VOTD We should not let fear and embarrassment hold us back from doing God's will. Don't seek the validation of others. [Philippians 2:3 NIV]
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In Genesis 18:16-32, we learn the importance of fervent prayer. This passage describes Abraham's petitioning to God on behalf of the righteous people who may live in Sodom. To give a bit of background, God is going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah because of the great sin and wickedness in it (Gen. 18:20). Abraham went before God, asking Him to spare the city of Sodom if 50 righteous people were found in it, and God agreed. Abraham then asked God to spare this city if 45 righteous people were found in it, and God agreed to this again. Abraham did this multiple times, asking the Lord to spare the city for 40, 30, 20, then finally, 10 righteous people. God agreed.
My question is, why did Abraham continue to push the limits and repeatedly ask for mercy for this city? And why did God agree?
The Bible commentary Enduring Word provides a great explanation of the whole passage: " And Abraham came near: Abraham came near to the LORD. Effective intercession is a matter of drawing near to God so we can pray with His heart. c. Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked: In discussing this question, in a sense, Abraham reminded the LORD of His own nature and principles (shall not the Judge of all the earth do right). Abraham thought that God, as a righteous Judge, could not and would not punish the innocent in the same way as the guilty. i. Effective prayer speaks knowing who God is, and how God works in a particular situation. Effective prayer doesn't see itself as a passive spectator in what God does, but effective prayer acts as if it must actually remind God in prayer. ii. We might find it remarkable Abraham even cared about the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. He might have just prayed, "LORD, get my nephew Lot out of there first," but he didn't. Abraham's heart was full of sorrow and compassion, even for the wicked of Sodom and Gomorrah. d. If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes: God said this because Abraham asked. When Abraham drew near to the LORD and prayed according to God's revealed nature and will, God agreed. The LORD said that He would spare the city if there were 50 righteous there. Suppose there were five less than the fifty righteous: In his first exchange with God, Abraham established a principle – that God would not destroy the righteous with the wicked. With that principle established, it was then just a matter of numbers. How many righteous people would God spare the city for? i. Abraham's intercession was effective because it was specific. He talked about specific numbers with God, and not only in broad, general terms. Often our prayers are ineffective because we really don't ask the LORD to do anything. Instead, we often just toss wishes up to heaven. so like how we just say what we want and dont ask for it b. Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Abraham continued his intercession with a bold humility. He was not proud or arrogant before the Lord, yet he still continued to ask. i. Abraham's humility was demonstrated in that nowhere in his prayer did he ask why or did he demand that God explain Himself and His actions. It is impossible to miss the persistence of Abraham in intercession. Abraham did not stop asking at 40 or 50 and say simply, "Now it's in the LORD's hands" or "The LORD will do what the LORD will do." Abraham shows us that there are times when an intercessor must feel that the eternal destiny of men and women depends on the intercessor's prayer. ii. This is the kind of heart God wanted to draw out of Abraham; a heart that cared so much for people made in the image of God that he worked hard to intercede on behalf of a city that deserved judgment. This was the heart a great leader of a large and mighty nation needed to have. iii. Remember, there is a sense in which all this negotiation was in vain, because Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed. There were not ten righteous people in the city, only four; and surely God knew how many righteous people there actually were in the cities. Yet God specifically revealed the fate of these cities to Abraham to draw out of him an intercessor's heart of love, so even before the time of Jesus, Abraham could be conformed into the image of His Son (Romans 8:29), who is Himself an intercessor (Hebrews 7:25). d. Abraham returned to his place: We wonder if Abraham should not have continued the negotiations because there were only four righteous in the city. Would God have spared the city for four if Abraham had asked? Perhaps Abraham felt Lot would surely have brought six people beyond his own family to God in his time in Sodom. "
Just by praying persistently and boldly, yet remaining humble and being specific, I received what I asked for. I was confused while reading this passage so I asked God to reveal to me what it meant and He told me, "Ask and it will be given to you, knock and the door will be opened, seek and you will find." (Mat. 7:7)
Thank You Lord! Thank You Holy Spirit for this message and for blessing me abundantly. Thank You for giving me understanding.
Instead of being passive, we can really help people by praying fervently for them, offering genuine tips, loving them with a Godly love, and being forgiving. "Love God, love your neighbor, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." (Mat. 22:37-40)
We should not let fear and embarrassment hold us back from doing God's will. Don't seek the validation of others. Just like today's verse says, do nothing out of selfishness or vain conceit, but value others above yourself. One way we can do this is by being a blessing in their lives and reminding them of God's goodness. Don't let anything be a discouragement from being an instrument of goodness. Send bible verses to people, encourage others in Spirit and in truth, and spread the Word and the good news!
Thank you for reading! Again, I want to remind you that intercession, petition, and prayer is very important, so please go to the Lord with your requests, burdens, and everything else in belief that He will hear you and answer you.
"How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, "Your God reigns!"" [Isaiah 52:7 NIV]
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Sources: Genesis 18, Old Testament, the NIV Bible Isaiah 52:7, Old Testament, the NIV Bible Matthew 7:7 ; 22:37-40, New Testament, the NIV Bible Philippians 2:3, New Testament, the NIV Bible Enduring Word Bible Commentary. https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/genesis-18/
