Devotion Text: Gen 18:16-26
16 When the men got up to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way. 17 Then the LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? 18 Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. 19 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."
20 Then the LORD said, "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous 21 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."
22 The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the LORD. 23 Then Abraham approached him and said: "Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 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? 25 Far be it from 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 right?"
26 The LORD said, "If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake." (NIV)
taken from www.biblegateway.com
Unless I missed it, this is the first time the Lord has actually appeared to and walked with man since Adam and Eve were kicked out of the garden. This is one of the few times we see someone pleading with God to change his mind.
So did Abraham's request change the course of history? In the end, Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed. Abraham's pleas were unfortunately easy for God to respond to since he knew the wicked hearts of those who lived in the towns.
But this passage shows us a lot about the heart of God. He could have zapped Abraham with a lightning bolt for daring to question the plans of the Almighty. He could have laughed at him for his feeble attempt to change the eternal judgement of two of the most evil towns in the history of the world.
But He didn't. He knew Abraham's heart and the future that was planned for him. God trusted him enough to share His plan. Abraham continues to plead with God to cancel His plans, and God agrees that if there are just ten righteous people in the towns they will not be destroyed.
By sharing this story, God has given us permission to question his plans and even to plead for him to reconsider! He knows the outcome, but I wonder if he shares plans with us just to see if we trust his love enough to argue?
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