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PAGE 13
Abraham
The Prayer Bargaining for Sodom & Gomorrah
"Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes, what if the number of the righteous is less than fifty? Would you destroy the whole city because of five people?" Abraham would ask the Lord.
(Bible Study Online Article Covers : Genesis 18:16-33)
Short Recap
In the last article, we learned how Abraham had been the perfect host when treating his three angelic guests, for we find that Abraham treated them with great respect. It's at this time that the Sacred Record also revealed that during this visit, the Lord had sent a message that concerned Abraham's wife, Sarah.
Now, when it came to this message, know that it dealt with the angelic visitors, informing her and Abraham that she was going to be found with a child at that time next year. However, after Sarah had heard the message that the angels had brought, she laughed to herself, for she had doubted what God's message claimed.
And although Sarah had laughed to herself, know that the Lord still heard Sarah when she laughed.
And because she did this, the Lord calls out Sarah for laughing and doubting:
"Why did Sarah laugh and say, 'Will I really have a child, now that I am old?' Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son." -- Genesis 18:13,14
Nonetheless, Sarah would then try to lie about what she had done by quickly speaking out:
"But I didn't laugh." But the Lord would have none of what Sarah was trying to convince Him of, and He'd quickly reply: "Yes, Sarah, you did laugh."
And it would be at this time that the Lord would remind Sarah that there's nothing that's too hard for Him to do, and then He'd confirm to her again that she will indeed have a child at that time next year.
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Sodom & Gomorrah?
A short while later, we find that the three angels have turned and placed their attention upon the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. So they got up from the table and started to leave, heading towards these two cities. Now Abraham will walk and follow along with them. But Abraham had no clue that these three angels were on their way to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.
He also didn't know that the Lord had just passed judgment on these two cities. Now when it comes to the judgement of the Lord, know that it was brought upon these two cities, because the people who lived from within these cities were found to be, in the Lord eyes, wicked and sinful.
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Should I Tell Abraham?
Now, it would be from within our journey where we're now being treated with a rare look into God's relationship that had been developed with Abraham. We find that the Sacred Record would inform us that God was wondering if He should tell Abraham about what He was planning to do when it came to the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah:
"Shall I hide from Abraham what I'm about to do? Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all the nations on earth will be blessed through him. For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what He has promised him." -- (Genesis 18:17-20)
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Abraham I Want You to Know Something?
Now after God had pondered a bit, He decides to go ahead and tell Abraham about His plans, when it came to the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah: "The outcry against the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached Me. If not I will know." -- Genesis 18:20
After hearing this, Abraham just stood there. Two of the three angels then turned and walked away, continuing to head towards the cities. In the meantime, Abraham would become courageous and quite bold. For we now find him beginning to question God about His intentions.
Abraham would ask the Lord: "Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? Far be it for you to do such a thing, to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do what's right." Abraham would say boldly to the Lord.
And the Lord would respond: "If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake."
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My Lord -- If I May?
And being that Abraham had approached God so boldly the last time around and was truly blessed that God did not destroy him for it -- Abraham would change his approach somewhat as he presented his next question for the Lord:
"Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes, what if the number of the righteous is less than fifty? Would you destroy the whole city because of five people?" Abraham asked the Lord.
And after hearing this, the Lord would agree to Abraham's proposal. The Lord told his servant that He would not destroy the city if there were forty-five righteous people. So Abraham would proceed further, by asking another question:
"But what if there were only forty righteous people in the city? Would you destroy it?" Again, God would agree that He would not destroy the city if only forty righteous people could be found there.
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My Lord -- I Must Insist?
After hearing the Lord's reply, Abraham would continue to bargain for the cities: "May the Lord not be angry with me, but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found there?" And again, the Lord would agree that if He'd found thirty, He would not destroy the cities. And Abraham continued:
"Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?" And God would agree that if He had found twenty righteous people in the city, He would not destroy it. And Abraham continues and presents God with one more question: "May the Lord not be angry with me, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?"
And the Lord replied to Abraham once more, before the angels had reached the cities: "For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it." Abraham, thinking that there should be at least ten righteous people within the city of Sodom, stopped his bargaining with the Lord and headed back home to wait and see what the outcome would turn out to be.
In the next Bible Study Online Article:
Now that we've just read about the type of personal relationship that Abraham had with God and how Abraham would use this personal connection with the Lord to try and save the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, we'll see if Abraham's efforts will, in fact, be able to save the two wicked and sinful cities from the wrath of God.
May God blessings be upon you, and thank you for your support
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10) Abraham the Father of a Multitude
11) Sarah the Mother of Nations
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14) Sodom and Gomorrah Destroyed
15) The Judgment of Lot's Wife
17) Abimelech Angry with Abraham
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