Genesis 18:22-32 gives the account of Abraham dialoging and negotiating with the Lord to spare the righteous living in the city of Sodom and Gomorrah. He starts out by asking the Lord, if the Lord will also destroy the righteous with the wicked if there were 50 righteous people in the city. He then moves on to ask if there were only 45, 40, 30, 20 and only 10 in the city who were righteous, would the Lord still destroy the city and the Lord respond by saying no.
Points to ponder:
From this account, we can see a few hidden treasures. First, the Lord God will not destroy the righteous along with the wicked. This unfolds the just and righteous nature of the Lord. While he will not punish the righteous, he will certainly punish the wicked, but not the righteous along with the wicked. Second, it also reveals that if we are the righteous (made right in standing before God for believing in Jesus), because of the Lord’s faithfulness to us, we may be the people whom God looks at and stops himself from punishing the wicked around us. Not only shall the righteous not perish as the wicked but they may be the people by whom the wicked are spared as well. If the Lord God was to look at you and me today, would he see us as righteous and spare us and the city where we live? Think about it!
Genesis 18:22-32 (KJV)
22 And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the Lord.
23 And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?
24 Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?
25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
26 And the Lord said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.
27 And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto theLord, which am but dust and ashes:
28 Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it.
29 And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty’s sake.
30 And he said unto him, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there.
31 And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty’s sake.
32 And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten’s sake.
