When God Stopped To Visit a Friend

Sometimes I find it hard to associate the word “friend” with God. There’s something so familiar, so common about the word. However, it’s not a word that God Himself is afraid to be associated with. James said that “Abraham […] was called the friend of God” (James 2:23). Perhaps James was referring to King Jehoshaphat’s prayer, “Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever?” (2 Chronicles 20:7). It isn’t only that people called Abraham God’s friend though; God Himself said of Abraham, “But you, Israel, are My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, The descendants of Abraham My friend” (Isaiah 41:8). Nowhere is it more evident that God both considered Abraham to be a friend and was Himself determined to be a friend to him than in the leadup to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.

For those who may need a refresher, Sodom and Gomorrah were incredibly corrupt cities that existed during the time of Abraham, the great Israelite patriarch and forefather. During Abraham’s time, the Lord identified these cities as irredeemable and determined to destroy them by raining down “brimstone and fire” upon them (Genesis 19:24). The depth of these cities’ depravity is demonstrated by the scandalous, sinful behavior of those in Sodom towards two angels of the Lord who visited the city prior to its destruction (Genesis 19:1-9). Of the no doubt thousands of people who lived in these cities at this time, only one was called “righteous” (2 Peter 2:7) and only four were allowed to escape the judgment of the Lord (Genesis 19:16). Each of these four though would eventually demonstrate that leaving the depraved Sodom did not mean that the depravity of Sodom had left them, even the one who had formerly been righteous (Genesis 19:26, 30-36).

Abraham did not live in or near Sodom and Gomorrah. However, this region impacted him in at least four ways: 1) The surrounding area was land Abraham had been promised by the Lord (Genesis 13:14-17) and land in which he could have sojourned had he not generously ceded it to another (Genesis 13:9, 11-12); 2) The Lord’s judgment would dramatically reshape not only the cities but the region surrounding them (Genesis 13:10); 3) Abraham’s nephew, Lot, had chosen at first to live first near (Genesis 13:12) and eventually in Sodom (Genesis 14:12), being the sole person identified as “righteous” there (2 Peter 2:7); 4) Abraham had previously rescued inhabitants of the city of Sodom after they were taken captive as prisoners of war (Genesis 14:8-16). God knew all of this. Consequently, before Sodom and Gomorrah’s destruction, we find God doing two extraordinary things: 1) God, along with two of His angels, somehow makes an in-person visit to Abraham before sending the angels to personally investigate Sodom (Genesis 18:1-16); 2) After revealing His plans concerning the impending judgment to Abraham (Genesis 18:20-21), God answers Abraham’s objections, even allowing him to request for the city to be spared based on an ever-decreasing amount of righteous inhabitants (Genesis 18:22-33). Before God shares His plans with Abraham, He says this:


When I read a passage like this, I try to remind myself of God’s sovereignty, omniscience, and omnipotence. Reflecting on these attributes typically leads me to the following conclusion: God did not have to do what He did in the way He did it. He could have done it a different way. This leads me to ask two more questions: 1) Why did God do what He did instead of doing something else? 2) What can I learn from God choosing to do things the way that He did? When I ask questions like these, I know that my answers, especially the ones I give for the first question, can’t be stated with the same level of certainty as clearly revealed Biblical truth. At the same time, I believe these kinds of reflections are valuable and faith building.

As I reflect upon what God did, I can’t help but compare it with the description given of His relationship with Abraham: a friendship. “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing” does not seem to be asked merely because of what Abraham and his household are doing / would later do or even what God Himself intends to do for and through Abraham. It describes the kind of consideration that exists inside of a friendship. If you had to do something that would potentially affect a friend physically or emotionally, would you tell him or her about it before you did it? And would you listen patiently as your friend expressed his or her concerns about your plan? Would you do everything in your power to help your friend be comfortable with your decision? Well, that’s exactly what God did.

It can be easy to paint a picture from events like the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah of a God who is like the sinners of the Gentile world described in Romans 1, “undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful” (Romans 1:31). It’s incredible though how often one of these pictures which could be distorted is found right alongside of another (or several) of a God who is clearly as thoughtful, loving, and kind as He calls us to be. God will be your judge, but He wants to be your Savior. More than that: as Abraham discovered, He wants to be your friend, in fact, your best friend.

Today, Jesus says, “You are My friends if you do whatever I command you” (John 15:14). And, as the hymn says, “There’s not a friend like the lowly Jesus. No, not one!” So, will someone one day say of you, “________ was the friend of God”?

-Patrick Swayne  
patrick@tftw.org