How many righteous people are left?
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Three men come and visit Abraham. As we read we realize that these are not just any three men, but rather ones that know about Abraham and the promise made to him. One of the three men promises to “visit” them again in “the time of life” (9 months) and she would have a son. Sarah was not physically capable of having a child at this point. She was beyond the “time of women” and therefore not ovulating. However he tells her, “is anything too difficult for God?”.The Lord then tells Abraham about Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham bargains with the Lord here about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. He starts with 50 righteous people. If there were 50 righteous people the Lord would spare the cities. Abraham continues bargaining...45, 40, 30, 20, and finally 10...if there were 10 righteous people in the city the Lord promised to spare the city. However there were not even 10 righteous people found in the city. I wonder how many would be found righteous in our world today? Would you be one of them?
Genesis 18
[18:1] And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; [2] And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground, [3] And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant: [4] Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree: [5] And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said. [6] And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth. [7] And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetched a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it. [8] And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat. [9] And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent. [10] And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him. [11] Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. [12] Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also? [13] And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old? [14] Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will
return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son. [15] Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou
didst laugh. [16] And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way. [17] And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; [18] Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? [19] For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him. [20] And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; [21] I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know. [22] And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD. [23] And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? [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. [33] And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.
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I'd rather be righteous all by myself than doing wrong with everyone else.
So many times I hear people complain about their situations or where they live. On a nearly daily basis someone tries defending their lack of experience to me by spouting something along the lines of "well not everyone can shoot every day like you can." ... as if somehow that just "happened" to me by accident.
No, it was a choice. You can choose to have a miserable existence, surrounded by the corrupt... or you can turn your back on them and leave their putrid cities. It's a simple decision. Just as those vile people chose to stay in Sodom and Gomorrah, a ridiculous number of people choose to stay in places of corruption today. They are long on excuses as to why they are there, but never take full responsibility for their choice to remain.
When they burn, I will not shed a tear. The writing is on the wall for all to see.
