The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Genesis 18:23-33, “Abraham came near and said, ‘Will You indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked?’

24 “Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; will You indeed sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous who are in it?

25 “Far be it from You to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?”

26 So the LORD said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare the whole place on their account.”

27 And Abraham replied, “Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord, although I am but dust and ashes.

28 “Suppose the fifty righteous are lacking five, will You destroy the whole city because of five?” And He said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.”

29 He spoke to Him yet again and said, “Suppose forty are found there?” And He said, “I will not do it on account of the forty.”

30 Then he said, “Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak; suppose thirty are found there?” And He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”

31 And he said, “Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord; suppose twenty are found there?” And He said, “I will not destroy it on account of the twenty.”

32 Then he said, “Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak only this once; suppose ten are found there?” And He said, “I will not destroy it on account of the ten.”

33 As soon as He had finished speaking to Abraham, the LORD departed, and Abraham returned to his place.”

I love Jewish people! They are argumentative, and I have always loved arguments! (Sometimes I wonder if there isn’t Jewish heritage in my family line.) This interchange between Abraham and the LORD is fantastic! What is of utmost interest is that Abraham kept lessening the number, and the LORD allowed each and every one! Neither were ever angry, although Abraham several times begged the LORD not to be.

If you’re a born-again Christian, you can know with certainty that the LORD is on your side. He is patient; therefore, He will never become angry. Just let your inquiry always be sensible. He exists not only to save us but to teach us how to live. We must, however, be careful not to behave as if we already know everything. Believe me, WE DON’T! But He does! So, don’t be afraid: just ASK! (By the way, the questions we have are already answered in the Bible. Just keep on reading!)

Heartily in Christ,

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

United States of America

“We will never know that Christ is all we need

Until He becomes all that we have.” — Corrie ten Boom