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Genesis 18 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
I have to admit, I’m not a great intercessor.
I sometimes fall victim to the attitude that “the Lord will do what the Lord will do.” But the Bible prescribes a persistent, faith-filled prayer life. If God’s character was to “shoot us down” when we attempted to intercede for a person or event, we would not read stories like the one in Genesis 18.
Abraham was a skilled negotiator who genuinely believed that God heard Him. Not only that, he believed that God would respond to his requests and inquiries. But consider the primary motive for Abraham’s prayers. He understood justice and empathized deeply with those who would be unfairly destroyed in these evil cities. He was not indifferent to the suffering of the righteous and he believed wholeheartedly in the wrath of God.
This resonates with me on so many levels, but most significantly as a foster parent. There are so many children right now who are suffering as a result of choices made by their parents or people in positions of authority in the foster care system. They need intercessors.
50 righteous people in Sodom was not enough. Abraham persisted. 45? 40?
No…
30? 20?
No…
“Remember, there is a sense in which all this negotiation was fruitless. There were not ten righteous people in the city, only four. The cities were destroyed. Yet God specifically revealed the fate of these cities to Abraham to draw out of him an intercessor’s heart of love, so even before the time of Jesus Abraham could be conformed into the image of His Son (Rom 8:29) who is Himself an intercessor (Heb 7:25).”
David Guzik
Are you an intercessor?