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Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
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Matthew Henry |
G E N E S I S
CHAP. XVIII.
We have an account in this chapter of another interview between
God and Abraham, probably within a few days after the former,
as the reward of his cheerful obedience to the law of circumcision.
Here is,
I. The kind visit which God made him, and
the kind entertainment which he gave to that visit,
II. The matters discoursed of between them.
1. The purposes
of God’s love concerning Sarah,
2. The purposes of
God’s wrath concerning Sodom.
(1.) The discovery God made
to Abraham of his design to destroy Sodom,
(2.) The intercession Abraham made for Sodom,
&c.).
| Abraham’s Interview with the Angels. | B. C. 1898. |
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1 And the LORD appeared unto
him in the plains of Mamre:
and he sat in the tent door in the heat
of the day;
2 And he lift up his eyes
and looked, and, lo, three men stood
by him: and when he saw them, he
ran to meet them from the tent-door,
and bowed himself toward the ground,
3 And said, My Lord, if now I have
found favour in thy sight, pass not
away, I pray thee, from thy servant:
4 Let a little water, I pray you, be
fetched, and wash your feet, and rest
yourselves under the tree:
5 And I
will fetch a morsel of bread, and
comfort ye your hearts; after that
ye shall pass on: for therefore are
ye come to your servant. And they
said, So do, as thou hast said.
6 And Abraham hastened into the tent
unto Sarah, and said, Make ready
quickly three measures of fine meal,
knead it, and make cakes upon the
hearth.
7 And Abraham ran unto
the herd, and fetched a calf tender
and good, and gave it unto a young
man; and he hasted to dress it.
8 And he took butter, and milk, and the
calf which he had dressed, and set it
before them; and he stood by them
under the tree, and they did eat.
The appearance of God to Abraham seems
to have had in it more of freedom and
familiarity, and less of grandeur and majesty,
than those we have hitherto read of;
and therefore more resembles that great visit
which, in the fullness of time, the Son of God
was to make to the world, when the Word
would be flesh, and appear as one of
us. Observe here,
I. How Abraham expected strangers, and
how richly his expectations were answered
(v. 1):
He sat in the tent-door, in the heat of
the day; not so much to repose or divert
himself as to seek an opportunity of doing
good, by giving entertainment to strangers
and travellers, there being perhaps no inns
to accommodate them. Note,
1. We are
likely to have the most comfort of those
good works to which we are most free and
forward.
2. God graciously visits those in
whom he has first raised the expectation of
him, and manifests himself to those that wait
for him. When Abraham was thus sitting,
he saw three men coming towards him.
These three men were three spiritual heavenly
beings, now assuming human bodies, that
they might be visible to Abraham, and conversable
with him. Some think that they were
all created angels, others that one of them
was the Son of God, the angel of the covenant,
whom Abraham distinguished from the
rest
(v. 3),
and who is called Jehovah,
v. 13.
The apostle improves this for the encouragement
of hospitality,
Those that
have been forward to entertain strangers have
entertained angels, to their unspeakable honour
and satisfaction. Where, upon a prudent
and impartial judgment, we see no cause to
suspect ill, charity teaches us to hope well
and to show kindness accordingly. It is
better to feed five drones, or wasps, than to
starve one bee.
II. How Abraham entertained those
strangers, and how kindly his entertainment
was accepted. The Holy Ghost takes particular
notice of the very free and affectionate
welcome Abraham gave to the strangers. 1.
He was very complaisant and respectful to
them. Forgetting his age and gravity, he
ran to meet them in the most obliging manner,
and with all due courtesy bowed himself towards
the ground, though as yet he knew
nothing of them but that they appeared
graceful respectable men. Note, Religion
does not destroy, but improve, good manners,
and teaches us to honour all men.
Decent civility is a great ornament to piety.
2. He was very earnest and importunate for
their stay, and took it as a great favour,
Note,
(1.) It becomes those whom God
has blessed with plenty to be liberal and
open-hearted in their entertainments, according
to their ability, and (not in compliment,
but cordially) to bid their friends welcome.
We should take a pleasure in showing kindness
to any; for both God and man love a
cheerful giver. Who would eat the bread of
him that has an evil eye?
Prov. xxiii. 6, 7.
(2.) Those that would have communion with
God must earnestly desire it and pray for it.
God is a guest worth entertaining.
3. His
entertainment, though it was very free, was
yet plain and homely, and there was nothing
in it of the gaiety and niceness of our times.
His dining-room was an arbour under a tree;
no rich table-linen, no side-board set with
plate. His feast was a joint or two of veal,
and some cakes baked on the hearth, and
both hastily dressed up. Here were no
dainties, no varieties, no forced-meats, no
sweet-meats, but good, plain, wholesome
food, though Abraham was very rich and his
guests were very honourable. Note, We
ought not to be curious in our diet. Let us
be thankful for food convenient, though it
be homely and common; and not be desirous
of dainties, for they are deceitful meat to
those that love them and set their hearts upon
them.
4. He and his wife were both of
them very attentive and busy, in accommodating
their guests with the best they had.
Sarah herself is cook and baker; Abraham
runs to fetch the calf, brings out the milk
and butter, and thinks it not below him to
wait at table, that he might show how heartily
welcome his guests were. Note,
(1.) Those
that have real merit need not take state upon
them, nor are their prudent condescensions
any disparagement to them.
(2.) Hearty
friendship will stoop to any thing but sin.
Christ himself has taught us to wash one
another’s feet, in humble love. Those that
thus abase themselves shall be exalted. Here
Abraham’s faith showed itself in good works;
and so must ours, else it is dead,
The father of the faithful was famous
for charity, and generosity, and good house-keeping;
and we must learn of him to do
good and to communicate. Job did not eat
his morsel alone,
9 And they said unto him, Where
is Sarah thy wife? And he said,
Behold, in the tent.
10 And he said,
I will certainly return unto thee according
to the time of life; and, lo,
Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And
Sarah heard it in the tent-door, which
was behind him.
11 Now Abraham
and Sarah were old and well stricken
in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah
after the manner of women.
12 Therefore
Sarah laughed within herself, saying,
After I am waxed old shall I have
pleasure, my lord being old also?
13 And the LORD said unto Abraham,
Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying,
Shall I of a surety bear a child, which
am old?
14 Is any thing too hard
for the LORD? At the time appointed
I will return unto thee, according to
the time of life, and Sarah shall have
a son.
15 Then Sarah denied, saying,
I laughed not; for she was afraid.
And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.
These heavenly guests (being sent to confirm
the promise lately made to Abraham,
that he should have a son by Sarah), while
they are receiving Abraham’s kind entertainment,
they return his kindness. He receives
angels, and has angels’ rewards, a
gracious message from heaven,
I. Care is taken that Sarah should be
within hearing. She must conceive by faith,
and therefore the promise must be made to
her,
It was the modest usage
of that time that the women did not sit at
meat with men, at least not with strangers,
but confined themselves to their own apartments;
therefore Sarah is here out of sight:
but she must not be out of hearing. The
angels enquire
(v. 9),
Where is Sarah thy
wife? By naming her, they gave intimation
enough to Abraham that, though they seemed
strangers, yet they very well knew him and
his family. By enquiring after her, they
showed a friendly kind concern for the
family and relations of one whom they found
respectful to them. It is a piece of common
civility, which ought to proceed from a principle
of Christian love, and then it is sanctified.
And, by speaking of her (she over-hearing
it), they drew her to listen to what
was further to be said. Where is Sarah thy
wife? say the angels. “Behold in the tent,” says
Abraham. “Where should she be else? There
she is in her place, as she uses to be, and is
now within call.” Note,
1. The daughters of
Sarah must learn of her to be chaste, keepers
at home,
Tit. ii. 5.
There is nothing got by
gadding.
2. Those are most likely to receive
comfort from God and his promises that are
in their place and in the way of their duty,
II. The promise is then renewed and ratified,
that she should have a son
(v. 10):
“I
will certainly return unto thee, and visit thee
next time with the performance, as now I do
with the promise.” God will return to those
that bid him welcome, that entertain his visits:
“I will return thy kindness, Sarah thy wife
shall have a son;” it is repeated again,
Thus the promises of the Messiah were
often repeated in the Old Testament, for the
strengthening of the faith of God’s people.
We are slow of heart to believe, and therefore
have need of line upon line to the same
purport. This is that word of promise which
the apostle quotes
(Rom. ix. 9),
as that by the
virtue of which Isaac was born. Note,
1. The same blessings which others have from
common providence believers have from the
promise, which makes them very sweet and
very sure.
2. The spiritual seed of Abraham
owe their life, and joy, and hope, and all, to
the promise. They are born by the word of
God,
III. Sarah thinks this too good news to be
true, and therefore cannot as yet find in her
heart to believe it: Sarah laughed within herself,
v. 12.
It was not a pleasing laughter of
faith, like Abraham’s
(ch. xvii. 17),
but it was
a laughter of doubting and mistrust. Note,
The same thing may be done from very different
principles, of which God only, who
knows the heart, can judge. The great objection
which Sarah could not get over was
her age: “I am waxed old, and past childbearing
in the course of nature, especially
having been hitherto barren, and (which
magnifies the difficulty) my lord is old also.”
Observe here,
1. Sarah calls Abraham her
lord; it was the only good word in this saying,
and the Holy Ghost takes notice of it to
her honour, and recommends it to the imitation
of all Christian wives.
Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, in
token of respect and subjection. Thus must
the wife reverence her husband,
And thus must we be apt to take notice of
what is spoken decently and well, to the honour
of those that speak it, though it may be
mixed with that which is amiss, over which
we should cast a mantle of love.
2. Human
improbability often sets up in contradiction
to the divine promise. The objections of
sense are very apt to stumble and puzzle the
weak faith even of true believers. It is hard
to cleave to the first Cause, when second
causes frown.
3. Even where there is true
faith, yet there are often sore conflicts with unbelief,
Sarah could say, Lord, I believe
(Heb. xi. 11),
and yet must say, Lord, help my unbelief.
IV. The angel reproves the indecent expressions
of her distrust,
Observe,
1. Though Sarah was now most kindly and
generously entertaining these angels, yet,
when she did amiss, they reproved her for it,
as Christ reproved Martha in her own house,
If our friends be kind to
us, we must not therefore be so unkind to
them as to suffer sin upon them. 2. God
gave this reproof to Sarah by Abraham her
husband. To him he said, Why did Sarah
laugh? perhaps because he had not told
her of the promise which had been given him
some time before to this purport, and which,
if he had communicated it to her with its ratifications,
would have prevented her from
being so surprised now. Or Abraham was
told of it that he might tell her of it. Mutual
reproof, when there is occasion for it, is one
of the duties of the conjugal relation.
3. The
reproof itself is plain, and backed with a good
reason: Wherefore did Sarah laugh? Note,
It is good to enquire into the reason of our
laughter, that it may not be the laughter of
the fool,
“Wherefore did I
laugh?” Again, Our unbelief and distrust
are a great offence to the God of heaven.
He justly takes it ill to have the objections
of sense set up in contradiction to his promise,
as
4. Here is a question
asked which is enough to answer all the cavils
of flesh and blood: Is any thing too hard for
the Lord? (Heb. too wonderful), that is,
(1.) Is any thing so secret as to escape his cognizance?
No, not Sarah’s laughing, though
it was only within herself. Or,
(2.) Is any
thing so difficult as to exceed his power? No,
not the giving of a child to Sarah in her old age.
V. Sarah foolishly endeavours to conceal
her fault
(v. 15):
She denied, saying, I did
not laugh, thinking nobody could contradict
her: she told this lie, because she was afraid;
but it was in vain to attempt concealing it
from an all-seeing eye; she was told, to her
shame, Thou didst laugh. Now,
1. There
seems to be in Sarah a retraction of her distrust.
Now she perceived, by laying circumstances
together, that it was a divine promise
which had been made concerning her, she
renounced all doubting distrustful thoughts
about it. But,
2. There was withal a sinful
attempt to cover a sin with a lie. It is a
shame to do amiss, but a greater shame to
deny it; for thereby we add iniquity to our
iniquity. Fear of a rebuke often betrays us
into this snare. See
Whom hast
thou feared, that thou hast lied? But we deceive
ourselves if we think to impose upon
God; he can and will bring truth to light, to
our shame. He that covers his sin cannot prosper,
for the day is coming which will discover it.
| Abraham’s Interview with God. | B. C. 1898. |
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16 And the men rose up from thence,
and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham
went with them to bring them
on the way.
17 And the LORD said,
Shall I hide from Abraham that thing
which I 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?
19 For I know him, that he will command
his children and his household
after him, and they shall keep the
way of the LORD, to do justice and
judgment; that the LORD may bring
upon Abraham that which he hath
spoken of him.
20 And the LORD said,
Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah
is great, and because their
sin is very grievous;
21 I will go
down now, and see whether they have
done altogether according to the cry
of it, which is come unto me; and if
not, I will know.
22 And the men
turned their faces from thence, and
went toward Sodom: but Abraham
stood yet before the LORD.
The messengers from heaven had now
despatched one part of their business, which
was an errand of grace to Abraham and Sarah,
and which they delivered first; but now they
have before them work of another nature.
Sodom is to be destroyed, and they must do
it,
Note, As with the Lord there
is mercy, so he is the God to whom vengeance
belongs. Pursuant to their commission, we
here find,
1. That they looked towards Sodom
(v. 16);
they set their faces against it in wrath,
as God is said to look unto the host of the
Egyptians,
Note, Though
God has long seemed to connive at sinners,
from which they have inferred that the Lord
does not see, does not regard, yet, when the
day of his wrath comes, he will look towards
them.
2. That they went towards Sodom
(v. 22),
and accordingly we find two of them
at Sodom,
Whether the third was
the Lord, before whom Abraham yet stood,
and to whom he drew near
(v. 23),
as most
think, or whether the third left them before
they came to Sodom, and the Lord before
whom Abraham stood was the shechinah, or
that appearance of the divine glory which
Abraham had formerly seen and conversed
with, is uncertain. However, we have here,
I. The honour Abraham did to his guests:
He went with them to bring them on the way,
as one that was loth to part with such good
company, and was desirous to pay his utmost
respects to them. This is a piece of civility
proper to be shown to our friends; but it
must be done as the apostle directs
(3 John 6),
after a godly sort.
II. The honour they did to him; for those
that honour God he will honour. God communicated
to Abraham his purpose to destroy
Sodom, and not only so, but entered into a
free conference with him about it. Having
taken him, more closely than before, into
covenant with himself
(ch. xvii.),
he here admits
him into more intimate communion with
himself than ever, as the man of his counsel.
Observe here,
1. God’s friendly thoughts concerning
Abraham,
where we have his resolution
to make known to Abraham his purpose
concerning Sodom, with the reasons of
it. If Abraham had not brought them on
their way, perhaps he would not have been
thus favoured; but he that loves to walk
with wise men shall be wise,
See how God is pleased to argue with himself:
Shall I hide from Abraham (or, as some
read it, Am I concealing from Abraham) that
thing which I do? “Can I go about such a
thing, and not tell Abraham?” Thus does
God, in his counsels, express himself, after
the manner of men, with deliberation. But
why must Abraham be of the cabinet-council?
The Jews suggest that because God had
granted the land of Canaan to Abraham and
his seed therefore he would not destroy those
cities which were a part of that land, without
his knowledge and consent. But God here
gives two other reasons:–
(1.) Abraham must know, for he is a friend
and a favourite, and one that God has a particular
kindness for and great things in store
for. He is to become a great nation; and
not only so, but in the Messiah, who is to
come from his loins, All nations of the earth
shall be blessed. Note, The secret of the Lord
is with those that fear him,
Ps. xxv. 14; Prov. iii. 32.
Those who by faith live a life of
communion with God cannot but know more
of his mind than other people, though not
with a prophetical, yet with a prudential
practical knowledge. They have a better
insight than others into what is present
and a better foresight
of what is to come, at least so much as suffices
for their guidance and for their comfort.
(2.) Abraham must know, for he will teach
his household: I know Abraham very well,
that he will command his children and his
household after him,
v. 19.
Consider this,
[1.] As a very bright part of Abraham’s
character and example. He not only prayed
with his family, but he taught them as a
man of knowledge, nay, he commanded them as a
man in authority, and was prophet and
king, as well as priest, in his own house.
Observe, First, God having made the covenant
with him and his seed, and his household
being circumcised pursuant to that, he
was very careful to teach and rule them well.
Those that expect family blessings must
make conscience of family duty. If our
children be the Lord’s, they must be nursed
for him; if they wear his livery, they must
be trained up in his work. Secondly, Abraham
took care not only of his children, but
of his household; his servants were catechized
servants. Masters of families should
instruct and inspect the manners of all under
their roof. The poorest servants have precious
souls that must be looked after. Thirdly,
Abraham made it his care and business to
promote practical religion in his family. He
did not fill their heads with matters of nice
speculation, or doubtful disputation; but he
taught them to keep the way of the Lord, and
to do judgment and justice, that is, to be serious
and devout in the worship of God and to be
honest in their dealings with all men. Fourthly,
Abraham, herein, had an eye to posterity,
and was in care not only that his household
with him, but that his household after him,
should keep the way of the Lord, that religion
might flourish in his family when he
was in his grave. Fifthly, His doing this
was the fulfilling of the conditions of the
promises which God had made him. Those
only can expect the benefit of the promises
that make conscience of their duty.
[2.] As
the reason why God would make known to
him his purpose concerning Sodom, because
he was communicative of his knowledge, and
improved it for the benefit of those that were
under his charge. Note, To him that hath
shall be given,
Those that make a good use of their knowledge
shall know more.
2. God’s friendly talk with Abraham, in
which he makes known to him purpose
concerning Sodom, and allows him a liberty
of application to him about the matter.
(1.) He tells him of the evidence there was against
Sodom: The cry of Sodom is great,
v. 20.
Note, Some sins, and the sins of some sinners,
cry aloud to heaven for vengeance.
The iniquity of Sodom was crying iniquity,
that is, it was so very provoking that it even
urged God to punish.
(2.) The enquiry he
would make upon this evidence: I will go
down now and see,
v. 21.
Not as if there were
any thing concerning which God is in doubt,
or in the dark; but he is pleased thus to
express himself after the manner of men,
[1.] To show the incontestable equity of all
his judicial proceedings. Men are apt to
suggest that his way is not equal; but let
them know that his judgments are the result
of an eternal counsel, and are never rash or
sudden resolves. He never punishes upon
report, or common fame, or the information
of others, but upon his own certain and
infallible knowledge.
[2.] To give example
to magistrates, and those in authority, with
the utmost care and diligence to enquire into
the merits of a cause, before they give judgment
upon it.
[3.] Perhaps the decree is
here spoken of as not yet peremptory, that
room and encouragement might be given to
Abraham to make intercession for them.
Thus God looked if there were any to intercede,
| Abraham’s Intercession for Sodom. | B. C. 1898. |
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23 And Abraham drew near, and
said, Wilt thou also destroy the
righteous with the wicked?
24 Peradventure
there be fifty righteous
within the city: wilt thou also destroy
and not spare the place for the
fifty righteous that are therein?
25 That be far from thee to do after this
manner, to slay the righteous with
the wicked: and that the righteous
should be as the wicked, that be far
from thee: Shall not the Judge of all
the earth do right?
26 And the
LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty
righteous within the city, then I will
spare all the place for their sakes.
27 And Abraham answered and said,
Behold now, I have taken upon me
to speak unto the Lord, which am but
dust and ashes:
28 Peradventure
there shall lack five of the fifty righteous:
wilt thou destroy all the city
for lack of five? And he said, If I
find there forty and five, I will not
destroy it.
29 And he spake unto
him yet again, and said, Peradventure
there shall be forty found there. And
he said, I will not do it for forty’s
sake.
30 And he said unto him, Oh
let not the Lord be angry, and I will
speak: Peradventure there shall thirty
be found there. And he said, I will
not do it, if I find thirty there.
31 And he said, Behold now, I have taken
upon me to speak unto the Lord:
Peradventure there shall be twenty
found there. And he said, I will not
destroy it for twenty’s sake.
32 And
he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry,
and I will speak yet but this once:
Peradventure ten shall be found there.
And he said, I will not destroy it for
ten’s sake.
33 And the LORD went
his way, as soon as he had left communing
with Abraham: and Abraham
returned unto his place.
Communion with God is kept up by the
word and by prayer. In the word God
speaks to us; in prayer we speak to him.
God had revealed to Abraham his purposes
concerning Sodom; now from this Abraham
takes occasion to speak to God on Sodom’s
behalf. Note, God’s word then does us good
when it furnishes us with matter for prayer
and excites us to it. When God has spoken to
us, we must consider what we have to say
to him upon it. Observe,
I. The solemnity of Abraham’s address to
God on this occasion: Abraham drew near,
v. 23.
The expression intimates,
1. A holy
concern: He engaged his heart to approach
to God,
“Shall Sodom be
destroyed, and I not speak one good word for
it?”
2. A holy confidence: He drew near
with an assurance of faith, drew near as a
prince,
Job xxxi. 37.
Note, When we address
ourselves to the duty of prayer, we ought to
remember that we are drawing near to God,
that we may be filled with a reverence of him,
II. The general scope of this prayer. It
is the first solemn prayer we have upon record
in the Bible; and it is a prayer for the
sparing of Sodom. Abraham, no doubt, greatly
abhorred the wickedness of the Sodomites;
he would not have lived among them, as Lot
did, if they would have given him the best
estate in their country; and yet he prayed
earnestly for them. Note, Though sin is to
be hated, sinners are to be pitied and prayed
for. God delights not in their death, nor
should we desire, but deprecate, the woeful
day.
1. He begins with a prayer that the
righteous among them might be spared, and
not involved in the common calamity, having
an eye particularly to just Lot, whose disingenuous
carriage towards him he had long
since forgiven and forgotten, witness his
friendly zeal to rescue him before by his
sword and now by his prayers.
2. He improves
this into a petition that all might be
spared for the sake of the righteous that were
among them, God himself countenancing
this request, and in effect putting him upon
it by his answer to his first address,
Note, We must pray, not only for ourselves,
but for others also; for we are members of
the same body, at least of the same body of
mankind. All we are brethren.
III. The particular graces eminent in this
prayer.
1. Here is great faith; and it is the prayer
of faith that is the prevailing prayer. His
faith pleads with God, orders the cause, and
fills his mouth with arguments. He acts
faith especially upon the righteousness of
God, and is very confident.
(1.) That God will not destroy the righteous
with the wicked,
v. 23.
No, that be far from
thee,
v. 25.
We must never entertain any
thought that derogates from the honour of
God’s righteousness. See
Note,
[1.] The righteous are mingled with
the wicked in this world. Among the best
there are, commonly, some bad, and among
the worst some good: even in Sodom, one
Lot.
[2.] Though the righteous be among
the wicked, yet the righteous God will not,
certainly he will not, destroy the righteous with
the wicked. Though in this world they may
be involved in the same common calamities,
yet in the great day a distinction with be made.
(2.) That the righteous shall not be as the
wicked,
v. 25.
Though they may suffer with
them, yet they do not suffer like them.
Common calamities are quite another thing
to the righteous than what they are to the
wicked,
(3.) That the Judge of all the earth will do
right; undoubtedly he will, because he is
the Judge of all the earth; it is the apostle’s
argument,
Note,
[1.] God is
the Judge of all the earth; he gives charge
to all, takes cognizance of all, and will pass
sentence upon all.
[2.] That God Almighty
never did nor ever will do any wrong to any
of the creatures, either by withholding that
which is right or by exacting more than is
right,
2. Here is great humility.
(1.) A deep sense of his own unworthiness
(v. 27):
Behold now, I have taken upon me to
speak unto the Lord, who am but dust and
ashes; and again,
He speaks as one
amazed at his own boldness, and the liberty
God graciously allowed him, considering
God’s greatness–he is the Lord; and his
own meanness–but dust and ashes. Note,
[1.] The greatest of men, the most considerable
and deserving, are but dust and
ashes, mean and vile before God, despicable,
frail, and dying.
[2.] Whenever we draw
near to God, it becomes us reverently to
acknowledge the vast distance that there is
between us and God. He is the Lord of
glory, we are worms of the earth.
[3.] The
access we have to the throne of grace, and
the freedom of speech allowed us, are just
matter of humble wonder,
(2.) An awful dread of God’s displeasure:
O let not the Lord be angry
(v. 30),
and again,
Note,
[1.] The importunity which
believers use in their addresses to God is
such that, if they were dealing with a man
like themselves, they could not but fear that
he would be angry with them. But he with
whom we have to do is God and not man;
and, whoever he may seem, is not really
angry with the prayers of the upright
(Ps. lxxx. 4),
for they are his delight
(Prov. xv. 8),
and he is pleased when he is wrestled
with.
[2.] That even when we receive special
tokens of the divine favour we ought to
be jealous over ourselves, lest we make ourselves
obnoxious to the divine displeasure;
and therefore we must bring the Mediator
with us in the arms of our faith, to atone
for the iniquity of our holy things.
3. Here is great charity.
(1.) A charitable
opinion of Sodom’s character: as bad as it
was, he thought there were several good
people in it. It becomes us to hope the best
of the worst places. Of the two it is better
to err in that extreme.
(2.) A charitable
desire of Sodom’s welfare: he used all his
interest at the throne of grace for mercy for
them. We never find him thus earnest in
pleading with God for himself and his family,
as here for Sodom.
4. Here are great boldness and believing
confidence.
(1.) He took the liberty to pitch
upon a certain number of righteous ones
which he supposed might be in Sodom.
Suppose there be fifty,
(2.) He advanced
upon God’s concessions, again and
again. As God granted much, he still
begged more, with the hope of gaining his
point.
(3.) He brought the terms as low as
he could for shame (having prevailed for
mercy if there were but ten righteous ones
in five cities), and perhaps so low that he
concluded they would have been spared.
IV. The success of the prayer. He that
thus wrestled prevailed wonderfully; as a
prince he had power with God: it was but
ask and have.
1. God’s general good-will
appears in this, that he consented to spare
the wicked for the sake of the righteous.
See how swift God is to show mercy; he
even seeks a reason for it. See what great
blessings good people are to any place, and
how little those befriend themselves that
hate and persecute them.
2. His particular
favour to Abraham appeared in this, that he
did not leave off granting till Abraham left
off asking. Such is the power of prayer.
Why then did Abraham leave off asking,
when he had prevailed so far as to get the
place spared it there were but ten righteous
in it? Either,
(1.) Because he owned that
it deserved to be destroyed if there were not
so many; as the dresser of the vineyard, who
consented that the barren tree should be cut
down if one year’s trial more did not make
it fruitful,
Or,
(2.) Because
God restrained his spirit from asking any
further. When God has determined the
ruin of a place, he forbids it to be prayed
for,
Jer. vii. 16; xi. 14; xiv. 11.
V. Here is the breaking up of the conference,
1. The Lord went his way.
The visions of God must not be constant in
this world, where it is by faith only that we
are to set God before us. God did not go
away till Abraham had said all he had to
say; for he is never weary of hearing prayer,
Abraham returned unto his
place, not puffed up with the honour done
him, nor by these extraordinary interviews
taken off from the ordinary course of duty.
He returned to his place to observe what
that event would be; and it proved that his
prayer was heard, and yet Sodom was not
spared, because there were not ten righteous
in it. We cannot expect too little from man
nor too much from God.
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