How many times have you caught yourself negotiating with God? “Lord, I will do this, never do that again, whatever, if you just…” Sound familiar? It happens. Humans have a tendency to negotiate over things they have done or want in life. But do we make requests of God based on His will or ours? There seems to be a difference between asking God for something within his will and trying to get something from God outside of His will. David, for example, fasted and prayed that the Lord would spare his newborn son because of what David did to Uriah. The Lord held accountability, but eventually provided another son, Solomon, as the line of Christ. Another example is Abraham and Sodom.
As the two angels set out for Sodom, the LORD said in Genesis 18:17, “should I hide from Abraham what I am about to do; in as much as Abraham is sure to become a great and strong nation, and all of the nations of the earth will be blessed by him?” The LORD says that the outcry against Sodom and Gomorra was so great that He was going to see if their deeds would warrant their destruction. Abraham approached the LORD and said, ”Will you actually sweep away the righteous with the wicked? (18:23).” Then Abraham continued to plea bargain, “Maybe there are fifty righteous…Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the wicked are treated alike! Far be it from you! Shouldn’t the judge of all the earth do what is just?” (18:25).
He continues to plea, forty-five…thirty…ten, and the LORD says He will not destroy Sodom for the sake of ten righteous. The two angels came to Sodom and found it to be as wicked as reported. The men of the city came to Lot’s house and demanded he let them molest the two angels. The angels told Lot to warn his family to get out of the city and flee to the mountains. The angels had to physically take Lot and his wife by the hands to take them out of Sodom, and Lot’s wife turns back and is turned to a pillar of salt. Thinking that they are all that is left of the human race—Lot’s daughters decide that it is their duty to bear descendants for their father. Out of these two incestuous relations, the sons Moab and Ammon become fathers of two nations that later become mortal enemies of Israel.
God’s answer to Abraham’s intercession and His promise to Abraham came through the salvation of Lot and his daughters. A descendant of Moab would be Ruth, who would be the great grandmother of King David, and from David’s line came the Messiah—fulfilling the promise to Abraham, that through him all of the families of the earth would be blessed (Genesis 12:3). This story is similar to Moses interceding for his people after the sin of the golden calf. God doesn’t prohibit His people from interceding and holding Him accountable to His promises. Yes, we can negotiate with God, ask and receive, but purity of heart and alignment with God’s will is extremely important.
