- Genesis 18:32 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.”
If you’ve been in theologically liberal circles, or perhaps even if you’re familiar with C.S. Lewis’ book, Mere Christianity, you’ve likely encountered the idea that Christ’s death was not a representative, or substitutionary, death. There are various ‘theories’ concerning the atonement of Christ. Some believe that he died primarily as an example, showing us the blessed way of sacrifice and service. Others believe that his death only served the purpose of defeating Satan, but in no way actually ‘atones’ for sin.
Yet, beginning in Genesis 18, if we trace the idea of representative-based forgiveness throughout the Old Testament, it should become clear that God’s intention in the sacrifice of his Beloved was indeed that the Christ would be a representative of his people, serving as a sacrifice on their behalf on account of their sins.
God declares to Abraham that for the sake of 50, 45, 40, 30, 20, or even 10 righteous men in Sodom he will spare the unrighteous of the land from judgment. Matthew Henry comments on this passage: ‘See how swift God is to show mercy; he even seeks a reason for it.’
The issue is not that God is not willing to forgive, but that he must find a reason to forgive, that his justice might be satisfied. Yet in this case, he cannot find 10 who are righteous.
From this point forward in the Old Testament, as Israel falls into sin, God is constantly looking for a righteous man who can stand as a representative of the people that he might forgive the unrighteous masses for the sake of the righteous few. Yet even the most righteous men are not righteous enough:
- Ezekiel 14:14 even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver but their own lives by their righteousness, declares the Lord GOD.
And so he continues:
- Ezekiel 22:30 And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.
- Jeremiah 5:1 ¶ Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, look and take note! Search her squares to see if you can find a man, one who does justice and seeks truth, that I may pardon her.
- Psalm 14:2 The LORD looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God.
Yet, still, there was no man to be found, and so:
- Isaiah 59:16 He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no one to intercede; then his own arm brought him salvation, and his righteousness upheld him.
God desired to show mercy, he revealed to Abraham the truth that he was willing to forgive the unrighteous many for the sake of the righteous few, but he could find none righteous on the earth – so his own arm would have to bring salvation – God would have to come himself as the righteous representative of his people.
And so comes the Lord Jesus Christ, born in Bethlehem, born of woman, born under the law, fulfilling the law in all respects. Living the life we couldn’t live and dying the death we deserved.
He was more righteous than Abraham, and yet he himself took on a judgment worse than Sodom – facing the full wrath of God on the cross.
Sodom received God’s judgment because, in their sin, they had only Abraham to intercede, but now Christ has come, the great Intercessor, who not only intercedes, but serves as our substitute – the righteous man who stands in the gap. He is the great Mediator between God and Man, interceding and representing:
- 1 John 2:1 ¶ My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
Jesus Christ, the righteous One, is our Representative, standing in the gap between us and God. And he is our greater Abraham, for he is not pleading, ‘If there be 50, 45, 40, 30, 20, 10.’ Rather, he stands before the judgment seat of the Father, interceding thus: ‘Father, forgive them for my sake.’
And the Father replies, ‘For your sake I will do it.’
Believe in him as he is offered in the gospel and find an advocate with the Father.
