WHEN THE WICKED ARE DESTROYED THE RIGHTEOUS WILL BE SPARED

PROCLAMATION

“And Abraham drew near, and said, ‘Wilt Thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?  Peradventure there are fifty righteous within the city … Peradventure ten shall be found there.’  And He said, ‘I will not destroy it for ten’s sake.’ ”  Genesis 18:23-32 (KJV)

 

EXPLANATION

These are the words of God which were revealed to and written by Moses under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.   After God made a covenant with Abraham (Genesis 17:10-11) and promised him that Sarah would bear him a son and he will be called Isaac, (Genesis 17:17-19) Abraham and all of the males in his household were circumcised. (Genesis 17:24-27)  Then The Lord appeared to Abraham as one of three men. (Genesis 18:1-2)  Abraham asked if he could fix them something to eat before they went on their way. (Genesis 18:3-8)  As they ate, they asked about his wife Sarah and said that she would bear him a son. (Genesis 18:9-15)  When they got up to leave, The Lord told him that the sins of the people in Sodom and Gomorrah were so great that He was going to destroy the cities. (Genesis 18:16-20)  This is when Abraham questioned The Lord regarding sparing the lives of the righteous living among the wicked. (Genesis 18:22-32)  As The Lord conversed with Abraham, the two men with Him turned away and went towards Sodom. (Genesis 18:22)

 

APPLICATION

The Lord God destroyed the whole earth but spared Noah and his family. (Hebrews 11:7)  Here He told Abraham that He was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, but He would spare the righteous there, namely Lot and his family. (Genesis 19:15-16)  He said that if there were ten righteous people there, He would spare the cities for their sakes. (Genesis 18:32)  Even when surrounded by wickedness and corruption, a child of God should maintain his faith and Christian walk.  Just because we live in a sinful world does not mean that we have to participate in their sins.  By maintaining good Christian behavior and obeying God’s Holy Word, we will find grace and favor in the eyes of The Lord and thereby be spared the wrath of God which will come to those unbelievers who are doing evil. 

 

THE RIGHTEOUS WILL BE SPARED WHEN THE WICKED ARE DESTROYED

Proclamation:

“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 … What if only ten can be found there?’  He answered, ‘For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.’”  Genesis 18:20-32

Explanation:

These are the words of God which were written by Moses under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  When Lot and Abram parted company, Lot chose the well-watered plain of the Jordan and moved his herds and flocks near Sodom.  Unfortunately the people of Sodom were wicked and sinned greatly against The Lord. (Genesis 13:11-13)  It came to pass that the kings in area made war with the other kings nearby, they were defeated and Lot was captured and his possession taken. (Genesis 14:1-12)  When Abram learned of this he took 318 of his servants and attacked and routed them, rescuing Lot and the other captives. (Genesis 14:13-16)  The Lord God told Abram that He was his shield and his very great reward, (Genesis 15:1-5) and God promised him a son.  Abram’s wife Sarai was also old and she was barren, so she gave Abram her slave/handmaid Hagar so that he could have a son.  After she conceived, she began to despise her mistress and Sarai began to mistreat her so she left. (Genesis 16:1-6)  Hagar was confronted by the angel of The Lord and returned and bore Abram a son named Ishmael. (Genesis 16:7-15)  The Lord God changed Abram’s name to Abraham (Genesis 17:5) and his wife Sarai’s name to Sarah. (Genesis 17:15)  God made a covenant with Abraham (Genesis 17:10-11) and promised him that Sarah would bear him a son and he will be called Isaac. (Genesis 17:17-19)  Then The Lord appeared to Abraham (Genesis 18:1-2) and told him that the sins of the people in Sodom and Gomorrah were so great that He was going to destroy the cities. (Genesis 18:17 and 20)  This is when Abraham questioned The Lord regarding sparing the lives of the righteous living among the wicked. (Genesis 18:22-32)

Application:

The Lord God destroyed the whole earth but spared Noah and his family. (Hebrews 11:7)  Here He told Abraham that He was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah but He would spare the righteous there, namely Lot and his family. (Genesis 19:15-16)  He said that if there were ten righteous people there, He would spare the cities for their sakes.  Even when surrounded by wickedness and corruption, a child of God should maintain his faith and Christian walk.  By doing so we will find grace and favor in the eyes of The Lord and thereby be spared the wrath of God which will come to those people who are doing evil.