FEB 23
Genesis 18:16-33
Memorise 2 Peter 3:9
“I will not destroy it for ten’s sake”

After affirming God’s promise to Abraham in giving him a son, there remained another task that the Angel of the Lord had to accomplish – to bring judgment upon the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. The Lord chose to reveal this to Abraham, in order that he may understand the way that God deals with man, in that He would bless those who obey, but would not hesitate to judge those who sin against Him. God was confident of his righteousness (Genesis 18:19), but yet at the same time wanted to demonstrate to him the important principle of the balance of justice and mercy.

In Genesis 18:20-22, God explained to Abraham why the impending judgment upon Sodom and Gomorrah was fully justified. Their sin was very grievous (as we would clearly see in the next chapter), and God knew that their hearts were so sinfully and wickedly depraved. To show that He was not just acting on impulse or unverified rumours, He sent the two angels into the cities to confirm their sin. This does not mean that God did not know, but it was to demonstrate to Abraham that He was certainly careful in the meting out of punishment.

As Abraham observed all this, his response was “wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?” (Genesis 18:23). Likely his concern was for his nephew Lot and his family. Although Abraham certainly did not approve of his presence in Sodom, yet he was concerned Lot would be judged together with the sinners in Sodom. And so Abraham began to intercede on behalf of the people of Sodom. He began by asking if God would spare the city if at least 50 righteous people were in it. He then reduced the number to 45, 40, 30, then 20 and finally all the way down to 10. Through this ‘bargaining’, he did it in a most humble manner, careful not to incur the wrath of God. The basis of his argument was not on the goodness of man, but the justice and righteousness of God (Genesis 18:25). In response, God was very patient with his requests, showing that He is indeed a merciful God, who would never over punish, but would show compassion to those who deserve it. Indeed their sins were great, but God was willing to spare the whole city just for 10 righteous people, for in His perfect wisdom and justice, “the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished”.

Thought: Do we dare think that we know how to judge better than God?

Prayer: Lord, I thank Thee for Thy grace and mercy in saving me.