"Bedtime Bible Stories"

Book of Genesis Chapter 18,
Verses 16-33; Chapter 19, Verses 1-29

 During the same visit when God heard Sarah laughing. He told Abraham why He and the angels had come to earth. "I have heard the people of Sodom and Gomorrah and they are very wicked. I have come to destroy those evil cities and everyone who lives there." Abraham was very worried since Lot, his nephew, and Lot's family lived in Sodom. "Will you destroy everyone?" he asked, "even the good people? What if there are 50 good people in those-cities? Won't you spare the cities if there are 50 good people there?" God said, "I will spare the cities if I find 50 good people." Then Abraham said, "What if there are only 45 good people there?" "I will spare the cities for 45 good people, " God replied. "What if there are only 30 good people there?" asked Abraham. "I will spare the cities for 30 good people, " God replied. "What if there are only 20 good people there?" asked Abraham.
 "What if there are only 10?" asked Abraham.
 "I will not destroy the cities if I can find 10 good people there," said God. Then He and His angels left. Abraham returned to his tent and watched the three men walk toward Sodom and Gomorrah.
 That evening, the two angels arrived at the gates to the city of Sodom. Lot was sitting there and recognized the two men as angels.
 Lot was afraid for the two angels. He was afraid the wicked people of Sodom would attack them. He invited them to dinner at his house. However, the wicked people of Sodom saw them go into the house and said, "Lot, send those men out to us."
 Lot refused, fearing that the angels would be banned. But the angels were very powerful, armed with the power of the Lord. The evil Sodomites tried to break down the door of Lot's house when all of a sudden the angels caused the evil Sodomites to go blind. They could no longer even find the door to Lot's house.
 The angels looked at Lot and said, "Get your family out of the city. God has sent us to destroy it and Gomorrah."
 Lot hurried and told his wife and daughters, and his daughters' boy friends that they had to escape before God's angels destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.
 At dawn. Lot was so scared he could hardly move. The angels grabbed his hand and the hands of his daughters and wife and helped them run from the city. "Hurry," the angels yelled, "flee for your lives. Run far out onto the plain so you won't be caught when the cities are destroyed.&quot;<BR>
&nbsp;Lot was afraid to run that far. He pleaded with the angels and said, &quot;Let us hide in the city of Zoar. It is closer.&quot;<BR>
&nbsp;The angels agreed, but told him again to hurry. As Lot and his family ran toward the city of Zoar, he heard the angels give one last warning. &quot;Remember,&quot; they said, &quot;run far away and don't look back!&quot;<BR>
&nbsp;Then, from out of the sky, came a rain of fire. The fire fell onto the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. The cities, and all of the wicked and evil people in them were completely destroyed.<BR>
&nbsp;But Lot's wife had not listened to the final warning of God's angels. When she heard the cities burning, and the evil people screaming, she turned and looked back. She instantly turned into a pillar of salt.<BR>
&nbsp;The next morning Abraham looked out over the plain and saw the smoke rising from the burning cities. He knew God had done as He said and destroyed Sodona and Gomorrah. He also knew that Lot was safe since he had prayed for the Lord to keep his nephew from harm.