Working for good

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(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

“And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? 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, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? 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? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it. 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. And he said unto him, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there. 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. And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.”

The Lord told Abraham about His plans and showed that Abraham was His friend. At that stage, Abraham felt confident enough to ask the Lord to do something for him. Abraham knew that his nephew Lot lived in Sodom and he wanted to save Lot from the judgement that the Lord was bringing on Sodom. He had already saved Lot from the war between the kings of the Plain and the kings of the east. Abraham began to negotiate with God to see if God would spare the city and, hence, spare Lot from destruction. The Lord already knew that there was only one righteous man in Sodom, that is, Lot. But God is gracious and He gave Abraham the opportunity to ask for Lot’s life. God was not showing any lack of integrity here. Even though He knew that He was going to save Lot, He treated Abraham like a friend so that Abraham could spend time talking to God and, finally, understand that God is in control and is always working for good in the lives of His friends (see Rom 8: 28). After this experience Abraham had an even greater confidence in God and in God’s majesty so the experience was worthwhile in every way. God always treats people who love him  and are called according to His purpose as friends and He is always working for good in our lives. Sometimes it is much better for us not to get our way now.