Gen. 18
The Lord communicated the knowledge of what He was about to do concerning Sodom. The place the Church stands in is similar to that of Abraham with God; and this word is a very descriptive display of the ground of intimacy the Lord sets His people on with Himself. Ours is in a higher sense because Abraham stood on the earth, the place of judgment; but in us it is a far more blessed thing as we are altogether out of the place of judgment, enjoying the blessing itself; God “having made known to us the mystery of his will,” &c.
The men rose up and looked towards Sodom. The Lord directed them as the executors of His judgment, and Abraham went with them to show them the way. The Lord makes His saints His companions, not invariably, but still it is their privilege. “Who hath known the mind of the Lord? but we have the mind of Christ.” Thus in the communications God has made to us, He has made us His companions in the best way; for there cannot be a better way one can show love to another, than by communicating to him his thoughts and feelings. “Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.” So we are to walk with Christ until He comes to take us up to Himself. The exercise and path of faith is down here; and, mark, the Church is above judgment (not above discipline for their good). Lot looked towards Sodom; but Abraham was out of it. Abraham being the Lord's companion is not only delivered out of the judgment, but when the Lord is going to judge, He tells Abraham about it. “Shall I hide from Abraham the thing which I do?” “For I know him.” So it is with us, the ground of this communication is the thought the Lord has about us—He has centered His love upon us, and therefore He lets us into His confidence. He has put Abraham into the place of covenant blessing. So He has united the Church to Christ—associated it with Christ. And He says, If I have brought Abraham into this place I will introduce him into the knowledge of what it is— “spoken of his house for a great while to come.” So God has made known to us the mystery of His will because of the place in which He has put the Church.
“I know him” —there is great blessing in this word. It is a different thing from the judgment. The Lord does not talk in this way about those He is going to judge. When He talks about judgment, He talks about inquiring, “I will go down and see;” and until He has fully investigated it, He will not touch them. It is not so with the saints; He has no need to go down to see about them, for He fully knows them, as He said of Abraham “I know him.” The cry of Sodom had come up before God; but, before going to execute judgment, He will go down and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it which is come unto Him. “The men went towards Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the Lord.” That is blessed. Thus if the Lord knows Abraham, so that he is able to get the blessing, he stays with the Lord Himself. He is going to bring judgment on the world, but He will not smite until He cannot help it; but no judgment coming on the world can separate Abraham from God. God's eye so rests upon Abraham, that Abraham rests quiet in God. And so it is with us, whatever trial may be coming on the world, our place is to abide with the Lord Himself, and then, like Abraham, the effect of having drunk into this grace will be to be calm, quiet, and happy. Our place is not to go down to search out the depths of iniquity, but to let the cry come up to us. There will be Lots many; but let us be with God on the mountain, abiding in perfect peace with the Lord Himself. Abraham, being in perfect peace, had nothing to ask for himself, and was therefore free to intercede for others. So it was in the case of Abimelech: if Abraham be a prophet, if he has this intimacy with the mind of the Lord, let him pray for thee. So it is with us “If ye abide in me, and my words,” &c. The possession of the Lord's mind gives the power of intercession for others (not like Jacob, with whom the Lord had to wrestle, because of the crookedness in himself, and therefore He could not communicate to him His name which was secret, although He blessed him). Jacob had to get the blessing for himself, and therefore he had not power to get it for others, but Abraham had the knowledge of that communion which must produce great peace and joy (there is reverence of course “I am but dust and ashes,” but perfect intimacy as well). “And the Lord went his way as soon as he had done communing with Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.” Abraham's position is with the Lord, in perfect peace, in unquestioning confidence, having no question to settle with God, but on that ground where he can enjoy perfect communion.