February 22, 2026

The city of Sodom was a bad city filled with people who did really bad things. The city of Gomorrah was also a bad city filled with people who did really bad things. They were selfish, proud, rude, mean, angry, and violent. People in those cities cried out to God to do something about all of this evil. God listened because he cares when people are being treated badly! And he always hates evil. God is a good God. And as a good God, he cannot let people who do bad things keep doing bad things. God decided to destroy the cities as a punishment. Before God punished the people, he told Abraham about his plan. Abraham asked God, “You wouldn’t sweep away the good people with the bad, would you? You are the Judge who will judge justly. For the sake of fifty righteous people, would you change your plan?” Amazingly, God agreed. So Abraham tried again: “What about for the sake of forty-five?” It worked again! God is so merciful, he agreed even when Abraham went all the way down to ten. But even then, it wasn’t enough (see Gen. 18:23–33). The only person that found favor in God’s sight was Abraham’s nephew, Lot. So God chose to destroy the cities but to save Lot and his family, just like he had saved Noah and his family. Everyone else would be destroyed. God sent two angels who told Lot’s family, “Run for your lives. Don’t look back! God is going to rain down fire and sulfur. The town will be burnt to the ground” (see 19:14, 17). Lot and his family ran! But Lot’s wife disobeyed. She loved Sodom more than God, so she turned around and looked back. And do you know what happened? She turned into a pillar of salt! God destroyed the evil cities. He took his broom of justice and swept up all the sin. Abraham saw God keep his promise to destroy the cities. He was reminded that God always keeps his promises—even his promise to judge the wicked.