I overthrew some of you, as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and you were as a brand plucked out of the burning; yet you did not return to me, declares the Lord. Unless otherwise indicated, all content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. And he broke down the houses of the male cult prostitutes who were in the house of the Lord, where the women wove hangings for the Asherah. B So yes, Sodom was judged for homosexual sinwhich flowed from pride, which also led to cruelty and exploitation of their fellow men and women. Matthew is pointing out two things about the destruction of these cities: Jesus told his disciples, If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. Contact me: openbibleinfo (at) gmail.com. This makes the Lord turn Lots wife into a pillar of salt. And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the splendor and pomp of the Chaldeans, will be like Sodom and Gomorrah when God overthrew them. How Many Times Is God Mentioned in The US Constitution? (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) If the Lord of hosts had not left us a few survivors, we should have been like Sodom, and become like Gomorrah. It is incredible how much our Father loves each one of us! WebSodom and Gomorrah was not about being gay. The fact that the men of Sodom so quickly (and unanimously) refused Lots offer of his daughters shows that rape could not be the primary sin of the men of Sodom. Ezekiel 16:49-50 says, They were prideful, abundance of idleness; they were selfish and did not help those that were poor and needy. O And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the Lord. Then the men set out from there, and they looked down toward Sodom. Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the Lord has spoken: Children have I reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against me. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near. It says nothing about loving gay relationships, and actually condemns the sort of violence sometimes done to gays and lesbians. Genesis He said: It will be more bearable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for you. What does this mean? Understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine. And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city that symbolically is called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified. If by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the Lord out of heaven. Now it must be admitted that homosexual behavior was only the outward manifestation of their true sin. The Bible is clear that God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because of the sin that was committed. They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Behold, here are my virgin daughter and his concubine. L Z. If by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked. K In the biblical narrative, Lot was grieved when the messengers informed him that his people would perish. Words like haughty, bitter, venom, wanton, idleness, (when they could have been helping others) leap out of the verses as a description of a self-absorbed, hedonistic people who cared nothing for others. This evidence suggests that the primary sin of Sodom was inhospitality. The Bible describes Sodom as being filled with violence and sexual immorality (Genesis 13:13). J https://www.researchgate.net/publication/250180760_Women_of_Sodom_and_Gomorrah_Collateral_Damage_in_the_War_against_Homosexuality, Noahs Flood: a Historical, Global Catastrophe. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth and said, O Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant. WebThe Genesis 19 account of Sodom and Gomorrah is a story of attempted gang rape of two "outsiders." Terms of Service apply. Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord. Jesus said of Lots time (verses 28-29). Internet Explorer is no longer supported. In the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim, these kings made war with Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. And he overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. And they called to Lot, Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, that we may know them. Then the Lord said, Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave. Contextually, that is poor exegesis. We need to keep in mind that it was God, the righteous judge (2 Timothy 4:8) who condemned Sodom, Gomorrah, and the other cities on the plain. So Lot went out and said to his sons-in-law, who were to marry his daughters, Up! This is alluded to in comparisons with Israel when it was deep in sin. Just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire. If you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive you. Woe to you, Bethsaida! Visit the Bible online to search for words if you dont know the specific passage yourre looking for. So lets start with examining that position. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA, and the Google God considers all sexual sin abhorrent in his eyes (Galatians 5:19-21). About this time the Sodomites grew proud, on account of their riches and great wealth: they became unjust toward men, and impious toward God, insomuch that they did not call to mind the advantages they received from him: they hated strangers and abused themselves with Sodomitical practices.6, Now, when the Sodomites saw the young men to be of beautiful countenances, and this to an extraordinary degree, and that they took up their lodgings with Lot, they resolved themselves to enjoy these beautiful boys by force and violence.7. It seems unlikely that such wicked people would have been destroyed if one or two individuals had been righteous. What did Jesus say about Sodom and Gomorrah? OpenBible.info Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the Lord out of heaven. They had no interest in sexual relations with women; only after Lot offered them a heterosexual alternative did they then decide that they would now forcefully seize and rape Lot (deal worse with you), and this would have been in contrast to the way they had desired to "deal with them." But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, all the people to the last man, surrounded the house. The destruction wasnt because God hated them or wanted them goneit was because their wickedness had reached an extreme point where nothing could be done but destroy them, Even after this destruction, there are many lessons we can learn from what happened in those two cities. And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? Let me bring them out to you, and do to them as you please. And he looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and toward all the land of the valley, and he looked and, behold, the smoke of the land went up like the smoke of a furnace. You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived, and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, to which I am bringing you. Did Jesus say anything about Sodom and Gomorrah? Even though we deserve nothing but hellfire forever and ever, He gives us grace instead so that we may live with Him again after death (2 Corinthians 5:8). Parents are cautioned. And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar. P Zachary Pierce, Let Us Not Be Like Sodom: Revisiting the Cultural Critique of Genesis 19:111 in an Age of Political Violence. Academia.edu website, Accessed July 24, 2019, https://www.academia.edu/37585122/Let_Us_Not_Be_Like_Sodom_Revisiting_the_Cultural_Critique_of_Genesis_19_1_11_in_an_Age_of_Political_Violence. Get out of this place, for the Lord is about to destroy the city. But he seemed to his sons-in-law to be jesting. Copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. So I removed them, when I saw it. says the Lord; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats. I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. Luke 10:12. And the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. Y But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. A negotiation between Abraham and God appears to take place on behalf of the righteous people of both cities. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Jesus also said that God knows the hearts of all people; so we have to watch our motives and strive to be as pure in heart as possible. Therefore some critics have pointed this out as a Bible contradiction. The lot and his family are the only remaining virtuous individuals in the city, so the angels urge them to leave immediately. The whole land burned out with brimstone and salt, nothing sown and nothing growing, where no plant can sprout, an overthrow like that of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, which the Lord overthrew in his anger and wrath, And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar. Q They were a prideful people and delighted in cruelty and neglected any form of social justice. Peter was referencing the text from Genesis 19 where Jesus, Yahweh, the Lord, destroyed the men And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works had been done in Sodom which was done in thee, it would have remained until this day. Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy. Their story echoes the flood narrative in Genesis in its theme of Gods wrath caused by mans transgression. That is Sodom and Gomorrah. And the people will oppress one another, every one his fellow and every one his neighbor; the youth will be insolent to the elder, and the despised to the honorable. Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town. In Genesis 18, the Lord shared His plans to destroy these cities due to their sins: "Because the outcry The Bible is not V Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom. Then her husband arose and went after her, to speak kindly to her and bring her back. Lot went out to the men at the entrance, shut the door after him. I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town. But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, all the people to the last man, surrounded the house. So the enemy took all the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their provisions, and went their way. So I removed them, when I saw it. And his concubine was unfaithful to him, and she went away from him to her father's house at Bethlehem in Judah, and was there some four months. And he overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. The fate of these cities is held up by religious conservatives to justify the suppression of non-heterosexual people and to fan hatred of same sex eroticism and gender fluidity. You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination. For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues; And if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard); Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lotthey were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed. All of these are manifestations of pride itself. WebAs when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring cities, declares the Lord, so no man shall dwell there, and no son of man shall sojourn in her. Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. WebGenesis 19:1-38 ESV / 68 helpful votesHelpfulNot Helpful. As they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, worthless fellows, surrounded the house, beating on the door. Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues; The sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, But I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you.. Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on Judgment Day than for that town. (NIV). And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? But Lot's wife, behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt. They considered their views enlightened, but Jesus said they needed enlightening. U In those days, when there was no king in Israel, a certain Levite was sojourning in the remote parts of the hill country of Ephraim, who took to himself a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah. At the very end of the hour, a caller began yammering loudly about the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah (homosexuality, in his opinion) and how God struck them down Ezekiel 16:49-50 explains that As when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring cities, declares the Lord, so no man shall dwell there, and no son of man shall sojourn in her. Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy. Woe to them! Bring them out to us, that we may know them.. The propensity for violence, rape, and adultery (which must have also been occurring in Sodom, since there were no women present at this mob scene) are all factors here though. But Lot's wife, behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt. The men of Sodom wanted to rape Lots visitors; he offered his virgin daughters to them instead but they rejected this offer (Genesis 19:8-9). A fruitful land into a salty waste, because of the evil of its inhabitants. There were likely many cases of rape in Sodom, but it seems clear that all the men of the city (except Lot, and perhaps his sons-in-law mentioned in verse 14) had become bisexual or preferentially homosexual. And they also had Lot living among them, who though weak was described as a righteous man by the Apostle Peter. The two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. The story represents, for Christianity, a tale "of homophobic genocide" signifying the "culture's desire that gay people not be".4, Thus, even if the angels had been consenting, it is wrong to read the Sodomite's demand as anything else but an act of abuse of outsiders. For the look on their faces bears witness against them; they proclaim their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it.