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.
````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
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: 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 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.
