Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, “The Law and the Covenants,”pp. 370–373, in Patriarchs and Prophets.Abraham’s patient and tenacious plea with God on behalf of thepeople of Sodom (Gen. 18:22–33) should encourage us to pray for thewicked, even though they appear to be in a hopeless condition of sin.Furthermore, God’s attentive response to Abraham’s insistence, andHis willingness to forgive for the sake of only “ten” righteous men is a“revolutionary” concept, as pointed out by Gerhard Hasel:“In an extremely revolutionary manner the old collective thinking,which brought the guiltless member of the guilty association underpunishment, has been transposed into something new: the presence ofa remnant of righteous people could have a preserving function for thewhole. . . . For the sake of the righteous remnant Yahweh would in hisrighteousness [tsedaqah] forgive the wicked city. This notion is widelyexpanded in the prophetic utterance of the Servant of Yahweh who workssalvation ‘for many.’ ”—Gerhard F. Hasel, The Remnant: The Historyand Theology of the Remnant Idea From Genesis to Isaiah, 3rd ed.(Berrien Springs, MI: Andrews University Press, 1980), pp. 150, 151.“All around us are souls going down to ruin as hopeless, as terrible,as that which befell Sodom. Every day the probation of some is closing.Every hour some are passing beyond the reach of mercy. And where arethe voices of warning and entreaty to bid the sinner flee from this fearfuldoom? Where are the hands stretched out to draw him back from death?Where are those who with humility and persevering faith are pleadingwith God for him? The spirit of Abraham was the spirit of Christ. TheSon of God is Himself the great Intercessor in the sinner’s behalf. Hewho has paid the price for its redemption knows the worth of the humansoul.”—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 140.Discussion Questions: Only the rainbow and circumcision are called “sign of the cov-enant.” What are the common points and the differences betweenthe two covenants? Though called of God, and though often used in the NewTestament as the example of what it means to live by faith,Abraham at times faltered. What lessons should we learn and notlearn from his example? Some people argue against the idea that God will punish thelost, saying that this act would be against God’s love. How do we,as those who believe that—yes, God will punish the lost—respondto the argument that He doesn’t?