“For The Sake Of Ten”: A Plea For A Nation

“Look around you. Why would God spare our nation?”

Ever heard that question? It’s a good question. Especially as we approach elections that have the very great possibility of changing our world and all we know in drastic ways. Everyone knows there is much at stake.

Have you ever sat back and thought that our nation is going completely down the tubes? Have you ever felt you were watching helplessly as we drown in our own entitlement and blatant idolatry? Have you ever seen the brazen rebellion of our nation and wondered why God has stilled his hand as long as he has?

I have. Because, let’s be honest, our country has some major issues. Major sin issues. And if we’re even more honest… the church hasn’t always been all it ought to be in the midst of it.

I’ve thought many times of Sodom and Gomorrah. The outright wickedness of that city was incredibly great. These were cities that hated God and his laws, and God rained down fire from heaven and utterly destroyed them. I’ve often wondered how long before God will treat us the same. Because God is always within his rights to punish sin. He is a good judge and is never wrong in his wrath toward man’s rebellion.

But as I’ve considered our falling nation, another thought has occurred to me; one I’d never considered, one that encouraged me. See, as much as I like to call out the lies and bias of “the media”, there is one part that I have been falling for hook, line, and sinker without even realizing it.

The media would like us to believe that all but a very few in our country find God’s laws meaningless and outdated. The media would like us to believe that most people are in support of the rioting in our streets and those who don’t support it are racist. The media would like us to believe that most in our country don’t care about God’s intention for gender or family roles. The media would like us to believe that the general public cares so little for our unborn children that we will put into office someone who will gladly take their lives. The media would like us to believe that everyone is living fearful, anxious, hopeless lives in the midst of a global pandemic. The media would like us to believe that our country, as a whole, has turned from God completely.

That is the narrative we are being told to believe and I’ve realized that, as I’ve considered the state of our country (which is bad, no doubt), I’ve fallen for it. I’ve believed that these are the things that define America in total. I watch the news and then think to myself… we. are. sunk.

Because, um, Sodom and Gomorrah, right?

Well, do we consider the whole story? Do we remember that God didn’t just look down, see the great sin of these two cities, and then immediately blow it to bits, no questions asked or questions answered?

Have we forgotten a certain conversation between Abraham and the LORD? Remember his questions, his desperate pleas?

“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 in from you to put the righteous to death with the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?”

And what did the LORD answer him? What was his reply?

“If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”

If there had been just FIFTY righteous, the LORD would have spared. But if you’ve read the story, you know if doesn’t end there. Abraham goes on to plead with the LORD, asking if he would spare for the sake of forty-five righteous… forty righteous, thirty, twenty righteous… but even more beautiful is his last inquiry:

“Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there.”

Then came our good Lord’s most gracious reply:

“For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.”

Now, let me be clear, I am not saying that this country is full of perfect people who never make mistakes. I am not saying that there a mass population of people that have somehow earned God’s grace by all their righteous deeds.

But here is what I will say: I believe with all my heart that there are ten righteous in our nation. I believe there are ten and I believe there are many, many more. I believe there are those, made righteous by the blood of Christ, who are standing for truth, for what is good, for what is right. There are Americans who, by God’s grace, however imperfectly, strive to love and serve God and others as they walk in obedience to His word. I KNOW there are ten. I’ve met COUNTLESS people who possess a desperate desire to see God glorified and their fellow man transformed by his goodness and perfect Word. These are people who fight against the temptation to love the things of this world, rather than give in and embrace it as many have done. They know what God has commanded is the only true good that there is and that a fallen and confused mankind is lost if they take a step in any other direction.

The media will not talk about these people, and if they do, they will portray them as the enemy, the hindrance to “progress”, the racist, the hater, the self-righteous bigot. The secular media wants NOTHING to do with those who walk in obedience to the Word of God because the Word of God is offensive, it holds a higher standard than we can ever meet on our own and without His grace. Righteousness means sacrifice, dying to self, and that’s just not very popular in a selfish, sinful world. So the media would rather have us believe that righteousness is simply not on trend and basically no one is doing it anymore.

Let’s call out that lie from hell for what it is.

Because God calls, God saves, and God sanctifies.

Because there are ten… there are tens of thousands.

So, let’s plead that case before our good and perfect Judge. He is good. He is perfect. And no matter what may come on Election Day, he will remain so. But let us be on our knees, begging as Abraham did for the remaining righteous in our nation. Maybe you know the people I’m speaking of. Maybe you’re one of them. But even if you haven’t been. Even if you haven’t carried the torch of boldness and great love for Christ and the Word of God… there’s never been a better time to begin.

Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? (Romans 2:4)

It’s never too late to grab hold of God’s grace and seek him while he may be found.

The church in America is far from perfect, but a friend of mine offered a great encouragement the other day. When we hear that often quoted verse from 2 Chronicles:

“…if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”…

it’s vital to realize that God was speaking to HIS people. He was not speaking to those whom he had not called. We do not need every person in the US of A to turn to God for him to heal our land. But HIS people must. Those of us called by HIS name. It is the children of God who must humble ourselves, pray, seek the Lord and repent.

And then be encouraged by the tens of thousands in our nation who still care for the things that God has called good. Do not despair. Do not give up hope. No matter what happens in the coming days, never cease to intercede for the people of God, and for those who have yet to come to him. Never cease to pray that God might spare. Care enough for your fellow believer. Care enough for those still under God’s wrath.

Be careful of self-righteousness as you pray. Let’s not forget the childhood story of Jonah, of his call of repentance to Nineveh. When Jonah finally reached Nineveh (after at first refusing to go), he preached truth to the people of that wicked city, they REPENTED, God chose to spare their city and then Jonah became angry that they didn’t receive what they deserved. He said:

 “That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster.”

Jonah KNEW that God takes pleasure in giving grace and forgiving those who don’t deserve it (that’s all of us, btw). He felt God’s relenting was unfair. Our merciful God saw repentance and felt compassion. He said to Jonah:

“…should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left…?”

Do we deserve his mercy? No. None of us do. But He is good and he promises it to those who ask.

So, let’s plead for our country. Let’s speak the truth in love. Let’s intercede rather than complain. Let’s offer hope to those under God’s wrath, those running from Him at break neck speed, rather than throwing up our hands in despair. Remember that our hope doesn’t lie in a candidate, a Supreme Court justice, or what party majority rules the house or senate. Our hope is not so easily broken, not so quickly overruled, not so ever changing. Our hope lies in the Ruler and Creator of not just our country, but the heavens and the earth and everything in them. Our hope lies Him, our refuge, our strength, our Father who is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

I know things might seem dark… but there is a Light that shines brighter still. I know things seem uncertain… but no matter what, our future is secure. I know the righteous may seem few… but God will preserve his people.

So. Be the ten.

Intercede for the ten.

That’s all it would have taken to save the city.