hagar “began to despise her mistress” (16:4). Because of this contempt, Sarai told her husband, “May the wrong done to me be upon you” (16:5) and “May the Lord judge between you and me” (16:5). Abram gave permission for Sarai to do what she wanted with Hagar, and as a result Sarai “treated Hagar … harshly” (16:6).

Because Sarai was harsh with her servant, Hagar “fled from her” (16:6). An angel came to her “by a spring of water in the desert” (16:7) and asked where she was going (16:8). Hagar told the angel that she was running away from her mistress (16:8). The angel told her to return to Sarai and “submit to her authority” (16:9). Additionally, the angel also gave her a promise that her offspring would multiply and become many (16:10). The angel explained to Hagar that she would give birth to a son whose name would be Ishmael, and he would be like a wild donkey who is in constant conflict with others (16:11–12).

The angel affirmed to Hagar that “the Lord has heard your cry of affliction” (16:11). As a result, Hagar called the Lord “the God who sees me” because God had looked after her (16:13). The well where the angel appeared was named Beerlahai-roi (16:14), memorializing that God saw Hagar in her sorrow and affliction. When Abram was eighty-six years old, Hagar bore her son and named him Ishmael (16:15–16).

Biblical Principles.

Family Dysfunction and Bypassing God’s Design. So basic is the family unit to community life that family dysfunction can have harmful effects well into the future. Sarai’s skepticism (and perhaps blame?) toward God (16:2) resulted in a faithless scheme to engineer divine promises through human means. Together with Abram’s passive approach to leadership (16:2) and Sarai’s initiative to take and give Hagar to Abram (16:3), this failure of faith resembles the original sin of Adam and Eve in the garden (cf. 3:1–6). While fear, shame, and blame invaded the universe at the Fall (cf. 3:8–19), the blunder of Abram and Sarai brought about wrongful treatment (16:5), contempt (16:4, 5), and harshness (16:6). Not only was this hardship brought upon Hagar and Abram’s family in their day, but it also resulted in ongoing conflict and strife in society for generations to come (16:12).

God’s design for the family offers the promise of great blessing. When we tamper with God’s design to suit our own pleasures (or insecurities), pain and conflict will ensue. God’s plan for marriage is one man and one woman married for life in the context of a covenant promise. Sex outside of this marriage covenant or adding multiple marriage partners is sure to produce heartache, conflict, and pain. As Abram and Sarai demonstrate, breaking from God’s design will result in dysfunction in the home; dysfunction in the home will result in societal, national, cultural, and sociopolitical disrepair. Simply said, family works best (and society is best served) when we follow God’s design. To this end, families should consider the covenantal foundations of a godly home.

God’s Grace in Family Brokenness. Family dysfunction has existed since sin entered the world. Then and now, human sin and disobedience cause painful hardship and deep heartache in the family realm. A sphere meant to incubate maturity, provide security, and foster intimacy, a broken family can do great damage. But God’s grace is evident even in the most distraught of family situations. In this biblical narrative, Hagar was collateral damage of the foolish scheme concocted by Abram and Sarai. A servant in their home, Hagar suddenly turned into a target of hostility and an object of scorn (16:4, 6). She became a wandering fugitive, running away from her pain but unable to tell where she planned to go (16:8). In the midst of Hagar’s pain, she encountered God as all-knowing, all-seeing, and all-loving (16:11, 13–14). Although there would still be lingering difficulties that Hagar (and her son) would experience (16:12), God gave her a promise of a family and lineage of her own (16:10, 15–16). God saw and intervened in her painful predicament. In his grace and mercy, God shows compassion to those encumbered, endangered, and embittered by family dysfunction.

Between Me and You: Covenant as a Nurturing Environment for an Established Household

Biblical Narrative (Genesis 17:1–27)

The faithlessness of Abram and Sarai brought about conflict in their home and strife in the surrounding world. Thirteen years later, when Abram was ninety-nine years old, God appeared to him once again (17:1, 17, 24). God told Abram, “I am God Almighty. Walk before Me and be blameless. I will establish My covenant between Me and you, and I will multiply you exceedingly.” (17:1–2). In response, Abram “fell facedow” (17:3). God explained that he was making a covenant with Abram and that he would be “the father of many nations” (17:4). Because of this, God changed his name to Abraham (17:5). God promised that Abraham would become “exceedingly fruitful” such that nations and kings would come from him (17:6). The covenant would continue to his future generations as an “everlasting covenant” (17:7). God also promised that the land of Canaan would become an “eternal possession” for Abraham’s descendants (17:8).

The sign of the covenant would be circumcision, a ritual practice in which all of the males who were eight days old would have their foreskins cut off (17:9–12). Every male of the household—sons born into the family or any other male who became a part of the family—needed to be circumcised (17:12–13). If a male was not circumcised, he would be cut off from God’s people because he broke God’s covenant (17:14). At this time, God changed Sarai’s name to Sarah (17:15). God said that she would be blessed with a son whose descendants would become nations and kings (17:16). Thinking it absurd that a son could be born to a couple so old, Abraham fell down and laughed (17:17). Abraham asked if Ishmael could serve this function (17:18), but God told him that he would not (17:19). God said that his blessing would be upon Ishmael (17:20), but he would not be the one with whom God would establish his unending covenant (17:19, 21). God told Abraham that he would have a son who should be named Isaac (17:19), and he would be born in one year’s time (17:20).

In response to this meeting with God, Abraham acted in obedience. After discussing these things, Abraham took Ishmael and every male in his house and had them circumcised (17:22–23, 25–26). Even Abraham himself was circumcised at his ripe age of ninety-nine years old (17:24). On the very day God appeared to Abraham, he was following God’s covenant instructions.

Biblical Principles.

Covenant Relationship. Although there were consequences for Abraham’s disobedience with Hagar, God’s grace and mercy preserved his redemptive purposes in the world through Abraham’s family. The basis upon which Abraham would build his family would be a covenant relationship with God. Although Abraham had already established a covenant with God (cf. 15:18), now God would thoroughly establish his covenant with his servant Abraham (17:4–8) through the sign of circumcision (17:9–14), which would seal the covenant for Abraham, his immediate family, and future generations. Even years later, God’s promises for numerous descendants (17:2–6, 16, 19–20) as well as land (17:7, 8) still remained intact. Being in a covenant relationship with God was foundational to Abraham’s family (17:2, 4, 7, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 19, 21).

In the context of this covenant relationship, God summoned Abraham to live his life before God in godly integrity (17:1–2). While Abraham responded in reverence to God (17:3; cf. 17:17), he also questioned whether God’s promises would come to fruition (17:17). Nevertheless, Abraham still obeyed God in faithful trust and circumcised his household (17:22-27). He put his family under the coverage of God’s covenant, which gave them both the prospect of God’s promises and the responsibility to follow God’s ways. In this way, it was fitting that Abraham and Sarah had their names changed (17:5, 15) to more fully represent their part in God’s promised plan.

Although Christians are not required to practice circumcision like the Jews of the Old Testament, the principle remains that families are best served when they are securely placed in the coverage of a covenant relationship with God. In contrast to Abram’s blunder with Hagar, he later (thirteen years later; cf. 16:16; 17:1, 24–25) expressed faithful obedience to God. In the same way, Christian families should establish their households as a place of genuine trust (17:17–19), godly living (17:1), holy reverence (17:3), faithful obedience (17:22–27), and vibrant relationship with God (17:1). Although the life of the family cannot guarantee the spiritual outcome of one’s children—every child must come to own the faith in his or her own life—the godly environment created by covenant relationship with God provides an instrumental way to shape and influence the next generation in relationship with God.

Divine Blessings. God offered his blessings to his people within the context of his covenant and his promises. God promised that Abraham and Sarah (and Hagar) would become exceedingly fruitful and have many offspring (17:2, 6, 16, 20). By giving them new names, God gave a new sense of identity and purpose to Abraham and Sarah (17:5, 15). God promised land to their descendants as an “eternal possession” (17:8). Living under God’s promises and living within God’s covenant enabled people to experience God’s blessing (17:16, 18, 20). With God’s covenant to Abraham being an “everlasting covenant” (17:7; cf. 17:19), these blessings were offered to each generation that would align itself with God in a covenant relationship. Families that faithfully live in a covenant relationship with God avail themselves of God’s promises, which in turn make them recipients of God’s good and abundant blessings.

At the Door of One’s Tent: Hospitality as a Value for a Welcoming Home

Biblical Narrative (Genesis 18:1–15)

God appeared to Abraham while he was living by the oaks of Mamre (18:1). One day, Abraham was sitting near the door to his tent in the middle of day (18:2) when he saw three men in front of him (18:2). Abraham ran to meet them and bowed down to the ground (18:2). He invited these guests to stay for a while (18:3), desiring to wash their feet, let them rest under the tree, and bring them some food to eat so they could refresh themselves before they continued their journey (18:4-5). These three men agreed (18:5). Abraham quickly told Sarah to prepare some cakes (18:6), and he ran to his animals and told a servant to prepare a young calf (18:7). Abraham brought the meat to his guests along with curds and milk (18:8). He was under the tree with them as they ate (18:8).

While they were all together, God spoke and told Abraham that he would return to him in a year’s time and Sarah would give birth to a son (18:10). Sarah was in the tent at the time (18:9), listening to this conversation (18:10). Because of how old Abraham and Sarah were, Sarah laughed when she heard this message (18:11–12). God asked Abraham why Sarah laughed (18:13) and inquired whether anything was “too difficult for the Lord” (18:14). Although Sarah denied that she laughed, she did laugh (18:15). God reiterated that Sarah would have a son in a year’s time (18:14).

Biblical Principles.

Welcoming Homes and Hospitality Care. While the family provides a fitting environment for faith formation of its own members, it can also be used as a mechanism to care for outsiders. In this scene, Abraham and his wife extended hospitality to three men who appeared before them (18:2). Their display of welcome and care for these “strangers” was earnest: Abraham ran to meet them (18:2), he bowed down to them in respect (18:2), and he had provisions quickly made for his guests (18:6–8). The hospitality Abraham and Sarah provided for these guests turned out to be a blessing for their account. God appeared and told Abraham that Sarah would give birth to a son (18:10).

Although Sarah questioned whether this promise would actually transpire, the principle remains that the practice of hospitality led to an encounter with God. As a covenant community, families are to care for their own members. But this internal focus must never eclipse the family’s role to be welcoming and inviting to others. In fact, the degree to which a family is rooted in faithful commitment to God’s covenant is the degree to which that household will be equipped to serve the needs of others. Not all hospitality can be planned in advance. In fact, as Abraham and Sarah were ready to invite strangers in at a moment’s notice, so should we order our homes such that we are ready to welcome others should the opportunity arise. While hosting might be seen as a burden to some, Christian families recognize that hospitality is not only a component of godly family life, but it results in God’s blessing for those who practice it.

Hospitality as a Means to Grow in Faith. Mature families practice hospitality; maturing families grow through the practice of hospitality. When families live in a covenant relationship with God, they make themselves a blessing to others. Stable and mature homes can (and should) open their doors so that they can invite others into God’s blessings. Open hearths are a divinely appointed means God uses to open human hearts to his saving grace and glorious promises. But hospitality also helps the families (and Christians) practicing hospitality to grow in faith. In this narrative, Abraham and Sarah hospitably cared for their guests (18:1–8). During their expression of hospitality, they received a message from God that challenged their faith (18:9–15). The moment of hospitality caused Sarah to confront her doubt, fear, and insecurity (18:12–15). There is a bidirectional blessing to hospitality. On the surface, hospitality is a powerful means to care for others: community members, outsiders, and those in our spheres of influence. By inviting others to table fellowship, we can bear witness to God and his great promises. Often hidden within faith-based hospitality is an unexpected challenge to the hosts. Few things expose and stretch a person like inviting others into their home. Just like Sarah experienced, an open and welcoming household makes a family open and receptive to growth in the faith. A two-way street, the practice of hospitality is a moment to extend God’s blessings to others and for hosts to grow into great faith maturity.

Before the Lord: Mission as a Chosen Calling for Family Purpose

Biblical Narrative (Genesis 18:16–33)

When the men left, Abraham went along to send them off (18:16). They looked toward Sodom (18:16). God had a plan to judge Sodom, and Abraham was his chosen instrument through whom he would fulfill his covenant (18:17–19). Abraham was chosen to “command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just” (18:19). Although God would bring his promises about through Abraham (18:19), Abraham had a responsibility to instruct his own household in God’s ways (18:19). Because of Abraham’s role in God’s covenant plan, God told Abraham that “the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great” because “their sin is so grievous” (18:20) and he was going to visit them to see the measure of their sin (18:21).

The men went to Sodom, and Abraham remained before God (18:22). Abraham asked if God would judge the righteous of Sodom along with the wicked (18:23). Abraham challenged God, asking if he would spare Sodom for fifty righteous people (18:24–25). Abraham exclaimed that God, as a just judge, would certainly not destroy the righteous along with the wicked (18:25). God told Abraham that he would indeed spare all of Sodom for fifty righteous people (18:26). Abraham humbly, yet boldly, asked whether God would do the same for forty-five righteous people (18:27–28). God agreed that he would spare the city for forty-five righteous people (18:28). As the conversation continued, Abraham continued and asked whether God would do the same for forty (18:29), thirty (18:30), twenty (18:31), and ten (18:32). Each time, God affirmed that he would spare Sodom if he found that number of righteous in the city. After they finished speaking, Abraham returned home (18:33).

Biblical Principles.

Family Ministry to the World. The practice of hospitality gave opportunity for Abraham the opportunity to act as a mediator on behalf of others. As much as the home should be a place of welcome, it should also be a place of mediation and ministry. In this part of the story, Abraham interceded and asked God not to destroy the righteous along with the wicked (18:22–33). Abraham’s concern for people, commitment to righteousness, and persistent petition to God exhibited his role as a mediator for others. Abraham did not seek to minister to others in a way contrary to God’s character. Instead, Abraham interceded for others in a way that would be consistent with God’s character (18:23-25). Abraham’s example shows us that the family unit should be of service to the surrounding world. As representatives of God, families committed to covenant faithfulness serve as vehicles of God’s grace to the wider world.

Intergenerational Faith Heritage. Abraham was also an intermediary to future generations. We have already seen that God’s covenant with Abraham would impact generations to come. At this point in the story, God revealed one of the key responsibilities he expected of Abraham. In fact, God said that he had “chosen” (18:19) Abraham for this specific purpose. God had tasked Abraham to transfer God’s commands to the next generation. Inasmuch as Abraham’s faith spurred him to be a mediator for the righteous in Sodom, his faithfulness to God enlisted him to pass his faith (and God’s promises) to future generations. Abraham’s intermediary work in the family was as important as his intermediary work in the world. A work of instruction and modeling, Abraham was told to “command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just” (18:19). As much as Abraham was a mediator for Lot (and Sodom) in appealing to God’s patience and grace, Abraham was to play a significant role in teaching the next generation God’s righteous and just ways. Not only should the family embrace God’s mission in the present, but it should do so with a vision for God’s continued mission in and through generations yet to come. Godly families sincerely appeal to God’s grace for the world and seriously invest in the godliness and faith of future generations. As this is the case, families must also be warned about the menacing threat that comes against the family from the surrounding culture.

Surrounding the House: Culture as a Proximate Threat to Godly Values

Biblical Narrative (Genesis 19:1–38)

In the evening, two angels came to Sodom (19:1). While Lot was sitting in the city gate, he saw them and invited them to stay at his house (19:1–2). They said they would “spend the night in the square” (19:2), but Lot persisted, insisting that they stay with him (19:3). They came to Lot’s house, where he prepared a feast for them (19:3). That night, men from the city of Sodom surrounded Lot’s house and demanded he give them the guests so they could sleep with them (19:4–5). Lot pleaded with the men to not act wickedly (19:7) and offered them his two daughters instead (19:8). The men refused and came to break down the door (19:9). The angels reached out, brought Lot back in the house and shut the door (19:10). They made the men outside of the house become blind (19:11).

Lot’s guests told him that all those in his household should leave because they were about to destroy Sodom (19:12–13). Lot told his sons-in-law, but they thought he was joking (19:14). In the morning, the angels told Lot to take his wife and two daughters and leave the city (19:15). Lot delayed, but God showed his mercy to him: the angels grabbed Lot, his wife, and his daughters and brought them out of the city (19:16). The angels told them to run for safety to the hills and not to look back at Sodom or they would be destroyed as well (19:17). Lot expressed gratitude for their kindness in saving his life, but he told them that he could not make it to the hills (19:18-19). He asked if he could go to a nearby city to escape and live (19:20). They agreed and told him to flee to the city fast because the angels would not destroy Sodom until he arrived in safety (19:21–22).

Lot arrived in the city of Zoar (19:23) and God “rained down sulfur and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah” (19:24), destroying the cities (19:25). Lot’s wife was also destroyed—“she became a pillar of salt” (19:26)—because she looked back at the city from where she had escaped (19:26). Early in the morning, Abraham went to the place where he had spoken with the Lord, and he saw that smoke, as from a furnace, was coming from the ground around Sodom and Gomorrah (19:28). By rescuing Lot as he destroyed Sodom, God had remembered Abraham (19:29). For any family to survive the sinful milieu of Sodom and Gomorrah—icons of depraved and immoral societal values—the household needed to swim against cultural currents that were prevalent and popular.

Although Abraham was a mediator of God’s blessing to his nephew Lot, things did not fare well for Lot. Lot was afraid of living in Zoar, so he left and lived in the hills “in a cave” with his two daughters (19:30). The oldest daughter observed to her sister that they did not have a man to marry and give them offspring (19:31). She planned to get her father drunk and sleep with him to have a child (19:33). The oldest daughter did this (19:34), and the younger daughter did the same the next day (19:34–35). Lot did not know what had happened. Both of them became pregnant (19:36). The oldest daughter’s child was named Moab (19:37), and the youngest daughter’s child was named Ben-ammi (19:38). The Moabites were the descendants of Moab, and the Ammonites were the descendants of Ben-ammi (19:37–38). This family dysfunction led to social conflict and war in future generations.

Biblical Principles.

Competing Values of Ungodly Culture. This depressing story of Sodom offers a contrast to godly leadership. While Abraham and Sarah were imperfect in their faith and family, they at least demonstrated a basic and genuine trust in God. In contrast, Sodom exhibited the depravity and destruction that await those who dismiss God’s plan for the family. While Lot practiced hospitality (19:1–3)—showing some similarity to Abraham—the surrounding city of Sodom was wicked. Sexual sins of various sorts prevailed in this story: homosexuality (19:5), forceful sexual abuse (19:9), human trafficking (19:8), and incest (19:30–38). While Lot and his daughters escaped Sodom, Lot’s wife (19:26) and his sons-in-law (19:14) did not. Even Lot struggled to leave Sodom in haste—he lingered—and needed to be mercifully carried out by God (19:16).

Misplaced family values affect the generations to come. Although Lot was rescued—assuming that he was a righteous man (cf. 18:22–33; 2 Peter 2:7)—he was accommodating (19:8), passive (19:16), compromising (19:19–22), and fearful (19:30). No wonder that his daughters sought to engineer their family heritage through wicked means (19:31–36). One can imagine how the wicked culture of Sodom had continued to influence Lot’s daughters. Their decision to approach the building of their families outside of God’s design—a design similar to the blunder of Abram and Sarai with Hagar (cf. 16:1–16) resulted in ongoing effects into the next generation. The children born to Lot’s daughters—Moab and Ben-ammi—would become peoples who threatened God’s promises to his people in future generations (19:37–38). To thrive as a family, Christians must be warned of the effects of surrounding culture and forsake such competing values.

The surrounding culture has always put pressure on the family. Being the most basic unit for faith formation, it is under attack. While the world seeks to experiment with sexuality, redesign family order, and live in self-indulgence, such wicked assaults on the family will not prevail. Christians must be attentive to the influence that culture exerts upon the household. Without even knowing it, we may be welcoming into our home cultural values that are at odds with God’s values. We must also be aware of the powerful pull of such cultural values. Some consider the warning to be jesting, as in the case of Lot’s sons-in-law (19:14). Others seem to flee but look back fondly on the world as they go, like Lot’s wife (19:26). For many, the cultural values have been so infused that, like Lot’s daughters showed, they are a natural course of action even after being delivered (19:30–38). And still others struggle with a lingering spirit, like Lot, where they delay their abandonment of cultural values (19:16). In all, the integrity of our home in following God’s standard and values will be commensurate with the degree to which we forsake the wicked values of surrounding culture.

Jesus Christ, the Mediator. Although Abraham tried to intervene for Lot and Sodom, his mediation was not fully successful. Lot and his daughters did escape (19:29), but Lot’s wife died in an act of unbelief and disobedience (19:26) and his sons-in-law dismissed his appeal (19:14). In the narrative, God’s righteous judgment on evil Sodom (19:13–15, 24, 27–29) was contrasted to his compassionate, patience, and gracious deliverance of Lot and his family (19:16–19, 21–22). God’s salvation of Lot was based upon mercy (19:16), urgent appeal (19:17, 22), patience (19:20–21), and divine kindness (19:19). This offer of salvation was extended to Lot and “anyone else here—a son-in-law, your sons or daughters, or anyone else in the city who belongs to you” (19:12). Those connected with Lot were able to participate in—if they were faithful and obedient (cf. 19:26)—God’s deliverance. Abraham’s mediation was partly successful, but it did not offer full and final deliverance. God’s great work of salvation—rescuing people from eternal judgment, punishment, and destruction worse than Sodom experienced—is ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Son of God and Son of Man, Jesus is the only sufficient mediator between God and man who can rescue people from condemnation. The context of family life is a great and powerful domain in which we can invite those who “belong to us” (cf. 19:12) to get out of the path of destruction by heeding God’s gracious invitation of escape and salvation.

Conclusion

In this story, Abram trusted God’s promises and built his family upon faith in God. Nevertheless, years without a child caused Abram and Sarai to attempt to realize their family longings on their own terms. The devastation of this decision is felt today. Eventually, God fully established his relationship with Abraham through a covenant promise. Under the coverage of God’s promises, Abraham used his family to extend hospitality to strangers, instruct the next generation in God’s ways, and intercede for others around him. The depravity and destruction of Sodom, along with the embarrassing foibles of Lot, serve as a warning that culture seeks to threaten the integrity of the family.

To be established in the faith, we must become established in our relationship with one another. While there are many human relationships, the relationships within the family are at such a basic level that they influence and inform all other relationships in our lives. When healthy and loving relationships exist in one’s home life, one is better able to relate to others throughout the span of one’s life. When one’s home is unestablished, dysfunctions within can lead to harmful ripple effects for years to come. Nevertheless, regardless of our place of upbringing, each Christian has a chance to build new foundations of family life. May we give ourselves to this opportunity with faithful trust and earnest commitment.

Session Synopsis

SESSION 1 SYNOPSIS
Family	In this passage, we learn about the importance of the family. God established a covenant of promises with Abram and his family. Abram and Sarai brought about pain and dysfunction by trying to realize God’s promise in their own way. God sealed the covenant with Abraham through the sign of circumcision. Afterward, Abraham hosted divine guests and interceded for Lot and Sodom. God ended up destroyed while he delivered Lot and his daughters. In the end, even Lot and his daughters showed ungodly conduct in their family. Through positive examples and faithless disobedience, this passage instructs and warns us about essential characteristics of a godly family. A summary of this story’s principles is outlined below.
The Importance of Family	Family is one place where humans can find meaning, place, and belonging in the world and human history (15:2, 4–5, 7). As intergenerational units, families are also a means to participate in God’s purposes in the world (15:13–16, 18–20). Godly families align themselves to God by being in a covenant relationship with him (15:18; 17:1–27). Those in covenant relationship with God become inheritors of God’s presence (15:1), promises (15:4, 7; 17:2, 6, 16, 20), and blessings (17:16, 18, 20; 18:18)
Intergenerationality	The goal of all godly families is to have people join the family of God’s people—spiritual descendants of Abraham—through faith (15:6). Godly families build the next generation in the faith (15:13–14, 16, 18–21; 18:19).
Family as a Center of Ministry	In the family, God can shape identity (17:5, 15) and equip people for his mission in the world (18:20–33). Families can minister to others by practicing hospitality (18:1–8; 19:1–3). The practice of hospitality exposes weaknesses in the faith (18:12 15; 19:7–8) and helps families mature in faithfulness to God (18:9–15).
Influences of Ungodly Culture	Like the men of Sodom, the surrounding culture tries to militantly oppose God and his design for the family (19:4–11). We must be alert. It is easy to be influenced by and to accommodate to cultural values (16:1–16; 19:8, 16, 19–22, 30–36). Often, the attack on biblical family values begins with sinful approaches to sexuality (19:5, 9, 8, 30–38).
Grace for Broken Families	When families reject God’s design and follow their own plans or the ideas of surrounding culture, it results in pain, hardship, and dysfunction (16:1–6; 19:4–11, 30–38). God redeems broken family situations out of his grace and mercy (16:7–16).
Jesus Christ, the Mediator	Jesus is the ultimate mediator between God and man. Abraham’s intervention for Lot and Sodom was partially successful (18:23–33). God will punish the wicked with his righteous judgment (18:20–21; 18:13–15, 24, 27–29). He offers gracious salvation to those willing to respond to him in faith and obedience (19:16–19, 21–22, 26). The family is an important sphere where the good news of this salvation is communicated (19:12). Only Jesus can offer full and final rescue from punishment and destruction.

Personal Reflection: Entering the Story

Apply the Text: God calls his people to follow what the Bible teaches. In this movement, you will discuss how to apply God’s word to your lives.

Reflection Questions

Encourage one person to share how this story has impacted. Use the reflection questions to examine your life in light of this biblical passage.

Spiritual Practice

Use the following exercise to help you consider the role of family in your own faith formation and ministry development.

Take time to reflect upon your family story. Consider your family or upbringing and record milestones in this journey. Reflect on the current phase of your family and evaluate what next steps God has for your family.

Ministry Practice: Rehearsing the Script

Minister the Text:God wants us to use his word to edify the Christian community. In this movement, you will utilize this biblical passage to minister to other believers and build them up in their faith.

Reflection Questions

Look at the infographic below. Use the questions to think about how to minister this text to other believers.

Missional Outreach: Publicizing the Truth

Witness the Text: In word and deed, God calls his people to testify about the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ. In this movement, you will utilize this biblical passage to reach out to unbelievers.

Reflection Questions

Look at the infographic below. Use the questions to think about how to use this teach to reach out to unbelievers.