God's Friend Abraham 

Then the men set out from there, and they looked down toward Sodom. And Abraham went with them to set them on their way.  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? (Genesis 18: 16 to 18) 

As described in Genesis 18, the Lord appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day.  Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground and received them humbly. 

Abraham not only recognized God among those men right away but also acted accordingly.  What he did pleases God.  So, God said "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?" when they are departing from Abraham.  Several bible verses refer to Abraham as God's friend based on this story, such as below. 

Did you not, our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? (Second Chronicles 20: 7) 

But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend; (Isaiah 41: 8) 

and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. (James 2: 23) 

You could also find some articles talking about how to be a God's friend based on this story.   

It seemed that this was a happy incident.  God didn't visit Abraham to let Abraham know that he is God's friend.  God is on his way to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah.  Whenever we talk about Sodom and Gomorrah, we will immediately think that God destroys those cities because of their sexual immorality.  If you read the Bible, you will find that the Bible didn't exclude sexual immorality from other sins.  The Bible always refers to sins in plural.  A sin is a sin in God's eye.  That's why in Revelation; it describes the New Jerusalem as below. 

Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates.  Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. Revelation 22: 14 15)   

If you lied, you will not be able to enter the New Jerusalem just like people who committed sexual immorality.   

So, why did God want to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah?  How about people who committed other sins?  We know that God doesn't need to discuss or explain His action to anybody because He is God and He is righteous.  However, this time God wanted to discuss this matter with Abraham.  Because God wants Abraham to talk Him out of it.   

Abraham didn't disappoint God.  He really tried all he could to bargain from 50 righteous people to only 10 righteous people.  If there are 10 righteous people in those two cities, God will not destroy them.  As we learned, there were not even 10 righteous people. 

We may think that why stopped at 10, why not 5?  In Second Peter, it states as below. 

and if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard); (Second Peter 2: 7 8) 

They had Lot.  Lot tried to wake them up to repent for all of their lawless deeds.  However, it's in vain.  When the two angels arrived, they wanted to harm them by the same lawless deeds.  There is no shred of repentance in them. 

God is merciful but He is also righteous.  He cannot ignore our sins, but He is in no hurry to destroy sinners.  He tried to give us a chance to repent as he did to Sodom and Gomorrah.  He even sent His only begotten son Jesus to die for our sins on the cross.  If we really know God, then we will bow low to the ground to invite God into our life like Abraham.  We will repent and reconcile with God through the blood of Jesus.  Not just to cleanse our sins to have a clear conscience but also be able to enter the New Jerusalem in the future.  What a double blessing.  Emmanuel. 

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