Gen. 18:22 Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the LORD.
Gen. 18:23 And Abraham came near and said, “Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked?
Then men began to call on the name of the LORD! I can’t really think of any better place to start these 30 Days. People calling out to God! We know the history of the first 4 chapters of Genesis. God created man for Himself. He walked with Adam and Eve in the garden. Man’s sin separated him from God. Things were going downhill fast! And then men again began to call on the name of the LORD. Exactly how this looked or what they said we don’t know. We are not given really any model prayers from chapter 4 through chapter 18. However, we do see that people called out to God. They came to Him with sacrifices. Those who did, sought Him and followed him. We don’t know what they prayed. What is important is that they did. God records this for us as a reminder that it is important and that He desires that we call upon His Name. It is important hat we seek His guidance. It is important that we have a relationship with Him. As we open these 30 Days it is important to remember, that is why we are here. We call up on the name of the LORD and seek Him in the best way that we know how. As we do we trust that our relationship with Him will grow.
Because of the nature of these 30 Days of Pray I think it is interesting that the first prayer that we will look at is Abraham pleading for Sodom and Gomorrah. Up until this time Abraham has set up a number of altars. He has called in those places on God’s Name. God has come to Abraham and revealed His promises to him, but now, in chapter 18, God is revealing something else to Abraham. In fact, we see God having a mini-counsel with Himself about sharing His next steps with Abraham concerning Sodom and Gomorrah. He does this not to reveal any question on whether what He is about to show Abraham is right but to reveal the nature of who Abraham is and Abraham’s reaction in prayer.
God is going to judge and bring judgement upon these cities. But within His counsel in the preceding verses God states ...
For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice, that the LORD may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him...
When we look at the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah we know that they were truly wicked. We also know that Abraham had little doubt of this fact. In his previous encounter with the king of Sodom, at the rescue of Lot, Abraham refuses to take anything from this king. He is actually rather abrupt and cold toward him. Yet now he comes near to God and intercedes.
At first glance we might think that he is only pleading for the righteous, yet instead of just asking that God would protect the righteous he asks God to spare the wicked for the sake of the righteous. Is Abraham aware of the sin. It seems that he is. Does he condone it or claim that it shouldn’t be punished? No, he doesn’t. Yet, he calls for mercy for them all, the righteous and the wicked. It seems strange until we realize God’s heart.
God is concerned with both justice and mercy. I believe that He comes to Abraham with this revelation because He knows what Abraham will do and He knows what He will do because He has already revealed His heart to Abraham for the wicked and sinful. He came to Abraham because through Abraham’s seed all the nations of the world would be blessed. It was through Abraham that the seed ... the Messiah ... would come. Through Him all the nations of the world would be blessed. They would be blessed with a divine mercy. Unlike the Jews later on, it seems Abraham had some deeper understanding of what that meant. So here we see him interceding for Sodom.
We also need to be concerned with the wicked ... the lost. Abraham’s cry for them is an example to us of how we need not agree, condone or pardon the sin, to cry out for mercy for the sinner. Abraham prays not just for the righteous, but also for the wicked. As long as there were righteous among the wicked, there was also an opportunity for a testimony to be given for the truth and for righteousness. Yet even Abraham knew that God’s mercy had its limits.
So what else can we learn from his prayer...
He came near - He boldly came before God and spoke on the behalf of the inhabitants of these wicked cities. Having stood with God and hearing from Him, he now draws even nearer and speaks with Him intimately and personally. God tell us to draw near and He will draw near to us (James 4:8). He waits for us to come. He loves it.
He proclaims God’s name and prays His character - He comes to Him in accordance with the righteousness of God. He rightly recognizes Him as the Just Judge of all the earth who will do right. He recognizes God’s heart, he intercedes yet he cedes to God’s righteous judgement. We must realize who God is and pray accordingly for God will do nothing outside of His character and promises.
He humbles Himself before God - he recognizes who and what he is and respects God’s greatness. He demands nothing yet asks boldly. We have the honor of calling God friend and Daddy, yet He is also King of kings. We are but dust.
He continues in prayer until he achieves his request or completely intercedes - He doesn’t just pray and forget it but continues to seek God until either he felt sure that there must be at least 10 righteous or he felt that he had done all he could to affect God’s heart and pray that God’s will be done. Many times we stop before we have exhausted ourselves in prayer. We stop crying out when God is still gracious to listen. We must continue in faith.
That God is willing to listen and wait until we finish interceding - we don’t see God grow tired, impatient or simply just leave in the middle of Abraham’s pleading but waits and listens to all that Abraham has to say to Him. He loves when His children draw near to Him and seek Him when He can be found.
Prayer Request
*That we would faithful intercede for Maribor & Slovenia and see God work in the lives to save many and to build His Church. That God would break down walls and spiritual strongholds to bring His light and life to this people.
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