God told Jeremiah, “Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my heart would not turn toward this people” (Jeremiah 15:1).
Moses, Samuel, and Jeremiah stood before God to intercede for a specific need. Abraham did the same when he stood before God on behalf of the innocent who lived in Sodom.
So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, while Abraham remained standing before the Lord.
Then Abraham came near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked?” (Genesis 18:22-23).
Abraham didn’t argue about Sodom’s wickedness, nor did he ask God for a chance to lead the city to repentance. His concern was for the innocent people who would suffer alongside the guilty. This was the reason for his intercession.
“Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; will you then sweep away the place and not forgive it for the fifty righteous who are in it?
Far be it from you to do such a thing, to slay the righteous 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?” (Genesis 18:24-25)
Abraham’s intercession for Sodom provides a powerful example for us. We should focus less on diagnosing others’ problems, as God is already aware of them. While we may not always be able to change a situation, we can always ask God to show mercy to the righteous and innocent in the world.
God’s Justice
Abraham boldly appealed to God, holding Him to a high standard of justice based on their personal relationship. He asked, “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” (Genesis 18:25).
The answer to Abraham’s question has always been, and remains, yes. God, the righteous judge, will always act justly.
Even when we struggle to understand the complexities of life, we can be confident that God is at work in the world, moving all things toward justice, righteousness, and the establishment of His kingdom.
God commanded Jeremiah to look for the innocent and righteous in Jerusalem.
Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem,
look around and take note!
Search its squares and see
if you can find one person
who acts justly
and seeks truth—
so that I may pardon Jerusalem. (Jeremiah 5:1)
It appears that God took this task upon Himself. The Lord said, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will forgive the whole place for their sake” (Genesis 18:26).
God couldn’t find fifty righteous people in Sodom. Abraham and God then negotiated down to ten. Even with only ten righteous people needed, God still couldn’t find enough to spare the city. Therefore, He proceeded with judgment.
Abraham asked, “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 18:32-33).
Reflections
Since reading this passage and gaining insight from Victor Hamilton’s commentary on Genesis, I’ve been practicing Abraham’s example of intercession. I believe there are vulnerable people, relatively innocent, whom God sees and knows.
Throughout Genesis and the rest of the Bible, we see that God is aware of our tears, hurts, pain, and grief. We don’t need to analyze the problem or assign blame.
Instead, we can pray for God’s mercy on the vulnerable, the weak, and the innocent. Please join me in this.
YouTube Video
Rudy Ross and I discussed this passage on YouTube today.
Real Voices 