Understanding the Processes of Revelation: Walking in faith to establish Revelation through our actions
And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Genesis 18:23
God is no respecter of persons, this is the first establishment of Truth and Righteousness that the Scripture presents regarding the Essence and Nature of God.
Wherefore now let the fear of the Lord be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts. 2 Chronicles 19:7
The Law itself had established precepts to teach the people to be no respecter of persons,
Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous. Deuteronomy 16:19
The book of Proverbs denounces that having respect of persons establishes evil in the culture of the people,
To have respect of persons is not good: for a piece of bread that man will transgress. Proverbs 28:21
The apostle Peter recognized that the Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven is based on the judgment of being no respecter of persons,
Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: Acts 10:34
And the apostle Paul, likewise, established in his apostolic doctrine that for God there is no respect of persons, this is the establishment of the Justice of the Kingdom of Heaven,
for there is no respect of persons with God. Romans 2:11
Then, if so, why does Abraham differentiate between the righteous and the wicked? And furthermore, why does God endorse Abraham’s request?
Indeed, God is no respecter of persons; in the Gospel of Matthew we read in Jesus’ teaching that God makes his sun rise on the evil and the good, and rains on the just and the unjust,[1] and according to this doctrine introduced by Jesus, being no respecter of persons is the way to be perfect just as the Father is.[2]
However, Abraham discovers a new attribute of God: God does not agree with or tolerate the evil of the people, that there is a limit within the Grace of God that determines how long God will tolerate it,
But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. Genesis 15:16
Furthermore, Abraham’s question to God: Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? It is useful for us to understand two important aspects of the value of a righteous man before the Grace of God.
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The presence of a righteous person brings to light the judgments of God on a region
The decision to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah had been made long before Abraham’s encounter with Jehovah God. It was on the way to the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah that Jehovah God arranged to “discover” Abraham the purpose of His journey there.
And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; Genesis 18:17
This is God’s way of operating on the earth, and the reason for placing righteous people on it to bless it. In the Gospel of Matthew we read in a teaching of Jesus that a righteous person is defined as the light of the world, and that his/her function on the face of the earth is to set course and direction in the midst of darkness,
Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Matthew 5:14
This message was established by the Apostle Paul as the Gospel of the Kingdom to the Gentile nations,
For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: Ephesians 5:8; 1st. Thessalonians 5:5; 2nd. Timothy 1:10
Because of this, the prophets established in their proclamations of righteousness that God would reveal His plans to His people through prophets so that they would understand His will and walk in the light of His teachings,
Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. Amos 3:7
Hearken unto me, my people; and give ear unto me, O my nation: for a law shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people. Isaiah 51:4
So, a righteous person is an element of Grace and blessing for the nations, his/her presence is not an antagonistic element for the regions, it is the person that God places in the places to allow that for his/her sake those hidden judgments come to light, to establish in the place the Righteousness, Judgment and Mercy of the Lord.
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The presence of a righteous person can stop God’s judgments on a region
The second value of a righteous person highlighted in the story, which from here on is presented in Scripture as his/her spiritual function over a region, is that of bringing God’s judgment to a halt, giving the inhabitants of a place the opportunity to proceed to repentance. In the account of Abraham’s encounter with Jehovah-God, we read:
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. Genesis 18:24-32
The presence of a righteous person causes the region to be blessed, and the judgments which weigh upon it to be halted or postponed, not to deliver its inhabitants from judgment for their evil establishments and to set them free, but to give them opportunity for the inhabitants to come to repentance, as the apostle Peter explained in one of his epistles,
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 2nd. Peter 3:9
If there is no repentance in the inhabitants of the place, the judgments of God will fall upon that place irrevocably,
4 and the Lord said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. 5 And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity: 6 slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house. Ezekiel 9:4-6
The prophet Ezekiel stated in his prophecies that the way of proceeding of Jehovah-God concerning the enforcement of His judgments upon a city or region, before proceeding with them, seeks among its inhabitants at least one righteous person for whom the earth will receive the mercy of the Lord,
And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none. Ezekiel 22:30
In the same way, the apostle Paul admonishes in his apostolic doctrine to the righteous members of every community of faith, to understand what their function is on earth, so that by their presence and intervention the inhabited places may receive God’s blessing,
I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; 2 for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; 1st. Timothy 2:1-3
So, Abraham’s intervention before the Lord that day when the angels were sent to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, is recounted in the book of Genesis not only with a historical value, but above all, to show the spiritual value that a righteous person has before the Presence of the Lord, and his/her function of blessing for the regions and cities where he/she lives.
Understanding this mystery of Revelation, let us walk with patience in our life of faith, knowing that a great cloud of witnesses is benefited by our walk on earth. May God prosper you.
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All biblical quotations are taken from the King James Version.
Pastor Pedro Montoya
Twitter: @pastormontoya
WhatsApp 1 407 764 2699
https://earthenwarevessels.com
[1] Matthew 5:45
[2] Idem 5:49