A Bargain With God: Genesis 18:16-33

He can forgive much because He is a great God.  This statement is the only reason this blog exists.  My sinfulness far outweighs my righteousness.  I’ve lost count of the number of times I have disobeyed God in my life.  I don’t deserve to be in relationship with God, yet here I am.

As the men set off towards Sodom, Abraham goes with them and God explains His plan for investigating Sodom.  He has received a cry from the people who live there.  God has come to check.

This might sound like God is searching for facts, which might sound contrary to God’s character.  He’s omniscient; doesn’t He already know?  Certainly, God knows what is happening in Sodom.  He’s going to Sodom to give the people an opportunity to demonstrate their character.  While God knows the sin of Sodom and righteously judges it, suppose God acts upon that judgment without allowing a demonstration from the people.  From a human perspective, God would seem unrighteous!  God goes to Sodom for our benefit because we cannot see into the hearts of people to judge them properly.  We can only judge people on the actions that come out of what resides in their heart.

The two accompanying the Lord turn to Sodom, but the Lord and Abraham stay behind.  Abraham acts completely differently from when they were at his tent.  Instead of running around to meet the needs of his guests, he now stays at the Lord’s side.  Genesis 18 feels like the Old Testament version of the story where Jesus goes to visit Mary and Martha in their home.  There is a time to be busy and work; there is a time to stay at the Lord’s side.

Abraham does more than be a silent servant, however.  Abraham communicates with God.  Abraham bargains with God.  Abraham intercedes for other people.

The point of Abraham’s bargain is to find boundaries.  The point of most relational bargaining is to find boundaries.  Abraham wants to know the threshold for – in this case – destruction.  Abraham wants to know the threshold of righteousness required to offset transgression.  This is a human argument stemming from human logic.  We are sinful and we know our unrighteousness.  We want to know how to still make the grade when perfection is unattainable.

God doesn’t seem to mind the bargaining as He allows Himself to be bargained down from His original declaration of fifty righteous to ten righteous.  God lets go of eighty percent of His original standard.  If nothing else, this is a clear message to Abraham about His grace.

This confirms what Abraham already knew.  Abraham has transgressed against God and God was always prepared to forgive.  He is a God of grace and mercy.  God sets high expectations, but He is more interested in the relationship between us and Him than He is our ability to meet those expectations perfectly.  He can forgive much because He is a great God.