Genesis 18
17 And Jehovah said, Shall I hide from Abraham that which I do; (Why not, hasn't He hidden His plan and purpose from 99.999999 % of all who have ever lived?)
18 seeing that Abraham had surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? (How many in Christianity and the world really believe this?)
19 For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of Jehovah, to do righteousness and justice; to the end that Jehovah may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.
20 And Jehovah said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; (As are the sins of all the world, believers and non believers alike)
21 I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.
22 And the men turned from thence, and went toward Sodom (Sound familiar?): but Abraham stood yet before Jehovah. (Not a follower of men....)
23 And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou consume the righteous with the wicked? (Good question Abraham)
24 Peradventure there are fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou consume and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?
25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked, that so the righteous should be as the wicked; that be far from thee: shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? (How many of us and how often do we think like Abraham?)
26 And Jehovah said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sake.
27 And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, who am but dust and ashes: (Yes, this is true but we are valuable enough to have been ransomed by the Son of God!)
28 peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, I will not destroy it, if I find there forty and five.
29 And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for the forty's sake.
30 And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there.
31 And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the twenty's sake.
32 And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the ten's sake. (You are on a roll there Abraham, not even God will object or condemn your faith and merciful pleading)
33 And Jehovah went his way, as soon as he had left off communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place. (We all know it did not exactly turn out real well except for Lot but we all know the value in God's eyes of even one saved, aren't we all "saved" one at a time, in our own season, at His pleasure?)
Exodus 32
7 And Jehovah spake unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, that thou broughtest up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves: (Haven't we all?)
8 they have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed unto it, and said, These are thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. (It is a hard thing to discard our old idols)
9 And Jehovah said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people: (Is He talking about me?)
10 now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation. (Uh oh, I might be in real trouble here)
11 And Moses besought Jehovah his God, and said, Jehovah, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, that thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? (Go Moses!)
12 Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, saying, For evil did he bring them forth, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people.
13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever. (On a roll, just like Abraham!)
14 And Jehovah repented of the evil which he said he would do unto his people. (Amen)
Numbers 14
11 And Jehovah said unto Moses, How long will this people despise me? and how long will they not believe in me, for all the signs which I have wrought among them? (How many times have we ourselves asked this question, how many times have we ourselves failed as well?)
12 I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of thee a nation greater and mightier than they.
13 And Moses said unto Jehovah, Then the Egyptians will hear it; for thou broughtest up this people in thy might from among them;
14 and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that thou Jehovah art in the midst of this people; for thou Jehovah art seen face to face, and thy cloud standeth over them, and thou goest before them, in a pillar of cloud by day, and in a pillar of fire by night.
15 Now if thou shalt kill this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of thee will speak, saying,
16 Because Jehovah was not able to bring this people into the land which he sware unto them, therefore he hath slain them in the wilderness. (And this is still being said to this day)
17 And now, I pray thee, let the power of the Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying,
18 Jehovah is slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression; and that will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, upon the third and upon the fourth generation.
19 Pardon, I pray thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy lovingkindness, and according as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now. (Are we consistently praying this prayer?)
20 And Jehovah said, I have pardoned according to thy word: (Amen! How awesome are the prayers for mercy heard and answered!)
Peace,
Joe
P.S. There are many, many examples of the men of old giving us an example of how we should compassionately view our brethren, and they have not even been given the same promise as we have been blessed with and perhaps chosen to receive.