When The Righteous Plead with God

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." . . . Then Abraham approached Him and said: "Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?"
What if there are fifty righteous people in the city?  . . . The Lord said, "If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake." Then Abraham spoke up again:  ". . . what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty?" . . .  "What if only forty are found there?" . . . "What if only thirty can be found there?" . . .  "[W]hat if only twenty can be found there?"
. . . Then he said, "May the LORD not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?" He answered, "For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it."  Genesis 18:20-32


"For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it!" "For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it!" God had revealed to Abraham that He was about to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham started pleading with Him about sparing the city for the sake of the righteous. He started by asking God if He would spare the city for the sake of fifty? God agreed to spare the city if He found fifty righteous people. Abraham boldly kept pleading with God: How about forty-five righteous people? How about forty? How about thirty? How about twenty? How about ten? God graciously kept giving in to Abraham's plea: "For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it."

It is obvious that Abraham's righteousness before God gave him a "bargaining clout" with God. God listened as Abraham stood in the gap and kept pushing and pleading. The leverage we have with God when it comes to standing in the gap to plead the case for the righteous is astonishing. For the sake of just ten righteous people and the intercession of one righteous man, Abraham, God was willing to spare countless numbers of people from destruction.
God's greatest desire is to bless and not to judge. His desire is to spare not to destroy.

Scripture says in Isaiah 55:7, "Let the wicked forsake their ways . . .  Let them turn to the LORD . . . for He will freely pardon."
So, how far is God willing to go to show compassion, grace, mercy, and love? What won't God do to bless His children? God will spare nothing to show us mercy, grace, love and compassion.

Let's arise and plead with God for ourselves, our families, our churches, communities, and nations. God is willing to relent from bringing calamity. He is willing to spare judgment. He is willing to bless. He is willing to be gracious and merciful! Let's go boldly before the throne of grace and plead with Him! The prayers of the righteous are powerful and effective.

Prayer: Father, you are merciful and gracious. Strengthen me to stand in the righteousness of Christ to continually plead the cause of humanity. Amen.