Sermon Tone Analysis

“Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the Lord.

And he looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and toward all the land of the valley, and he looked and, behold, the smoke of the land went up like the smoke of a furnace.

“So it was that, when God destroyed the cities of the valley, God remembered Abraham and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow when he overthrew the cities in which Lot had lived.”[1]

The Bible is hard on pride.

Pride is the pathway to destruction [*Proverbs 16:18*]; the Lord simply hates it [*Proverbs 8:13*].

Obviously, I am speaking only of what may be called “normal” pride—the pride one takes in enviable capabilities or in praiseworthy achievements.

However, an astonishing new form of pride has strutted onto the scene of modern life—pride in the abnormal, pride in the defective, pride in what is deviant.

Type “gay pride” into any Internet search engine and you will find a plethora of sites that promote the perspective that deviance merits pride.

However, a Christian need observe but a single “gay pride” parade to establish the foolishness of attempting to take satisfaction in the open promotion of what is abnormal and dishonourable.

Such parades exhibit and celebrate debauchery.

Though politicians speak of these events as “colourful,” it is instructive to note that television news shows will not provide full coverage—the images are too revolting, or perhaps they are too damaging to the media’s commitment to promote the homosexual lifestyle as fun and normal.

Perhaps such events draw people willing to spend money in the communities hosting the events, but we should ask at what cost the events are hosted.

The moral declension attending the events may cost more than the communities wish to pay.

Undoubtedly, there is great sadness for those enmeshed in the gay pride movement.

Men and women have felt the sting of social disapproval, and undoubtedly they have felt the sharp pangs of conscience.

Trapped by their own choice, they labour to assure themselves and the community that the lifestyle they have chosen is defensible, even wonderful.

It is a pitiful spectacle, but it is not benign, for in the rush to justify themselves, adherents to the movement trample standards of human decency and well-being as outlined in the Bible.

Since “gay pride” appears to have had such overwhelming success, should we be surprised that there now exist movements for “mad pride,” born when mentally ill people visited a “gay pride” festival?[2] Since “gay pride” demands that we treat the abnormal as normal and healthy, it should not be surprising that people with mental illness demand that we treat them as normal and healthy instead of attempting to treat their illness.

Increasingly, people exalt their deviance, insisting that everyone be coerced into treating their abnormal behaviour as normal.

Already, we have a “fat pride” movement.[3]

And though I certainly encourage people to accept themselves and their body shape, it is not at all evident that taking pride in our imperfections is wise or healthy.

I have also recently discovered a movement promoting “pagan pride.”[4]

I suppose it is only a matter of time before we have “pride pride.”

The Bible warns:

“Pride goes before destruction,

and a haughty spirit before a fall.”

[*Proverbs 16:18*].

Of course, the Bible here addresses what we think of as “normal” pride.

This biblical truth holds for an individual, for a nation, or even for a congregation.

By extension, it would be appropriate to say that pride in the aberrant or bizarre is the expression of the destruction and the fall to which the Bible points; it is a sign that the collapse is already under way.

Looking upon modern culture as it implodes from the growing encrustation of evil, the question must be raised, “How shall the godly respond to the collapse of society?”

Viewing the condition of many religious organisations that present themselves as repositories of righteous, godly people may are moved to ask how they should act as the inevitable implosion takes place.

The question is one that was raised long ago when the Psalmist asked,

“When the foundations are destroyed,

what can the godly accomplish?”

[*Psalm 11:3*][5]

Abraham witnessed the implosion of an ancient society marked by deviancy and decay.

Undoubtedly, the people of Sodom and Gomorrah considered their behaviour normal, justifying their attitudes and their actions against any criticism from surrounding peoples.

However, at the very time they appeared to be at the apex of wealth and achievement, destruction was stayed by the prayer of one man.

When destruction finally rained down on the cities of the plain, how did that godly man—Abraham—respond?

That is the focus of our study this day.

*Abraham Sought the Lord* — “Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the Lord.”

You recall how the Lord had informed Abraham of His plan, and the manner in which Abraham received that revelation.

The account of that incident, as it occurred about twelve hours earlier, is recorded in Genesis 18.

“The Lord said, ‘Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?

For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.’

Then the Lord said, ‘Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me.

And if not, I will know.’

“So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord.

Then Abraham drew near and said, ‘Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked?

Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city.

Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it?

Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked!

Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?’

And the Lord said, ‘If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.’

“Abraham answered and said, ‘Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes.

Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking.

Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?’

And he said, ‘I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.’

Again he spoke to him and said, ‘Suppose forty are found there.’

He answered, ‘For the sake of forty I will not do it.’

Then he said, ‘Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak.

Suppose thirty are found there.’

He answered, ‘I will not do it, if I find thirty there.’

He said, ‘Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord.

Suppose twenty are found there.’

He answered, ‘For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it.’

Then he said, ‘Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once.

Suppose ten are found there.’

He answered, ‘For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.’

And the Lord went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place” [*Genesis 18:17-33*].

Abraham was apprised of what God was planning, and that knowledge prompted him to pray for compassion for Sodom.

As a significant aside, though God does not often speak directly to His people to inform them of His plans, He has revealed in considerable detail what He is doing through His Word.

Throughout history, His people have responded with compassion and concern whenever they became aware of God’s activity.

One example of prayer prompted by discovering God’s plans will be beneficial in demonstrating this point.

“In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, by descent a Mede, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans—in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that, according to the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years.

“Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.

I prayed to the Lord my God and made confession, saying…” Pay attention to this prayer, and especially the parallel with that of Abraham.

“‘O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules.

We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.

To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us open shame, as at this day, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those who are near and those who are far away, in all the lands to which you have driven them, because of the treachery that they have committed against you.

To us, O Lord, belongs open shame, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you.

To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God by walking in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.

All Israel has transgressed your law and turned aside, refusing to obey your voice.

And the curse and oath that are written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out upon us, because we have sinned against him.

He has confirmed his words, which he spoke against us and against our rulers who ruled us, by bringing upon us a great calamity.

For under the whole heaven there has not been done anything like what has been done against Jerusalem.

As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this calamity has come upon us; yet we have not entreated the favour of the Lord our God, turning from our iniquities and gaining insight by your truth.

Therefore the Lord has kept ready the calamity and has brought it upon us, for the Lord our God is righteous in all the works that he has done, and we have not obeyed his voice.

And now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and have made a name for yourself, as at this day, we have sinned, we have done wickedly.

“‘O Lord, according to all your righteous acts, let your anger and your wrath turn away from your city Jerusalem, your holy hill, because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people have become a byword among all who are around us.

Now therefore, O our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his pleas for mercy, and for your own sake, O Lord, make your face to shine upon your sanctuary, which is desolate.

O my God, incline your ear and hear.

Open your eyes and see our desolations, and the city that is called by your name.

For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy.

O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive.

O Lord, pay attention and act.

Delay not, for your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people are called by your name’” [*Daniel 9:1-19*].

In the Word, great truths concerning God’s response to wickedness are revealed for any willing to heed His Word.

For instance, we are taught: