Walking with Abraham pt. 6: Abraham – Intercessor

Define intercessor – someone who pleads on another’s behalf

Summarize Genesis 18:1-15 - God and the three visitors. Sarah’s reaction to the news she will bear a son in one year.

Genesis 18:16-33

1) What information does God share with Abraham? He’s going to pay a visit to Sodom and Gomorrah personally to determine if they are as wicked/sinful as He has heard. Walk the streets and see it with physical eyes. If they are, He is going to wipe them off the face of the earth. What if God personally walked Colonial Heights/Richmond/your neighborhood/your home? What is your reputation? What is God hearing about you?

2) Why does God share this with Abraham? Vs. 19 – God has chosen Abraham and his descendants to be His champions of righteousness and justice in the world – end result they would be blessed. Sodom and Gomorrah were the complete opposites of Abraham. Champions of sin/depravity in the world – end result they would receive God’s judgment. Point out whose responsibility it was teach God’s commandments – Abraham, the parent. Not church’s responsibility.

God did not have to share this information with Abraham but He did. Why? Why should Abraham be concerned with the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah? His nephew Lot lives in Sodom.

3) In verses 23-32, what does Abraham proceed to do? Act as an intercessor on behalf of Lot and any other righteous people who lived in Sodom and Gomorrah. Understand something … this would be like a Jew during WW II praying for God to spare Berlin, Germany if at least10 godly Jews lived in the city. Or a Christian praying for God to spare Las Vegas, Nevada (nickname Sin City) if at least 10 godly Christians lived in the city.

4) How would you characterize the discussion between God and Abraham? Abraham’s questions and God’s responses? Abraham – humility; God – patience. God owed Abraham no answers. Could have said to Abraham: “FYI … I’m on my way to destroy S & G. See ya.” But He didn’t. God had developed such a rapport/harmonious relationship with Abraham, He felt like He could share anything with Abraham.

5) What did Abraham appeal to in God? God’s sense of justice – doing what is fair. It was Abraham’s belief that if God destroyed S & G and if the cities had as many as 50 or as few as 10 righteous people were destroyed along with them, that was not just/fair. Therefore God was an unjust/unfair God. Look at how Abraham phrases his argument. Read vs. 25. Remember God chose Abraham to command his descendants to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and JUSTICE. In this event Abraham proved/confirmed to God that He had chosen wisely. Abraham was a man of justice.

6) How does the discussion end? God departed for S & G; Abraham returned to his home perhaps hoping that there were at least 10 righteous people living in S & G for Lot’s sake.

7) What do you learn about Abraham’s character here? Man of humility, justice, and great love (for Lot – someone who rarely, if ever, returned his uncle’s love). If you were Abraham and God broached you about what He was going to do to S & G, how would you have responded? “Fine with me! They deserve it! Two less enemies I have to worry about. Lot deserves to be wiped out with them. He made his bed in Sodom. He chose to live there … he can die there as well!” But Abraham did not respond that way. A great example of why God made His covenant with Abraham.

8) What do you learn about God’s character here?

Lot's story - Read Genesis chapter 19

The two angels enter Sodom. They warn Lot that God is about to destroy Sodom. He and his family need to leave now. Lot was slow in leaving. Although he knew Sodom to be extremely wicked and it tormented him (read II Peter 2:7-9) there was something about Sodom that appealed to him. He couldn't let it go. Whatever that appeal was, it was going to cost him and his family their lives if they didn't leave. The angels practically had to drag Lot out of the city. They warned Lot and his family not to look back on Sodom as the destruction or they would die as well. As God rained down destruction on the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot's wife looked back and was turned into a pillar of salt. Lot and his daughters fled to the mountains. Lot's story ends with his daughters getting him drunk and committing incest with him. Lesson - Remember, Lot chose to live in Sodom. When his uncle Abraham gave him the choice of the land (Genesis 13), Lot chose to pitch his tents near Sodom because the land was beautiful. Didn't matter that Sodom had a well-known reputation for wickedness. It was not long before Lot found himself living IN Sodom. Consequences of Lot's choice - a) Spiritual stress/anxiety - He was tormented by the wickedness around him day and night. b) Lot's wife and daughters came under the influence of Sodom's wickedness, namely sexual immorality. His daughters were raised in this wicked environment. They continued to practice sexual immorality after Sodom was destroyed. Always remember that the consequences that come with the choice you make, to pursue godliness or wickedness, do not impact just you. The consequences will impact those around you as well.