Genesis 18:22-33 Sodom

INTRO:

ME

Maybe story of division or judging people in U.S.

YOU

We live in a time where everyone thinks they are right and they know who is wrong.

(Chapter 18)

Soliloquy. It’s when a character onstage shares with the audience his or her internal thoughts or motivations. Sometimes a character standing in a crowd will turn aside to speak his or her inner monologue aloud. The audience accepts the illusion that the other characters can’t hear this character. The man now revealed to God offers this soliloquy for our benefit.

The author is including this for our benefit.

In other words, in order to introduce the ideas of righteous Judgement of Sodom and Gomorrah, the author is going to have this soliloquy there to show us that we may define righteous as “a few good people” , but God has a different standard.

It is important for us to know the mind of God in regards to righteousness, so we must pay attention. Simply giving a historical account would not help us, it would leave us with more questions.

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. 17 The LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, 18 seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 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.”

This is all to show God’s view of Righteousness and Justice to Abraham. He has promised every nation on earth, but two of those little nations are going to be an example that Abraham needs to see.

20 Then the LORD said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, 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.”

22 So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the LORD.

God has heard the outcry. This means that people are praying for help from God against the evil acts of Sodom and Gomorrah. What is happening here is persistent evil. People are being harmed. No one is stepping in.

23 Then Abraham drew near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked?

This is the fundamental question that God wants to answer for Abraham. Remember God started this. He isn’t asking permission, he wants Abraham to know, this is how the world works. This is how I work.

ILL At this point, we need to (unfortunately) break out the infamous (Mother Teresa/ Hitler) scale. (When you decide your righteousness, between Hitler and Mother Teresa, where would you be? ) Now add in your favorite preacher. We all assume God’s scale looks like this. Then we add in the judgement line. It doesn’t matter where it is as long as it is below us, right? We assume righteous means “pretty good”. But where did you get this idea? Why do you put the line there.

According to God’s word, we put the line only one place. Above Mother Teresa.

Matthew 5:48 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect

Matthew 7:21-23 21“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

Genesis 15:6 And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

God is about to prove a point about His view of righteousness for Abraham:

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? 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?” 26 And the LORD said, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”27 Abraham answered and said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. 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.” 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.” 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.” 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.” 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.” 33 And the LORD went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place

1. God listens to the prayers of intercession.

EXP. God actually acquiesces. He is willing to move the number down. In actuality, it won’t go like either scenario, but God is going to listen to

ILL.

APP. We should have compassion for others, even those that are far from God. Even those that are close to God but far from your opinion on the vaccine or politics.

2. We don’t decide who is righteous or unrighteous.

EXP Trust God with your life is the number one take away. Don’t assume you are righteous, take his righteousness upon you. Let Him credit you! FAITH.

Even if you feel too far from God-Is anything too hard for the Lord.

ILL

APP

3. Evil will eventually be punished.

EXP Abraham knows he is out of line. He knows He is not right to make a judgement.

3. We can’t have infinite Justice and Infinite mercy. Mercy is delayed or denied justice.

Chuck Swindoll-

“God’s love is infinite and His grace is free, but His mercy has an expiration date”