GENESIS 18
22 So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. 23 Then Abraham drew near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death 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?” 26 And the Lord said, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.” – Genesis 18:22-26
GENESIS 18 ABRAHAM INTERCEDING FOR SODOM
A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA
When the Lord shared with Abraham his plan to destroy Sodom
He immediately asked the Lord about the welfare of the righteous
He didn’t think it was just for those who are upright to be destroyed
Abraham was trying to intercede for Sodom to see if God will spare them
Abraham asked God if he was to spare their lives if there were fifty upright men
And the Lord said that he will give them mercy and spare those righteous persons.
In this account, we see Abraham’s compassion for those who are righteous in Sodom when the Lord destroys it. We get a glimpse of his justice towards those upright and innocent people who do not need to be punished because of the sins of the wicked ones. We also witness how he is able to ask God questions without fear because he knows that the Lord is a just God.
We also see another character of God here. He was able to share what his plans for Sodom was because he knew that Abraham will need all the knowledge to deal with all these areas and people nearby his promised habitation. God manifests his mercy and patience with these sinful cities. Even if there were only fifty who are righteous, he would spare their lives from the destruction.
REFLECTION
- What is the importance of intercession prayers for those we pray for?
- How can Abraham confidently ask the Lord such questions he asked here?
