Genesis 18:16-33
Abraham Intercedes for Sodom
16 Then the men got up from their meal and looked out toward Sodom. As they left, Abraham went with them to send them on their way.
17 “Should I hide my plan from Abraham?” the Lord asked. 18 “For Abraham will certainly become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him. 19 I have singled him out so that he will direct his sons and their families to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just. Then I will do for Abraham all that I have promised.”
20 So the Lord told Abraham, “I have heard a great outcry from Sodom and Gomorrah, because their sin is so flagrant. 21 I am going down to see if their actions are as wicked as I have heard. If not, I want to know.”
22 The other men turned and headed toward Sodom, but the Lord remained with Abraham. 23 Abraham approached him and said, “Will you sweep away both the righteous and the wicked? 24 Suppose you find fifty righteous people living there in the city—will you still sweep it away and not spare it for their sakes? 25 Surely you wouldn’t do such a thing, destroying the righteous along with the wicked. Why, you would be treating the righteous and the wicked exactly the same! Surely you wouldn’t do that! Should not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?”
26 And the Lord replied, “If I find fifty righteous people in Sodom, I will spare the entire city for their sake.”
27 Then Abraham spoke again. “Since I have begun, let me speak further to my Lord, even though I am but dust and ashes. 28 Suppose there are only forty-five righteous people rather than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?”
And the Lord said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five righteous people there.”
29 Then Abraham pressed his request further. “Suppose there are only forty?”
And the Lord replied, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the forty.”
30 “Please don’t be angry, my Lord,” Abraham pleaded. “Let me speak—suppose only thirty righteous people are found?”
And the Lord replied, “I will not destroy it if I find thirty.”
31 Then Abraham said, “Since I have dared to speak to the Lord, let me continue—suppose there are only twenty?”
And the Lord replied, “Then I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty.”
32 Finally, Abraham said, “Lord, please don’t be angry with me if I speak one more time. Suppose only ten are found there?”
And the Lord replied, “Then I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten.”
33 When the Lord had finished his conversation with Abraham, he went on his way, and Abraham returned to his tent.
The first half of this chapter finished with God promising to bless Abraham because of his righteousness. The second half is like a dark mirror of the first. It is all about how God intends to punish the unrighteous for their sins. The righteous will receive new life and will multiply, the unrighteous will receive death and destruction.
It does make you wonder how twisted and evil the city was for it to draw God’s wroth in this way. However, it leads to an important passage that teaches us a lot about prayer and the power of intercession.
The first take away is that God shares his plans with Abraham. Amos 3:7 tells us “For the Lord God does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets”. God wants to share with us what he is doing and to include us in his plans, if we ask him.
What follows is an incredible conversation that shows us a lot about Abraham’s heart. He stands before God and pleads for the lives of debased and evil pagans. They are not his family, they are not his religion, they are not his race, and yet he argues for them as if they were.
Notice that God is not grumpy at Abraham’s challenge. In fact the opposite, he appears to revel in it, allowing Abraham to respond again and again as he grows in boldness. He challenges God with love and mercy and God responds with generosity and grace.
I wonder if Jesus was thinking of Abraham when he said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor[a]and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” How do we pray for those who are immoral or causing suffering in the world. We intercede for them and ask for grace for the sake of the innocent.
