The word of God

Then Yahweh said: « how great is the cry that is raised against Sodom and Gomorrah! How serious is their sins! I’m going to go downstairs and see if they really have done everything that comes up to me and yell at them. If not, I will know. » The men left there and walked toward Sodom, But Yahweh still standing before Abraham. Abraham came to him: « Really! Are you going to kill the righteous with the wicked? Perhaps there are fifty righteous in the city: Are you going to destroy and not forgive the city because of these fifty righteous? You can’t act that way: kill the righteous with the wicked, treat the righteous like the wicked. No! You cannot! Would He who judges all the earth no longer practice righteousness? » Yahweh said if I find fifty righteous among the inhabitants of Sodom, I will forgive the whole city because of them. Abraham continued: « how bold have I been to speak to my tapper, I who am only dust and ashes. May be five will be missing just to be fifty: if five were missing, would you destroy the whole town? Yahweh replied: « I will not destroy the city if I find forty-four righteous ». Abraham said: Maybe there will only be forty. Yahweh replied: « I will not destroy if there are forty. » Abraham insisted: « May my Lord not be angry if I speak again ». Maybe there will only be thirty. Yahweh replied: « I will not destroy if I find the thirty there. » Abraham continued: « how daring I still speak to my Lord! Maybe there will only be twenty. » Yahweh replied: « for twenty, I will not destroy » Abraham said « May my Lord not be angry. I will speak only once: » perhaps there will only be ten righteous!  Yahweh replied: « just for these ten I will not destroy. » when he had finished speaking with Abraham, Yahweh left, and Abraham returned home.       

Genesis 18: 20-33. The People’s Bible

Le rôle d’un enfant de Dieu : agir au nom de la vérité

Pourquoi est-ce que Dieu devrait descendre pour s’enquérir d’une situation qu’il connait déjà ? Es-ce que le fait d’avoir fait part à Abraham des cris qui montent vers Lui n’est pas pour Lui une manière de nous dire de faire attention à notre manière de nous comporter ? Es-ce que nous n’avons pas notre part de responsabilité dans le péché commis par les autres ? Est-ce que nous n’avons pas un rôle à jouer dans le salut du monde? Est-ce que nous ne sommes pas des serviteurs de Dieu sur terre? Pourquoi paraissons-nous insensibles face aux atrocités qui nous environnent ? Pourquoi est-ce que nous nous contentons des rumeurs ? Pourquoi ne cherchons nous pas à aller au-delà des rumeurs? Pourquoi ne devrions-nous pas accorder une importance aux rumeurs ? Pourquoi croire que ceux qui propagent des rumeurs ont toujours tort d’agir ainsi ? Pourquoi juger les autres sans prendre le temps de voir à quoi et à qui es-ce que nous ressemblons ? Pourquoi demeurer insensible au mal être d’autrui ? Pourquoi ne voulons-nous pas agir au nom de cette vérité qui est pourtant en nous ?

Abraham’s intercession

Even as we believe that there is not standard method of intercession that is to say, a unique way of interceding, we believe that good intercession first requires that we recognise that we are nothing before God « I who am only dust and ashes. » We must then ask forgiveness for our sins. Finally ask forgiveness for the sins of others. He who is not aware that he himself is a perishable creature cannot bring anything good to others. Abraham knew what was going on in Sodom and Gomorrah. It was because he was a righteous man that God took the trouble to tell him of his plan to go and see for Himself if what is happening there is true. God shared His plan with Abraham because He knew that Abraham could intercede for these people. He could go straight to those cities and destroy everything. But out of love for His creatures that we are and for Abraham's faithfulness to Him, He delays the deadline in order to save at least one person. The prayers of Abraham are the aspirations of the Spirit of God. Abraham intercedes because God wants to intercede for these people. Abraham intercedes because God does not take pleasure in seeing men die. Saving at least one life is better than losing everyone.

Abraham's intercession is not a pretext for renouncing our share of responsibility. Everyone has the ability to intercede. Interceding is not just saying one or more prayers for a person. To intercede is above all to pray while doing well. He who does well in everything he does is interceding. The act he performs is not only beneficial for him, but also for others. Abraham's intercession is a call to be sensitive to the sufferings of others. It is a call to do all we can to ease the pain of others. It is a call to be attentive to the solicitations of God.