Abraham: Friend of God James 2:23

As God’s two companions head towards Sodom, so Abraham and Yahweh stand on the hillside discussing theological ethics.

v23 Abraham asks, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? and we are forced to ask “Is this a God of judgement and retribution or a God of mercy and grace?”

Abraham’s role is the look for the well-being of all humanity. The chosenness (known) of Abraham to be “doing righteousness and justice”  cf Isaiah 5:7, Amos 5:7, 24; 6:12; Jeremiah 23:5, 33:15

“Abraham calls into question the sense of humanity operative in the sinful city and on the part of Yahweh. Yahweh’s sense of humanity is no more acceptable to Abraham than is the practice of Sodom.” Bruggemann p 169

“Besides being individuals in their own right, people are also members of corporate bodies. They share in and contribute to a corporate identity. … they enjoy the common benefits of the group and they carry corporate responsibilities.”Bergant p75

v25 Far be it from you to do such a thing, to slay the righteous 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?” Abraham haggles with God. Is that what our prayers of intercession are to do?

God is now more attentive to and more moved by those who obey than those who do not. Such an argument questions every caricature of God as the score-keeper and guardian of morality who is ready to pounce and judge and punish. No, God is more ready to celebrate, acknowledge , and credit for all the right-relatedness of a few. 

cf Hosea 11:8-9, Isa 53:5,10, Matt 5:43-48, Rom 3:21-26, Eph 2:14-16

God is not an indifferent or tyrannical distributor of rewards or punishments. Rather, God actively seeks a way out of death for us all. 

Genesis 19

So we reach Sodom, Is this an an old-fashioned story of retribution?  The opportunity for some fire & brimstone teaching?

v1-2 Hospitality

v3 protection

v4 the sin of Sodom is gang-rape

v6 Lot bargains for honour of his guests – although his alternative is no less shocking.

v8 Cf Judges 19 

v9 Another sin of Sodom is xenophobia

v10 Angels react and prepare to save Lot and his family

v12 son-in-law

v16 hesitation

v19 bargaining!

v20 escape

v24 retribution

v26 Lot’s wife – looking back

v29 The remembering of Abraham here is as crucial here as the remembering of Noah in 8:1. This narrator does not permit even remembering Abraham to make a difference to the total narrative. Abraham’s impact is limited to Lot. In that respect the impact of Abraham is less than that if Noah in the parallel narrative. This narrative still waits for a “better” gospel. WB p167