Genesis 20:8

Genesis 20:8 says, Therefore Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ears: and the men were sore afraid.  After God had spoken to Abimelech in his dreams, he got up early and called his servants and told them what had happened.  Abimilech didn't just claim he had a bad dream, but he actually knew that God had spoken to him.  I believe that when God speaks to a person, whether they profess to know Him or not, they will know.  Verse nine states, Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said unto him, What hast thou done unto us? and what have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done.  Abimelech called Abraham and asked him why he had done such a terrible thing to him.  Abimelech said that Abraham had brought a great sin to the kingdom.  We, as followers of Christ, should never be guilty of leading others into a sinful situation.  Verse ten asks, And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing?  Abimelech asked Abraham what he had seen concerning Abimelech and his people that had caused Abraham to do this.  That was Abraham's problem.  He was looking at the power of Abimelech instead of the power of God.  We should never allow anything in this world to become more powerful to us than God is.  Verse eleven states, And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife’s sake.  Abraham said that he believed that Abimelech and his people did not fear, or know God, and he was afraid that they would kill him and take Sarah.  If Abraham had put his trust in God, he would not have been afraid.  He acted out of a self made fear.  We today should never allow our personal fears to cause us to make our own way of dealing with a situation where we might possibly be in danger, but must always put our faith in God.  We certainly should never do anything that would be against God's law simply because we are afraid.  Verse twelve adds, And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.  Abraham was still trying to justify his actions.  He said Sarah was both his wife and his half-sister.  We cannot justify sin by half truths.  We must be totally honest in our relationship with others, and especially with God, no matter what it might cost us in this world.  Verse thirteen continues, And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said unto her, This is thy kindness which thou shalt shew unto me; at every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother.  Abraham said that God caused him to wander, but the plan to call Sarah his sister was strictly his plan.  After all God had done for him and the promises that God made him, Abraham was still lacking the faith to totally trust God.  When we become a follower of Christ, we must live by faith in God's promise that we are His children forever.  Verse fourteen says, And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and womenservants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife.  Once again, Abraham benefited materially from his deception, but I believe that he suffered spiritually.  Even if we were to gain materially, we can never afford to go against God's will and teachings.  Verse fifteen adds, And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee.  Abimelech told Abraham to take his choice of the land to dwell in.  We can never allow the end to justify the means if we are going against what God's law.  Verse sixteen states, And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver: behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes, unto all that are with thee, and with all other: thus she was reproved.  Abimelech then told Sarah that he had paid Abraham for his actions concerning Sarah.  Verse seventeen declares, So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children.  Abraham prayed for Abimelech and God healed him and his people.  Though Abraham had been the reason for the sin, when he prayed to God, God granted his request.  Had Abraham prayed for Abimelech and his people before hand and trusted God to keep him safe, the whole situation could have been avoided.  As followers of Christ, if we cause someone to fall into sin, we must first confess to God and then pray that God will heal them.  Verse eight adds, For the LORD had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham’s wife.  God restored the ability of the woman to have children, which had been taken away because of Sarah.  Sarah and her son with Abraham was still God's plan to make a great nation of Abraham.

Genesis 20:1

Genesis 20:1 says, And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar.  Abraham was on the move again.  I am not sure if it was because of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah or not, but after twenty years he was moving.  As followers of Christ, we are never permanently at home here in this world.  Verse two states, And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.  Abraham was no stronger in his faith at this point than he had been when he was still Abram.  Even though God had told Abraham that His promise to make Abraham the father of a great nation was through a child that Abraham and Sarah would have, Abraham was still passing her off as his sister and allowing her to be taken away by another man.  We should learn from our past sins and not fall into them again.  Verse three declares, But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man’s wife.  God spoke to Abimelech in a dream and warned him that he was a dead man for taking Sarah, another man's wife.  Though Abimelech may not have been aware of the sin he was committing, he was no less responsible for it.  We cannot excuse sin simply because we are not aware of the sin.  I believe that God will always make people aware of their sins, whether they acknowledge them or not.  Verse four states, But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation?  God spoke to Abimelech before he had been with Sarah in a sexual relationship.  Abimelech asked if God would destroy a righteous nation.  Though I am not sure that Abimelech was accurate in calling his a righteous nation, he was not totally to blame in his actions.  He was still guilty of taking Sarah for his own desires.  We cannot call ourselves righteous simply because we have not done what could be viewed as a greater sin in the eyes of the world.  Verse five adds, Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this.  Abimelech said that both Abraham and Sarah said that Sarah was Abraham's sister.  Abimelech said that he acted with integrity of his heart and innocency of his hands.  Abraham had initiated the plan, Sarah went along with it, and Abimelech was caught up in it.  I don't believe that Abimelech was totally innocent though, because his actions were fueled by lust. Though we may be caught up in a sin created by someone else's actions, we cannot justify ourselves by blaming them.  Verse six declares, And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.  God again spoke to Abimelech in a dream and told him that He was aware that Abimelech acted in innocence as for as knowing that Sarah was married and that He prevented Abimelech from touching Sarah.  God was at work in this situation, and He is still at work today.  This should be especially true for those who profess to follow Christ.  Had Abraham put his faith in God keeping him safe, and had Sarah not gone along with his plan,this situation would have never occurred.  If there is sin the world, and there always is, we as followers of Christ should never be the cause of it.  Verse seven adds, Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.  God gave Abimelech a choice.  He could either return Sarah to Abraham, or Abimelech and all that were his would die.  God did not force Abimelech to obey Him, but gave him a choice.  Even after Abraham's actions, God still referred to him as a prophet.  As followers of Christ, if we commit a sin, we are still a child of God and still have an everlasting relationship with Him.

Genesis 19:30

Genesis 19:30 says, And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar: and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters.  Lot and his two daughters lived in a cave because he was afraid to live in the city of Zoar.  He evidently no longer had to worry about any great wealth. We never read anything about Lot following God, but he always seemed to do what was best for himself.  Verse thirty-one states, And the firstborn said unto the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth:  We are not told how old the daughters were, but the oldest talked with the youngest about their father's age and the fact that there were no men around for them to start a family with.  This would have been a great concern in that time, but they must have forgotten about their great-uncle Abraham and more importantly about God.  Verse thirty-two declares, Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.  The oldest daughter devised a plan for them.  They would get Lot drunk and have sex with him so that they might each have a child.  As with most plans made without God's guidance, this one was very wrong.  Verse thirty-three states, And they made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.  Lot got very drunk that night.  It says that they got him drunk, but unless they were pouring alcohol down his throat without his consent, then I believe it is more accurate to say that Lot got drunk.  The oldest daughter went in and had intercourse with her father.  We are told that Lot did not remember this, but that does not make him blameless.  He should have been concerned about the welfare of his daughters instead of hiding in a cave getting so drunk he couldn't remember what he did.  We cannot blame our sins on others, even if we are so drunk we don't remember them.  In the first place, we shouldn't be that drunk to start with, and we should never try to hide away and ignore our responsibilities.  Verse thirty-four adds, And it came to pass on the morrow, that the firstborn said unto the younger, Behold, I lay yesternight with my father: let us make him drink wine this night also; and go thou in, and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.  The older daughter told the younger daughter the next day that it was the youngest turn that night and that they would do the same thing again, only with the youngest taking the place of the oldest.  Even though the plan was not hers, the youngest was just as guilty as the oldest.  Again, we cannot blame our sins on someone else, even if we just go along with their plan.  Verse thirty-five states, And they made their father drink wine that night also: and the younger arose, and lay with him; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.  They carried out their plan that night.  Verse thirty-six declares, Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father.  Their plan was successful.  Just because our plans may be sinful doesn't mean that they won't succeed, and just because they succeed doesn't mean that they are God's plan.  Verse thirty-seven adds, And the firstborn bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day.  The child of the first daughter was named Moab, and he became the father of the Moabites.  Verse thirty-eight concludes, And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Benammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day.  The child of the second daughter was named Benammi, and he became the father of the Ammonites.  Even though they were successful in the plot, this was certainly never God's plan.

Genesis 19:23

Genesis 19:23 says, The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar.  It was morning before Lot finally left Sodom and reached Zoar.  Once more, Lot was going to a place that looked better instead of relying on God to direct him.  I will once again state that God had not directed Abram, now Abraham, to take Lot with Him, but still God had blessed Lot.  Now, due his own decisions without seeking God's guidance, Lot had lost nearly everything.  No matter how much wealth we may accumulate in this world, one day all that will be left is our relationship to God.  Verse twenty-four states, Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;  When God destroys a place because of the sin of the people, I don't believe that there will ever be any doubt that it is God's action.  God had caused the rain to destroy the earth in Noah's day, but with Sodom and Gomorrah, He caused fire and brimstone to rain down out of heaven.  This was not a natural disaster, but an act of God.  Verse twenty-five adds, And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.  Though Abraham had attempted to find a way to spare the cities, possibly because of Lot and his family, there was no way to be found.  Of course, God made a way available for Lot and his family to be saved, even if some of them would not listen.  We cannot force salvation on anyone, but we have a responsibility to witness to all that we can.  We should pray for the lost, but the decision to accept Christ as their Savior and Lord will always be theirs.  Verse twenty six says, But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.  Lot's wife was so close to being saved, but she could not simply move ahead without looking back on what she was leaving behind, and she lost her life. We cannot look back on the past feeling that we have left too much behind when we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord.  We must simply continue to look ahead in faith.  Verse twenty-seven declares, And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the LORD:  Abraham got up early and went to the altar, the place where he stood before God.  If we have concerns in life, then we need to bring them to God as soon as possible.   Verse twenty-eight adds, And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.  Abraham looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, knowing that God had pronounced judgment on them.  He saw the smoke, and I am sure that he knew God had carried out His judgment.  Sometimes we just have to acknowledge that some people will not be saved.  Verse twenty-nine declares, And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt.  Lot was spared because of Abraham.  Lot was not given an everlasting relationship with God because of Abraham's faith, but he was given another chance to establish that relationship.  We cannot save others but we can ask God to give them another chance to accept Christ as their Savior and Lord.

Genesis 19:14

Genesis 19:14 says, And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law.  Lot warned his sons-in-law, but they didn't listen to him.  Lot told them that the LORD was going to destroy Sodom.  When we warn people today of God's coming judgment, though it may not be imminent, they often act as through we are crazy, but we still need to continue to warn them.  Lot told his sons-in-law that they needed to get up and get out, but we today need to tell people to get up and come to Christ.  Verse fifteen states, And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.  The next morning, the angels returned to Lot and told him to take his wife and two daughters who were with him and get out unless they wanted to be consumed with the city.  Lot may have told his sons-in-law that it was time to get up and get out, but he was still there.  When we share God's word with others, we must first make sure that we obey it ourselves.  Verse sixteen says, And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city.  Lot was still not leaving, but the angels lead his wife, two daughters, and him out of the city.  We cannot afford to be like Lot, professing the need to act on God's word to others while we do not act on it ourselves.  Verse seventeen declares, And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.  Even after these four were led out of the city, there was still a step of faith required.  They were to flee and not look back.  When God leads us to salvation today, we should flee from sin and never look back.  Verse eighteen proclaims, And Lot said unto them, Oh, not so, my Lord:  Having been basically dragged out of Sodom and told to flee to the mountain, Lot protested.  When God calls us to do something, we should do as He says without protest.  Verse nineteen adds, Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die:  Lot still was not willing to put his trust in God.  He acknowledged that God had shown him mercy by saving him, but said he was afraid some evil would overtake him on the mountain.  We should never question God's ability to keep us safe once we accept His deliverance through our faith in Christ as our Savior and Lord.  Verse twenty continues, Behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one: Oh, let me escape thither, (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.  Lot asked to be allowed to escape to a nearby small city.  We really should never attempt to bargain with God.  Lot's choice of land had caused him nothing but trouble, but he once again wanted to choose.  We cannot allow our own choices to keep us from following God's will for us.  Verse twenty-one says, And he said unto him, See, I have accepted thee concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow this city, for the which thou hast spoken.  Lot was allowed to go to the city and was promised that it would not be destroyed, which was never God's intention to begin with.  Verse twenty-two states, Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.  Lot was told to hurry to the city so that God could carry out His plan.  This does not mean that Lot controlled God's plan, but that God was still showing Lot mercy by waiting for him to escape.  We should never do anything that would go against God's plan.  Verse twenty-three adds, The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar.  Lot reached Zoar during the day time.

Genesis 19:1

Genesis 19:1 says, And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;  When two angels came to Sodom, Lot was sitting at the gate and saw them and bowed down to them.  I am not sure that he recognized them as angels or just as strangers.  Verse two states, And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant’s house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night.  Lot invited them to stay at his house overnight, but they said that they would stay in the street.  Lot was offering them his hospitality, which was expected, especially of those who are God's servants.  We today should do all that we can to help strangers who may be in need.  Verse three says, And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.  Lot convinced them to come in for the night and fed them.  We should always be willing to do a little extra help others.  Verse four declares, But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter:  Then verse five adds, And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them.  All the men of the city surrounded Lot's house and demanded that Lot send the two men out so they could know them.  This does not mean get acquainted with them, but means to have sex with them.  Verse six states,  And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him,  Lot went out to face the men, shutting the angels inside.  He at least faced those that at that time were his enemies.  We must be willing to stand firm in the face of our enemies, no matter how out numbered we may be.  Verse seven declares, And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly.  Lot first attempted to reason with the men of the city.  He said they were about to do something that was very evil.  We should first attempt to reason with those who are about to commit an evil act, but we must call sin for what it is when we do.  Verse eight adds,. Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof.  Lot offered the men a compromise.  He said he would give his two daughters to the men of Sodom instead of the two men under his protection.  I am not sure how his daughters felt about this, but I imagine that it would have caused them to lose respect for Lot, if they didn't hate him.  We cannot compromise by offering one sin in place of another.  Verse nine declares, And they said, Stand back. And they said again, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door.  The men of Sodom said Lot was a sojourner and was attempting to judge them, and that they would treat him even worse than the two strangers.  People intent on doing evil will quite often treat those who attempt to stop them very badly.  Verse ten states, But the men put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut to the door.  The men inside Lot's house pulled him back inside.  It is always good when we have someone to back us up in times of trouble.  Verse eleven declares, And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door.  The angels caused the men outside to go blind, and they couldn't even find Lot's door.  Though it was good that Lot attempted to protect them, they really didn't need his protection.  Verse twelve adds, And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place:  The angels ended up protecting Lot and his family and told them to flee the city.  Sometimes, removing ourselves from evil situations is the best thing we can do.  I say sometimes because at times God may send us into an evil environment to share the gospel, but we need to make sure that is what He is leading us to do.  Verse thirteen concludes, For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the LORD; and the LORD hath sent us to destroy it.  This is further proof that the angels did not need Lot's protection.  God had sent them to destroy Sodom.  Sometimes, we just have to get out of the way and let God deal with a situation.  One thing more to note is that we never see Lot seeking God's guidance during this time.  When we are confronted with evil, the first thing we must do is seek God's guidance.

Genesis 18:16

Genesis 18:16 says, And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.  The men were going to leave Abraham and go to Sodom.  Abraham escorted them along the way.  When God's messengers have done what they have been sent to in the life of someone, they will move on.  Verse seventeen asks, And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;  God asked Himself if He should hide what He planned to do from Abraham.  Verse eighteen adds, Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?  This was the reason behind the question of God revealing His plans to Abraham.  Abraham's descendants were to become a great and mighty nation.  I don't believe this means that God was unsure of what He was going to do, but was more of a rhetorical question.  No matter how great and powerful we may be, God does not have to tell us all His plans.  Verse nineteen continues, 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.  God said that He knew Abraham and that Abraham and his descendants would keep the way of the LORD.  When Abraham and his descendants kept God's covenant, then God would keep His covenant with them.  We cannot expect God to bless us if we do not keep our covenant with Him, which we enter into when we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord.  Salvation is not a free pass to sin but a call to live under God's guidance in all that we do.  Verse twenty declares, And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;  God was aware of the sinful nature of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah.  Even if we call ourselves a Christian nation, God is still aware of our sinful actions.  Verse twenty-one adds, 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.  I don't believe that this means that God was unsure about what was happening in Sodom and Gomorrah, but simply means that He does not act on anything less than the truth.  Verse twenty-two states, And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.  The men went on to Sodom, but Abraham stood before the LORD.  We cannot go everywhere God sends others, but we can stand before God as they go.  In verse twenty-three Abraham asks, And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?  Abraham asked God if He would destroy the righteous with the wicked.  While God delays His judgment of the world it is because those who are His followers through Christ are still spreading the gospel.  Verse twenty-four adds, Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?  Then verse twenty-five adds, 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?  Abraham asked if God would destroy Sodom if fifty righteous people could be found.  Then, Abraham seems to question God's nature.  We may intercede on behalf of others, but we should never question God's nature.  God would save all if they would simply repent and follow Him.  Verse twenty-six declares, And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.  God agreed with Abraham's request.  He would not destroy Sodom if there were fifty righteous people there.  Verse twenty-seven states, And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes:  Abraham noted his own unworthiness to speak to God.  We, of our own merit do not have the right to speak to God, but through our faith in Christ we are given this right.  Verse twenty-eight asks, 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.  Abraham now starts bargaining with God, reducing the number of righteous to forty-five.  God agreed with Abraham's request.  Sometimes, a few righteous people may keep the unrighteous from destruction, and we should always pray for the lost to be saved.  In the next few verses Abraham continues to bargain with God for the sake of the righteous in Sodom.  Verse twenty-nine says, 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.  Then verse thirty asks, 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.  Verse thirty-one adds, 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.  Then verse thirty-two concludes, 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.  Abraham reduced the number of the righteous from fifty to ten, and God accepted his plea.  Even though the number was reduced, the outcome was not changed.  If we plead with God for others, we must realize that unless they accept God's gift of salvation, they will still face everlasting punishment.  Verse thirty-three declares, And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.  After God finished talking with Abraham, God went on His way and Abraham returned home.  If we are making intercession for others, we must acknowledge that there will come a time when we have done all that we can do and then leave it in God's hands.