Two questions are the focal point of Genesis 18. In the first question, God asks Abraham and Sarah to give their opinion. He says, “Is anything too demanding for God?” (Genesis 18:14).
In a bold moment of intercession for the innocent who live in Sodom, Abraham asks God: “Shall not he who judges all the earth give right judgment?” (Genesis 18:25).
Both of the questions reveal the character of God, as He interacts with people throughout the years.
Sandwiched between the two questions is an insight into God’s thought process. We are given God’s internal dialogue about Sodom and His relationship with Abraham.
Then the men set out from there, and they looked 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 become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?
No, for I have chosen him, that he may charge 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 about for Abraham what he has promised him” (Genesis 18:16-19).
The reasoning behind God’s activity with Abraham was further explained by the prophet Amos.
Surely the Lord God does nothing
without revealing his secret
to his servants the prophets. (Amos 3:7)
Later in Genesis, God calls Abraham a prophet. Without using the terminology, He treats Abraham as a prophet in this instance.
Before we apply this principle to our lives, let’s visit the words “righteousness and justice.” These terms describe God’s character. They are frequently used in the Old Testament (33 times) to describe God’s character and the one He wants displayed by His people.
News headlines are undeniably troubling, from rising grocery costs to the devastating impact of global conflicts and the increasing frequency of extreme weather events like fires, floods, and unseasonable temperatures.
It’s natural to feel overwhelmed and ask, “What is going on?” While the news may highlight the problems, it doesn’t necessarily offer solutions or deeper understanding.
However, those who live righteous and just lives and draw close to God can gain insight into His plans.
We may not be like the prophets of old, but we can all communicate with God through prayer, seeking understanding and guidance about the world’s events.
As someone once said, “We may not be known on earth, but if we are faithful in our communication with God, we will be well known in heaven.”
A Great Outcry
The key word in verses 20 and 21 is “outcry.”
Then the Lord said, “How great is the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah and how very grave their sin! I must go down and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me, and if not, I will know” (Genesis 18:20-21).
The “outcry” that draws God’s attention is the cry of the oppressed due to harsh treatment.
Sodom is best known for sexual immorality. The prophet Ezekiel added another twist to the cause of the outcry in Sodom.
This was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease but did not aid the poor and needy.
They were haughty and did abominable things before me; therefore I removed them when I saw it (Ezekiel 16:49-50).
As we consider a list of the sins of Sodom that produced victims who cried out to God, let’s examine ourselves and conduct a personal spiritual inventory.
- Sexual sins
- Pride
- Excess of food
- Prosperous ease
- Not helping the poor and needy.
- Haughty
- Doing abominable things before God.
Intercession
We will see tomorrow that God reveals His plans to Abraham. In turn, Abraham used the knowledge to intercede for the innocent humans in Sodom.
Abraham didn’t engage in a dialogue with God about the city’s sins. Neither did he attempt to bring repentance to them. He appealed for mercy and grace on behalf of the innocent.
I believe we can follow Abraham’s example.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross and I discussed this passage on YouTube today.
Real Voices 