Genesis 18: 16-33 Essay
In the Genesis, God uses destruction as a tool to test his creations and help them grow intellectually. In the passage Genesis 18:16-33, God talks to Abraham about the impending burning of Sodom. God uses discussion of His plans and preparations for the destruction as a teaching moment for Abraham, who He decides is worthy of such a conversation. God’s motivation for talking to Abraham about the burning of Sodom shows that teaching Abraham is His purpose. We hear God’s internal dialogue in which He says to Himself, “Shall I conceal from Abraham what I am about to do? For Abraham will surely be a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him. For I have embraced him so that he will charge his sons and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord to do righteousness and justice, that the Lord may bring upon Abraham all the He spoke
…show more content…
concerning him.” (Genesis 18:18-18:20) This text shows that God decides to reveal His plans to Abraham because He acknowledges that to not do so would be unrighteous and unjust in the terms of their covenant. Not only is Abraham worthy of this information, but he is worthy because he will be the father of many nations. If Abraham and his lineage will carry Abraham’s covenant with God they will need to know how to effectively communicate with and understand God. In the following conversation, efforts towards developing this communicative relationship are accomplished. When God does tell Abraham of His plans, Abraham initiates the discussion by saying, “Far be it from You to do such a thing, to put to death the innocent and guilty the same.
Far be it from You! Will not the judge of all the earth do justice?” (Genesis 18:25-26) This is significant because Abraham’s use of repetition makes it seem like he is ridiculing God. This is a surprising stance because God’s almighty power usually induces fear. Abraham shows that he is aware of this power dynamic when just a few lines later he says, “Here, pray, I have presumed to speak to my Lord when I am but dust and ashes,” (Genesis 18:27-28) as a disclaimer of his inferiority to God. God responds by saying that He will not destroy the city if there are fifty innocent people within. (Genesis 18:27-28) This shows that God is humoring Abraham’s questioning. By not dismissing Abraham’s thoughts and going so far as to take them into consideration He is encouraging the discussion to continue. This seems purposeful on God’s part because up until this point He has not appeared to ask for anyone’s input on
decisions.
There is precedence for the conversational tone God takes with Abraham. When God first arrives in Chapter 18 at the Terebinths of Mamre, He is described as a physical being walking the Earth with two angels. He is given water, bread, and offered rest just as a mortal would need after traveling. (Genesis 18:1-6) When God talks to Sarah about enabling her to have a child in her old age He also engages with her in an informal tone, such as when she says “I did not laugh,” and He responds, “Yes, you did laugh.” (Genesis 18:14-15) His response matches the simple structure of her statement which is unusual for God’s dialogue throughout Genesis and could be interpreted as a purposeful effort on His part to talk to Sarah informally as if she were an equal.
This informal dialogue is continued when Abraham and God continue their conversation about the impending burning of Sodom. It turns into a bargaining session, with Abraham naming the number of innocents within Sodom that would require God to spare the city. Every time Abraham brings down the number God agrees to the terms until the number of innocents reaches ten. (Genesis 18:26-33) If you assume that this is meant to be a teaching moment, God is teaching Abraham by showing what He is capable of morally. He proves that He is just despite Abraham’s previous doubt by agreeing to the conditions Abraham has set forth. He also shows that He is faithful to his promise of upholding His side of the covenant by disclosing His plans to Abraham and humoring his concerns.
concerning him.” (Genesis 18:18-18:20) This text shows that God decides to reveal His plans to Abraham because He acknowledges that to not do so would be unrighteous and unjust in the terms of their covenant. Not only is Abraham worthy of this information, but he is worthy because he will be the father of many nations. If Abraham and his lineage will carry Abraham’s covenant with God they will need to know how to effectively communicate with and understand God. In the following conversation, efforts towards developing this communicative relationship are accomplished. When God does tell Abraham of His plans, Abraham initiates the discussion by saying, “Far be it from You to do such a thing, to put to death the innocent and guilty the same.
Far be it from You! Will not the judge of all the earth do justice?” (Genesis 18:25-26) This is significant because Abraham’s use of repetition makes it seem like he is ridiculing God. This is a surprising stance because God’s almighty power usually induces fear. Abraham shows that he is aware of this power dynamic when just a few lines later he says, “Here, pray, I have presumed to speak to my Lord when I am but dust and ashes,” (Genesis 18:27-28) as a disclaimer of his inferiority to God. God responds by saying that He will not destroy the city if there are fifty innocent people within. (Genesis 18:27-28) This shows that God is humoring Abraham’s questioning. By not dismissing Abraham’s thoughts and going so far as to take them into consideration He is encouraging the discussion to continue. This seems purposeful on God’s part because up until this point He has not appeared to ask for anyone’s input on
decisions.
There is precedence for the conversational tone God takes with Abraham. When God first arrives in Chapter 18 at the Terebinths of Mamre, He is described as a physical being walking the Earth with two angels. He is given water, bread, and offered rest just as a mortal would need after traveling. (Genesis 18:1-6) When God talks to Sarah about enabling her to have a child in her old age He also engages with her in an informal tone, such as when she says “I did not laugh,” and He responds, “Yes, you did laugh.” (Genesis 18:14-15) His response matches the simple structure of her statement which is unusual for God’s dialogue throughout Genesis and could be interpreted as a purposeful effort on His part to talk to Sarah informally as if she were an equal.
This informal dialogue is continued when Abraham and God continue their conversation about the impending burning of Sodom. It turns into a bargaining session, with Abraham naming the number of innocents within Sodom that would require God to spare the city. Every time Abraham brings down the number God agrees to the terms until the number of innocents reaches ten. (Genesis 18:26-33) If you assume that this is meant to be a teaching moment, God is teaching Abraham by showing what He is capable of morally. He proves that He is just despite Abraham’s previous doubt by agreeing to the conditions Abraham has set forth. He also shows that He is faithful to his promise of upholding His side of the covenant by disclosing His plans to Abraham and humoring his concerns.