Some thoughts on Gen 18: Sodom & Gomorah, Abraham
 

Read and reflected on this story today (Gen 18). Some observations and commentary I thought I'd share.


You have this predicament, told through the life of Abram. It's a strange passage. God and Abram are almost in a marketplace haggling over melons. This is really a prayer of Abram (first extended, recorded prayer recorded in the Bible). We have this situation where Abram seems to be exploring his own theology and giving us a picture of priestly duties...

Abram is invited to be representative of the city before God. God invites him (pretty interesting all by itself).
God hears the cries of the oppressed, (Ezekiel says of Sodom: the arrogant, over-fed, unconcerned, did not help the poor and the needy, etc). Great evil in Sodom.

1) Interesting that Abram did not please for the salvation of his family but of the entire city (that's a crazy kind of love for Canaanite people who didn't believe in God).

2) Those who don't believe in a judging God, then they don't have a merciful God. Simplistically, they pit God's mercy and judgment against each other. But Sodom is a picture of God hearing the cries of the oppressed, the story tells us. A God who never judges cannot be seen as a God who has mercy.

3) Abram flirts with an idea: "God, because you are a righteous-loving God, and because you love righteousness so much, will you spare this city for the righteousness of a few?"

I wondered why Abram stopped at 10. Did he realize there were none righteous? Did he become afraid of how far he felt he pushed the issue with God? Did he think of Lot and know, though a believer, he wasn't "righteous enough?" Is God's answer an indication of his desire to seek ways to save us rather than condemn us?

In this story I see Jesus, the great High Priest. He asked again Abram's question: for the righteousness of one, will you spare your judgment for all? We know that God accepted that offer.

This idea of representative mercy and judgment isn't foreign to the East. A few chapters later, the story of Achan shows us what happens to a man and his entire family for being a imperialistic, greedy, disobedient mercenary... they are all judged immediately. This concept doesn't shock eastern audiences as much as western. In the West we are HUGE on individual responsibility. I don't think the East disbelieves in individual responsibility, but they also have a great emphasis on corporate responsibility. There is more significance and justice to them around this concept of corporate representation. The West abhors this. But outside of my ethnocentric view, it helps me to better understand what this story meant for those several thousands of years ago. The story of Achan would not have shocked them like it does us.

This representative salvation is an interesting topic. The role of the High Priest and the God who will accept the righteousness of one in order to spare the world is intriguing.

Re: Some thoughts on Gen 18: Sodom & Gomorah, Abra
 

Why does the west, or specifically, America ABHOR corporate responsibility?

Outside of the military, that concept of corporate responsibility is hated, it seems.

There is something abhorent about operationg in group mode-- made it is the divisiveness it brings, which would be another irony as corporate responsibility implies a sense of unity.

Re: Some thoughts on Gen 18: Sodom & Gomorah, Abra
 

Well, Abraham knew Lot and his wife were there. That's 2

Lot had 2 virgin daughters so that brings the total up to 4.

Lot had sons-in-law so that had to be at least 2 more so we are up to 6.

sons-in-law meant he had at least 2 married daughters so now we are up to 8.

and if the number of sons-in-law and married daughters were 3 or more that would have brought the total up to 10.

In 2 Peter 2:7-9 the Apostle Peter refers to Lot as "just," "righteous" and "godly"

Re: Some thoughts on Gen 18: Sodom & Gomorah, Abra
 

Awesome point!

Re: Some thoughts on Gen 18: Sodom & Gomorah, Abra
 

He started at 50 though. And his appeal was for the entire city.

The righteousness of a few covering the righteousness of all... this was Abrams plea.

Re: Some thoughts on Gen 18: Sodom & Gomorah, Abra
 

He was Jew for goodness sake. They wrote the book on dickering. :gotcha

Gotta start with a big number and work your way down.

Re: Some thoughts on Gen 18: Sodom & Gomorah, Abra
 

I heard Laura Schlesinger on radio once and she laughed and made that very same statement, herself being a Jew.

Re: Some thoughts on Gen 18: Sodom & Gomorah, Abra
 

Abraham was an intercessor.

He stood between God and the people of Sodom and interceded for them.
He did not succeed in turning back the wrath of God from Sodom but as a result of his intercession Lot and his daughters were spared. Ref: Genesis 19:29

There was a time when God was so angry with Israel that He asked Moses to get out of the way so He could kill them and start over with just Moses and create a new covenant people, but because interceded Israel was spared. Ref Psalm 106:23

Intercession is: Intreaty in favor of another, mediation in a dispute
Latin “inter (between) + “cedere” (to go)

When God brings something across our path (intersection), as intercessors, we step in (intervention) and turn around the situation (interception) through prayer and spiritual warfare (intercession) An example is given by Jesus in Luke 11:5-13

“An intercessor is a man or woman --or child--who fights in behalf of others. As such, intercession is the activity that identifies us most with Christ. To be an intercessor is to be like Jesus because that is what Jesus is like” Dick Eastman in Love on its Knees, page 21

“An intercessor is one with whom God shares His secrets to cover in prayer” Cindy Jacobs in Possessing the Gates of the Enemy page 40