Sodom: Sin, Warming, Sudden Destruction
- Ken Kalis
- 3 days ago
- 9 min read
I have much experience in sinning; I've been at it for 75 years.
Most of the time, I lived under the mercy of my parents, bosses, or the law.
When I did something serious, I got a warning from the "police."
Next time I broke the law, the Judge suspended my driving license.
Abraham's nephew Lot did not get this; read on and see why.
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Sodom and Gomorrah The Three-ophany is over when the Lord departs from Abraham* (1996-1821 BC) at the end of Genesis 18. However, the other two visitors continue to visit the city of Sodom from Abraham's tent.
An asterisk* after a name means that person is in SPIRITUAL LIVES.
They arrived at night, and Lot (20th century BC) greeted them graciously. When they said they would spend the night in the street, Lot pressured them to come to his house, where he made them a feast and baked unleavened bread.
At this point, the two seemed to be men, and Lot dealt with them. Moses' (1571-1451 BC) account says Lot sat in the gate of Sodom. (Genesis 19:1)
Charles Ellicott (1819-1905) believed ...He had therefore become a citizen of Sodom, probably after the deliverance from the Elamite invasion, when, as a relative of Abraham, he would be treated with great honour.
This personal respect had made him close his eyes to the people's sinfulness, and he had consented to live inside the town, and even to let its citizens marry his daughters. Meanwhile, all intercourse between him and Abraham apparently had ceased, and he had lost all share in the covenant of circumcision..
But the wicked men of the city, burning in perverse lust, stormed Lot's house demanding that these visitors be given to them to rape. The visitors then began to show that they were more than men, although the text still uses that noun to describe them:
But the men put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut to the door. And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door. – verses 10-11
Jonathan Edwards * (1703-1758) And so far has that principle of blindness prevailed, with respect to the things of religion, that it has in a great measure extinguished all light in the minds of many, even in matters of morality, and things that have but a distant relation to religion. So that many whole nations have professedly approved of many things directly contrary to the light of nature; and the most horrid vices and immoralities have been esteemed harmless, yea, accounted virtues among them; such as revenge, cruelty, and incest. Many nations have openly allowed the practice of sodomy.
And with some, marrying their nearest relations has been considered commendable. Many have even worshipped their gods in their temples with acts of drunkenness and whoredom, and the most abominable lewdness. And the more filthy they were in their uncleanness, they thought their gods the more pleased and delighted they thought their gods were with it.
(11) Blindness.—This word occurs elsewhere only in 2Kings 6:18, and in both cases it is plain that actual blindness is not meant. Had the men here been struck with blindness they would not have wearied themselves with trying to find the door, but would either have gone away in terror at the visitation, or, if too hardened for that, would have groped about till they found it.
So, if the Syrian army had been made actually blind, they would have surrendered themselves; nor would it have been practicable to guide an army of blind men on so long a march as that from Dothan to Samaria. In both cases the men were unaware that anything had happened to them.
The people of Sodom thought they saw the door; the Syrians supposed that the locality was one well known to them, and only when the confusion was removed did they become conscious that they were at Samaria. The word really means a disturbance of vision caused by the eye not being in its proper connection with the brain.
And so the men of Sodom ever seemed just upon the point of reaching the door, and pressed on, and strove and quarrelled, but always failed, they knew not how, but as they always supposed by one another’s fault. It is a strange picture of men given over to unbelief and sin, and who “seeing see not,” because they reject the true light. – Ellicott
Now that it was confirmed that the Sodomites were all wicked and there were not among them 10 righteous men, the angels stepped into their primary role, namely rescuing Lot before destroying the city. Lot clearly realized now that these were beings with divine power, as he calls them Lord, Adonai in Hebrew, an emphatic word used only for the name of God. In their actions, we see the character of God at work, first rescuing the elect and second judging the wicked.
The angels were compassionate to Lot and his family:,
Hast thou here any besides? son-in-law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place:
For we will destroy this place, because their cry is waxen great before the face of the LORD; and the LORD hath sent us to destroy it. - Genesis 19:13-14
Lot went to his sons-in-law to warn them, but they mocked him.. Then the angels commanded Lot to take his wife and two daughters and get out lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.
Lot still hesitated, and the angels had to take him by hand and his wife and daughters to drag them out of the city. The blindness spoken of here had taken control of their minds. Having lived amid sin for so long, they were used to it, thought it was normal, and refused to leave.
Even when the angels brought them out, they had to tell them they were fleeing for their lives: Don't look back! But so dear to her was this wicked place that Lot's wife turned back to look, and was turned into a pillar of salt.
Even as they brought them out, Lot did not obey and went to the mountain, where they would be safe from the fiery destruction falling on the five cities of the plain.
And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed. – Genesis 19:18
When the sun came up:
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Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;
And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. --Genesis 19:24-25
In a brief follow-up, we find it was because of Abraham that God remembered Lot and brought him out of the destruction. - Genesis 19:29
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Sodom, the city, and Sodomy and Sin
All that we know about Sodom comes from the Bible. The LORD destroyed it in 1897 BC, along with the other four cities of the plain on the east side of Jordan. These were lush, well-watered plains inhabited by the sons and grandsons of Noah. The city was founded shortly after the Flood and the Tower of Babel.
When Abraham's nephew Lot separated from his uncle, he chose Sodom and became a citizen there. In 1920 BC, he did this despite the Bible's observation, but the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly. - Genesis 13:13
At that time, Sodom was under the rule of Chedorlaomer, the king of Elam. However, when the king of Sodom joined with the kings of the other cities of the plain, Chedorlaomer and his allies crushed them in battle, took all the goods as spoil, and took Lot captive. When Abraham heard of this, he organized 318 of his servants to counterattack in a surprise attack north of Damascus. Lot was restored, and Melchizadec came to accept tithes from Abraham.
Lot did not stay with Abraham but returned to the city with the men who were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly. The Bible is not explicit about their wickedness but the sin of sodomy is most frequently cited. We see them in the text trying to rape the angels.
What is "sodomy"? Wikipedia says, Sodomy also called buggery in British English, generally refers to either anal sex (but occasionally also oral sex) between people, or any sexual activity between a human and another animal (bestiality). It may also mean any non-procreative sexual activity (including manual sex).
Originally the term sodomy, which is derived from the story of Sodom and Gomorrah in the Book of Genesis,was commonly restricted to homosexual anal sex.] Sodomy laws in many countries criminalized the behavior. In the Western world, many of these laws have been overturned or are routinely not enforced.[9] A person who practices sodomy is sometimes referred to as a sodomite, a pejorative term.
The Law of Moses had not yet been written, and the Bible does not say they worshipped the LORD. Being under the rule of the king of Elam, it is possible they practiced the Elamite religion, which is not well known. According to one source, they had three main gods: Kirisha, “the great goddess,” Khumban, the god of the sky, and Inshushinak, “the protector of Susa.”
Worship of these idols could explain "the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly." The Bible makes it clear that the sins of Sodom were great:
In Ezeliel, we have the LORD's judgment:
Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.
And they were haughty, and committed abomination (see below) before me: therefore I took them away as I saw [good]. - Ezekiel 16:49-50
The final scriptural testimony is from Jude, Jesus' brother
Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. - Jude 1:7
Lot put himself into their corruption and sin slowly, but surely. He separted from his uncle and his uncle's God, by choosing what looked good to him. Then he moved his tent and flocks there, moved into the city, and became an alderman. Overall he spent 23 years in that wicked place but was still accounted "righteous" in 2 peter 2:9 There Albert Barnes says:
Lot is called “just,” because he preserved himself uncontaminated amidst the surrounding wickedness. As long as he lived in Sodom he maintained the character of an upright and holy man.
Vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked - By the corrupt and licentious conduct of the wicked around him. ......... The corruption of Sodom was open and shameless; and as Lot was compelled to see much of it, his heart was pained. The word here rendered “vexed,” means that he was wearied or burdened. The crimes of those around him he found it hard to bear with.
The Jews take a very harsh view of Lot in the Talmud, blaming him for Sodom's destruction and accusing him of abandoning Abraham and his God. The New Testament view is that he was righteous and brought out of Sodom because the LORD loved him.
Sometimes, I feel like Lot, dwelling in the midst of evil. I feel "unclean" when I read the world's newspapers. I have failed the LORD many times, more than Lot, but He has helped and removed me from evil places. Praise God.
I am using this opportunity to rededicate my life to Jesus, to serve him with my whole heart. Please pray for me, and let me pray for you. That's what the Comments section is for! Remember how God took care of Lot and know that He cares for you!
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When I fear my faith will fail,
Christ will hold me fast;
When the tempter would prevail,
He can hold me fast.
Refrain
He will hold me fast,
He will hold me fast;
For my Savior loves me so,
He will hold me fast.
I could never keep my hold,
He will hold me fast;
For my love is often cold,
He must hold me fast.
Refrain
I am precious in His sight,
He will hold me fast;
Those He saves are His delight.
He will hold me fast.
Refrain
He’ll not let my soul be lost,
Christ will hold me fast;
Bought by Him at such a cost,
He will hold me fast.
Refrain
: Ada R. Habershon, 1906.
I shall lose none of all that He has given Me. Jesus in John 6:39
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