As Abraham settled in the land God had promised, his nephew Lot lived in the city of Sodom—a place infamous for its wickedness. Along with Gomorrah, these cities had become so corrupt that their sin rose as a stench before heaven.
One day, God visited Abraham through three divine messengers, one of whom was the Lord Himself. As Abraham welcomed them with honor and hospitality, they shared an important message: Sarah, though barren and old, would soon bear a son. Then, God revealed something even more urgent—He was about to judge Sodom and Gomorrah.
Abraham, knowing that Lot lived there, pleaded with God in one of the most heartfelt prayers in Scripture.
“Will You sweep away the righteous with the wicked?”
He asked if God would spare the city for the sake of fifty righteous people, then forty-five, then forty… all the way down to ten. And God agreed: if ten righteous were found, He would not destroy it.
But ten could not be found.
Two angels went to Sodom and found Lot at the city gate. Lot invited them into his home, offering shelter. But as night fell, the men of Sodom surrounded the house, demanding the visitors be brought out to them. It was a moment that confirmed the depth of the city’s depravity.
The angels struck the mob with blindness and told Lot: “Get your family and flee. The Lord is about to destroy this place.”
At dawn, the angels urged Lot, his wife, and two daughters to hurry. They hesitated, so the angels grabbed them by the hands and led them out of the city.
As they fled, the angels gave a command:
“Do not look back. Do not stop anywhere in the plain. Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away.”
Then came the judgment.
Fire and sulfur rained from heaven, consuming Sodom, Gomorrah, and everything in the valley. The cities were reduced to ash, a devastating reminder of God’s justice.
Lot’s wife, however, disobeyed. She looked back, longing for the life she left behind—and in that moment, she was turned into a pillar of salt.
The next morning, Abraham looked out across the land and saw smoke rising like a furnace. The cities were gone. But God remembered Abraham, and because of his intercession, Lot was spared.
The story of Sodom and Gomorrah is a sobering one. It shows the seriousness of sin, the certainty of divine justice, and the mercy of a God who listens to intercession. It also reminds us: when God tells us to leave something behind, we must not look back.