Scripture: Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.” Genesis 18:32 ESV
Observation: As the story of Abraham progresses, the author tells us of his encounter with God by the oaks of Mamre. Here, three angelic beings appear in the form of men who pronounce the imminent birth of his promised heir from the womb of Sarah. Having overheard their conversation, Sarah, resting in a nearby tent, laughs to herself at the thought of bearing a child in old age. Yahweh then questions why Sarah would laugh over the news, reminding Abraham that nothing is too hard for the Lord (18:14).
What happens next leads to the above bargaining prayer between Abraham and God. The three angelic manifestations turn toward Sodom and Gomorrah and discuss plans with the Lord to demolish these cities and their wicked, unrepentant habitants. Yahweh then poses whether he should hide his plan from Abraham (given that Lot and his family live in Sodom). The three continue to Sodom to investigate the state of affairs. At the same time, Abraham expresses his concern to the Lord about his plan to destroy these cities and risk collateral damage to those who are righteous. Negotiations ensue with whether the Lord would spare these cities with fifty morally upright residents. With Yahweh seemingly relenting, Abraham haggles down to ten, for which the Lord consents (above verse). As the story continues (addressed in our next Daily Focus), there are not even ten godly people in these cities. So God destroys them.
Takeaway: If we understand prayer as conversing with God, this story reveals some interesting aspects of intercessory prayer:
- God invites us to petition him with our concerns for ourselves and others.
- He does not scorn our attempts to bargain, but he also does not relent.
- Our finite minds narrow our perspective and abilities to discern the best course of action.
- As mentioned in a recent Daily Focus citing C.S. Lewis, prayer does not change God; it changes us.
Abraham had good intentions regarding sparing his nephew’s family’s lives. And the Lord would indeed provide a path to safety for Lot and his wife and daughters. But Abraham’s understanding of the best course of action was skewed. Still, Abraham’s intercession and the subsequent outcome deepened his knowledge of God’s justice (unwilling to let sin run rampant without consequences) and mercy (sparing Lot’s family). His prayer also enlightened him about the extent of wickedness in these pagan cities (not even ten were righteous).
So what does this mean to you and me? By all means, we should earnestly pray to the Lord for the well-being of ourselves and our loved ones but do so with humility and a teachable spirit. For what we deem as “good” may not be God’s “best.” Nevertheless, we know that he works all things for our good to accomplish his purposes (Romans 8:28).
Prayer: Father God, we thank you for your Son and your Holy Spirit who intercede on our behalf. Would you please help us exercise humility, trust, and patience as we pray for others, knowing that what we deem good may not be your best? Amen.
Rev. Gordon Green, M.Div., M.A. Counseling
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