‘And he spoke to him yet again and said, “It may be that forty will be found there.”
And he said, “I will not do it for forty's sake.” And he said, “Oh, let not the Lord be angry and I will speak. It may be that there will be thirty found there.” And he said “I will not do it if I find thirty there.” And he said, “See, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord. It may be that there will be twenty found there.” And he said, “I will not do it for the twenty's sake.” And he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once. It may be that ten will be found there.” And he said, “I will not destroy it for the ten's sake.”
Each request of Abraham, torn in his heart as he looks down on Sodom and considers its fate, receives a similar response, until even Abraham is satisfied. He dare go no further. Surely there must be ten there? If not they can deserve no mercy. Some have questioned stopping at ten. But ten represents at the most two families. If there is only one family that is not unrighteous, and that composed of sojourners, (and Abraham is aware of that one family), he knows there can be no plea. Sodom deserves its fate.
The whole passage is important. It emphasises God's justice in dealing with Sodom as He does. God does not want to destroy but He has no alternative. Abraham's very plea finally demonstrates that it has gone beyond the possibility of redemption. One day God will have to make the same decision about the world. At present God deals with the world on the same basis, sparing the many for the sake of the few. But one day He will call time. Then He will take out the few and His judgment will come.
But Abraham's request is satisfied in one way. While the Lord will not spare the city he will save ‘the righteous'. The next passage reveals this in the deliverance of Lot. Yet Lot is only righteous in that he has not gone beyond the borders of acceptability. He has sat in the gate of Sodom, sharing its environment and even possibly its rule as a city elder. He has condoned the behaviour of the people of Sodom by his silence. He has remained among them in spite of their behaviour, not in order to evangelise them but in order to share their wealth.
Would then the Lord have destroyed Lot with the city had it not been for Abraham? The question requires no answer. Yahweh knows that His servant Abraham will not fail the test (the test is for Abraham's sake). He has thus purposed to save Lot, undeserving though he is. The question is not the deliverance of Lot but the destiny of Sodom.