S)" 32 Then he said, 'Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak only this once; suppose ten are found there?' And He said, 'I will not destroy it on account of the ten.'"
Genesis 18:32 (NASB)
O) Abraham has become quite bold in the presence of the LORD. I'm reluctant to use the word "negotiate" but through supplication, God tells him He'll spare Sodom if He finds 50 righteous men, or 45, or 40, or 30, 20, and finally, even just 10. Sadly, there were not even 3 righteous men. I don't want to discount Lot's wife or two daughters, but they didn't exactly prove to be the most faithful, righteous women... but the other two men who might have been found righteous (Lot's future sons-in-law), thought Lot was jesting about the destruction of the city. I can imagine how incredibly different history would be, if there were as few as 10 righteous people in the entire city!
A) First, this is the impact of a single man's requests before the Almighty. As a Christian, I can't even write this off as something "only Abraham could have done" because Paul makes it abundantly clear that Abraham's righteousness was obtained through the same faith that I have! So, if God credits me with the same righteousness, and He heard Abraham's request because of Abraham's obedience, faith, and righteousness, then I need to realize the power of my own prayers, and that God will hear my requests as well. He will only act according to His will, but He hears my prayers; I cannot neglect that! Second, this passage is showing me the potential of just 10 righteous men. It is very, very important that I stay involved in the lives of my brothers in Christ. I need to be available to them and I need to seize the moments that they are made available to me. I need to build up the men around me and allow them to build me up as well. I need to #MANUP.
P) Father, I want to be more committed to prayer, first of all. Help me see prayer as a time to talk with You, Father. Help me be honest and expressive about the concerns of my heart and about my fears and insecurity and the areas where I truly need help. Holy Spirit, open my ears to hear the Father's responses. Open my eyes to see what He's trying to show me. Open my heart to receive Truth, instruction, correction, and direction. Embolden me to use the courage You placed inside me, to be unashamed and completely honest with the righteous men You have placed around me. Help me reach out to them and sharpen them as iron, and be sharpened by them as iron. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
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