Genesis 18:16-33
Abraham Intercedes for Sodom
“When the men got up to leave they looked out over Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them off.
And the LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and through him all the nations of the earth will be blessed. For I have chosen him, so that he will command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, in order that the LORD may bring upon Abraham what He has promised.”
Then the LORD said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great. Because their sin is so grievous, I will go down to see if their actions fully justify the outcry that has reached Me. If not, I will find it.”
And the two men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the LORD.
Abraham stepped forward and said, “Will You really sweep away the righteous with the wicked? What if there are fifty righteous ones in the city? Will You really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous ones who are there? Far be it from You to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Will not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?”
So the LORD replied, “If I find fifty righteous ones within the city of Sodom, on their account I will spare the whole place.”
Then Abraham answered, “Now that I have ventured to speak to the Lord—though I am but dust and ashes—suppose the fifty righteous ones lack five. Will you destroy the whole city for the lack of five?”
He replied, “If I find forty-five there, I will not destroy it.”
Once again Abraham spoke to the LORD, “Suppose forty are found there?”
He answered, “On account of the forty, I will not do it.”
Then Abraham said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak further. Suppose thirty are found there?”
He answered, “If I find thirty there, I will not do it.”
And Abraham said, “Now that I have ventured to speak to the Lord, suppose twenty are found there?”
He replied, “On account of the twenty, I will not destroy it.”
Finally, Abraham said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak once more. Suppose ten are found there?”
And He answered, “On account of the ten, I will not destroy it.”
When the LORD had finished speaking with Abraham, He departed, and Abraham returned home.”
“Should not the Judge of the whole earth do right?” This is Abraham’s question to the Lord, and it is both appropriate and incredibly gutsy. Wherever Abraham is staying, the elevation is sufficient for observers to look out over the lower part of the Jordan Valley, the location of Sodom. Abraham is walking a short distance with his guests to see them off, a practice that remains common both in the Middle East and in Africa. The Lord decides to inform Abraham of his intentions to examine Sodom and possibly to destroy it. Now Abraham finds himself bargaining with the Lord for the lives of the people of Sodom, realizing that if Sodom is destroyed, his nephew Lot will also likely die.
Does God already know what He plans to do? Of course! But God is allowing Abraham to bargain to test Abraham’s character and faith. Abraham demonstrates his confidence in God with this question: “Should not the Judge of the whole earth do right?” By this question, God realizes that Abraham recognizes His sovereignty, His goodness, and His righteousness. God already knows that He will spare Sodom for the sake of ten righteous men; however, He graciously allows Abraham to share in the decision anyway. Is Abraham worried about Lot? Absolutely! But Abraham has put his requests before the Lord and now he must trust the Lord to act righteously. It might never occur to Abraham that there will be fewer than ten righteous men in all of Sodom.
How can Abraham find peace in the face of this impending disaster? Abraham knows that he is dealing with the Judge of the whole world; therefore, he is trusting in God’s righteousness and His mercy. Abraham has spoken with the Lord and has pleaded his case and the Lord has agreed; therefore, Abraham can rest in the knowledge that he has done everything he can for this situation.
Sometimes events overtake us and we must struggle for peace. When the Northern Ethnic Conflict took place in 1994, the area in which we were working was part of the conflict zone. We were in the capital city of Accra and it took two months to return to our station. Once we returned, I had to start operations and blood transfusions. We would awake in the morning to gunfire and listen to determine whether it was a traditional funeral or the military shooting off a few rounds to ensure we knew they were around or if we were under attack. Once assured that we were not under attack, we would have to start our day. We maintained peace through Bible reading and prayer and the knowledge that God had called us to be in that situation and therefore He would have to protect us or allow us to die for Him. There was no point in allowing anxiety to consume us, for that would be a useless exercise, sapping our energies and rendering us unable to help others.
How do you maintain peace in the face of looming disaster? Get to know God and His nature. Abraham knew God and trusted Him. Maintain communication with God through Bible reading and prayer. And remember Abraham’s question: Yes, we can trust the Judge of the whole earth to do right, even when we don’t understand it.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, many of us are struggling in difficult situations and have no peace. Help all who struggle to place their trust in You, for You are the One who gives peace that passes understanding. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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