Bargaining with God - Part 3 (Genesis 18:16–33; 19:1–38)

Can you really bargain with God?  An important review would be to remember the previous Blog. God in his mercy and kindness, condescends to reveal Himself to us in humans terms so that we might understand some of Himself.  This idea forms the basis of the chapter.  So again we pose the question: Can you really bargain with God?

“Then Abraham spoke up again: “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes, what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five people?” “If I find forty-five there,” he said, “I will not destroy it.”” (Genesis 18:27–28, NIV)

What if there were 50? 45? 30? 20? 10? “. . . He answered, “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 18:32–33, NIV).  "God’s mercy is evident in His willingness to spare the sinful majority for the sake of even ten righteous. Fewer than ten could be saved individually, as happens in ch. 19." [1]

Ephesians 1:11 (NIV), says that God "works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will." And yet we read in 1 John 5:14 (NIV), " ⁴ This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us."  There is a mystery to this but not a contradiction. It seems in Scripture that you can change the will of God, if it is His will, that you change His will. 

Another way to say this is that God not only establishes the end, but He also establishes the means to the end.  In other words, God's sovereignty in some cases requires and incorporates our prayers in the accomplishment of His perfect, immutable will.  "The Scriptures that are interpreted as God seeming to change His mind are human attempts to explain the actions of God. God was going to do something, but instead did something else. To us, that sounds like a change. But to God, who is omniscient and sovereign, it is not a change. God always knew what He was going to do. God does what He needs to do to cause humanity to fulfill His perfect plan." [2]  Michael Houdmann is right. The drama we see in Scripture is again an interpretation of God through human lenses. It's an anthropomorphism.  

“I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’ From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that I will bring about; what I have planned, that I will do.” (Isaiah 46:10–11, NIV)

So, yes, we can bargain with God -- pray, intercede, etc. with the confidence that God hears and answers.  And yes our prayers are often ordained as necessary to the outworking of God's will.  But in an ultimate sense, God enveloped even our life-changing prayers into His sovereign, unchanging will.

Father, again I am disabled by the mystery, the complexity of Your simple and clear will.  Grant me, dear Father, the infusion of prayers that come from Your throne room, that are drenched by Your Word, that I might pray in Your will.  Today I especially pray for those whom I love who have refused to repent.  They have on them the promise of impending doom.  Oh Father, save them from Your judgment.  Bring them for the City of Destruction to the Celestial City.  For Your glory and fame, Amen.

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1.  Whitlock, L. G., Sproul, R. C., Waltke, B. K., & Silva, M. (1995). The Reformation study Bible: Bringing the light of the Reformation to Scripture: New King James Version (Ge 18:32). Nashville: T. Nelson.
2. http://www.gotquestions.org/God-change-mind.html#ixzz30TGElvMX