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Genesis
18:32-33 (King James Version)
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 sake.
And the Lord went his way, as soon as he had left communing
with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.
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This passage of Scripture speaks of God's visitation with Abraham
and informing him of his impending judgment upon the cities of Sodom
and Gomorrah. Abraham had concerns for Sodom and Gomorrah, in
that he cared for the people in those cities, mainly Lott and his
family.
Communion with God is kept up by the word and by prayer. In
the word God speaks to us; in prayer we speak to him. God had
revealed to Abraham his purposes concerning Sodom; now from this
Abraham takes occasion to speak to God on Sodom's behalf.
Note, God's word then does us good when it furnishes us with matter
for prayer and excites us to it.
I. The solemnity of Abraham's address to God on this occasion:
Abraham drew near. A holy concern: He engaged his
heart to approach to God. A holy confidence: |
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He drew near
with an assurance of faith.
II. The general scope of this prayer. It is the first solemn
prayer we have upon record in the Bible; and it is a prayer for the
sparing of Sodom. Though sin is to be hated, sinners are to be
pitied and prayed for. God delights not in their death, nor
should we desire, but deprecate, the woeful day. He begins
with a prayer that the righteous among them might be spared, having
an eye particular to just Lot. He improves this into a
petition that all might be spared for the sake of the righteous that
were among them, God himself approves of this request.
III. The particular graces eminent in this prayer. Here is
great faith; and it is the prayer of faith that is the prevailing
prayer. Note: The righteous are mingled with the wicked in
this world. Among the best there are, commonly, some bad, and
among the worst some good: even in Sodom, one Lot. Though they
may suffer with them, yet the righteous God will not, certainly he
will not, destroy the righteous with the wicked. That the
righteous shall not be as the wicked. Though they may suffer with
them. Yet they do not suffer like them.
Here is great humility. A deep sense of his own unworthiness:
Behold, now, I have
taken upon me to speak unto |
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the Lord,
who am but dust and ashes;
and again, He speaks as one amazed at his own boldness. Note:
The access we have to the throne of grace, and the freedom of speech
allowed us, are just matter of humble wonder. An awful dread
of God's displeasure. But he with whom we have to do is God
and not man; and, however he may seem, is not really angry
with the prayers of the upright, for they are his delight,
and he is pleased when he is wrestled with.
Here is great charity. A charitable opinion of Sodom's
character: as bad as it was, he thought there were several good
people in it. It becomes us to hope the best of the worst
places. Of the two it is better to err in that extreme.
A charitable desire of Sodom's welfare: he used all his interest at
the throne of grace for mercy for them.
Here are great boldness and believing confidence. Suppose
there be fifty. He advanced upon God's concessions, again and
again.
The success of the prayer. God's general goodwill appears in
this, that he consented to spare the wicked for the sake of the
righteous. See what great blessings good people are to any
place. His particular favor to Abraham appeared in this, that
he did not leave off granting till Abraham left off asking.
Such is the power of prayer.
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Daniel 2:17-18; 23
Then Daniel went to is house, and made the thing
known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions: That they
would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret:
that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the
wise men of Babylon.
I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast
given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now that we
desired of thee; for thou has now made known unto us the king's
matter.
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