Genesis 19:27 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the LORD.

NIV: Early the next morning Abraham got up and returned to the place where he had stood before the LORD.

NASB: Now Abraham got up early in the morning and went to the place where he had stood before the Lord;

CSB: Early in the morning Abraham went to the place where he had stood before the Lord.

NLT: Abraham got up early that morning and hurried out to the place where he had stood in the Lord’s presence.

KJV: And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the LORD:

NKJV: And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the Lord.

In the previous chapter, Abraham had bargained with the Lord on behalf of the city of Sodom, where his nephew Lot lived. The Lord had revealed His intention to destroy the city but had agreed to spare it if as many as ten righteous people could be found there (Genesis 18:32). Knowing that, Abraham had returned home from the place where he stood with the Lord, looking toward the valley and the condemned cities. Abraham now returns to the same spot the next morning, not knowing what he will find when he looks across the plain.

The following verse will describe the scene. One can only imagine the horror Abraham would have felt when seeing that the town where his nephew lived has become a firestorm.

Genesis 19:23–29 describes the utter destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah with sulfur and fire. Based on prior descriptions in the book of Genesis, this devastation is both overdue and well-deserved. The Lord's judgment wipes out the cities, all of the valley, all of the people, and all of the vegetation. God demonstrates that He will judge humans for their sinfulness when the time is right. He also demonstrates His grace and mercy, however, remembering His promises to Abraham in rescuing Abraham's nephew Lot.

Two angels, disguised as men, visit Abraham's nephew, Lot, in the city of Sodom. After the men of Sodom attempt to rape the angels in Lot's home, the angels rescue Lot and his family, forcibly removing them from the city. Then God sends fire and sulfur from heaven. This destroys all of the land and people in and around the cities. As stated in earlier verses, this is the result of their great and ongoing wickedness. Lot's wife is turned to a pillar of salt when she disobeys the angels by looking back on the destruction. Lot and his daughters flee first to Zoar, then to a cave in the hills. There, Lot's confused and frightened daughters get him drunk, have sex with him, and each become pregnant.

In the previous chapter, Abraham had bargained with God on behalf of his nephew Lot and the people of Sodom. The Lord assured Abraham He would not destroy the cities if He found ten righteous people there. Chapter 19 immediately demonstrates no righteous people are to be found. Every man of Sodom attempts to attack two visitors, who are God's angels in human form. As the angels rescue Lot, God's judgment falls, utterly destroying everything in the area around Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot and his daughters end up in a cave in the hills, where the daughters scheme to conceive children by making their father drunk. This ends Lot's role in the story of Genesis, with future chapters focusing exclusively on the life and descendants of Abraham.

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.

Accessed 5/2/2024 5:00:38 AM