GENESIS 18:17-21 (NJPS)
17 Now the Lord had said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, 18 since Abraham is to become a great an populous nation and all the nations of the earth are to bless themselves by him? 19 For I have singled him out, that he may instruct his children and his posterity to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is just and right, in order that the lord may bring about for Abraham what He has promised him." 20 Then the Lord said, "The outrage of Sodom and Gomorrah is so great, and their sin so grave! 21 I will go down to see whether they have acted altogether according to the outcry that has reached Me; if not, I will take note."
This passage portrays God's internal dialogue -- God is debating if Abraham needs to know about the planned destruction of Sodom for being violently inhospitable to foreigners visiting the city. God has just visited Abraham and now they are walking toward Sodom in the fashion of Abraham walking his guest to the curb to say goodbye. It appears that God is making a last minute decision about whether his plans should be shared, or remain secret. It is evident that God opts to treat his chosen one with respect by sharing the plan, and the conversation continues...
GENESIS 18:22-32 (NJPS)
22 The men went on from there to Sodom, while Abraham remained standing before the Lord. 23 Abraham came forward and said, "Will You sweep away the innocent along with the guilty? 24 What if there should be fifty innocent within the city; will You then wipe out the place and not forgive it for the sake of the innocent fifty who are in it? 25 Far be it from You to do such a thing, to bring death upon the innocent as well as the guilty, so that innocent and guilty fare alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?" 26 And the Lord answered, "If i find within the city of Sodom fifty innocent ones, I will forgive the whole place for their sake." 27 Abraham spoke up, saying, "Here I venture to speak to my Lord, I who am but dust and ashes: 28 What if the fifty innocent should lack five? Will you destroy the whole city for want of the five?" And He answered, "I will not destroy if I find forty-five there." 29 But he spoke to Him again, and said, "What if forty should be found there?" And He answered, "I will not do it for the sake of forty." 30 And he said, "Let not my Lord be angry if I go on: What if thirty should be found there?" And He answered, "I will not do it if I find thirty there." 31 And he said, "I venture again to speak to my Lord: What if twenty should be found there?" And He answered, "I will not destroy, for the sake of the twenty." 32 And he said, "Let not my Lord be angry if I speak but this last time: What if ten should be found there?" And He answered, "I will not destroy, for the sake of the ten."
Whoa! The man who we saw obeying God without a recorded peep yesterday in Genesis 12 is today questioning God with questions that border on manipulative. Look at the language: "Far be it from You to do such a thing ... Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly!" He's basically telling God, "No, no, no -- you don't want to do that. Let me tell you what you want to do." Granted, he does it all very politely, but his pleading keeps going, bargaining God all the way down to agreeing to spare the entire city if a mere 10 innocent people can be found!
Look at the first half of verse 25 more closely: "Far be it from You to do such a thing, to bring death upon the innocent as well as the guilty, so that innocent and guilty fare alike." Abraham appears to be setting up to ask for the innocent to be spared, but look at the solution he seeks as the passage goes on. Abraham is asking God to show mercy, sparing *ALL* the inhabitants of the city "for the sake of the innocent". Doesn't it seem like Abraham starts off saying that God should punish justly, and then follows that up by begging for God to bestow grace universally?
How far do you hope that God's grace reaches?
Do you hope that there are a chosen few who are saved?
Do you hope that people get what we deserve based on our innocence or guilt?
Do you hope that those who believe exactly as you do are saved while those who think differently are left out of the party?
Do you hope that God's grace extends to all of humanity?
Do you hope that God's grace envelopes all of creation without limit?
Do you, like Abraham, pray for God's grace to extend farther than individuals ... beyond "fair" ... exceeding mere justice?
PRAYER:
Dear Lord, we thank you for all the blessings that you bestow upon your creation. We don't presume to understand your ways, or to have a better plan than you do. We plea today that your grace extends farther than our own. We know that we are as undeserving as everyone else and we humbly hope that your will is so gracious and merciful that it shocks us. Strengthen our faith and continue to bless us in work and service for You, through Christ. Amen.
NOTES:
1. These devotions are sponsored by GMU Lutheran Campus Ministry, which is is part of Northern Virginia Lutheran Campus Ministries. Our ministry is focused on students attending George Mason University or other colleges in northern Virginia -- and we don't just mean Lutherans ... we welcome everyone! For more information, see http://gmu.edu/org/lutheran
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