Let Us Pray and Stand in the Gap

Genesis 18:16-33

Abraham’s Prayed that God Would Not Destroy Sodom

 “The sin of Sodom and Gomorrah is very grave,” said the LORD. “I will go down to see what they have done.” (Gen. 18:20-21)

God is righteous. He hates sin. He judges and even destroys sinners.

Now, Abraham was close to God. He is known as a friend of God. The Lord promised Abraham that all the nations will be blessed through him. So, Abraham has the role of a priest.

For this reason, God said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?” (v. 17)

So, God gave Abraham the space to be an intercessor and even negotiated with him.

Abraham pleaded, “Yes, God certainly has the right to judge the wicked but will He also destroy the righteous together with the wicked? If there are 50 righteous people in the city, will God not spare the city and the wicked for the sake of the righteous?” (vv. 23-25)

Abraham’s concern was that the righteous suffering the same fate as the wicked was an affront to God’s righteousness. God should spare the wicked for the sake of the righteous.

By doing this, Abraham shifted the discussion from God’s righteousness and justice to God’s mercy and grace. Righteousness and grace and mercy are equally attributes of God.

Will Abraham’s desperate plea on behalf of Sodom successfully avert its destruction?

Grace and Strength Can Be Harnessed through Prayer and Intercession

“If there are 50 righteous people,” declared the LORD, “I will spare the whole place.”

Abraham replied, “If there are 45 righteous people, will you destroy the whole city?”

Abraham clung on to God’s grace and boldly bargained with God. He reduced the requirement for the numbers of righteous people from 50 down to 45 and from 45 down to 40, then 30, 20, and finally all the way down to 10.

God patiently heard Abraham’s intercession and promised him that if there were 10 righteous people in the city, He would spare the place. What a pleasant revelation that 10 righteous people can have such influence over the fate of an entire city!

Abraham, humbly and reverentially, pleaded with God that He would show grace. God is not only just. He is also merciful. Although He could punish Sodom for its wickedness, He was also able to suspend judgment.

God was willing to spare the wicked for the sake of the righteous.

Abraham’s act of intercession reminds us that we too need to diligently pray and intercede for others. We plead with God because He is full of grace and He hears our prayer. We should pray ceaselessly because we cannot take the grace and power of God for granted. Rather, these are harnessed these through prayer and intercession.

Are you a prayer warrior?

When you see poverty and outbreaks of diseases, wars between nations, violence and corruption, earthquakes and floods, are you an intercessor or are you indifferent? When you see weakness in the leadership of the church or a decline in the spiritual health of the saints, are you an intercessor or are you just criticising or are you too busy minding your own business?

Perhaps we do not even realise that it has been a long time since we knelt down and prayed before the Lord. Or, perhaps, we are so satisfied or fulfilling that we cannot think of anything to pray for.

If so, then we have become so conceited to think that we are such great problem-solvers. Nothing is beyond us.

Or, maybe, it’s a reflection of our lack of faith because we think that prayer is ineffective anyway since God does not hear. Another possibility is that we are so passive and lazy that we will not draw near to God and pray unless disaster strikes. Or we only ask others to pray for us.

Jesus rebuked his disciples, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation” (Matthew 26: 40-41).

Peter reminded the believers, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world” (1 Pet. 5:8-9).

The devil rejoices when we do not depend on God through prayer. We will gradually become detached from God. But when we pray unceasingly, the devil shall flee.

So, let us pray to God, in times of trouble or otherwise, for our own spiritual health as well as for others. Pray that God will shower us with His grace.

What is your most pressing concern now? Turn to God in prayer and you shall receive His grace and power!

We Will Know God Better through Prayer and Intercession

Why did Abraham stop at ten righteous people? Why not bring the numbers down to five or even one? The clue is in God’s response to Abraham.

At first, God said, “I will spare this place” (v. 26). To “spare” is very positive and gracious. After that, God’s response became, “I will not do it” (vv. 29, 30). Now, this is a bit more neutral. In the final rounds of negotiation, God replied, “I will not destroy that city” (vv. 31, 32). “Destroy” is far more negative and harsh. So, Abraham knew it was time to stop.

All-in-all, God agreed that if there were ten innocent people there, He would spare the whole city. From this point alone, we can see that God was both just and gracious in His dealing with the city. The more Abraham prayed and interceded, the more he understood God’s nature and intention. Hence, he knew when to stop!

God told Abraham His intention to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah was to give him the opportunity to arbitrate and intercede on behalf of an entire people. Through this, Abraham came to know that God is both righteous and merciful. He also grew spiritually, which empowered him to treat others with righteousness and mercy. Now he has become the true priest among the nations.

Prayer helps to maintain a close relationship between human beings and God. When we pray, we will certainly come to an accurate knowledge of God and not think of Him as a tyrant.

The Bible is the Word of God that illuminates us to His mind and attributes. Yet, it is through prayer that we become even more sensitive to His heart’s intent. Through prayer we can come to understand His will. We will develop an intuitive knowledge of God. The more we know God’s mind, the more we can change our minds to be attuned to His.

Today, in what areas are you uncertain or hesitant? Perhaps you have forgotten to pray to God and trust Him.

Do you feel that your relationship with God is not very genuine and heart-warming? Perhaps you have forgotten to pray to God and trust Him. Do you believe that you are too powerless to make a change and unable to have breakthrough in life? Perhaps you have forgotten to pray to God and trust Him.

Let’s Stand in the Gap

In the Old Testament, there were incidences where one person’s sin brought consequences to many people. Some prime examples include Achan’s sin, which resulted in Israel’s defeat in battle, and Adam’s sin, which brought the fall to all humanity.

Here, Abraham’s individual prayer represents a reversal of the concept of punishing the many because of the few! Abraham stood in the gap to boldly challenge God to be gracious to the whole city for the sake of the righteous few, and not destroy the righteous minority on account of the wicked majority.

Abraham’s earnest intercession shows us that he was resolute, serious, and wholehearted. Ultimately, God granted Abraham’s request and, so, the requirement for the number of righteous people was reduced to merely ten.

What Abraham did was to fulfil his role as the intermediary through whom blessing would come to the nations. Unfortunately, Sodom could not even meet the basic requirement of ten righteous people and, thus, could not avert destruction!

In the following chapter, Genesis 19, two angels entered Sodom at night and were accommodated in Lot’s house. When the inhabitants of the city found out that two sojourners had just arrived at their city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, surrounded Lot’s house and demanded that Lot presented his two guests to be humiliated.

Sodom was indeed wicked through and through!

The two angels struck the men of Sodom with blindness so that they wore themselves out groping for the door. At dawn, the angels forcefully evacuated Lot’s family from the city. Then, God rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulphur and fire out of heaven.

Often, we are very affected by adverse environments. When we see wickedness and wicked people all around us, we often become frustrated. Or, when the Christians or even leaders around us behave irresponsibly, we become disheartened.

Sometimes, we choose to quit. At other times, we choose to go with the flow. This is a very negative attitude, which causes people to be unable to breakthrough from the fog, the bitterness, and the chronic pain that is within their hearts.

People often complain, “If those who are irresponsible and corrupt enjoy wealth and status, why should I insist on doing my part? If most people are late to meetings, why should I come on time? If most people are not faithful in giving, why should I be the faithful fool?

These are real struggles that cannot be easily unravelled with just a few words. Yet, we should look at the positive side and continue to play our parts.

Instead of cursing the darkness, let us be burning to light up darkness! This is to imitate Abraham who, though only an individual, successfully reversed the situation.

We believe that if only a few people are faithful to God, He will extend His grace and mercy to preserve the many. No matter what adversity we face at the workplace, in the church, or even in our own family, we can become towers of strength.

The existence of a righteous person mediated grace to an entire city! A person who is faithful to God can bring about transformation to his or her whole community! Are you willing to be such a person?

Today, are you wavering in your faith? May God help you to solidify your faith and be steadfast in carrying out the mission that He has entrusted to you. May you continue to maintain a close relationship with God.

Do not be easily affected by others. Do not close yourselves up due to mere volatility in life circumstances. But stand in the gap to reverse the adversity!