Genesis 18:18 Commentary and Bible Study

There seem to be two reasons given, but we have to look deeply into them to really understand them. ‘Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him.’ Reason number one why Abraham must know is that he is going to become a great and mighty nation, and Messiah and the blessing of the Gentiles will ultimately come from him. But actually, that is no good reason in itself for God disclosing to Abraham that he is about to destroy Sodom. What is the connection between the two? How will that affect Abraham: being a mighty nation and the Messiah coming and the Gentiles being won? Why should that determine whether God tells Abraham about Sodom, or not? Then reason number two is given: ‘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.’ I know him to be a faithful and just man who teaches his children and their stand for holiness. Well, that is fine; that is good; that is clearly why God commends Abraham, but is that a good reason why Abraham should know that God is about to destroy Sodom? There is no solid connection between those things. But the reason lurks within those verses.What is the reason then? Well, the supreme reason, which is actually spelled-out in these verses, lo and behold, is the running theme of the conflict between the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman, and the need for the household of God and the church of all ages to be separate from the world and from its wicked culture. This is why Abraham must know all about the judgment of Sodom, and the outcome; that is the connection. This need for separation is ongoing. Lot, Abraham's nephew has gone into Sodom; he has integrated with the culture, even though he hates it. He thinks that he can work in that culture, operate within it; he thinks he can be a chief magistrate in the city of Sodom. He has gone within, contrary to all that we have read up till now in Genesis about the need to be separate from the sinful culture of the world. Lot is in the city, which is about to be destroyed. He is clearly in the wrong. He is clearly in the way; the righteous can hardly be destroyed along with the wicked. God does not desire to destroy the church when he judges the world, so the church better be out of the world. It is this theme, which is in mind. ‘Shall I tell Abraham what I am about to do to Sodom? Yes, of course, I will tell him, because this is a tremendous lesson: that the culture of this world is going to be destroyed. You had better not be in it, and part of it. Otherwise, Abraham will pray for it; there will have to be some supernatural rescue to get you out of the judgment . So the church is not to be there.’ That is the reason. Abraham must be told because he is the father and therefore the primary teacher of a whole tradition which will descend from him: the church of God, the household of faith, and this must be printed on their minds and on their hearts: ‘Don't tangle with sinful culture.’ This is a lesson to be printed upon the mind and memory and heart of the ongoing household of faith.