Genesis 18:16-33 – Abraham’s Intercession for Lot
This fascinating story of Abraham’s intercession for Lot and his family reveals God in a number of ways. God did not NEED to go down to verify the wickedness of Sodom (v 21). “The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth.” He knew all about their sin. Yet, in a special way, for Abraham’s sake, He does come down and talk with him, giving him the opportunity to intercede on behalf of Lot and his family. WHY did he do this? This is what intrigues me. I believe the secret is that He came down to Abraham’s LEVEL! He dealt with him completely on his own level. What gracious, divine condescension!
But this opens up the whole concept of divine dealings with each one of us, before we were saved, and ever since! All questions of differences of age, education, intelligence, and culture, are taken into consideration by God.
What does a good Sunday School teacher strive to do with his or her pupils? Bring the gospel to them on THEIR LEVEL. The level of a 7 year old is not the same as the level of a 13 year old! To preach the gospel as we would here in Canada, to a group of people in a foreign land who had never seen a Bible, is to forget the tremendous difference in their LEVELS!
Our Lord met the woman of Samaria on her LEVEL. He dealt with Nicodemus on the LEVEL of a learned rabbi. He dealt with me for years on the LEVEL of one who had had a false profession and didn’t want another!
The Lord dealt with Saul of Tarsus on the Damascus road on the very LEVEL of his present activity … persecuting the Church. “I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest!”
The LEVELS of divine dealings with us, His people, will be as many and varied as there are Christians! But the realization of all this is immensely comforting to our hearts!
Silly Billy was the town half-wit, but the Lord dealt with him on his own LEVEL and enabled him to confound those who despised him with: “This can Silly Billy see; Three in One and One in Three; and One of These has died for me!”
One level of worship is to be occupied with the benefits which accrue to us through the work of Christ for us on the Cross. A higher level is to be occupied with what it cost HIM to accomplish that redemption – His INFINITE sufferings.
One level of Bible study is the simple straight-reading of the Word, chapter after chapter. A higher level is to meditate on the Word, under the direction of the Holy Spirit.
There are also LEVELS of the revelation of divine truth. The Lord said clearly to His disciples, “I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now!” (John 16:12). This progressive revelation is seen in the further disclosure of divine truth as revealed by the Spirit in the Epistles.
In the ministry of the Word in a local assembly or at conferences of His people, the Lord meets the needs of all at their different LEVELS of age in Christ and spiritual development.
And at Calvary, did not our Lord come down to the lowest level of being “numbered with the lawless ones,” in order to accomplish our eternal redemption! Wonderful Lord!
