Reading:
And
the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because
their sin is very grievous; I will go
down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it,
which is come unto me; and if not, I will know. And the men turned their faces from thence,
and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD. And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou
also destroy the righteous with the wicked?
Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also
destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are
therein? That be far from thee to do
after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the
righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge
of all the earth do right? And the LORD
said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all
the place for their sakes. And Abraham
answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord,
which am but dust and ashes:
Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou
destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I find there
forty and five, I will not destroy it.
And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be
forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty's sake. And he said unto him, Oh let not the
Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found
there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there. And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon
me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And
he said, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake. 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.
Commentary:
In
Exodus 22, God gave a law to the children of Israel, that if a poor man used
his coat as a pledge, this coat was to be returned before the sun went down,
"for that is his covering….his raiment" without which he could not
stay warm and sleep. "It shall come
to pass, when he crieth unto Me, that I will hear; for I am
gracious." This then is the heart
of the matter in our prayers to God….He has said, told, and promised us,
"I am gracious." Knowing God
is gracious, knowing Jesus loves to hear our prayers, Abraham pleaded for the
believers in those wicked cities. Would
a gracious God punish His own children along with the wicked? In our prayers likewise, we trust first and
foremost in the gracious nature of God who did not deny us His Son. How can He deny us any truly good thing? Believing in this graciousness He will grant
us all things which are truly good for us.
If we then do not get what we pray for, we know this too is for the good
of our soul.
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