The natural environment of our planet is showing troubling signs: the pandemic, the earthquake in Türkiye, the unimaginable heavy snow in California, and the severe cold that has frozen much of the United States. Beyond this, the global political landscape is also filled with tension comparable to that of the Cold War era—Russia’s war with Ukraine, the North Korean nuclear issue, and growing military friction between the United States and China. If things continue without any brakes, the day of humanity’s destruction does not seem far away. We are living in an age that desperately needs intercessory prayer for all humankind.
The Bible presents Abraham as one of the greatest figures in human history. This is because, through faith and obedience, he reversed the separation from God that his ancestors had caused in humanity’s primeval history, reconciling God and humankind once again. As a result, those who come to God with the same faith and obedience as Abraham, the father of faith, can receive and enjoy the original blessings God planned at the beginning of creation. The structure of Genesis shows how Abraham reversed the four acts of rebellion and betrayal against God in humanity’s primeval history found in Genesis 1–11—the incident in the Garden of Eden, the first murder, the Flood, and the Tower of Babel.
Adam, the central figure of the Garden of Eden, was entrusted with managing everything in the garden, with only one restriction: he was to acknowledge God’s ownership of the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Yet Adam ignored God’s command and rebelled. The result was devastating—not only for Adam himself but for all humanity, bringing sin and death. Abraham, however, was different. In a tribal society, leaving one’s homeland, relatives, and father’s house meant completely uprooting oneself from the foundation of life; no one could guarantee one’s security. Yet because the command came from God, Abraham, the father of faith, unlike Adam, obeyed and cast his entire existence toward God in trust.
The first murder in human history was fratricide. In reality, relational conflicts often arise not with strangers but with those closest to us—our own family members. Religious conflict within the family was expressed through the murder of a brother. Abraham’s reversal of family conflict, however, is a most refreshing drama. When his own possessions and those of his nephew Lot increased within a limited land and became a source of family strife, Abraham—though the elder—willingly gave Lot the first choice of the better land. Through Abraham’s generosity, the blessing of God that almost failed to reach humanity because of Cain’s failure was once again made possible for all.
The Flood occurred because human sin and wickedness had reached their peak. God, having decided to destroy humanity, said to Noah: “I will bring a flood to wipe out every living creature. Quickly build an ark and save yourself and your family.” Genesis 6:22 records Noah’s response: “Noah did everything just as God commanded him.” Interestingly, the result of Noah’s obedience was the destruction of all humanity except for Noah’s family. Ancient Jewish rabbinic interpretation, known as the Midrash, imagines a conversation between Noah and God after the Flood and records it as follows (this is, of course, not Scripture but an ancient interpretation that reflects the thinking of the time):
Noah said to God, “God, you are called the Lord of the universe and a compassionate God. Then you should have shown mercy to your creatures.” God replied, “Foolish Noah, only now do you speak. When I told you that I would judge humanity with a flood, you kept your lips tightly sealed and busied yourself building the ark. What I expected from you at that time was for you to plead with me to show mercy to humankind. You built the ark only for yourself, and now, after all humanity has perished, you finally open your mouth to plead.”
In the eyes of the ancient rabbis, Noah’s obedience was cold and heartless—an obedience like ice. Tragically, there was no effort at intercession through dialogue with God to avert divine judgment. As a result, although Noah survived the Flood, he and his descendants continued to live in sin, eventually bringing about the incident of the Tower of Babel. The Flood swept away sinful humanity, but even after the waters receded, the human heart—the source of sin—remained wicked. If the Midrash’s interpretation is sound, God does not desire mechanical obedience from his followers, like robots or computers stripped of human compassion. What God desires is a responsible response to his calling with our whole person and passion. That response is intercessory prayer mixed with our sweat and tears. Sadly, Noah was merely a cowardly bystander who watched humanity perish from a distance, not a courageous prayer warrior who called down God’s mercy upon the earth.
But Abraham, the central figure of Genesis 18, was different. When he heard God’s intention to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, he approached God with indescribable compassion and love for humanity and dared to protest: “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? … Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” (18:25). The Korean translation sounds exceedingly polite. When one reads the Hebrew text, Abraham’s near-blasphemous cry is vividly felt: “God, to kill the righteous along with the wicked is despicable! To treat the righteous and the wicked alike is utterly shameful, God!” Have you ever seen anyone pray to God like this? In Abraham’s cry is a deep reverence that longs for God’s honor and dignity to remain unsullied. “God, to act in such a way is not fitting for your holiness. If you handle matters like this, your holiness will be diminished.” The issue Abraham was truly engaged with went far beyond human well-being and survival—it was God’s honor and glory.
Abraham’s protest and Noah’s silence! Abraham was the first person in history who tried, through dialogue with God, to change God’s course of action. Today, humanity desperately needs such people. Even now, God is earnestly searching for people of prayer like this.