Questioning God’s Justice!
Genesis 18:16–33
Prayer for illuminationI recently read this story in the New York Times“SANFORD, Fla. — The killing of Trayvon Martin… two and a half months ago has been cast as the latest
test of race relations and equal justice in America. But it was also a test of a small city police department
that does not even have a homicide unit and typically deals with three or four murder cases a year.
An examination of the Sanford Police Department’s handling of the case shows a series of missteps —
including sloppy work — and circumstances beyond its control that impeded the investigation and may
make it harder to pursue a case that is already difficult enough.
The national furor has subsided for the moment. But as the second-degree murder case against the
defendant, George Zimmerman, moves from the glare of a public spectacle to the grinding procedures of
the court system and eventual trial, the department’s performance, roundly criticized by Mr. Martin’s
family as bungling and biased, will be scrutinized once again, though in more meticulous detail.” (New
York Times)
This sad and sordid story raises several questions of Justice. Will the judge and the jury act justly?
Will George Zimmerman receive justice? Will justice ultimately prevail-whatever that means in this
case?”
The second half of Genesis 18 also deals with the issue of Justice. Here is the primary question
raised by the text? Is God just in his dealings with men?
Maybe you have wondered this yourself?
The text before us speaks unequivocally to this question- God always acts Justly in his dealings
with men. In other words, he always does the right thing. To help us understand this we are going to
look at three things in this textGod Informs
God investigates
Adam intercedes
First, God informs
When does God inform Abraham of his plan? While he is leaving!
Genesis 18:16 (ESV) — 16 Then the men set out from there, and they looked down toward Sodom. And
Abraham went with them to set them on their way.
Just prior to this scene Abraham shared a meal with the almighty. He dined with the maker of the
universe. This is kind of a big deal. Abraham is the only person in the entire OT to dine with God. After
they finished eating they got up and walked together (God, Abraham, and the two angels).
The author of Genesis skillfully transitions to the next scene by saying “they looked down toward
Sodom”.
Most scholars think that from where they stood one could see Sodom several miles to the
southeast looking down through the gaps in the hills.
Why does God inform Abraham of his plan? Abraham is God’s friend!
Genesis 18:17–18 (ESV) — 17 The LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do,
18 seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth
shall be blessed in him?
Some scholar’s think God is talking to Abraham, others think he is talking to the two Angels we
read about earlier. He is probably addressing the angels knowing that Abraham is listening.
God asks this question out loud- “Shall I hide from Abraham what I’m about to do?”
Then God answers his own question- I’m going to tell him what I’m about to do because he will be
a great nation and all the nations on earth will be blessed through him.
Then he says in verse 19 –
“For I have chosen him” a better translation is for I have known him. The Hebrew word for
chosen is also translated known. Many of your ESV’s will have a marginal not explaining this.
Abraham was informed of the plan because he is the friend of God. God knows him, God will make
him a mighty nation, and God will bless the nations through him.
James 2:23 (ESV) — 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it
was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God.
App- This is simply astonishing. It is astonishing that God takes the time to talk to a mere mortal.
It is astonishing that God lets Abraham in on what he is about to do. God does not have to do this. God
does not have to come down to our level. He does not have to explain his ways to anyone. Fortunately
God is the friend of sinners. He created us to have fellowship with him. The Triune God of the Bible is a
relational God. The very essence of the Christian faith is relationship. Do you know him? Slaves are told
what to do but friends are told why things are going to be done.
When does God inform Abraham of his plan? While he is leaving
Why does God inform Abraham of his plan? Abraham is God’s friend
Why else does God inform Abraham of his plan? God wants a righteous people!
Genesis 18:19 (ESV) — 19 For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household
after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice, so that the LORD may bring to
Abraham what he has promised him.”
Ultimately God informs Abraham what he is about to do to Sodom because he wants Abraham and
his family “to keep the way of the lord by doing righteousness and justice”. In other words God wants
Abraham and his offspring to live holy lives.
God is about to show Abraham what happens to those who don’t live holy lives in order to
motivate him and his offspring to live holy lives.
Illustration- It was late spring of my junior year at Lewis and Clark high school. During 3rd
period the PA system crackled to life. The principal said- “All students need to go outside and
congregate on the field just West of the school.”
This seemed rather odd but we all obeyed because obedience meant missing class. As we filed
outside we saw three wrecked cars sitting on the grass. Broken glass, car parts, and beer cans blanketed
the area. Two cars faced each other. Apparently the cars had just collided at a high rate of speed. As over
1000 students gathered around the cars we heard painful moans and groans coming from the cars.
In the distance we heard the sound of sirens. Within a few moments several police cars and
ambulances were on the scene. Several bodies were slowly removed from the cars and placed in
ambulances. The last body was finally removed and zipped up in a black canvas bag. The whole thing
was very dramatic and somber.
The scene was an elaborate stunt performed by the administration to show us what happens
when students drive drunk. Prom was a few days away and the school wanted to warn us.
In a similar sense God wants Abraham to learn what happens to wicked people.
God wanted Sodom and Gomorrah to be a reminder for all of Abraham’s offspring that righteous
living matters and that God judges the oppressor.
2 Peter 2:6 (ESV) — 6 if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned
them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly;
ApplicationGod cares about righteous living. He cares about our spending, our speech, our motives, our
sexuality, or speed limit, or giving, etc… he calls us to be holy in all our conduct.
Notice that God wants Abraham to teach his children to live righteously. This is the Father’s
responsibility. God wants Abraham and all God fearing Fathers to remind their kids what happened to
Sodom and Gomorrah.
You can almost hear and see Abraham’s descendants taking their children on hikes around the
ruins of Sodom and Gomorrah and talking to them about holiness.
Father’s we are still called to tell our children about the mighty acts of God that display his hatred
of evil and his love of good. We see this most clearly at the cross. More on this in a moment.
First, God informs…
Second, God investigates
What prompts God to investigate? He hears the outcry!
Genesis 18:20 (ESV) — 20 Then the LORD said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is
great and their sin is very grave,
cries.
Cries rose up from Sodom and Gomorrah. Cries of anguish and pain! God is never deaf to these
The word for outcry in verse 20 is a Hebrew word that expresses the cry of one who is oppressed
and brutalized.
Here is what scholar Nahum Sarna says about the Hebrew word for cry- “(it) connote(s) the
anguished cry of the oppressed, the agonized plea of the victim for help in the face of some great injustice. In
the Bible these terms are suffused with poignancy and pathos, with moral outrage and soul-stirringpassion… the sin of Sodom, then, is heinous moral and social corruption, and arrogant disregard of basic
human rights, a cynical insensitivity to the sufferings of the others.” (Hughes, 263)
When we think of Sodom we think of the sin of homosexuality. After all the term Sodomy refers to
homosexuality. This was definitely one of the reasons God destroyed these cities. But this was not the
only sin committed by the inhabitants of these cities.
Ezekiel 16:49 (ESV) — 49 Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters
had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy.
Application: God hears the screams and shrieks of oppression rising up from Sodom and
Gomorrah. He is not deaf to our pain and sorrow!!!
What is causes you to cry out to God?
A wayward child?
An oppressive boss?
Chronic pain?
Painful loneliness?
Finical distress?
God hears our cries and he acts on our behalf when we cry out to him. If you don’t believe me skip
forward 2000 years to the story to the cross.
What prompts God to investigate? He hears the outcry
Why does God investigate? He justice is inscrutable!
Genesis 18:21 (ESV) — 21 I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to
the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know.”
We know from other parts of scripture that God knows all things actual and possible. Previously
in this story God was able to read Sarah’s thoughts and predict the future. So what is happening here?
Does God not know everything or not? After all He says he has to go down and investigate Sodom and
Gomorrah.
Without a doubt the Bible is clear that God knows everything. So how do we explain this passage?
God is speaking anthropomorphically to Abraham. In other words, he is condescending to Abraham’s
level in order to communicate to Abraham that he is about to act with inscrutable justice.
Before he pours down fire and sulfur from heaven he is going to do a thorough investigation with
the help of his two fact finding Angels. It is no coincidence that two angels go down to investigate
because we find out later on in the law of Moses that two witnesses are needed to enact capital
punishment.
Illustration- I used to be an auto claims adjuster for State Farm insurance. Part of my job was
determining fault in auto accidents. This was often a complex process. It started with taking detailed
recorded statements from at least three parties (witnesses and both drivers), then I would often go the
scene of the accident and take pictures off stop lights, stop signs, intersections, and the pictures from the
point of view of the driver. Next we would look carefully at the damage on the car looking specifically for
indicators of speed, angle, and force of impact. Next we would look at medical bills and police reports.
Our investigations were very thorough because our goal was to be as just as possible even if it meant
admitting that our client was at fault. Contrary to popular belief most claims adjusters are not out to steal
from the other guy. We were told to be as just and fair as possible, which meant collecting as much data
as possible.
Unfortunately claims adjusters are not Gods so there knowledge is not perfect which means that
not ever claim is solved with inscrutable justice. If it was we would not need lawyers.
Application- God is just in his judgments of Sodom and Gomorrah and he is just in his judgments
of me and you!!! He knows all things actual and possible so there is no need to investigate anything. He
never gives us more justice than we deserve! We can never say to God that is not fair because God knows
the facts much better then we do. He knows who is at fault in the Treyvon Martin case. He knows
everything, which enables him to always act with perfect justice. His justice is inscrutable.
On the day of final judgment he will act with perfect equity when all our sins are exposed.
God informs
God investigates
Third, Abraham intercedes
What is included in Abraham’s intercession? A plea for justice!
Genesis 18:22–25 (ESV) — 22 So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but
Abraham still stood before the LORD. 23 Then Abraham drew near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away
the righteous with the wicked? 24 Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep
away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? 25 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 that
from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?”
Question- why are we let into this intimate negotiation between Abraham and God? Answer- this
negotiation illustrates the fact that God will always act with perfect justice when dealing with humans.
But it appears as though Abraham is not quite convinced of this yet. He knows that God is
powerful but is God just? He wants God to be just. He prays for God to be just. But he is not sure yet. In
verse 25 Abraham asks a rhetorical question, which leaves us wondering whether or not he knows the
answer.
25 “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 that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?”
This verse is the centerpiece of this entire passage. This is the real question! How many of us
have had the same question?
God is it just when you condemn the one whom has never heard the gospel?
God is it just that I’m still suffering?
God is it really just that my nice agnostic, LDS, or Mormon friends are going to hell?
God is it just that I’m still slaving away for my boss who does not appreciate me?
God is it just that there is so much suffering in the world?
God is it just when two year olds die of cancer?
This is Abraham’s question. And so he prays for God to act justly.
I have been asked lots of questions about many difficult things- questions about people going to
hell, questions about still born children, questions about boys with brain tumors, questions about
tsunamis, etc…
I can’t answer all these questions but I know that when all is said and done God has all the
information, way more than we have, and he will do what is right and just. And sometimes we will not
have the answers we desire until the life to come.
One commentator writes- “There are many mysteries to in life for which the truth of verse 25 is
the only satisfying answer” (Macdonald, 56)
What is included in Abraham’s intercession? A plea for justice!
What is the result of Abraham’s intercession? God acts justly and mercifully.
Genesis 18:26–33 (ESV) — 26 And the LORD said, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I
will spare the whole place for their sake.” 27 Abraham answered and said, “Behold, I have undertaken to
speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. 28 Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. Will you
destroy the whole city for lack of five?” And he said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” 29
Again he spoke to him and said, “Suppose forty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of forty I will
not do it.” 30 Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found
there.” He answered, “I will not do it, if I find thirty there.” 31 He said, “Behold, I have undertaken to
speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of twenty I will not
destroy it.” 32 Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose
ten are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.” 33 And the LORD went his
way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.
Abraham puts forward six pleas for God to act justly. Six what ifs…
What if 50… what if 45… what if 40… what if 30, 20, 10 righteous people are found there?
Each time God says “yes I will spare the city if 30,20, yes even 10 righteous people are found
within it”
This is an incredible act of Mercy. Do you remember how wicked this city is. God says to Abraham
that if only ten righteous people are found he will spare the whole city. Abraham probably stops at ten
because he probably thinks that ten righteous people may be enough to turn the tide in Sodom.
Nonetheless, the fact that God was willing to spare this whole city because of Abraham’s intercession was
sheer grace and mercy.
Contrary to popular belief God is not reluctant to be merciful he is eager to show mercy.
Unfortunately we find out later that no one righteous was found in the city. In fact, the city was
found to be very unrighteous if you don’t believe me come back next week to hear about chapter 19. God
is just in his destruction of these wicked cities.
God should have destroyed Lot and his family as well. They too were unrighteous. We find out
later that Lot offers his own daughters to be violated by and angry and violent mob. Later on these same
daughters get their father drunk so that they can fornicate with him. We are talking about some serious
family dysfunction. But despite this God still answers Abraham prayers for mercy by saving Lot and his
family proving that God does not always answer our prayers the way we think he will.
Abraham’s intercession brought about the Salvation of Lot’s family. We too are unrighteous. The
sins of Sodom, Gomorrah, and Lot are in all of us in seed form.
Who is going to intercede for us? We deserve what the Sodomites received. We deserve God’s
righteous wrath. Our only hope is the intercession of another.
We have someone better than Abraham to intercede for us. Abraham was a type of the perfect
intercessor who would come 2000 years later. Not only would Jesus intercede for our salvation he would
suffer and die in our place. He would go into Sodom and take the fiery wrath upon himself so that we can
escape the wrath of Sodom.
The story of Sodom and Gomorrah is a story where justice and mercy meet. God is merciful
to lot and his family and just toward Sodom and Gomorrah in the same story. We see this even more
clearly in the NT. On the cross we see the perfect mix of mercy and Justice. God the son lovingly hanging
on the cross for sinners so that sinners can be ransomed, healed, restored, and forgiven. On the cross we
also see God furious justice as he pours out wrath on his son in our place since his son has had the sins of
the world imputed to him.
Application: Make no mistake God’s judgment is coming. If you’re a Christian you have nothing
to fear but if your not a Christian you have much to fear. Later on we are going to hear about Lot’s future
sons in law that never became his sons in law. They did not believe that God’s judgment was coming on
Sodom so they stayed and paid the price.
Have you fled to Christ for refuge?
So is God Just? He is just. He always acts with perfect justice.
If you put your trust in Christ it would be unjust of God to condemn you because his son was
condemned in your place. Lets pray….