Christian Stories - Biblical StoriesSodom & Gomorrah
Abraham had been the perfect host and treated his angelic guest with great respect. The Lord had sent a message concerning Abraham's wife Sarah, and informed her, that she was going to have a child at this time next year. After Sarah had heard the message that the angels had brought, she laughed to herself and doubted God. The Lord heard Sarah when she laughed and doubted His word, so He questioned her about it. Sarah would then try to lie about what she had done, but the Lord would have none of it. He would remind her that there's nothing that's too hard for Him to do and confirmed to her again, that she will have a child this time next year.
A short while later, the angels would now turn and place their attention upon the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. So they got up and started to leave and head towards these two cities, while Abraham walked and follow along with them. Now Abraham had no clue that these angels were on their way to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. He did not know that the Lord had passed judgment on them, because of the great sins that they had committed in His eyes. It's at this moment, that we are now treated with a rare look into God's personal relationship that He had with Abraham. The scriptures would inform us, that God was wondering if He should tell Abraham about what He is 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) After God had pondered a bit, He decides to go ahead and tell Abraham about His plans concerning thew 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," the Lord will tell Abraham. As Abraham stood there standing in the presence of the Lord, two of the three angels turned and walked away and began to head towards the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. In the meantime Abraham would become quite bold and began to question God about His intentions? "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." Being that he had approached God so boldly the last time and was truly blessed that God did not destroy him for it, Abraham would change his approach 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 would ask the Lord. The Lord would agree, that He would not destroy the city if there were forty five righteous people in it. Abraham would proceed further and asked another question, "But what if there were only forty righteous people in the city, would you destroy it?" God would agree that he would not destroy the city if there were only forty righteous people in the city. Abraham would continue to bargain with the Lord: "May the Lord not be angry with me, but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found there?" The Lord would agree that if He found thirty He would not destroy the cities. Abraham continued: "Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?" God would agree that if He had found twenty righteous people in the city He would not destroy it. 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 would reply to Abraham once more before the angels had reached the cities. "For the sake of ten, I will not destroyit." With Abraham thinking that there should at least be ten righteous people within the city of Sodom, he stopped his bargaining with the Lord and headed back home and waited to see what Sodom and Gomorrah's outcome would turn out to be. 01) Introduction of Abraham - Before He was Called 02) The Divine Calling of Abraham 04) The Strife between Abram and Lot 10) Abraham the Father of a Multitude 11) Sarah the Mother of Nations 13) <-CURRENT PAGE-> 14) Sodom and Gomorrah Destroyed 15) The Judgment of Lot's Wife 17) Abimelech Angry with Abraham  CrossDaily.com Web Search where you can VOTE FOR THIS SITE & other great ones. Christian search engine, directory & voting index. You'll find Bible, chat, churches, jobs, music, reviews, software, theology, & more. See the best sites!
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