LET'S MAKE A DEAL

In Genesis 18, we have the account of three men visiting Abraham and Sarah to announce that within a year, Sarah would become pregnant and give birth to a son.  The Voice Bible adds that "They seemed to appear out of nowhere." [v.2]  They clearly represent God and speak on His behalf.  Abram immediately recognizes them as the divine presence and treats them with the highest regard, even preparing a special meal for them.  They then have a very interesting dialogue.  But it's the latter part of the chapter that is my focus for today.

As the special visitors prepare to leave, the leader of the three speaks to the other two without Abraham being able to hear.

A note is necessary here:  The Voice Bible refers to this leader as the Eternal One.  The Hebrew word is the [big word alert] 'Tetragrammaton'.  In Exodus 3:14, God announces His name to Moses as four Hebrew consonants:  YHWH.  Various versions choose different ways to translate this holy name.  The King James Version - which was dominant for several hundred years - chose LORD, as did the painfully accurate Revised Standard Version.  Suffice it to say, for our purposes, that this visitation seems to be YHWH [Yahweh/Jehovah] and two attendants.  This leaves plenty of room for supposition; and there have been many postulations regarding this visitation.

The Eternal One asks His attendants if He should share  His plans with Abraham.  Although they don't respond, the Eternal One considers the important role that Abraham is going to play as the father of many great and mighty nations.  

He then reveals to Abraham that He is going to Sodom and Gomorrah because there has apparently been a large outcry of prayer regarding the sinfulness of these cities.  This seems to indicate that Lot, his wife, and his daughters have been pleading with God to intervene because of the horrendous acts of evil there.  

In reality, we don't know who was creating this outcry to God.  If there were other believers there, we can only wonder how God dealt with them?  We're not even certain that Lot and his family were still living faithful to God.  But some people somewhere were assaulting the throne of God for a divine intervention in these two cities.  We can only imagine the horrific things that were taking place there.

When Abraham hears of this grave situation, he fears for the lives of his family members who live in (or near) these cities.  His fear and compassion are so compelling that he speaks words of intercession to the Eternal One.   These words reveal his boldness, passion, and depth of relationship with the Eternal One.

Abraham (to God): God, would You really sweep away the people who do what is right along with those who are wicked?  What if there were 50 upright people within the city? Would You still wipe the place out and not spare it on behalf of the 50 upright people who live there?  Surely it can’t be Your nature to do something like that—to kill the right-living along with those who act wickedly, to consign the innocent to the same fate as the guilty. It is inconceivable to me that You, my God, would do anything like that! Will not the “Merciful and loving Judge” of all the earth do what is just?

Eternal One:  If I find 50 good and true people in the city of Sodom, I give you My word I will spare the entire city on their behalf.

Abraham (emboldened):  Look, I know I am just a human being, scooped from the dust and ashes of the earth, but if I might implore You, Lord, a bit further:  What if the city lacked 5 of those 50 right-living people? What then? Would You destroy the entire city because it lacked those 5?

Eternal One: I won’t destroy the city if I find 45 good and true people there.

Abraham (persisting):  Suppose 40 are found there.

Eternal One: I won’t destroy the city for the sake of 40.

Abraham:  Please don’t be angry, Lord, at my boldness. Let me ask this: What if You found 30 there who are good and true?

Eternal One: I will not do it, even if I find only 30 there.

Abraham:  Since I have implored the Lord this far, may I ask: What if there were 20?

Eternal One: For the sake of 20, I will not destroy the city.

Abraham:  Please don’t be angry, Lord, at my boldness. Let me ask this just once more: suppose only 10 are found?

Eternal One: For the sake of only 10, I still will not destroy it.

That's how this chapter ends.

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 KEEP IN MIND:

1. Abraham is interceding with God for lost and imperiled people, some of whom he knows and loves.  The lives of many people hang in the balance.  
2. He does so with a significant sense of urgency!
3. He is gentle but persistent!

In The Voice Bible adds an editorial comment (part of which reads):

Abraham has followed God long enough and knows Him well enough to stand confident as he presses and probes the extent of God's mercy.  God's mercy, he learns, runs deep; but there are limits, and Sodom has crossed the line.

It's probable that we all know some people who we may deem have crossed the line in defying God.  Like Abraham's situation, they may even be family members!  Are we pressing into God - as Abraham did - to seek God's mercy for them?  Are we interceding on their behalf?  Is anyone?  

It seems that this passage is a prompt for us to press into God and also perhaps, to be lovingly confrontational with those we know who may be testing the limits of God's mercy.  

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Eternal One,

We place before You the names of those we fear may be testing the limits of Your mercy: [Name here those you bear concern for] ____________________________________________________

Help us to live as signposts before them to shine Your light on their lives.  

For the Kingdom's sake.  Amen.