God’s decision to reveal His intentions regarding Sodom and Gomorrah to Abraham is one of the most memorable moments in biblical history.
“Then the Lord said:
‘The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.’
Then Abraham approached Him and said:
‘Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?’
The Lord said, ‘If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.’
…
‘May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?’
He said, ‘For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.’
When the Lord had finished speaking with Abraham, He left, and Abraham returned home.”
(Genesis 18:20-33, NTRL)
The first reason for amazement in this story is that God involves Abraham, even though it is clear that he could not have had all the necessary information to make an accurate assessment of the situation. Nevertheless, God gives Abraham the opportunity to express his opinions and engages in dialogue with him. As this dialogue becomes a negotiation, it could give the impression that Abraham is more merciful and righteous than God.
However, Abraham stops the negotiations at ten. In his view, there must be at least ten good people in the city. However, none were found; just as before the Great Flood in Genesis, no more than eight righteous people were found worthy of salvation. Another revealing aspect of the Sodom episode is just how little Abraham could grasp the full extent of Sodom’s sins, and how similar our own struggles and questions are to his.
Ultimately, God destroys Sodom, but not before the four members of Lot’s family, the only ones who could be spared, are taken out of the city by God’s angels. Interestingly, Abraham, who had pleaded with God on behalf of the city, never questioned the necessity, justice, or proportionality of the punishment in relation to the severity of the inhabitants’ wickedness. On this point, there was nothing to discuss. Nor was saving the innocent his main concern, as he does not ask God to save only them. We cannot suspect him of seeking a pretext to save the wicked city at any cost either, because the fact that he stops at ten and does not lower the threshold of negotiation to the absolute minimum—one righteous person—proves this to us. So what did Abraham want?
The text suggests that the patriarch was calculating the city’s chances of rehabilitation through the influence of the righteous people in its midst. He was willing to save the city if even the slightest hope of its recovery existed. Therefore, the third revelation in the passage is the one that Abraham has after the outcome of the Sodom episode. God had not dismissed any hope, however small, before deciding to destroy the city. The only people who deserved to be spared were those in Lot’s house, but they could no longer help the city that had turned against them.
This paves the way for the fourth revelation. The Sodom episode takes place in Abraham’s life before the Mount Moriah episode. The revelation is that, when God asked him to do the most absurd thing—to sacrifice his only son—the patriarch reacted in the most astonishing way possible. The same Abraham who could not believe that God had exhausted all possibilities for Sodom’s rehabilitation now believes that “God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death” (Hebrews 11:19), despite there being no evidence of resurrection until this point. The episode of Sodom had already made it clear to Abraham that God’s righteousness and goodness are absolutely beyond his limited capacity for understanding. On Mount Moriah, Abraham believes God to be perfect in righteousness, goodness, and honour, and asks for no explanation. He knows these qualities exist; he tries to intuit them, but he does not ask for them. Instead, he waits in silence. The lesson of Sodom had fulfilled its purpose.
Through the lens of these four revelations, the episode of Sodom becomes emblematic of all situations in which violence and suffering prompt questions about the nature, extent, or suitability of God’s actions or inactions. Many testify that they have received clear answers from God in certain situations, which have dispelled their fears and doubts, enabling them to see the world through His eyes. However, what troubles us is that God does not explain Himself to us every time we have questions. Sometimes, even when we are in the most pain and would like to have no doubt about His justice and love, He does not explain Himself to us. The case of Abraham fits perfectly into this perceived pattern of God’s actions. This brings us to one final question.
Why is it so important to God that we take His word and not ask for explanations or demonstrations of His righteousness and love? Paradoxically, the answer could not be simpler: the salvation that He prepared with His blood for all people is received through faith. Faith is therefore the most important tool we need in life. If it does not take root in our souls and enable us to believe in God as Abraham did, then we will be unable to accept by faith the new life that He has prepared for us.
Anyone who has carefully studied the Bible will already understand that humans cannot do anything good on their own, and that no one can become righteous enough to earn their own salvation. The only solution is to live by faith and believe that God will dwell in us and transform us, enabling us to achieve the impossible righteousness.
With such an experience of faith, when faced with the dilemmas of violence and suffering, we will realise, as did Abraham and Job, how important it is to remember that God is perfect in His righteousness and goodness. With this certainty, the meaning of the biblical words becomes clear: “It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord” (Lamentations 3:26). Abraham walked silently up the mountain with his son. This time, he had no doubts, just questions.
