Scripture: Then the men set out from there, and they looked down toward Sodom. And Abraham went with them to set them on their way. The LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice, so that the LORD may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.” Then the LORD said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know.”
So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the LORD. Then Abraham drew near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” And the LORD said, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”
Abraham answered and said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?” And he said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” Again he spoke to him and said, “Suppose forty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of forty I will not do it.” Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found there.” He answered, “I will not do it, if I find thirty there.” He said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it.” 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.” And the LORD went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.
Genesis 18:16-33 ESV [Click here to read the entire chapter.]
Observation: Recapping Yesterday’s Daily Focus, God questions Sarah’s whereabouts, and Abraham responds that she is in their tent. So, God announces that Sarah will have a son when he returns around this time next year. All the while, Sarah eavesdrops and laughs aloud and questions how this might happen given Abraham’s and her elderly ages. Consequently, the Lord asks Abraham why Sarah laughed and doubted his promise and asks if anything is too hard for the Lord. Yahweh then reiterates that Sarah will have a son when he returns next year. Overwhelmed and frightened, Sarah denies that she laughed, but God holds her accountable—telling her she did.
Today’s passage is scene three of this divine visitation: Abraham intercedes for Sodom. Abraham sends the men on their way toward Sodom. Meanwhile, the Lord rhetorically asks himself whether he should hide from Abraham his plan to raze Sodom and Gomorrah in response to the outcry of those suffering from fellow citizens’ wickedness and recounts his covenant with a couple of added details:
- He will make Abraham a great and mighty nation.
- Through Abraham, all the nations will receive blessings.
- God chose Abraham (new detail).
- Abraham must command his household to obey the Lord by doing just and righteous acts (new detail).
- The Lord will fulfill what he promised Abraham.
Then, the Lord decides to investigate Sodom and Gomorrah, but only after he listens to Abraham’s intercession for Sodom. So, Abraham draws near the Lord and, appealing to Yahweh’s justice, questions whether he will sweep away the righteous with the wicked, supposing there are fifty. The Lord then seemingly revises his plan to align with Abraham’s appeal. This favorable response encourages Abraham, who further negotiates to benchmarks of forty, thirty, twenty, and, finally, ten righteous people in Sodom. With negotiations concluded, they part company.
Takeaway: As mentioned in recent Daily Focus devotions, the voice of the Lord, whether through the three men or individually, singularly represents a theophany of the Lord (a manifestation of, but not the ultimate, divine reality of God). Thus, when the three men leave Moses and God remains, we can understand these men as elements of God’s omnipresence. We might grasp this complex aspect of God through what Paul teaches about Christ and the Holy Spirit in us. But for others to see the second and third person of the Trinity in us, we must act in accord with God’s will. Indeed, God’s additional provision that Abraham must command his household to obey the Lord by doing just and righteous acts points to this emissary relationship that we have inherited as Christ’s ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20).
Regarding intercessory prayer, if we understand prayer as conversing with God, this story reveals some interesting aspects:
- God invites us to petition him with our concerns for ourselves and others.
- He does not scorn our attempts to bargain but does not relent.
- Our finite minds narrow our perspectives and abilities to discern the best action.
- We do not change the mind of God; prayer helps us understand and align with the mind of God.
Regarding this latter point, I appeal to Christian philosophers Soren Kierkegaard and C.S. Lewis, who respectfully said:
- “The function of prayer is not to influence God, but rather to change the nature of the one who prays.”
- “[Prayer] doesn’t change God; it changes me.”
As for Abraham’s motivation, his concern is for his nephew and his family. Indeed, Abraham risked his life and welfare to rescue Lot’s family from their captors (Chapter 14). But Abraham’s understanding of the best course of action is skewed here. Still, Abraham’s intercession and the subsequent outcome will deepen his knowledge of God’s justice (unwilling to let sin run rampant without consequences) and mercy (sparing Lot’s family). Abraham’s prayer will also enlighten him about the extent of wickedness in these pagan cities (not even ten were righteous).
Our takeaway? 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. What we deem to be good may not be God’s best. But when we pray with an open mind and heart, we experience life-changing prayer that transforms our minds according to God’s good and perfect will (Romans 12:2).
Prayer: Father God, we thank you for your Son and the Holy Spirit who intercede on our behalf, even when words escape us (Romans 8:26-27), to ensure our well-being. Still, while you welcome our sincere prayers—even if misguided—we sometimes tell you how to do our best rather than seek your best. So, please help us exercise life-changing prayer founded in humility, trust, and patience to understand better your perfect will and how we need to change to align with it. Amen.
Rev. Gordon Green, M.Div., M.A. Counseling
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