Genesis Eighteen….(v.16-33) Pleading With God.
Verses 16-33….
The meal was finished and the travellers prepared to move on. Abraham went with them for a short distance to bid them good speed, still not knowing that they weren't just ordinary visitors…..
One of the Visitors lingered with Abraham while the other two went on, and now Abraham recognised that they were Heavenly Visitors, and that he was indeed speaking with God. God revealed now to Abraham what He was shortly going to do in this area…God said He was going to tell Abraham (His friend…James 2:23) what was about to happen, the destruction of the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Abraham's thoughts immediately sprang to his nephew Lot who lived there, and he spoke up for him, making one of the great statements that we can hang onto today, "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?". Indeed, we know that all God's ways are right, even when we don't understand them!
Abraham began to plead for Lot and his family….would God destroy Sodom if there were fifty righteous people there? "No", God replied. "What about forty five then?" and Abraham went on down in numbers until he reached ten. Each time the answer was the same. "No", God said, "I will not destroy the city if there are ten righteous there!"
What grace and mercy we see! Even though the city was filled with the wickedness of homosexuality which God utterly abhors, yet the presence of ten righteous people would save it. We underestimate the effect that godly people have in a community…..they are the salt that preserves, the light that shines in a dark place (Matthew 5:13-14). James tells us that the effectual and fervent prayer of a righteous person avails for much (James 5:16b) and Abraham certainly proved that in this case.
God tells of doom that sin will bring, And warns so clear of sin's last sting,
Abraham pled for Lot his kin, As Satan strove his life to win.
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