The Righteous and Gracious Judge

Introduction

He was a gentle giant in our youth group. Elijah came to us and found a place among his peers. He towered over everyone and you knew he was in the room. He had moments of being quiet and shy and moments of being the person front and center.

He played football for the high school team and was quite good. But, Elijah didn’t have Jesus. He knew of Jesus and was learning of Jesus, but Jesus was not His Savior and Lord.

My heart broke for Elijah in this way. He was a great kid, destined for great things. He had a good head on his shoulders, but in light of that, he was not right with God and in right relationship with God.

I prayed a lot for him. Interceded on his behalf for the Lord to work. His senior year of camp, I knew would be his last one. It was kinda my last hope before he went to college for the Lord to get his heart.

After evening service, I ended up back at the cabin before church time and I was asked about Elijah. I didn’t know he had made any kind of decision. Elijah walks into the cabin straight to me and says through tears- I’ve accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior.

He grabs me and hugs the fire out of me and just held on for a bit. I cried. All those prayers and the Lord answered.

For Abraham in our text today; he is in a scenario to intercede. His fellowship with God leads to privilege in knowing the plan of God for the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.

As the righteous man he is, Abraham intercedes for them. The text today will help us see that God is a righteous and gracious judge who wants us to intercede on behalf of those lost.

Read Genesis 18:16-33

The Righteous Judge

We have seen sin, failure, and disobedience take place in the faithful ones of God-Abraham and Sarah, but now attention is turned to the surrounding people.

The righteous Judge is now present against the sin of the world so to speak.

His judgment is against sin (v.20-21)

The judgment of God is righteous because it is against sin. It is not against weakness, it is not against simple failure. It is against truly grievous sin.

The Twin Cities have an outcry against them and the Lord claims their sin is extremely serious.

In other words, this sin is not “light” in nature. This may bring up the question in your mind: isn’t all sin the same?

Yes, against the standard of a holy God all sin is deserving of judgment, but not all sin bears the same weight against other sin. If you were to look at the law of God, the punishment for an accidental death is different from a murder.

What is sin? With the kids we teach it is anything we think, say, or do that is against God and His Word. Yes, sin is actions that we take in direct opposition to God’s nature, character, will, and Word.

In this case, God is judging the action of Sodom and Gomorrah that requires His action because of the weight of it. It requires a more immediate judgment.

Sin is also a nature that is a part of who we are. The nature is inherited as a part of the fall that puts in us an inclination toward evil.

To put it simply, sin is both actions and inclinations of the heart. Both fall to the standard of God’s holiness and goodness and need to be redeemed or judged.

His judgment is fair (v.21)

The narrative tells us that God “will go down to see..” It is not that God is unaware or unable to see and know what is taking place.

The language bears closer to the idea of a judge looking at the evidence to weigh it for proper judgment.

The evidence is not revealed until chapter 19. Terrible, deviant sexual sin, violence, oppression, no care for others in honor and respect.

What does this tell us? God is not arbitrarily casting judgment. He isn’t even quick to cast it out. It has been 13 years since we first learned of Sodom and Gomorrah to this point. Even their introduction was noted with deep, terrible sin.

I think this is critical because as sinful humans we can view God as just randomly doling out judgment in some unfair manner.

If He is God and is the standard for what is right and wrong, for establishing life a particular way He desires; we have no place to determine whether His judgment is fair or not.

Isaiah 55:8–9 “8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways.” This is the Lord’s declaration. 9 “For as heaven is higher than earth, so my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Isaiah 40:13–14 “13 Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, or who gave him counsel? 14 Who did he consult? Who gave him understanding and taught him the paths of justice? Who taught him knowledge and showed him the way of understanding?”

Job 40:2 “2 Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who argues with God give an answer.”

Job 40:3–4 “3 Then Job answered the Lord: 4 I am so insignificant. How can I answer you? I place my hand over my mouth.”

Job 40:7–10 “7 Get ready to answer me like a man; when I question you, you will inform me. 8 Would you really challenge my justice? Would you declare me guilty to justify yourself? 9 Do you have an arm like God’s? Can you thunder with a voice like his? 10 Adorn yourself with majesty and splendor, and clothe yourself with honor and glory.”

We are incapable of completely fair judgment because of our sin. We need a righteous Judge who brings forth His righteous judgment.

There has been a hot topic case in our news and culture for weeks now. Opinions have abounded. Emotions have been emoted. Theories have been given. The internet abounds with all of these. Yet, none of the keyboard warriors are even capable of making a fair judgment without any knowledge of the evidence.

None of us are omniscient, omnipresent, or omnipotent. Yet, we can often become the keyboard warriors of God citing unfairness of His judgment. Scripture is clear: we are not Him and cannot even know the entirety of His thoughts and will and plan.

Thank God that He is not arbitrary or fickle in His judgment. In His fairness, He looks are the evidence of our lives. The evidence will be clear of Sodom and Gomorrah-guilty. The evidence is clear for us- guilty.

The Law of God presents to us the objective standard of what is fair. The Law is based off His nature and character. It is the weight to which the evidence of our lives is balanced on the scales.

The Gracious Judge

While we have a righteous Judge, we also have a gracious Judge. He could rule and cast His judgment in all fairness. But as one of my favorite song lyrics say: “The beauty of grace is that is makes life not fair.”

How do we see God as a gracious Judge here?

The Lord Reveals His Plan To the Intercessor (v.17-19)

A rather curious question is presented in v. 17. The Lord asks if He should hide what He is about to do from Abraham. Why?

No answer is really given, but we know the Lord often speaks in questions to reveal His plan, knowledge, or will. In this case, to reveal to Abraham what is coming.

Now, why would He reveal this to Abraham?

First, to grow Abraham in understanding of His righteous decisions. Abraham is to make a great nation, but that nation must be established in the righteousness of God.

Secondly to allow the will of God for Abraham to be front and center. How so? Abraham is to be a blessing to other nations.

Seem kind of strange to be a blessing when the other nations are being wrecked in judgment, right? V. 19 describes how the blessing will come about.

Proclamation- “He will command his children and house to keep the way of the Lord…”

In his home which will impact the world around him, Abraham will bless the nations. Godly homes create godly societies. We often claim God was removed from our schools, courthouses, or government places; but God was long removed from homes before that.

Just as Abraham was to be a blessing to the nations through his proclamation in the home (and outside it) we are to do the same. We must take serious raising children in the Lord. We must take serious discipleship in the church and our own personal and corporate growth. Why? Because those outside of Christ as actually dependent upon it.

For our Wednesday night kids ministry we are using a new curriculum called New City Catechism. It is presenting questions of theology that we answer from the Scripture. Why are we doing this?

Because I am tired of kids becoming teens and adults who can quote the Bible, but not know what it means. Who cannot speak even the basic truths of doctrine of the faith. My heart is to disciple a foundation for these children who are believers and to answer questions for those who are not.

Obedience- “by doing what is right and just…” Obedience is life lived in the will of God.

This obedience is lived out among his household, but also around those who surround him. Abraham is to be a picture of righteousness to the world around him.

To live in conformity with the will of God (righteousness) and to make the right decisions based on His will (justice) now become the conditions for inheriting the blessings of the promise.

I don’t mean will in some vague- “what does God want me to do with my life?” sense. I means as His will presented in Scripture- be holy for I am holy, put on the armor of God, put on the qualities of Christ, love others, die to self, make disciples…

There is a grace presented here. God doesn’t just leave us to ourselves to figure out His righteousness and ours related to Him. He gives His Word, His presence, and the life of others.

Because of the trajectory the Lord has taken Abraham’s faith and relationship with God; the revealing of the plan opens the door for Abraham to intercede on behalf of the people. I love how one scholar put it,

God is not an indifferent or tyrannical distributor of rewards and punishments. Rather, God actively seeks a way out of death for us all. (Brueggermann)

Which leads to our next point…

The Lord Is Willing To Spare the Wicked For the Sake of the Righteous

Abraham bargains with the Lord in v. 23-32. Abraham is really faced with a crisis of faith. Would God truly sweep away the righteous with the wicked? So, he asks if 50 righteous could be found, that the Lord would spare them.

Of course we see in the narrative that number dwindles down to 10. Perhaps Abraham is thinking of Lot and the family he has. Maybe there are some who believe what is taking place is evil and they could be considered righteous.

Regardless, Abraham interceded on their behalf. Each time the Lord agrees to the number. Truly the Lord is willing to hold off judgment if even 10 can be found righteous.

I’m reminded of the thief on the cross. He knew he was wicked in terms of his actions. He had done wrong and it was gross enough that is justified crucifixion. Yet, he was spared the wrath of God for his sin because of the man next to him. The Son of Man, the Son of God, the Messiah, the Savior, the Lamb sacrificed for the sins of all who would believe.

The man confesses his sin and announces fair judgment for it. He looks at Jesus who interceded just moments ago on behalf of the people crucifying Him- “Father forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing.”- and he says, “Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus replies, “today you will be with me in paradise.”

The Lord is willing to spare the wicked (sinners) for the sake of the righteous (Jesus).

Christ Connection

Christ is a Judge

We know one of the 3 visitors is the Lord and many scholars believe it is an early Christophany. Meaning, this is a moment the preincarnate Christ shows up.

Understand that if we believe this to be the case, then He is the Judge of Sodom and Gomorrah. Why is this important?

A common thought is that the OT God is all wrath, no grace. That wrath is often understood as fickle and precarious.

Jesus of the NT is all grace, with a little wrath, but mostly at those close minded religious leaders.

What is presented to us in Genesis 18 defies this thinking. Christ is a Judge.

John 5:22–27 “22 The Father, in fact, judges no one but has given all judgment to the Son, 26 For just as the Father has life in himself, so also he has granted to the Son to have life in himself. 27 And he has granted him the right to pass judgment, because he is the Son of Man.”

Revelation 20:11–12 “11 Then I saw a great white throne and one seated on it. Earth and heaven fled from his presence, and no place was found for them. 12 I also saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged according to their works by what was written in the books.” (Final Judgment of all)

2 Corinthians 5:10 “10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may be repaid for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” (For how we lived this life in our salvation)

Christ is our Righteous Judge

Jesus judges under the will of the Father, which is perfect. Even more, He Himself is perfect, righteous, unblemished.

Hebrews 10:12–14 “12 But this man, after offering one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God. 13 He is now waiting until his enemies are made his footstool. 14 For by one offering he has perfected forever those who are sanctified.”

The beauty of His judgment is that He as the righteous judge took on our punishment for us. He was the sacrifice for sins forever. He grants to us His righteousness as our own by His life, death, and resurrection.

By faith when we believe, confess, repent, and surrender we no longer stand condemned!

John 3:18 “18 Anyone who believes in him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God.”

Romans 8:1 “1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus,”

Through the righteousness of Christ Jesus and the power of His work by taking on the judgment of our sin and overcoming that judgment in His resurrection; the Father looks at us and says, not guilty!

Christ is our Gracious Judge

Already wrapped up in what’s been said, but Christ is our gracious Judge because He has taken on our punishment of sin and granted to us new life.

What is fair is death and eternal separation from God, but Christ grants to us life and eternity with Him.

Ephesians 2:4–5 “4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, 5 made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!”

The beauty of grace is that it makes life not fair…

You may think, I’ve got a pretty good rap sheet against the standard of God. I’m pretty sure He cannot extend grace to me. Guess what, its His gift free to give. That is the gospel of Jesus!

The Lord is very patient with us in His desire to see people come to faith.

2 Peter 3:9 “9 The Lord does not delay his promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.”

Even more, He is an Advocate for us!

1 John 2:1–2 “1 My little children, I am writing you these things so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ the righteous one. 2 He himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world.”

What does this mean?

Your sin cannot outweigh His grace! This is our thread of hope. The Messiah promised through the line of Abraham would be our righteous and gracious Judge who gave His life for us and became our grace.

Conclusion

Abraham was concerned for those facing God’s judgment. While we cannot be their righteousness, we can certainly intercede to the Father on their behalf.

The favor and grace Abraham was shown in his relationship with God is pretty astounding. John described it as a grace upon grace of what we have recieved in Jesus.

You have a choice today in response. If the Lord has awakened you to the reality of His grace towards you and for you in Jesus, come to Him.

If you know that He is right now your judge, let Him be your Advocate and Savior. Receive Jesus today.

If you are here and have recieved Jesus, we have 2 responses- worship and proclamation.

Our gracious God loves us and we must surrender our lives in worship to Him. But, we also must proclaim this good news to the lost around us.