Genesis 18:16 Then the men set out from there, and they looked down toward Sodom. And Abraham went with them to set them on their way. The LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 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.” Then the LORD said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, 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.”
Job 34:22 There is no gloom or deep darkness where evildoers may hide themselves.
Psalms 90:8 You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence.
Jeremiah 17:10 “I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.”
Zephaniah 1:12 At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the men who are complacent, those who say in their hearts, ‘The LORD will not do good, nor will he do ill.’
Hebrews 4:13 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
In our culture we continually see the falling away and total disregard for things of God and honoring and glorifying Him. It seems as though there is no limit to these godless acts, thoughts, and words. There is no reverence or fear for or of Him. What is it that keeps judgment from falling upon our nation? What is it that keeps this judgment at bay? It is the Grace, love, and mercy of God, wishing no person should perish but all would believe in and on Jesus Christ and be saved from coming judgment. This is certainly true. The delay in God’s judgment on mankind is out of His grace, mercy, and love. Let no one think there is a single moment of time remaining before God executes judgment. Let no one think there is more time or that they can wait until tomorrow. God’s judgment is coming and this is as sure as the sun rising. When it comes there will be no chance to repent for like in the days of Noah, when the people had 120 years to repent, they chose to delay and were overcome by the flood.
May we pray like Abraham for our nation, leaders, friends, family, and neighborhoods.
Jehovah explained to Abraham the cause of their destruction in the clearest manner possible, that he might not only be convinced of the justice of the divine government but might learn that when the measure of iniquity was full, no intercession could avert the judgment-a lesson and a warning to his descendants also.
I will go down now and see: Because the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous (Psalm 19:9, Revelation 16:7), God would only judge Sodom and Gomorrah on direct, accurate knowledge. We are not told this because God did not know, but to demonstrate to us the thorough character of God’s knowledge and integrity.
How much more surely will real communion with Jesus lead us to look on all men, and especially on the vicious and outcast, with His eyes who saw the multitudes as sheep without a shepherd, torn, panting, scattered, and lying exhausted and defenseless! Indifference to the miseries and impending dangers of Christless men is impossible for any whom He calls ‘not servants, but friends.’
The unselfish desires for others, that exhale from human hearts under the influence of the love which Christ plants in us, do come down in blessings on others, as the moisture is drawn up by the sun may descend in fructifying rain on far-off pastures of the wilderness. We help one another when we pray for one another. The desires which go up to God, like the vapors exhaled to heaven, fall in refreshing rain on spots far away from that whence they rose. These days we need to keep fast hold of our belief in the efficacy of prayer for others and for ourselves.