Genesis 18:16-33 The Wickedness of Man and the Mercy of God

Modern man laughs at the account of Sodom and Gomorrah. He belittles the thought that God could miraculously destroy two cities. He also ridicules a God who would destroy people rather than love them.

Nothing could be farther from the truth.

First, God is more than able to destroy these cities. He is the one who created everything out of nothing. He spoke and things that were not, came into existence. He holds all things together.

Second, He absolutely loves. However, His holiness keeps Him from looking lightly upon wickedness. He does not merely dismiss it; He responds according to His justice and in light of His mercy.

In Genesis 18:16-33 we see the holiness, justice and mercy of God at work.

As Abraham’s visitors look toward Sodom, the Lord says, “Should I hide from Abraham what I am about to do” (Gen 18:17). He again tells Abraham of the promise He has made to him. He states, “I have chosen him, so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just” (Gen18:19).

This standard of behavior is in great contrast to the lifestyle of those living in Sodom and Gomorrah. The Lord says, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so blatant that I must go down and see if they are as wicked as the outcry suggests” (18:19).

Of course, the Lord does not have to come down to earth to learn anything. He is omniscient and knows everything, but He explains the account in language we can understand.

As the men then turn to leave, Abraham is concerned that God may destroy the wicked and the godly as well. Abraham knows that Lot and his family live their, so Abraham begins to beg the men to spare the godly.

Abraham asks the Lord if He is really going to destroy the city if there are 50 godly people there. The Lord responds by promising that He will spare the city if 50 godly people live there.

Abraham then asks about sparing the city if there are 40 godly people. The Lord promises to relent on account of 40. Abraham continues the questioning until he gets to 10 godly people. The Lord promises to spare the cities on account of even 10 godly people.

This account shows the mercy of God. All of us have sinned against God at one time or another. In fact, we commit sins of one kind or another all day long. Since we are sinful creatures, we are callous to sin and often commit it without recognizing what we have done.

God had every right to destroy everyone, but He agreed to spare the city for even a few godly people. Mercy is that quality whereby God refrains from giving us what we truly deserve. When we deserve judgment, His mercy is what keeps Him from dispensing that judgment.

To say that God is unmerciful and unloving is blasphemous. He is both loving and merciful.

Modern day man lives according to his own standards. When God’s love looks appealing to Him, He uses religious language to make it appear that he knows and loves God. On the other hand, when the Bible contains statements he does not like, he ridicules the Bible and the God of the Bible. He also mocks anyone who claims to believe the Bible and to attest to its truthfulness.

We should be careful not to believe the lies of modern man. God is more than ready willing and able to destroy the wicked. He will not tolerate extreme sinfulness forever. All lifestyles are not the same. He hates some behaviors and will not allow them to continue forever.

If you have never trusted in the Lord, believe in Him today. The Bible says that Jesus died for our sins and rose again. Through simple faith in Him, we can have eternal life. The gospel is stated most succinctly as “Jesus Christ died for our sins and rose again.” Do you believe that? If a man believes in Jesus as Savior, though he dies he will live again because Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life.

If you have trusted in Jesus this passage is also a great comfort. It teaches that lifestyles matter to God. We should aim to be like Abraham and his household; they walked with God. Even though we live in a sinful society, we can trust God and glorify Him day to day.

Finally, the Lord is merciful. He doesn’t cut us off immediately when we sin. Rather, He enables us to have fellowship with Him again by merely confessing that sin to Him and resting in the forgiveness that comes through Jesus Christ, whom we have trusted for eternal life.

If you are a believer weighed down by sin, confess that sin to the Lord, then pray that He would enable you to walk in the power of His Spirit so that you might bring glory to Him in these days. Be encouraged today.