So when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Abraham, and he brought Lot out of the catastrophe that overthrew the cities where Lot had lived.
The story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah must have been well known at the time of the writing of Genesis.
It is intentionally mentioned in chapter 13. The foreshadow of the reason for the destruction is mentioned in the same section, for it explains that Lot pitches his tent near the city of Sodom and that the men of Sodom are wicked. Therefore, one listening to this story should be expecting Lot’s impending doom.
Between chapters 15 and 19, the story shifts emphasis onto Abram, who is pictured as a hero moving deeper into relationship with God but weak in his trust of God’s way and in need of a constant reminder of God’s faithfulness. An odd hero to be sure, nevertheless, Abraham is now driven to intercede on behalf of Sodom and Gomorrah.
So we jump into Genesis 19 with the knowledge that an imperfect person, Abraham, is called by God to intercede for cities that we know will be destroyed. It seems like the writer of Genesis is pushing us to ask the question, What will happen to Lot?
The answer is given in 19:29. And it is here that we learn an essential activity of a mentor. The mentor is to pray for the student. No matter how imperfect you may be in following God, you are still called to pray for those God has put into your care.
Whom are you praying for?
