Abraham Intercedes for Sodom

18:16 When the men got up to leave, they looked out over Sodom. (Now Abraham was walking with them to see them on their way.) 18:17 Then the Lord said, “Should I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? 18:18 After all, Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all the nations on the earth will pronounce blessings on one another using his name. 18:19 I have chosen him so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just. Then the Lord will give to Abraham what he promised him.” 18:20 So the Lord said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so blatant 18:21 that I must go down and see if they are as wicked as the outcry suggests. If not, I want to know.” 18:22 The two men turned and headed toward Sodom, but Abraham was still standing before the Lord. 18:23 Abraham approached and said, “Will you sweep away the godly along with the wicked? 18:24 What if there are fifty godly people in the city? Will you really wipe it out and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty godly people who are in it? 18:25 Far be it from you to do such a thing – to kill the godly with the wicked, treating the godly and the wicked alike! Far be it from you! Will not the judge of the whole earth do what is right?” 18:26 So the Lord replied, “If I find in the city of Sodom fifty godly people, I will spare the whole place for their sake.” 18:27 Then Abraham asked, “Since I have undertaken to speak to the Lord (although I am but dust and ashes), 18:28 what if there are five less than the fifty godly people? Will you destroy the whole city because five are lacking?” He replied, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” 18:29 Abraham spoke to him again, “What if forty are found there?” He replied, “I will not do it for the sake of the forty.” 18:30 Then Abraham said, “May the Lord not be angry so that I may speak! What if thirty are found there?” He replied, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.” 18:31 Abraham said, “Since I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty are found there?” He replied, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty.” 18:32 Finally Abraham said, “May the Lord not be angry so that I may speak just once more. What if ten are found there?” He replied, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten.” 18:33 The Lord went on his way when he had finished speaking to Abraham. Then Abraham returned home.

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God tells Abraham about the coming judgment on Sodom because Abraham is chosen to become a great nation that will walk in righteousness and bless others. Abraham then pleads with God for mercy, asking whether the city can be spared if righteous people are found there. The passage shows both God’s justice and his willingness to spare for the sake of the righteous.

When the visitors leave, the Lord reveals to Abraham what he is about to do. This is not because God lacks knowledge, but because Abraham has a covenant role. He is to become a great nation, and he is to teach his household to do what is right and just. So his calling is tied to righteousness, not only to promise.

The Lord says the cry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and their sin is very serious. Abraham then stands before the Lord and speaks with humility. He does not excuse the city. Instead, he appeals to God’s justice. He asks whether the Judge of all the earth will destroy the righteous with the wicked.

God answers each time that he will spare the whole place if enough righteous people are found. Abraham keeps asking, moving from fifty down to ten. His words are reverent, humble, and persistent. The Lord does not rebuke him. Instead, he shows that judgment is not careless or blind.

The passage ends with the Lord leaving and Abraham going home. The story prepares for the judgment that follows in the next chapter. It also shows that intercession matters, but it must be joined to respect for God’s justice and holiness.

• God revealed his coming judgment to Abraham for a covenant purpose.
• Abraham was chosen not only for promise but also to teach righteousness in his household.
• Sodom and Gomorrah were under judgment because their sin was great and public.
• Abraham appealed to God’s justice, not to his own merit.
• God said he would spare the city if righteous people were found there.
• Abraham prayed with humility and persistence.
• The passage shows both divine justice and divine mercy.

• Warning: Sodom’s sin was great, and judgment was near.
• Warning: covenant privilege does not cancel divine judgment.
• Promise: God would spare the whole place for the sake of the righteous if enough were found.
• Command/Calling: Abraham was to command his household to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just.
• Application warning: do not use Abraham’s prayer as a license to try to control God or to excuse evil.

God chose Abraham so that he would become a great nation, walk in righteousness, and be a blessing to the nations. This passage shows that God’s covenant plan includes both mercy and judgment. It also points forward to the biblical pattern of righteous intercession for others.

Believers should pray with humility, honesty, and persistence. We should ask for mercy in a way that agrees with God’s justice and holiness. We should not treat prayer as bargaining or as a way to defend sin. Instead, we should trust the righteous Judge and seek mercy with reverence.

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