Be An Intercessor

Genesis 18:20-33

Many people, at some point in their lives, have spoken a word or interceded on behalf of someone, perhaps for a relative or close friend.  Most of us who are believers have prayed to the Lord for others, including interceding for a loved one’s salvation. In our passage this morning from the Book of Genesis we read of an occasion when Abraham interceded for the residents of a city, and especially for his nephew and family.  Let’s take a closer look at this passage.

Earlier in the chapter God had promised the aged Abraham and his wife Sarah that within a year’s time they would have a son.  Now they are walking beyond Abraham’s tent compound, and the Lord shares with Abraham that because of their great wickedness, the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah will be destroyed.  The sin of these two neighboring cities was so great that it had reached a point of no return (vs. 20). However, even though God knew how wicked they were, He was going to give them one last chance to repent, and He sent two angels in the form of men to give a last warning (vs. 21-22).  Even today, with how evil the world is quickly becoming, God is waiting to give men the opportunity to turn to Him (II Peter 3:9). He does not want anyone to perish, but rather, that they would turn to Him.

Abraham knew that his nephew Lot and his family lived in the city of Sodom.  He also must surely have known that those two cities were dens of iniquity. If God was going to destroy those cities, his nephew would die too, and of course he didn’t want that.  Though Abraham knew Lot was far from perfect, he had not fallen to the level of his neighbors. Would God destroy him, too? Abraham knew through his close relationship with Him, that Yahweh was a merciful God, and that He would make a distinction between good and bad.  So Abraham stepped out in faith, and began to intercede on behalf of his nephew, any other righteous residents, and really on behalf of the whole city. He knew God’s character, that He could only do what is right, and that He is above reproach (vs. 23-25).

Abraham pleaded with God, asking for the city to be spared if 50 righteous people could be found in there.  Though the Bible doesn’t give the populations of either city, they were substantial cities at that time, and Abraham pleaded if only 50 be found.  As the two continued to talk, Abraham pleaded down the amount of righteous to be found, for 45, then 40, 30, 20, and finally if only 10 righteous be found, would God spare the cities (vs. 27 - 32).  Abraham was not trying to be crass or manipulative. He was humbly and compassionately interceding, not only for the life of his nephew, but for the whole population. The count had gone down from 50 to 10.  Abraham knew how wicked Sodom and Gomorrah were, and also knew that Lot was not a good or effective witness there.

Judgment was inevitable (vs. 33).  Abraham knew that God is just, and that He will punish sin.  When he left the conversation he knew that God would be kind and fair.  He knew that God was merciful, as well as just. God does not take pleasure in destroying the wicked, but He must punish sin.  God is both just and fair.  We may ask for what we wish, but God’s answers come from His perspective.

Like Abraham did, do we pray and intercede to God on behalf of the lost?  Do we plead with Him for the salvation of our relatives? Do we hear about all the terrible things that happen in the “big cities”, and just shake our heads and complain about the wickedness there, or do we lift them up to God in fervent prayer?  Abraham prayed and interceded for the souls of these residents of Sodom and Gomorrah. His prayers spared the lives of Lot and his family. Many of our friends and relatives are spiritually lost and on their way to an eternity in hell, without God.  They desperately need our prayers for their salvation. There is a wicked world out there on a fast, steep, slippery descent into destruction. Our own community, and the cities near us, all need our prayers. Like Abraham did, we need to pray for the lost.