Bargaining with God

This exploration of Genesis 18 takes us into one of Scripture's most profound conversations about justice, righteousness, and salvation. We witness Abraham standing shoulder-to-shoulder with God, drawing near to ask the hard questions that weigh on every human heart: What happens when we die? How does a just God judge? Will the righteous perish with the wicked? Abraham's cultural background from Mesopotamia, where everyone faced punishment regardless of righteousness, makes his questions even more urgent. As he negotiates from fifty righteous people down to ten, we might initially see him as bargaining or doubting. But something breathtaking emerges: Abraham never questions God's right to judge, only seeks to understand God's nature. The stunning revelation comes when we realize Abraham stops at ten, yet the true answer is one. Just one righteous person is needed for salvation, and Abraham was speaking to that One all along. Christ, standing there in pre-incarnate form, is the righteousness we lack. Through faith in Him, we receive the righteousness we could never achieve ourselves. This isn't just ancient history; it's our story, our rescue from the wickedness we know resides in our own hearts.