The three supernatural visitors who appeared in the form of men---two angels and a third personn who is probably the pre-incarnate Christ---have just finished spending the afternoon eating in the shade of a tree at Abraham's house. They gave him good news about the promised son who will arrive by this time next year. As they depart, they give him some bad news.
"When the men got up to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way." (Genesis 18:16) Their purpose in passing through Abraham's territory wasn't only to give him a reminder of God's promise of a son. They have business to attend to in the region of Sodom and Gomorrah.
As Abraham walks along the road with them to see them partway to their destination, the Lord decides He must let Abraham in on what's about to happen next. It's going to affect Abraham's nephew Lot who lives in Sodom. This means Abraham has a vested interest in what's going to take place, and the Lord doesn't feel comfortable keeping it a secret from him. "Then the Lord said, 'Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what He has promised him.'" (Genesis 18:17-19) The Lord hates to hide this thing from Abraham because Abraham belongs to the Lord. Abraham isn't perfect but he loves the Lord. We've already seen him make mistakes and we're going to see him making more mistakes. But his heart is devoted to the Lord. He may mess up from time to time, but he has never even considered turning away from the Lord. Because of his faith, the Lord feels an obligation to take him into His confidence.
Isn't this a beautiful thing? The Lord wants to communicate with man and to allow man in on many of His thoughts and plans. The Lord doesn't always tell us everything we want to know about the future, but He's faithful to tell us what we need to know. I think one reason He doesn't tell us everything we want to know is because we wouldn't understand it if He did. Some things only make sense to humans while they're happening or in hindsight. Another reason I think He doesn't always tell us what we want to know is because it would frighten us. There are things that have happened in my life that would have scared me to death if I'd known about them beforehand, yet when the situation actually came to pass, God's grace was sufficient just as He promised it would be. (2 Corinthians 12:9) It was for the best that I didn't have to worry about these things ahead of time. He gives us sufficient grace each day to successfully come through the things of that day. (Matthew 6:25-34) Another reason He doesn't always tell us too much ahead of time may be because good news would make us so excited that we might become impatient and get out of step with Him. We might move ahead of Him and try to take things into our own hands before the right time. I believe it's the heart's desire of our Creator to let us in on what He's doing, but He can only do so when we are capable of understanding and handling the news in the proper way.
I picture the men coming to a sudden halt in the dusty roadway and turning to face Abraham to deliver this news: "Then the Lord said, 'The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached Me. If not, I will know.'" (Genesis 18:20-21) They don't specifically state that the twin cities will be destroyed for their wickedness, but when we get to Abraham's reply we can clearly see that he knows it. The Lord doesn't come down in person to take stock of a situation unless He intends to take any action that is necessary to deal with the problem.
There are several times in the Scriptures when the word translated as "outcry" is used, and each time this word is used to describe things that are especially heinous. The instances of this word's use include instances of cruelty against humanity, an absolute lack of compassion, turning a blind eye to the poor and needy, and various acts of brutality and depravity. Abraham knows how serious the problem is when the Lord informs him there has been a great outcry against the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Why must the Lord go down in person to view this situation before He brings judgment? We saw Him doing this same thing earlier in Genesis when He came down to see what was taking place at the tower of Babel. I don't believe for one minute that He isn't completely aware of every single thing that happens on the earth. I think He could easily remain seated on His throne in heaven to observe the crimes of man and to pass judgment on them. But if He comes in person before bringing a harsh judgment that causes death and destruction, He can never be accused of not fully investigating the accusations that have been made.
The cries of believers have gone up to Him in prayer in regard to the evil things done in Sodom and Gomorrah. People who have been oppressed in various ways by the citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah have made an outcry about their mistreatment. People have been asking the Lord to do something about the wickedness in the region. He's going to do something about it, but first He's going to examine all the evidence in person. No one who faces the judgment coming against Sodom and Gomorrah will ever be able to accuse Him of accepting hearsay against them. No one can claim He isn't a righteous judge who thoughtfully considers all the evidence before making His ruling. I believe there have been occasions throughout history (and that there will be more occasions like this) when the judgment the Lord must pass is so harsh that He comes in person to assess the situation. He does this not because He doesn't already know how bad things are, but because the intensity of the judgment requires it. The sentence He must pass is going to be so great that He must make a personal visit beforehand.
Abraham knows the Lord wouldn't come in person if He wasn't about to do something very serious. No doubt he too is aware of the wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah. He's heard a lot of things himself. He knows that the people living near those cities, and that the people who have to have dealings with those cities, have asked the Lord time and again why He hasn't already judged the wickedness. Abraham is aware of what's about to happen, but he's concerned for the safety of anyone in those cities who might believe on the Lord, such as his nephew Lot. In tomorrow's passage we find him interceding for believers by asking the Lord, "Will You sweep away the righteous with the wicked?"
No comments:
Post a Comment