“ (16)  And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way. (17) And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; (18)  Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? (19)  For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him. (20)  And the Lord said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; (21)  I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know. (22)  And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the Lord. (23)  And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? (24)  Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? (25)  That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? (26)  And the Lord said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes. (27) And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes: (28)  Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it. (29)  And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty's sake. (30)  And he said unto him, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there. (31)  And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake. (32)  And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake. (33)  And the Lord went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place” – Genesis 18:16-33.

INTRODUCTION

Abraham’s prayer for Sodom – really for Lot and his family – is an amazing revelation of the faith of one man in the justice of Almighty God and the incredible boldness of a mere human before the Creator of the Universe. Abraham seems to stand before God alone yet wields significant influence over God’s actions.

Perhaps for Jewish readers, Abraham is the classic example of both Jewish chutzpah as well as a gift for bargaining. But I think he is much, much more. He has learned to pray. Let’s consider the passage:

“ (17)  And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; (18)  Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? (19)  For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him. (20)  And the Lord said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; (21)  I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know. (22)  And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the Lord. (23)  And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? (24)  Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? (25)  That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? (26)  And the Lord said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes. (27)  And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes: (28)  Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it. (29)  And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty's sake. (30)  And he said unto him, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there. (31)  And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake. (32)  And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake. (33)  And the Lord went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place” – Genesis 18:17-33.

Setting the Stage

Years before Abraham had emigrated to Canaan along with his nephew Lot, but as the uncle he retained a strong obligation to protect his nephew, a member of his extended family. Lot had settled in Sodom, a sinful city in the fertile valley near the Dead Sea. Once, when the kings of Mesopotamia sacked Sodom and carried off Lot and other residents as slaves, Abraham raised his military force, attacked the Mesopotamian army by night, rescued Lot, and returned him to his home.

Genesis 14:8-16, “ (8)  And there went out the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (the same is Zoar;) and they joined battle with them in the vale of Siddim; (9)  With Chedorlaomer the king of Elam, and with Tidal king of nations, and Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar; four kings with five. (10) And the vale of Siddim was full of slimepits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there; and they that remained fled to the mountain. (11)  And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their victuals, and went their way. (12)  And they took Lot, Abram's brother's son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.

(13)  And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew; for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner: and these were confederate with Abram. (14)  And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan. (15)  And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus. (16)  And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people.”

But now Lot is threatened by another overpowering force – God himself. And Abraham finds himself contending for Lot before the Lord. Abraham has entertained three men It turns out that two of them are angels on their way to Sodom and the third is Yahweh himself.

Here is where our story begins.

The Sins of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18:20-21)

“Then the LORD said, ‘And the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave,  21  I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know” - Genesis 18:20-21 (NKJV).

“Outcry against” or “cry of” (KJV) is the Hebrew noun za’ārā, “cry, out- cry.” The basic meaning of this root is “to cry for help in time of distress.” A similar outcry of the oppressed for justice is heard throughout the Old Testament (Genesis 4:10; Exodus 2:23-24; Psalm 9:12; 10:17; 22:24; 34:6; James 5:4).

Earlier God had told Abraham that “the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure” – Genesis 15:16, so he wasn’t ready to punish the Amorites at this time. But now, the sins of Sodom have indeed reached the point where a righteous God must punish them. Throughout the ages, God has shown mercy to people who have sinned (Exodus 34:6- 7; Lamentations 3:22; Jonah 4:2; Romans 2:4; 3:25; 9:22; 1 Timothy1:16).

If God destroyed us for our sins, who would remain? “ (3)  If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? (4)  But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared” - Psalm 130:3-4. God is merciful, giving us a chance to repent. Nevertheless, Sodom’s days were numbered because there comes a time when judgment must fall, and that time had come for Sodom and Gomorrah.

However, Abraham was under no illusions because he knew how bad Sodom was, “But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly” – Genesis13:13. He knows that when the Lord’s angels observe the sins of the city, He will be obligated by all that is right and holy to destroy it. But Abraham feels an obligation to protect his own family from that destruction.

Will Not the Judge of All the Earth Do Right? – Gen. 18:22-25

Here we see a bold, audacious appeal from Abraham to Jehovah. “ (22)  And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the Lord. (23)  And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? (24)  Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? (25)  That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” - Genesis 18:20-21 (KJV).

Abraham’s name for God – “The Judge of All the Earth” – is another indication of Abraham’s monotheism and a very high view of God’s righteousness. He knew that Jehovah was the righteous and holy God who could be trusted to do what was right.

God has just spoken about Abraham’s destiny to raise his family in “doing what is right and just” (Genesis18:19). Now Abraham demands righteousness of God: “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” - Genesis 18:25. How can God destroy a city that has 50 righteous residents? He asks. It would be wrong “to kill the righteous with the wicked,” Abraham contends. If God expects justice from Abraham, surely, He must be just, Abraham argues. Abraham maintains from God’s character that God must treat the righteous justly.

Abraham’s motive in this appeal is to save his nephew Lot and his family from destruction along with Sodom. This is the second time Abraham has risked himself to rescue Lot. Now he comes before the Lord himself with incredible nerve.

Was God upset with Abraham’s boldness? No. God may have set up Abraham for this very act of intercession by revealing to Abraham his intentions for Sodom. “ (17)  And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; (18)  Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?” – Genesis 18:17-18.

We observed a similar moment in our previous lesson:

An Invitation to Intercession

The real question here is how does God want us to pray? Look carefully at verse 10:

“Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation” – Exodus 32:10.

It’s almost as if the LORD is inviting Moses to intercede for the nation, as if He were to say, “If you do not let me alone (i.e., intercede), then I will destroy them....” Excerpt from Lesson 2: “Moses Intercedes for Israel” (Page 6)

Boldness Mixed with Humility

Throughout the next few verses, Abraham boldly bargains God down from 50 to 10 righteous people that would prevent Godfrom destroying Sodom – and the Lord agrees.

(22)  And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the Lord. (23)  And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? (24)  Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? (25)  That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? (26)  And the Lord said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes. (27)  And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes: (28)  Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it. (29)  And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty's sake. (30)  And he said unto him, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there. (31)  And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake. (32)  And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake” – Genesis 18:22-32.

Throughout this bold prayer, Abraham asks for the Lord’s indulgence, repeatedly acknowledging his humble place before Almighty God:

  ~ “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the LORD, though I am nothing but dust and ashes.” (Genesis 18:27)
  ~ “May the LORD not be angry, but let me speak” (Genesis 18:30)
  ~ “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the LORD” (Genesis 18:31)
  ~ “May the LORD not be angry, but let me speak just once more” (Genesis 18:32)

Look at the beauty of this interaction between Abraham and God Almighty. Abraham in humility knew his place, and yet in boldness, he interceded taking the opportunity that God had given him to enter His presence. This is praying with two factors in mind: (1) the joy of having God as our Father and (2) maintaining the realization of God’s awesomeness.

What does God entertain this Bargaining with Abraham?

Why does God bargain with Abraham? God could have said, “What I plan is just – because I say so!” Certainly, God is the Judge of All the Earth. He would have been justified in destroying that wicked city and all who chose to live in it. Or he could have said, “Abraham, frankly there aren’t even ten just people in Sodom. Don’t waste your breath.” Be he didn’t.

Instead, he engages in dialog with Abraham to see how far Abraham’s faith will take him. It seems that God is delighted that his servant Abraham believes in Him enough and understands Him enough to ask this. Genesis 15:6 explains, “And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.” Here is a man who trusts God enough to pray this kind of prayer.

Notice, however, about this bargaining session, that Abraham is not offering to do something in return for God’s favor, he is not trying to buy God’s response. Instead, he is appealing again and again to God’s own gracious and righteous character. This is the kind of bargaining that doesn’t demean God by cheapening His response into a transaction but exalts God by magnifying His righteousness, by insisting that His great righteousness re-quires Him to spare the city for even ten righteous persons.

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