GENESIS 18: Another Announcement

 

In our previous study we saw that the Lord himself, together with two angels, came to visit Abraham and Sarah to announce them that the promised son would soon be born. Just before he left, the Lord announced yet another plan he had.

(Genesis 18:16-17)  Then the men set out from there, and they looked down toward Sodom. And Abraham went with them to set them on their way.  (17)  The LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do,

Abraham had a very special relationship with God. The Lord called him his “friend”.

(James 2:23)  and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness"--and he was called a friend of God.

(Isaiah 41:8)  But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend;

(2 Chronicles 20:7)  Did you not, our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend?

Abraham’s relationship with God had matured and grown deeper.

We see a similar message in Jesus’ “farewell speech” to his disciples.

(John 15:15)  No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.

As his friend, the Lord was not going to keep from Abraham what he was about to do, especially since Lot was going to be affected by it.

(Genesis 18:17-19)  The LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do,  (18)  seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?  (19)  For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice, so that the LORD may bring to Abraham what he has promised him."

How he introduces the explanation about His plans is very important. God confirms to Abraham what he will do, and also reveals what he expects from him.

GOD… would give him offspring, which would form a great and mighty nation, which would bless all the nations of the earth.

This is what God was going fulfill. Then he mentions the part that Abraham has to fulfill:

ABRAHAM… will command his children to keep the way of the Lord.

If Abraham keeps his part, the Lord would fulfill everything he had promised.

(Psalms 25:12-14)  Who is the man who fears the LORD? Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose.  (13)  His soul shall abide in well-being, and his offspring shall inherit the land.  (14)  The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant.

Abraham’s descendants received a similar message 400 years later.

(Deuteronomy 11:18-28)  You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.  (19)  You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.  (20)  You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates,  (21)  that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers to give them, as long as the heavens are above the earth.  (22)  For if you will be careful to do all this commandment that I command you to do, loving the LORD your God, walking in all his ways, and holding fast to him,  (23)  then the LORD will drive out all these nations before you, and you will dispossess nations greater and mightier than yourselves.  (24)  Every place on which the sole of your foot treads shall be yours. Your territory shall be from the wilderness to the Lebanon and from the River, the river Euphrates, to the western sea.  (25)  No one shall be able to stand against you. The LORD your God will lay the fear of you and the dread of you on all the land that you shall tread, as he promised you.  (26)  "See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse:  (27)  the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today,  (28)  and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside from the way that I am commanding you today, to go after other gods that you have not known.

ANNOUNCING WHAT HE WOULD DO

After God told Abraham why he was going to reveal his secrets to him, he shared his plans with him.

(Genesis 18:20-21)  Then the LORD said, "Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave,  (21)  I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know." 

An “outcry” (Hebrew Zaakah, meaning a cry of distress or anguish) came out from the places where there was great sin. This is the same word that was used in relation to Abel’s blood, which cried for divine justice.

(Genesis 4:9-10)  Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" He said, "I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?"  (10)  And the LORD said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground.

When a great injustice is done, the earth cries out. Nature recognizes God’s order and cries out when man breaks it. The apostle Paul writes about creation crying out for justice and order.

(Romans 8:19-22)  For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.  (20)  For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope  (21)  that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.  (22)  For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.

SODOM AND GOMORRAH’S SIN

Why was there an outcry coming out of Sodom and Gomorrah? What was happening there?

In Genesis we had seen that in these cities lived men who were wicked and great sinners. 

(Genesis 13:10-13)  And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar. (This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.)  (11)  So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed east. Thus they separated from each other.  (12)  Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom.  (13)  Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the LORD.

The prophets explain Sodom’s sin in greater retail:

(Ezekiel 16:49-50)  Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy.  (50)  They were haughty and did an abomination before me. So I removed them, when I saw it.

(Isaiah 1:9-15)  If the LORD of hosts had not left us a few survivors, we should have been like Sodom, and become like Gomorrah.  (10)  Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom! Give ear to the teaching of our God, you people of Gomorrah!  (11)  "What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the LORD; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats.  (12)  "When you come to appear before me, who has required of you this trampling of my courts?  (13)  Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations-- I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly.  (14)  Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates; they have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them.  (15)  When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood. 

Isaiah explains what God wants from his people:

(Isaiah 1:16-17)  Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil,  (17)  learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause.

What God wants is for justice and judgment to be done. Obedience is what he expects from us.

Sodom’s sin had reached its highest point, which is why the earth cried out from that place. God responded and was going to bring justice and judgment there… but not before he sent out a warning. Even Cain had the chance to explain himself and repent before God, but he did not take advantage of it, instead he excused himself and continued as if nothing had happened.

The angels headed toward Sodom, to bring God’s justice. Meanwhile, the Lord stayed behind a little longer, and spoke with Abraham.

(Genesis 18:22)  So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the LORD.

ABRAHAM PLEADS

Undoubtedly, when Abraham heard the word “Sodom” he immediately thought about Lot, his nephew, and pleaded for him and for the righteous men living in that place.

(Genesis 18:23-25)  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?" 

This is a very natural cry, since we don’t want the righteous to pay for the sins of the sinners. If we know God, we must learn to trust that He will always do what is righteous… for everyone.

What was the Lord’s response to Abraham’s question?

(Genesis 18:26)  And the LORD said, "If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake."

God does not have a revengeful heart, but a righteous one. Before he carries out his judgment He shows his mercy by calling to repentance. The Bible clearly states that God does not desire the death of the wicked; rather he wants for all to repent and live.

(Ezekiel 18:23-32)  Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord GOD, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?  (24)  But when a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice and does the same abominations that the wicked person does, shall he live? None of the righteous deeds that he has done shall be remembered; for the treachery of which he is guilty and the sin he has committed, for them he shall die.  (25)  "Yet you say, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way not just? Is it not your ways that are not just?  (26)  When a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice, he shall die for it; for the injustice that he has done he shall die.  (27)  Again, when a wicked person turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he shall save his life.  (28)  Because he considered and turned away from all the transgressions that he had committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die.  (29)  Yet the house of Israel says, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' O house of Israel, are my ways not just? Is it not your ways that are not just?  (30)  "Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, declares the Lord GOD. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin.  (31)  Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel?  (32)  For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord GOD; so turn, and live."

The question is: Was there any righteous people living in Sodom? Was there someone who would repent and turn away from sin?

(Genesis 18:26-32) And the LORD said, "If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake."  (27)  Abraham answered and said, "Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes.  (28)  Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?" And he said, "I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there."  (29)  Again he spoke to him and said, "Suppose forty are found there." He answered, "For the sake of forty I will not do it."  (30)  Then he said, "Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found there." He answered, "I will not do it, if I find thirty there."  (31)  He said, "Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there." He answered, "For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it."  (32)  Then he said, "Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there." He answered, "For the sake of ten I will not destroy it."

Sadly, there were not 50 righteous people, nor 45, nor 30, not even 10.

When Abraham got down to ten, he stopped pleading. Why ten? The number ten represents a congregation. According to some commentators, this is the minimum number of people needed to change a nation.