Imagine you are a lawyer. Your client has just been convicted of a crime. The jury has pronounced him guilty. The judge is now weighing in his mind what sentence to pass. Will he throw the book at your client, or will he show some mercy? You have one chance to plead for mercy, to try and convince the judge to let your client off easy. What arguments are you going to use?
What pops first into my mind is to talk about the newly convicted criminal. To tell the judge how much a long sentence will hurt him and his family. I would try to portray him as not really bad inside, that somehow his recent crime is not truly indicative of his character.
Now suppose that the judge is God himself and he is threatening your client with judgement and destruction? How do you plead for mercy then? That is the situation we find in a number of places in the Old Testament, and the plea made by the advocate in each of these does not revolve around the sinner, but rather around God's character and reputation.
Genesis 18:20-26
The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah have become horribly corrupt, full of perversion, violence and wickedness. God is weighing whether or not to destroy them for their sin. But first he visits Abraham and gives him a chance to intercede. What does Abraham say to God? "Spare these poor people! They aren't really so bad. They had a tough childhood. I am sure they will be nicer in the future." No. Here is what Abraham says,
Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there are 50 righteous people within the city? Far be it from you to do such a thing to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked. Far be it from you! Shall not the judge of all the earth do what is just?
He then goes on to urge God to spare the cities if there are even less than 50 righteous people until he gets down to ten.
Abraham's argument goes like this: We know that most of fhe people in Sodom are wicked, but there might be some that are not, who do not deserve the judgement that the rest do. It would be unjust to treat them the same as the rest. We also know that you, God, are righteous, you are the judge of all the earth and always judge and act righteously. Therefore, if there are any good people in the city, please spare all for their sake. The center of Abraham's plea is that God be true to his righteous character. Even when bringing judgement on a whole people, God will do it justly and righteously. Abraham seems horrified, not just at the impending destruction of the cities, but at the prospect that God would sully his own name, that he might act contrary to his character. "Far be it from you!"
I am sure that Abraham was concerned for the life of his nephew, Lot, who was, hopefully, one of the 10-50 people righteous people in the cities whose presence would save them. But Abraham seems at least equally concerned with God's character and reputation.
Abraham's argument goes like this: We know that most of fhe people in Sodom are wicked, but there might be some that are not, who do not deserve the judgement that the rest do. It would be unjust to treat them the same as the rest. We also know that you, God, are righteous, you are the judge of all the earth and always judge and act righteously. Therefore, if there are any good people in the city, please spare all for their sake. The center of Abraham's plea is that God be true to his righteous character. Even when bringing judgement on a whole people, God will do it justly and righteously. Abraham seems horrified, not just at the impending destruction of the cities, but at the prospect that God would sully his own name, that he might act contrary to his character. "Far be it from you!"
I am sure that Abraham was concerned for the life of his nephew, Lot, who was, hopefully, one of the 10-50 people righteous people in the cities whose presence would save them. But Abraham seems at least equally concerned with God's character and reputation.
In the end, not even ten righteous people are found in Sodom. But God does answer the heart of Abraham's prayer. Though there are not enough righteous people to spare the sinners from judgement, God does not "put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked," but he goes to great lengths to save Lot, the one righteous man found.
Now this may seem a lot of fuss over a small passage. And I might not of paid much attention to it, except that it is the first of many that exhibit the same pattern, as we shall see next time when we look at Moses.
Now this may seem a lot of fuss over a small passage. And I might not of paid much attention to it, except that it is the first of many that exhibit the same pattern, as we shall see next time when we look at Moses.
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