Abraham appeals to God's character directly: 'Far be it from you to do such a thing — to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?' The double 'far be it from you' and the direct appeal to God as 'the Judge of all the earth' — who must do right — is one of the boldest prayers in Scripture. It is also deeply reverent: Abraham is not lecturing God but appealing to the God who has already revealed himself as just. Deuteronomy 32:4 declares that God's works are perfect and all his ways are just. Psalm 97:2 states that righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. Abraham is not teaching God about justice; he is appealing to God on the basis of God's own declared character. The application: praying God's character back to him — 'you are the Judge of all the earth; will you not do right?' — is the most solid ground for intercession.

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