Abraham Intercedes

Genesis 18:1-2, 16-33 English Standard Version

Genesis 18:1 And the Lord appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day.

Genesis 18:2 He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth

Genesis 18:16 Then the men set out from there, and they looked down toward Sodom. And Abraham went with them to set them on their way.

1. Be a Person God Promptsto Pray (Genesis 18:17-21).

a. Genesis 18:17 The Lordsaid, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do,

b. Genesis 18:18 seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?

c. Genesis 18:19 For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.”

d. Genesis 18:20 Then the Lordsaid, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave,

e. Genesis 18:21 I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know.”

2. Ask Boldly in Prayer (Genesis 18:22-32).

a. Genesis 18:22 So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord.

b. Genesis 18:23 Then Abraham drew near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked?

c. Genesis 18:24 Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it?

d. Genesis 18:25 Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?”

e. Genesis 18:26 And the Lordsaid, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”

f. Genesis 18:27 Abraham answered and said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes.

g. Genesis 18:28 Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?” And he said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.”

h. Genesis 18:29 Again he spoke to him and said, “Suppose forty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of forty I will not do it.”

i. Genesis 18:30 Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found there.” He answered, “I will not do it, if I find thirty there.”

j. Genesis 18:31 He said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it.”

k. Genesis 18:32 Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.”

i. Hebrews 4:16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

3. Let Your Prayer Time End When God is Finished (Genesis 18:33).

a. Genesis 18:33 And the Lordwent his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.

i. Genesis 19:27 And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the Lord.

ii. Genesis 19:28 And he looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and toward all the land of the valley, and he looked and, behold, the smoke of the land went up like the smoke of a furnace.

iii. Genesis 19:29 So it was that, when God destroyed the cities of the valley, God remembered Abraham and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow when he overthrew the cities in which Lot had lived.