the presence of evil that brings God’s mercy and long-suffering to an end; rather, it is the absence of good! 2) Although God sometimes inspires us to pray by showing us things to come (v. 17), our intercession must be in line with God’s character and covenant with men. Like Abraham, we may appeal to God to preserve His name, honor, and perfect justice before the world (v. 25). 3) Although we often measure influence by numbers, man’s arithmetic cannot be used to estimate the impact of the righteous.