Genesis 18 involves a conversation with the Lord (likely the incarnate Christ) about the fate of Sodom. Since technically a conversation with God is a prayer (but these days God doesn't appear and have interaction with us in that way) it can be said this is a prayer. The discussion itself was more of a "tit for tat" inquiry or inquisition as it were. This "testing" of God of course can be a dangerous thing; but we must keep in mind first and foremost Lot would have been on his mind; particularly in light of the destruction to come announced by the two angels who had just departed to see what was going on on the ground as it were.
Since Abraham was not privy to God delivering FROM disaster at this point and perhaps was too afraid to state the obvious he whittled down a righteous total to 10 and stopped; with God assuring him that the city would remain if 10 righteous people could be found. Perhaps he was counting on the son in laws if he was aware of them; the same ones who would ridicule the angels when the message was dellivered. He may have also thought SURELY SOMEONE else besides Lot and his immediate family would be justified; perhaps being as removed as he was from the wholesale depravity that had become the lifestyle of everyone in Sodom. He was desperate; no doubt. What he didn't realize; of course is that he stopped just ABOVE the true number of righteous there; in fact Lot's wife would famously turn back and Luke 9:62 seems a fitting epitaph for this pathetic woman who turned into a pillar of salt.
In this case; of course we had a pagan nation God had determined was time to destroy. We see a similar request of intercession after the idolotry in Exodus 32. Moses interceded in verses 11-13 and God relented. We might say that he THROUGH the power of the Spirit interceded and Christ would have foreseen through his future atonement how to cover their sin. This shows the mystery of the Godhead.
Genesis 18 involves a conversation with the Lord (likely the incarnate Christ) about the fate of Sodom. Since technically a conversation with God is a prayer (but these days God doesn't appear and have interaction with us in that way) it can be said this is a prayer. The discussion itself was more of a "tit for tat" inquiry or inquisition as it were. This "testing" of God of course can be a dangerous thing; but we must keep in mind first and foremost Lot would have been on his mind; particularly in light of the destruction to come announced by the two angels who had just departed to see what was going on on the ground as it were.
Since Abraham was not privy to God delivering FROM disaster at this point and perhaps was too afraid to state the obvious he whittled down a righteous total to 10 and stopped; with God assuring him that the city would remain if 10 righteous people could be found. Perhaps he was counting on the son in laws if he was aware of them; the same ones who would ridicule the angels when the message was dellivered. He may have also thought SURELY SOMEONE else besides Lot and his immediate family would be justified; perhaps being as removed as he was from the wholesale depravity that had become the lifestyle of everyone in Sodom. He was desperate; no doubt. What he didn't realize; of course is that he stopped just ABOVE the true number of righteous there; in fact Lot's wife would famously turn back and Luke 9:62 seems a fitting epitaph for this pathetic woman who turned into a pillar of salt.
In this case; of course we had a pagan nation God had determined was time to destroy. We see a similar request of intercession after the idolotry in Exodus 32. Moses interceded in verses 11-13 and God relented. We might say that he THROUGH the power of the Spirit interceded and Christ would have foreseen through his future atonement how to cover their sin. This shows the mystery of the Godhead.
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