In this passage today, we seem to be stepping into an argument between Abraham and God. Foolish as this sounds, it appears to be an invitation from God to step forward and stand in the gap between holy justice and the human need for mercy. As we approach Christmas, when God’s mercy took flesh and entered our world, read this not as if Abraham were trying to convince God to be merciful, as if He weren’t. But Abraham is being led by God into the deepest part of His character to find mercy indeed—the same mercy that would one day be wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger.
“The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the Lord. 23 Then Abraham approached him and said: “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not sparethe place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?” 26 The Lord said, “If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.” 27 Then Abraham spoke up again: “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes, 28 what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five people?” “If I find forty-five there,” he said, “I will not destroy it.” 29 Once again he spoke to him, “What if only forty are found there?” He said, “For the sake of forty, I will not do it.” 30 Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found there?” He answered, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.” 31 Abraham said, “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?” He said, “For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it.” 32 Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?” He answered, “For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.” 33 When the Lord had finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home.” (Genesis 18 v 22 – 33)
This is a powerful example to all intercessors out there. To stand in the gap and to plead for the innocent. Abraham, for some reason, stopped at ten. That wasn’t God’s decision; it was Abraham’s. Could he have kept going, perhaps to even one?
What we do know is that Abraham’s intercession gives Lot and his daughters a chance to escape. Sometimes intercession doesn’t save a wreckage, but it rescues survivors in it.
Intercession is more than ‘bless her, bless me’ prayers. It is to know what it is to hold onto God and contend with Him for someone. It is to wrestle the angel till dawn as Jacob did; it is the widow persistently and annoyingly calling to the judge for justice; it is Abraham, with his own failed story, daring to come to God for the sake of a city.
Here’s the challenge: what type of prayers do you pray? Safe ones? Or do you dare to beg for mercy for others?
At the end of this exchange, God leaves, and Abraham walks home. What was he thinking? He was carrying yet another promise from God. Ten righteous people will be saved. He has managed to save ten. I wonder if he regretted stopping at ten. I wonder if he was concerned that there were not ten righteous people in Sodom.
But what Abraham had done (though he would never have understood this) was give us all a challenge. We all should intercede with more rigour and daring. We can all change things for people by seeking God for their lives.
This Christmas, as we celebrate the most extraordinary intercession of all, God stepping into our world to stand in the gap for humanity, let us be inspired to pray with the same daring hope that marked this ancient argument between God and His man.
Missions Paul 