Genesis 62 – The Return of Abraham

God's Word: Genesis 18:22-33

 

“The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the LORD.

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? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing--to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?" 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: "Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes, what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city because of five people?" "If I find forty-five there," he said, "I will not destroy it." Once again he spoke to him, "What if only forty are found there?" He said, "For the sake of forty, I will not do it." Then he said, "May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found there?" He answered, "I will not do it if I find thirty there." Abraham said, "Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?" He said, "For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it." 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."

When the LORD had finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home.” Amen.

 

You know, in schools, university lecture halls, and even churches, sometimes there isn't enough time for questions. When a professor says, "Student, come ask me your questions after class," you get ready to stand before them in an empty classroom once the lecture is over. Perhaps you've had the experience of a professor looking at you as they tidy up, with a face that says, "Alright, now you can ask me a question." I've had similar experiences in school where I'd formulate a question, but then, standing alone with the professor, I'd get so nervous that I'd forget what I wanted to ask.

 

God's Courtroom, Abraham's Plea

Now, God has sent away the two angels who were with Him, and He stands alone with Abraham. The Bible records, "Abraham remained standing before the Lord," but this sentence can also be translated as "The Lord still stood before Abraham." This implies that God was waiting for Abraham. This translation resonates more because of the preceding context: God had said, "I have heard the outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah. Now I will go down to see if what I have heard is true." It's natural, then, for Abraham to hear this and proceed to ask God something or engage in dialogue.

 

This situation is like a courtroom. The "council of God," where God and His heavenly hosts gather for meetings, sometimes functions as a courtroom. As you may recall from last time, God allowed Abraham to enter that council. This was an astonishing and great honor for Abraham, a scene that showed what kind of glory saints would enjoy.

 

In this courtroom, there is a prosecutor. It is the people suffering and groaning from the numerous sins committed by Sodom and Gomorrah. In the past, victims would directly accuse, saying, "This is what happened to me." If there is a prosecutor and God, the Judge, what is needed now? It's someone to defend Sodom and Gomorrah, who have become the defendants. Abraham appears as that lawyer. Abraham now begins to speak on behalf of Sodom and Gomorrah, and the story that unfolds in this courtroom is what we will examine today.

 

Abraham's Bold Yet Wise Prayer

Abraham begins to plead with God here. This pleading is more than a lawyer simply advocating for something; it signifies an act of discerning right from wrong and establishing the facts with God. Abraham first asks, "Lord, will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?" This question clearly shows Abraham's defense posture, which also resembles Jesus' later role as our advocate for us, who are sinners. In the heavenly courtroom, when God is present and we are the defendants, God allows Jesus Christ to come and defend us, the accused.

 

However, the lawyer in today's passage is a bit unusual. Typically, lawyers argue for their client's innocence or try to reduce the sentence even if guilt is admitted. But Abraham, and also Jesus, start with the premise, "Yes, I admit all these sins." They don't even ask for a reduced sentence by admitting guilt. They simply state that they acknowledge all the sins.

 

Now, even while speaking about the righteous and the wicked, Abraham admits that Sodom and Gomorrah are wicked. Everyone, including God the Judge, agrees with the premise that Sodom and Gomorrah are wicked. Genesis 13 already records, "Now the people of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord." Sodom and Gomorrah didn't stop there. When they lost everything and were on the verge of being enslaved after being defeated in war, Abraham led his private army and fought against the five allied kings, performing a miraculous rescue. They had just been freed from slavery.

 

Sodom and Gomorrah, Similar to Us

However, Sodom and Gomorrah, though they seemed to come to their senses for a brief moment, ultimately it was just that—a moment. They didn't change. This 모습 resembles us and stings us. You or I may experience miraculous things when we face difficulties or fall ill. But honestly, isn't it just for that moment? What happens as time passes? We might talk as if we'd give anything for God, but soon we start complaining and saying that life is tiresome and hard. That's who we are. Sodom and Gomorrah were no different. One might have thought that since they had lost everything in war and then survived, the change would last longer, but that wasn't the outcome.

 

So, we often think of Sodom and Gomorrah as symbols of evil, as in the Bible. We marvel, "How could they be like that?" Not only were they judged by fire, but the events that occurred there make us think, "What kind of place was Sodom and Gomorrah that such things happened?" They are considered truly evil.

 

However, friends, you must remember this: 2,000 years later, Jesus said this about Sodom and Gomorrah: "You say that Sodom and Gomorrah were wicked, but if the same mighty works done in your midst had been done in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. I tell you that on the day of judgment it will be more bearable for Sodom than for you" (Matthew 11:23-24). This meant that at that time, Israel, that is, Jerusalem or Capernaum, was worse than Sodom. So, what about now, 2,000 years later? Are we better than a destroyed Jerusalem today? What about the current situation where we experience salvation through the cross of Jesus Christ, and Christianity's influence spans Europe, Korea, America, and countless people worldwide claim to believe in Jesus? Can we say we are better than Jerusalem when the Lord came 2,000 years ago, or even than Sodom and Gomorrah from much earlier? On the contrary, it would likely be the opposite. Do we, who know Jesus Christ yet still fall into sin, have anything to say to the people of Sodom and Gomorrah? Perhaps Sodom and Gomorrah were just a "drop in the bucket" compared to us.

 

The Argument for the Righteous

In fact, the most crucial issue for Abraham was not that they were perishing because of sin. The same might be true for us. The fact that we are bound to die because of sin is not the most important issue. That's a given. Dying for the sins we've committed is a fair conclusion, and no one can dispute it; everyone has to accept it.

 

However, Abraham raised the issue not about the wicked but about the righteous. "Aren't there righteous people among the wicked who are perishing? If even those righteous people are destroyed along with them, isn't that unjust and unrighteous? Isn't God a righteous being?" Abraham's argument is undeniably clear. It's obvious no matter how you look at it. "No, shouldn't the righteous be saved?" Up to this point, it's an argument that we can all understand and find no fault with.

 

But Abraham goes a step further here and crosses a line. He says, "Well, if there are righteous people, he starts by talking about 50." Fifty is the minimum unit yet the largest number. That is, it's a large unit used when speaking of the smallest number. "Let's start with 50. What will you do if there are 50?" Of course, saving 50 righteous people is certainly a righteous act. But that's not what Abraham asked. He asked if God would forgive all of Sodom and Gomorrah because of those 50 righteous people. This is an unrighteous act. It's not fair. True justice is saving the righteous and punishing the wicked.

 

However, Abraham doesn't say that at all. Instead, he repeatedly lowers the number to 45, then 40, 30, 20, and finally 10, asking a total of six times: "If these are there, will You not destroy Sodom?"

 

The Meaning of Abraham's 'Bold' Prayer

Friends, the Bible contains many important 'break points'. For example, the beautiful creation story is followed by the fall of Adam and Eve, which is a dark chapter and a decisive turning point in biblical history. Some consider the incident of Cain and Abel, while others see Noah's flood, when the sin of all humanity was great and there was a great judgment, as a major turning point. The Tower of Babel is also a very important event. And now, Abraham's story is likewise significant.

 

However, in my opinion, the biggest turning point in human history is recorded in the question that came from Abraham's mouth. I believe the most important question in human history is contained in Abraham's words. Of course, creation, the fall, the flood, and the Tower of Babel are all important. But all these stories seem to be focused on explaining this very question that Abraham poses.

 

As you may recall, several righteous people appeared in the world. Enoch was righteous, but he alone was taken up to heaven. Noah and his family were also righteous, but only Noah's family was saved. However, the promise given to Abraham is different: "Abraham, through you all the peoples on earth will be blessed." In other words, all the peoples on earth will receive salvation. When we hear this promise, we often tend to interpret it as a founding myth of Israel, like the Jumong myth. That God chose Abraham, a great figure, and through him, his descendants multiplied, leading to the nation of Israel, and God blessed that nation and gave them laws, making it a great nation.

 

But the meaning of God's word is a little deeper.

"Through you all the peoples on earth will be blessed." We finally understand the true meaning of this promise through Abraham's prayer today. Because the prayer based on the promise, "Through you all the peoples on earth will receive salvation and blessing," was actually the first time Abraham pleaded to spare Sodom and Gomorrah.

 

God's Incomprehensible Response

Friends, you have no idea how nonsensical this promise is. As we saw earlier, this is an unrighteous act. It's frankly absurd to say that because of one person, Abraham, all the peoples on earth would be saved, or that because of one righteous person, all the wicked would be spared. Yet, this 'unrighteous request' appears for the first time in the Bible, and we learn about it through Abraham's words.

 

Abraham himself, as he spoke these words, must have felt that something was amiss. He seems to have said, "Lord, do not be angry," because he pleaded repeatedly, but in reality, it was because the very premise of his request was absurd that he called himself "dust and ashes." It was such a preposterous thing to say. "Lord, please save the righteous in that place" also sounds a bit strange. If God were to ask, "Why are the righteous living in such a place?", how would he answer? "You call yourself righteous, yet why are you living in the land of Sodom and Gomorrah? I believe in Jesus and call myself holy before God, yet why do I find you at a nightclub every night?" If God asked that? Isn't that an odd situation? It makes no sense. Was that too serious? It really makes no sense.

 

But now Abraham is praying like that. In fact, just asking to save the righteous seems a bit presumptuous and strange, but he goes a step further and says, "Since there are righteous people, please spare all the wicked too." Isn't this similar to a gangster in a movie or drama saying, "Just arrest me and spare all my subordinates"?

 

However, God's answer was not, "No, they should all be arrested," but rather, "Understood." In other words, God considered Abraham's prayer legitimate. The reason is clear from what we can learn from Abraham's prayer. First, the characteristic of Abraham's prayer is that it's truly bold, without needing any other explanation. Think about it. How could he pray like this? "God, if there are righteous people and those who serve You, You should, of course, save them." One could pray like that. If he had prayed, "Even though they live in the land of Sodom and Gomorrah and are forced to do so, God, You know their hearts, don't You?" and God had granted it, that would be understandable. But isn't this truly a bold prayer?

 

Wise Boldness

Abraham's prayer wasn't reckless. It wasn't foolish stubbornness or a blind push. First, it was because he prayed with a clear understanding of who he was. Abraham clearly recognized, "I am dust and ashes. I don't have the right to demand this." Therefore, his prayer wasn't simply an unreasonable badgering. He knew his situation precisely, yet he still approached God in prayer. Isn't that amazing?

 

Furthermore, the reason his prayer wasn't foolish was because it was based on God's promise. Because he clung to the promise, "Through you all the peoples on earth will be blessed," and approached God with it, I consider this to be the wisest, most audacious prayer. And our prayers should always remember this model of Abraham's prayer. We, too, can't help but be audacious.

 

Friends, today we offered a communal prayer in our worship service. If you joined in with an "Amen," you must have all felt it: 'This prayer makes no sense.' Last week, we confessed our lives over the past week, saying, "God, we're sorry we came to worship." What about today? No prayer emerges saying, "God, we've improved this much over the past week." We still say, "Lord, we are sinners." But why can we say "Amen" to that prayer? Because it's true. And that prayer isn't foolish. Yet, the very act of approaching God is an audacious prayer. Of course, I know very well that Deacon Jae, who prayed today, is not usually thick-skinned. They say all bearded men are thick-skinned because they break through the iron plate on their faces. But in any case, it's clear that all of us boldly approach God. And that prayer is similar to the pattern of Abraham's prayer.

 

You know that you are a helpless sinner, yet you also know that it is right to approach God endlessly in this amazing pattern of prayer. In fact, if you think about it, it's an unrighteous thing. It makes no sense. That's why this content holds very important meaning. The correctness of Abraham's prayer is because God Himself spoke concerning it. He said, "Yes, I will do so. I will forgive them."

 

The Incomprehensible Grace of God

There's something we know well, yet it's quite strange. When you were in school, in my generation, we had a grading system called 'Su-Woo-Mi-Yang-Ga' (Excellent, Good, Average, Pass, Fail). (It's gone now, though.) Getting a 'Su' was the best, but if you got an 'Ga' in all subjects, it would be a disaster. If you got a 'Ga', not even a 'Yang', truly… What would happen if your report card was plastered with 'Ga-Ga-Ga-Ga' and you took it home? Your mother would shout, "What?! Korean 'Ga', Math 'Ga'... 'Ga-Ga-Ga-Ga'! Get out!"

 

Friends, you've all experienced being scolded by your parents because of a report card or for doing something wrong. I was certainly no exception. My mother, in particular, loved a type of oak wood, and when she hit me with that broomstick, it really hurt. My bones ached, and I bruised. But she always asked, didn't she? After a long time of scolding, lecturing, and hitting, you'd cry and sniffle in your room, and after being hit for a while, you'd get hungry. Then, as evening approached, if you looked at your mother with a hungry face, she'd ask, "Are you hungry?" "Yes." "Come here."

 

Do you know, friends? The only medicine that melted away all resentment towards my parents was Antiphlamine! As she applied it, she'd ask, "Did it hurt?" And in that moment, your heart would melt, wouldn't it? 'Ah, my mother doesn't hate me.' After applying the medicine, she'd give you food. Friends, does this make sense? You were thoroughly beaten and told to leave, but then, if you're hungry, she gives you food! We all know why. It's hard to explain in words, but it does make sense. The image God shows us here, and Abraham's attitude and prayer method towards God, offer truly important lessons.

 

The Final Twist: No Righteous People

However, there's a final twist hidden in this story. Despite Abraham's earnest prayers and God waiting to listen and answering 'yes' to his questions, Sodom and Gomorrah were ultimately judged and destroyed. Isn't that strange?

 

We often casually think, "It was 10 people in the end, wasn't it? If there had only been 10, God would have saved them, but they perished because there weren't 10." So, we assume, 'If there had only been 10, He would have saved them.' Sometimes we say things like, "Even if LA is corrupt, if there are only 10 righteous people, God will forgive it..." or "Even if our church has many problems, if there are only 10 people, the Korean church will survive."

 

However, the focus of this story is not "If there are only 10, God will save them." Even if he had asked about one person, the conclusion would probably have been the same. God would have said, 'Yes,' and Sodom and Gomorrah would have perished. This is because the crucial point here is that 'there were none.' No matter how much the number was reduced, there were no righteous people. The number '10' is the minimum unit of a community. Below that, like a 'single' in golf, a single number refers to an 'individual.' The reason for mentioning 10 at the end is that it's the last number representing a community. After that, it becomes one-on-one, meaning individuals. It's not about the entire Sodom and Gomorrah. That's why Abraham didn't ask any further; it wasn't a situation where he would ask, "If it goes from 10 to 9, will You save them?" The important thing is that not even one righteous person was found. There were no righteous people in Sodom and Gomorrah.

 

We Are Not Righteous

The fact that there are no righteous people in this world. This is a very important truth declared by the Bible, and at the same time, it is the answer to why we cannot believe in God. When evangelizing, some people say, "I really want to go to church and believe, but I just can't believe in God." We feel frustrated by such people. So, we often say, "You can only believe if God makes you believe." However, the Bible does not say that people do not believe because God does not make them believe.

 

The Bible says that although there may be several reasons why people do not believe, the conclusion is due to one fact. Why do they say, "I try to believe, but I can't"? It's because they think they are righteous. They believe they are healthy, and therefore they cannot see God.

 

These are not my words. Jesus said this in Mark 2:17: "On hearing this, Jesus said to them, 'It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.'" This is followed by words like, "If you say you cannot see now, I would open your eyes, but since you say you see, you remain as you are." People all think they can see, they think they are healthy, and they don't consider themselves sick or sinners. They think of themselves as righteous. Of course, no one might openly say, "I am righteous." But in their hearts, they don't feel that God is an essential being. This is why they cannot see God.

 

Human Nature and God's Justice

We all instinctively know that it's unjust for humanity to end like this on the last day. If you and I were to end our lives just like Hitler, and it all meant nothing, we would all instinctively think, "Something is wrong here." That's why not only Christianity but all religions try to solve this fundamental problem.

 

Buddhism, as we know it, solves this problem with the theory of karma. It posits that sentient beings are continuously reborn and die over countless eons, and those who have erred are plunged into the suffering of the Four Noble Truths in their next life. From this suffering, they seek liberation, and that path leads to becoming a Buddha. Buddhism does not require a god. It believes that one must be freed from all attachments through liberation. No one knows what comes after liberation, but the belief is that one must be freed from that suffering. Even if this approach is not bad, the important point is that humans instinctively understand the feeling of injustice. It proves that it would be unfair if everyone ended up the same way.

 

The Bible, in a way, also proves this. The Bible clearly states that if all humans simply end their lives regardless of their sins or deeds, then life is meaningless.

 

We would find no answer to the question, "Why should I live?" This was true not only for Eastern philosophers but also for Western philosophers. Why did a philosopher like Kant, whom you know well, criticize pure reason and clearly state that human reason cannot know or speak about a metaphysical being like God, yet still present the concept of practical reason? It's because he believed, 'Though I clearly cannot prove God with my mind, if I don't have the conscience within me and the stars in the sky, this world and I myself cannot be explained.' He thought that without moral action and judgment, human existence and the world could not be interpreted.

 

Ultimately, the Bible states that there is only one way in this world, and from that way come two conclusions. First, humanity will stand before God at the end, according to what they believe. If they believe they are righteous, they will stand before God by their own righteousness. If they believe they are not sick, and are righteous and healthy, they will stand on the last day by their own health. Each will be judged according to what they believe.

 

However, you and I are different. We confess that we cannot live by our own health, and believers are those who say they will stand before God by Jesus' health, by Jesus' righteousness. Because we all stand before God by what we believe and are judged accordingly, the Bible says that God is just. God is fair. Because everyone stands before God by what they equally believe. That is the final moment that humanity will face. That is why the Bible declares, "There is no one righteous," and why it is called the Gospel when it says that we must rely on Jesus Christ when we come before God.

 

Abraham Did Not Turn Back, Jesus Did Not Turn Back

Friends, the most amazing word we find today is in verse 33. This verse explains the final twist of the story. "When the Lord had finished speaking with Abraham, He left. And read the last part together. Abraham also returned to his place."

 

Consider what Abraham had said so far. He pleaded with God, "Even if there are only 10, will You save all the wicked in Sodom and Gomorrah? Did You not promise to bless all these through me?" God answered Abraham's question with a 'yes.' "If there are righteous people, Sodom and Gomorrah will live."

 

So, what should Abraham have truly done? Shouldn't he have gone to Sodom and Gomorrah? Since he was righteous, if he had gone there and lived, Sodom and Gomorrah could have been saved.

 

But Abraham returned to his own place. Why did he do that? Because Abraham was not the truly righteous person God was speaking of. He, too, was a being like dust and ashes, afraid of judgment.

 

The Perfect Righteous One, Jesus Christ

I don't think this part necessarily needs to be doctrinally formalized, but I find it a very interesting passage when reading the Bible. Abraham pleaded with God six times, and I thought to myself, 'Why didn't he do it seven times?' The Bible often completes things seven times as a perfect number. So, I began to think: Could that seventh time be what appears 2,000 years later? The prayer, "Father, forgive these sinners."

 

That perfect righteous One, Jesus, did not return to heaven. In the Garden of Gethsemane, He prayed earnestly, "Take this cup from me," but in the end, He said, "Nevertheless, not my will, but yours be done." And then He walked the path to the cross. To use Abraham's situation as an analogy, Jesus entered Sodom and Gomorrah. Jesus Christ, the one righteous person, did not return to His own home, but willingly entered Sodom and Gomorrah, that is, into the fire. And to save those who rely on Him, those who cling to Him, even Abraham who earnestly questioned God, He Himself entered that fire.

 

Come to the Lord Just as You Are, Stripped Bare

Spurgeon, the great British preacher, said in his sermon:

"Come, O you, come just as you are, stripped bare. Come to your heavenly Father just as you are, full of sin and iniquity. Come to Jesus just as you are, leprous, filthy, stripped bare, unable to live or die. Come, you who are nothing but rubbish. Come, though you have no hope but death. Come, though despair covers you and presses down on your heart like a terrifying nightmare. Come to the Lord and ask Him to justify this ungodly one. Come to the Lord in that way."

 

Friends, if there was an Abraham who turned back to his place, here is an Abraham who did not turn back, that is, the last Abraham who did not turn back. It is Jesus, who prayed until His sweat became like drops of blood in the Garden of Gethsemane, and then rose and walked towards the cross without turning back.

 

The way to that Jesus is not a path you take when you are ready. It's not a place you go because "I feel like believing in Jesus," nor is it a place you go because "I've lived a little according to God's will and become clean." It is absolutely not a place you go because "now I'm a little prepared and can finally show my face before God." It is a place where you go just as you are, like Sodom and Gomorrah. It is only by confessing, "Lord, I am sick. Lord, I need your healing. I need You," carrying your sins as they are. It is by approaching that Lord in that way.

 

Come to the Lord, Carrying Your Burdens

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

 

Friends, why do you try to follow the Lord only after laying down your burdens? Why do you try to go to the Lord only after completing your repentance, or after perfectly obeying Him, or at least pretending to obey, or perhaps after holding something in your hand? The Lord says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, just as you are. And I will give you rest."

 

Let's pray.

 

Dear Lord, we come before You. Whenever we hear the word that we must die, we wonder if it's true, even without fully understanding its meaning. 'Is it really so?' Or, even when we say, 'Yes,' we don't truly know what it means to 'die myself.' We confess that we are sinners, and with our lips, we speak of how terrifying our sins are, but in reality, we don't know how persistent and terrifying our sins are. Because we don't know the terror of sin that overwhelms us moment by moment, we think we are normal. If we think we are living well without the Lord, we soon find ourselves thinking, 'Am I not righteous even without Christ?'

 

Lord, who called us, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened," and who said, "I have come to call not the righteous, but sinners," we desire to see You and to come to You. We want to realize that we stand before You just as we are, with our tears, with our wounds. Lord, please help us to remember and know that because of You, we have become alive, that there is Jesus who walked into Sodom and Gomorrah, and that there is Jesus who walked into my life, which is like Sodom and Gomorrah, so that we may rise again.

 

We pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.