After the three visitors revealed that judgment was coming upon gomorrah/”>Sodom and Gomorrah for their wickedness, the Lord shared His plan with Abraham. Genesis 18:20–21 records the reason for the impending judgment:
“And the Lord said, ‘Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave, I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know.’”
When Abraham learned of this, he began to intercede for the city, motivated by concern for the righteous who might be living there, including his nephew Lot. Genesis 18:23 shows Abraham’s appeal:
“And Abraham came near and said, ‘Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked?’”
Abraham’s plea reveals his deep sense of justice and compassion. He asked the Lord if He would spare the city for the sake of fifty righteous people, and then continued to intercede, reducing the number step by step until he reached ten (Genesis 18:32). Each time, God assured Abraham that He would not destroy the city if that number of righteous were found.
This intercession highlights two important truths. First, it shows the character of God… He is just, yet merciful, willing to spare many for the sake of a few. Second, it demons/”>demonstrates the power of intercessory prayer. Abraham stood in the gap, appealing to God’s righteousness and mercy.
Ultimately, not even ten righteous were found, and the cities were destroyed. However, God honored Abraham’s concern by rescuing Lot and his family (Genesis 19:15–16). This account reminds us that God takes sin seriously but delights in showing mercy and that He invites His people to pray boldly for others.
