Genesis 18:22-33

Genesis 18:22-33

[22] turned their faces  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  [27] And Abraham  answered  and said,  Behold now, I have taken upon me  to speak  unto the Lord,  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  [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  [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  [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  [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  [33] And the LORD  as soon as  he had left  communing  with Abraham:  returned  unto his place. 

What does Genesis 18:22-33 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

This is the first time in Scripture that a man initiated a conversation with God. He prayed for the people of Sodom, not just Lot. Abraham"s intercession raises several questions in the minds of thoughtful Bible students. Did Abraham succeed in his intercession since God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah? Some interpreters believe he did not because he quit too soon.
". . . Abraham ceased asking before God ceased giving." [1]
This conclusion assumes that Abraham"s primary purpose was to get God to demonstrate mercy and to spare the cities for the sake of their few righteous inhabitants ( Genesis 18:24). While this idea was obviously in Abraham"s mind, his primary purpose seems rather to have been to secure justice (i.e, deliverance) for the righteous minority in their wicked cities ( Genesis 18:23-24). Secondarily, he wanted God to spare the cities. This interpretation finds support in Abraham"s appeal to the justice of God rather than to His mercy ( Genesis 18:25). This appeal was the basis of his intercession. Abraham was jealous for the reputation of Yahweh among his neighbors. If this was indeed his primary purpose, Abraham succeeded in obtaining justice for the righteous in Sodom and Gomorrah.
A second question arises from Abraham"s method of interceding. Is his haggling with God an example we should follow? Evidently Abraham was not trying to wear God down by pressuring Him. Instead he was seeking clarification from God as to the extent of His mercy. He wanted to find out how merciful God would be in judging these cities.
Why did Abraham stop with10 righteous people ( Genesis 18:32)? Perhaps he had learned that the Lord would be merciful regardless of the number. [2] Perhaps he thought there would be at least10 righteous in those two cities. If Song of Solomon , he underestimated the wickedness of the Sodomites, and, perhaps, he overestimated righteous Lot"s influence over his neighbors.
Will God spare a city or nation today because of the Christians in it? This passage is helpful in answering this question because in it we can see that a godly minority does play a role in influencing God"s judgment. It can delay judgment by promoting godliness. However a godly minority may not prevent God"s judgment if "sin is exceedingly grave" ( Genesis 18:20). God does not always choose to remove the righteous from the wicked before He judges the wicked, as He did in Lot"s case. Nevertheless the Judge of all the earth does deal justly. We can see this when we take the long view. People alive now have yet to receive their final judgment from the divine Judge.
Abraham"s shameless, bold persistence with God illustrates what Jesus had in mind when he taught the importance of these qualities in prayer (e.g, Luke 11:5-10; Luke 18:1-8). Threefold repetition is common in Scripture, but Abraham"s doubling of it gives his request even more solemnity and weight.
This chapter illustrates a progression in Abraham"s relationship with God that is normal for those who have a relationship with Him.
1.God revealed Himself to Abraham ( Genesis 18:1).2.Abraham welcomed God"s revelation ( Genesis 18:2-3).3.Fellowship resulted ( Genesis 18:4-8). They ate together.4.This fellowship led to further revelation and greater understanding of God"s will ( Genesis 18:9-22).5.Having learned of God"s purpose to judge the sinners, Abraham"s response was to intercede for those under God"s judgment ( Genesis 18:23-33).
"It is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to pray effectively for lost souls if one is not convinced that lostness will ultimately result in literal, eternal punishment." [3]
The outstanding lesson of this section is probably that since God is a righteous Judge He will not destroy the righteous with the wicked. [4]