Abraham: Faith under siege | Diet 11

 

 

FAITH IS INTERCESSION 

Abraham was concerned about Lot and his family. Genesis 18:23-33 tells the story. When he knew that God intended to destroy Sodom and Gomorrha because of the wickedness of the people, Abraham drew near to the Lord, and said, "Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?" What a thing for a man to say to God! "Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?" What intercession! Look what he told God. "That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked..." You ought to get that; that will teach you what the great tribulation is all about. God has not changed His nature yet. "that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" What a challenge in the face of God!

"And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes. And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes. Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five?" He was not only a good fighter, but a good lawyer.

"And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it." He looked real close at God and saw sympathy and love in His face, "And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty's sake."

Abraham did some fast counting. "And he said unto him, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall be thirty found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there." Abraham thought that Lot would have that many in his family and his servants, at least, as the minimum. I'm sure there were tears flowing out of the man's eyes. "And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord:

Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake." "And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake." God smiled at him. God loved this, you know? What a man!

Then Abraham had one more thought about his nephew and his wife—they were two, he had married off at least two of his daughters to Sodomites. He had daughters and sons-in-law. So if there were only two daughters, two sons in-law, that is four. He had two single daughters, that is eight. No doubt they had eight or ten or twelve children, so he felt safe now. "And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place." Here was a man that knew intercession, weeping intercession, God-changing intercession.

God sent two angels down to destroy Sodom but the Sodomites wanted to destroy them by committing fornication with them until they died in the streets abused by hundreds of men. Abraham was out on the cliff the next morning and it looked like a furnace over Sodom. His intercession didn't work! There were not even ten living for God in that family.

What is faith? Faith is the strength to intercede. Not only for the just, but also for the unjust, for those who are not in good terms with you, and those who despitefully use you, not only for your friends and family, even for your enemies.

Author: Lester Sumrall

Compiled and edited by: Peter O. Olutoyese