Sodom and Gomorrah

Answers Bible Curriculum Second Edition Unit 4 Lesson 35

This week in Sunday school, we investigate what God did with Sodom and Gomorrah in the days of Abraham. What does Abraham’s intercession on behalf of the city reveal about God’s justice? What are we to learn from the fiery judgment and angelic rescue accomplished afterward in that city? And how do we today compare to the people of Sodom?

Our main texts for this lesson are Genesis 18:16-33 and 19:1-29.

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welcome to Sunday school moving along in our chronological study of the Bible and looking more at the life of Abraham last week talked about the separation of Abraham and lot or Abram as he was known at that time this separation cleared the way for God’s land promised to be given to Abram and Abraham’s seed it also served as a demonstration an opportunity to demonstrate Abraham’s generous future-looking faith we talked about that we need that same kind of faith now lot Abraham’s nephew he ended up settling in the Jordan Valley where Sodom and Gomorrah also were now today we’re gonna jump forward a little bit in the Genesis narrative to finish off the history of these infamous cities as well as the history of lot have to today’s lesson will go back a little bit and resume the story of Abraham now understand this section here about Sodom and Gomorrah this is not part of the Bible just giving arbitrary details about God judging certain ancient cities no this was very purposeful the example of Sodom and Gomorrah is one to which the Old Testament and the New Testament is going to continually make reference even today Sodom and Gomorrah are by words there are names that instantly bring to mind extreme perversion and God severe judgment the account of these cities their doom and lots rescue it was given for our instruction even 2,000 plus years later so let’s be sure not to miss out on what God has for us from the from this passage and so agenda for today’s class looking mainly at Genesis 18 and 19 we first can look at Abraham’s intercession for Sodom and then we’ll look at the account of Sodom judgment and we’ll finish by comparing the situation of Sodom or their own situation today let’s pray before we continue a great God we ask you for your spirit to speak now we want your word to find its way into our hearts to instruct us to convict us to rebuke us to encourage us though this is a wonderful and sobering part of Scriptures I prayed you helped me to be able to explain it and I pray that people would be attentive and be thinking thinking through it Lord and applying it to their lives in Jesus name Amen now where exactly were Sodom and Gomorrah just bringing back the map I showed you last week we don’t know for sure where these cities were but they were somewhere in the Jordan Valley around the Dead Sea and you can see on the map there the Dead Sea area it’s all desert II it’s all barren around it that’s because this is the section of the valley that was judged in in the text that we’re about to look at archaeologists have suggested two different sites for Sodom and Gomorrah one is near the northeast section of the Dead Sea and the other in the southeast section of the Dead Sea digs in these areas have yielded surprising amounts of ash layered in the soil and bits of pottery that were obviously affected by sudden and intense heat now these findings would be consistent with the fiery judgment that is described as coming upon Sodom and the other cities of the valley we saw last time that as lot separated from Abraham and moved into the valley and toward Sodom that Sodom was a city notorious for its wickedness the men the people of Sodom were great evil doers now let’s turn to Genesis 18 and see how the judgment of Sodom begins now just to get you up to speed with this section of Scripture we won’t read the entire chapter at this point Abraham’s name has changed to Abraham and the Lord has confirmed his promises to Abraham in various ways in the beginning of chapter 18 the Lord Himself visits Abraham with two angels and they’re described in the passage as appearing as men God appears as a man he eats a meal prepared by Abraham the readily hospitable Abraham and the two angels also appear as men this provokes a certain question how can God who is spirit who says no one can see my face and live how can he appear as a man to Abraham and even eat something from Abraham you must have had real flesh and bone to do this this is an example of what theologians call a theophany Genesis 18 here we have a theophany or an appearance of God on earth in a tangible form many interpreters also consider this an example of christophany it’s the same idea christophany is an appearance of the pre-incarnate christ the second person of the trinity appears intangible even visible form there’s actually a good argument to sit for treating all appearances of God tangible appearances of God in the Old Testament as christophany that this is the son of God now why is that well because of the son of God’s rule we’re here in the New Testament quite clearly that the son even though God is one God he exists in three persons it is the son who is the mediator between God and man and specifically John 1:18 says it is the sons role to explain the father no one can see God at any time but the the only begotten who was in the bosom of the Father he’s the one who has explained him so in Genesis 18 it is very likely that God as he takes on a temporary but real human body is the son of God and it is the son of God who converses with Abraham and that’s just a little side note so then as we read our passage I know that the son of God likely the son of God has appeared to Abraham he’s told Abraham that Abraham will have a son by this time next year and then he says he’s going to tell Abraham what he’s about to do concerning Sodom and Gomorrah and that’s what we’re gonna pick up reading the text look at Genesis 18 starting in verse 16 I will read down to verse 33 here’s what it says then the man rose up from there and looked down towards Sodom and Abraham was walking with them to send them off the Lord that’s Yahweh yeah I said shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do since Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation and in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed for I have chosen him so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of Yahweh by doing righteousness and justice so that Yahweh may bring upon Abraham what he has spoken about him and you always said the outcry of sodom and gomorrah is indeed great and their sin is exceedingly grave i will go down now and see if they have done entirely according to its outcry which has come to me and if not i will know then the men turned away from there went toward sodom well abraham was still standing before yahweh abraham came near and said will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked suppose there are 50 righteous within the city will you indeed sweep it away and not spare the plates for the sake of the fifty righteous who are in it far be it from you to do such a thing to slay the righteous with the wicked so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike far be it from you shall not the judge of all the earth deal justly so you always said if I find it Sodom 50 righteous within the city and I will spare the whole place on their account and it became replied behold I ventured to speak to the Lord although I am but dust and ashes suppose the fifty are lacking Fox will you destroy the whole city because of five said I will not destroy it if I find 45 there he spoke to him yet again and said suppose for me are on there and he said I will not do it on account of the 40 and he said Oh may the Lord not be angry and I shall speak suppose thirty year found there and he said I will not do it if I find thirty there and he said now behold I adventure to speak to the Lord suppose twenty are found there and he said I will not destroy it on account of the twenty then he said Oh may the Lord not be angry and I shall speak only this once suppose ten are found there and he said well not destroy it on account of the ten as soon as he has finished speaking to Abraham Yahweh departed in Abraham returned to his place start our analysis this message would as always basic observations as he’s about to leave Abraham our Lord says something curious shall I hide from Abraham what I’m about to do it’s a rhetorical question God says I’m not gonna do that and notice the reasoning there’s the reasoning gods mentions for not hiding his plan from here and it’s because God has chosen Abel God has chosen to bless Abraham and God has chosen Abraham Tom walking God’s ways and God says he’s about to observe Sodom to see if the outcry that sin is really accurate now after hearing guns in tension notice the first question of Abraham asks he says will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked but God did not say that he was going to judge Sodom he said it was going to investigate Sodom so based on Abraham’s question what has Abraham assumed yeah Abraham maybe I’m concludes or assumes he says when you investigate it it’s gonna be judgment Abraham already has a sense of how things are going to go now when Abraham asks this question he then presents to God a theoretical situation he says suppose there are 50 righteous people in Sodom will you destroy those 50 along with the wicked now by asking this second question Abraham makes an appeal to God’s character and specifically he appeals to God’s justice hey Pam says God you are just you do not treat the righteous and the wicked the same surely you will not send calamity on the righteous as you do the wicked will you God replies no I won’t if there are 50 righteous within the city I will not destroy the city at all the day p.m. doesn’t stop there he then asked about the same situation with slightly fewer amounts of people starts at 45 then 40 and goes all the way down to 10 just 10 and asked if he will withhold judgment on the whole city for the sake of just ten righteous people what does God say he says he will now this Abraham says no more and the Lord departs yeah but these basic observations let’s consider some questions of interpretation first why does Abraham care what happens to Sodom if he knows it’s such a wicked City what do you think yeah maybe he knows people there in fact we know he knows at least one person there who does he know that lives in Sodom his nephew lot now it may be the Abraham is merely speaking out of a sympathy for men in general but certainly he has a special interest in lot he wants to see lot protected in spare and maybe even the rest of the people of Sodom despite their wickedness it feels a sympathy we do know that law is at least part of his concern because at the end of the account of Sodom in Genesis 1929 what we this again later but it says thus it came about when God destroyed the cities of the valley that God remembered Abraham and sent lot out of the midst of the overthrow when he overthrew the cities in which lot lived so this is a pointed statement yeah Genesis 1929 God says he saves lot because he remembered Abraham it’s because of this special favor that God has on Abraham a special covenant even that he listens to Abraham’s intercession for the city of Sodom and even for a lot now God says the reason he’s going to visit Sodom is because he wants to see whether the outcry of the city is accurate we know though that God is omniscient and he needs not personally to visit anything to know it intimately so then why does God want a personal assessment of sana why does he want to personally go down to the city we know at least part of the answer is is to accomplish a personal rescue for a lot God does know about the city but he’s sovereignly intending to rescue a lot out of the city but there’s something else and this is consistent with the concept of God testing people throughout the scriptures it’s not that God needs to know what’s in that person’s heart but he’s going to display what’s in that person’s heart for everyone else to see even for the people themselves this is true even more we are tempted or tested it’s not that God needs to see what’s happening in our hearts and say oh that’s what they were thinking no he knows but he wants to show us what’s in our heart and he wants to show the people what’s in our heart and this is for bringing sinners to repentance but also for God glorifying himself by displaying true righteousness the righteousness that he puts in people by faith as part of what God does in testing and so does with Sodom with a personal visit God is going to show everyone what he already knows what Sodom is really like now Abraham asserts that God does not treat the righteous and the wicked completely alike is this true well yes yes it is God does treat the righteous and the wicked differently and remember this is one of the central issues in the book of Job job the question is is God really just does he make no distinctions between the righteous and the wicked and does he simply punish them all how it is true that God does many things the same for the righteous in the wicked it’s shoot both the righteous and the wicked will experience hardships and trials in this world but it’s also true that they’ll experience good things and even God’s provision in this world nevertheless God does not treat the righteous and the wicked completely the same and as proverb says God suppose the proud but it gives grace to the humble there’s very different stances against the righteous and the wicked now we may not always see how God is rewarding or being good to the righteous or how God is opposing and confounding the wicked but we know that he is and this is one of the lessons of which job himself was reminded and the principle was even clearer though when it comes to the judgment of God Abraham asserts it would be contrary to the character of God to sweep way the righteous along with the wicked in judgment and where else in the Bible’s we see examples of God sparing the righteous protecting the righteous in judgment while judging the wicked can you think of another example all right so I heard Exodus so the plagues of Egypt that it might be a reference to plagues of Egypt God protects Israel but he brings the plague on the Egyptians or the flood is another great example God protects righteous Noah and his family but it destroys the rest of the wicked world and we could point to many other instances of the Bible Rahab and Jericho she and her family are protected the rest of the city is destroyed or when the spies go into the land of Canaan and I bring back a bad report those spies are killed except for Caleb and Joshua because they brought back a righteous report and they were not judged along with wicked Israel who refused to enter the promised land say the same thing for some of the prophets went Babylon conquered Judah they were protected even though much of Judah was being massacred and enslaved even in the New Testament we had the parable of the wheat and the tares given by Jesus he says don’t try and uproot the tares now because you might uproot you might uproot the wheat my mistake it says wait till the end Wow gathered my wheat into my barn and then I’ll gather up the tares and nobody destroyed and of course even in the last days of the earth the Tribulation Period God makes a distinction revelation 3:10 God tells Jesus Christ tells the Church of Philadelphia because you have been faithful I will spare you from the hour of trial which is coming upon the whole earth this is one of the reasons why we believe in a pre-tribulation rapture that says you’re not going through the judgment you’re not going to see that our I will protect you I will even rescue you and this is this is simply the character of God this is who he is indeed it is as Abram says far be it from God to sweep away the righteous with the wicked in judgment he’s too good for that and aren’t you glad aren’t you glad that God is that way consider what Peter writes in 2nd Peter chapter 2 verses 4 to 10 I want to actually read this to you second Peter 2 verses 4 to 10 it’s a very relevant section because it speaks both of God’s judgment on evildoers and God’s rescue of the righteous and it even mentions Sodom here’s what it says second Peter 2 verses 4 to 10 for if God did not spare angels when they sinned but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of Darkness reserved for judgment and I believe that’s a reference by the way to they ain’t the sons of God at Genesis 6 who transgressed their proper boundaries but here back in verse 5 and did not spare the ancient world but preserved Noah a preacher of righteousness with seven others when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly and if he condemned the cities of sodom and gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes having made them an example those who would live ungodly lives thereafter and if he rescued righteous lot oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men for by what he saw and heard that righteous man while living among them felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by their lawless deeds then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment and especially those who indulge the flesh and it’s corrupt desires and despised Authority God does make a distinction between the righteous and the wicked especially in judgment he judges the wicked but he rescues the righteous but someone might say hey wait a second what about about those Christians who died right alongside with unbelievers in natural disasters or various tragedies and a mass shooting there are Christians who die too did God treat them the same there didn’t he allow both the parish and judgment there I would need to understand a few things and answering that question I understand that I’m not saying that God never allows harm or hardship to come to believers though we’ve already noted that he does and he does for good and exalted purposes welcome we must also understand that we cannot say what is and what is not specifically a judgment of God against sin unless God tells us you know I often say in this class but I need to repeat it God does not communicate his approval or disapproval at all through circumstances God communicates his approval or disapproval and only one way and that’s the Scriptures we cannot say exactly what God is doing in a particular situation you know that God is being good or know that God is being wise but it’s a particular act of judgment or is it just a trial for some of his believers is it a judgement for some evil doers in a trial for and ever finding for God’s people if scripture identifies something as a specific judgment for sin well then we can be sure that in that judgment God will be careful not to sweep the righteous away along with the wicked but for the things that we experience and things that happen in our world we can’t say for sure what God is doing you know that sin has consequences we know we lived in a cursed world but we don’t know what specifically is the judgment of God or how he’s working it out so it is still true God does not treat the righteous and the wicked alike now back to Genesis 18 we see a very drawn-out request from Abraham to God and our writer Moses has seen fit to give us the whole thing first 50 then 45 then 40 then all the way down we might think actually reading through this passage that’s almost a little comical you know Abraham is like oh you know I’m sorry I don’t want to say any more about this maybe it’s a little bit tedious I might wonder if Moses wines just skip to the end why don’t you just give us the last part of their conversation have Abraham ask God we spare for the sake of just 10 it’s not the way God wanted it recorded they wanted us to see each step of the intercession 50 45 40 30 20 10 and why why give us the whole thing I think it’s for a specific reason consider these cities according to estimates from secular historians and archaeologists on city sizes around 2,000 BC and this episode probably takes place around 1900 BC or so cities at this time range between 10,000 to 65,000 people depending on the location so Sodom Gomorrah at these cities will estimate that they have at least 10,000 people probably more now what does it say about such a city if that city contains only 50 righteous people not 50 people who claim to be worshippers of the true God but 50 people who actually love and obey God a city of 10,000 30,000 60,000 what does it say about that safety if there are only 50 righteous well does it not say that it is a thoroughly corrupt city that it is so apostate so evil just 50 out of these thousands but what does it say about God however if he chooses to spare such a city everyone in the city for just those 50 righteous shows that God is extremely merciful thousands of evildoers there out cries reaching heaven but there are 50 righteous so I won’t judge I won’t say any judgment on them that shows the great mercy of God but what if you dropped that number by 5 how does the city seem if it only has 45 people 45 righteous people compared to when I had 50 well it’s even more wicked of a city you mean you don’t even have 50 yeah only 45 but again if God spares such a city it shows him again to be even more merciful and the same thing with 40 and the same thing with 30 and the same way all the way down to each number with each new threshold as its reported to us in the narrative the character of Sodom appears darker and darker but because God promises that even for those low amounts of people and righteous people he will still spare the city his mercy and his righteousness appears brighter and brighter and by the time we get to 10 we should be beside ourselves at the climactic mercy of God in the face of utter wickedness ten righteous people just ten in the midst of thousands ten thousand 265 thousand God says even for such a small small number I will spare the whole city that is mercy that is patience that is the compassion of God do not believe for a second that the God of the Old Testament is only angry and wrathful God of the Old Testament is the same as the god of the New Testament and what kind of God is he he’s a God of great mercy great patience great compassion though he is also a God of great holiness and justice now see what is the result of God’s personal investigation of the city interestingly the Son of God himself does not bodily enter the city but the other two men the angels do let’s read what happens Genesis 19 verses 1 to 29 long section so follow along with me starting in verse 1 Genesis 19 now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening as lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom when lot saw them he rose to meet them and bow down with his face to the ground and he said now behold my lords please turn aside into your servants house and spend the night wash your feet need me arise early and go on your way they said however no we shall spend the night in the square yet he urged them strongly and so they turned aside to him and entered his house and he prepared a feast for them and baked unleavened bread and they ate before they lay down the men of the city the men of Sodom surrounded the house both young and old all the people from every quarter and they called to lot and said to him where are the men who came to you tonight bring them out to us that we may have relations with them but lot went out to them at the doorway and shut the door behind him and he said please my brother’s do not act wickedly now behold I have two daughters who have not had relations with man please let me bring them out to you and do to them whatever you like only do nothing to these men and as much as they have come under the shelter of my roof but they said stand aside or the more they said this one came in as an alien and already he’s acting like a judge now we will treat you worse than men stay pressed hard against lock and came here to break the door but the man reached out their hands and brought lot into the house with them and shut the door they struck the men who were at the doorway of the house of blindness both small and great so that they wearied themselves trying to find the doorway and the two men said a lot whom else have you here a son-in-law and your sons and your daughters and whomever you have in the city bring them out of the place that we are about to destroy this place because their outcry has become so great before Yahweh that Yahweh has sent us to destroy it Locke went out and spoke to his sons-in-law who were to marry his daughters and said up get out of this place for Yahweh will destroy the city but he appeared to his sons-in-law to be jesting one morning dawned the angels urged lot saying up take your wife and your two daughters who are here or you will be swept away in the punishment of the city but he hesitated some ax men seized his hand in the hand of his wife in the hands of his two daughters for the compassion of the Yahweh was upon him and they brought him out and put him outside the city when they brought them outside one said escape for your life to not look behind you and do not stay anywhere in the valley escape to the mountains or you will be swept away but a lot said to them oh no my Lords now behold your servant has found favor in your sight and you have magnified your loving-kindness which you have shown me by saving my life but I cannot escape to the mountains but the disaster will overtake me and I will die now behold this town is near enough to flee – and it is small please let me escape there is it not small and my life may be saved he said to him behold I grant you this request also not to overthrow the town of which you have spoken hurry escape there I cannot do anything until you arrive there therefore the name that town was called so are the Sun had risen over the earth when lot came to Zohar and Yahweh rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from Yahweh out of heaven and he overthrew those cities and all the valley and all the inhabitants of the cities and what grew on the ground but his wife from behind him looked back and she became a pillar of salt now Abraham arose early in the morning and went to the place where he had stood before Yahweh he looked down towards Sodom and Gomorrah and toward all the land at the valley and he saw and behold the smoke of the land ascended like the smoke of a furnace as it came about when God destroyed the cities of the valley that God remembered Abraham and sent lot out of the midst of the overthrow when he overthrew the cities in which lot lived just amazing an amazing event in history an amazing record of it because it’s a longer section we only have an ability to overview what we see here but consider the details of this account that showed the pervasive wickedness of Sodom the great evil of this place the men of the city all of the men they were adulterous they were lusting instead of being faithful to their wives and God’s design they also desire to commit homosexual acts they desire to rape the Angels they resented being rebuked by lot they threatened lot with even a worse treatment and that what they had planned for the Angels and this is the whole city the whole city is represented in this mob of sinful men surrounding Lots house their men from every section of the city every age group every social station and they make these perverse demands together even when struck blind the men of the city weary themselves still trying to find a way into Lots house this is how wicked the place is even Lots sons-in-law when warned of judgment they don’t leave they don’t believe or flee the city this is a thirdly weaker place to outcry of sin all the evil all the hurt all the blasphemy that was reported to God is shown right here not to be true so we see those details but notice also consider also the great and overwhelming mercy of God to lot the Angels rescue lot lot tries to protect them he’s about to be over taken by the mob but the Angels rescue lot and bring him inside the house they struck the mob with blindness angels warned lot of becoming judgment and they they urged lot to find all his relatives and get them out of the city and then they urged lot again to leave the city when morning comes I think most significantly when lot hesitates he knows he should leave but for some reason he just can’t do it the Angels themselves grab lot grab his wife in the hands of his daughters and they lead them outside the city of themselves and verse 16 says why specifically it’s because the compassion of Yahweh was upon them the bond lot God loved lots and the angel saved Lots life even from his own weakness angels warned lot and his family a third time to flee and to not even look back and the grant loss request to flee to a small town and not even go all the way to the mountains there is indeed great compassion from God through the Angels to LA and to his family through him so then how many righteous people turned out to be in the whole city of Sodom City of thousands of people surely how many righteous one I’d say just one the only person who demonstrates any righteousness and base account is lot lot provides protection and hospitality for the angels which was a big deal back then we’re not as big on hospitality today even though that is still something commanded of believers but it was even much greater deal back then in fact the beginning of this account which describes his showing hospitality to the Angels so readily it’s exactly like what Abraham does in the previous chapter for Yahweh himself and the two angels law also rebukes the men of the city for their wickedness he sought to save his son in law’s lives he does demonstrate righteousness but he’s not perfect and I think there’s one obvious detail miss that shows that a lot greatly stumbles and that one of the ways he wants to protect the Angels is by offering his own daughters to be sexually used by the wicked men of the city that’s unthinkable so he was weakened in doing that and also he was weakened lingering in Sodom nevertheless he was righteous in the New Testament as you already saw a second Peter it calls him a righteous man lot was a true believer in the hallway and for that reason God was going to protect him Lot’s wife gets no such Condon commendation rather she looks back towards Sodom and she becomes a pillar of salt and lots daughters also get no condom commendation and in the latter part of chapter 19 section we didn’t read his daughter’s essentially Lots daughters essentially rape him now maybe they’re true followers of Yahweh too and they were just really perverted in their thinking and making mistake in this sinful way but the only person who shows any righteousness is lot and it’s for Lots sake that his family is spared so what the final assessment of the city of Sodom it was more wicked than could have possibly been imagined behavior of the city the behavior of the men of the city was beyond depraved and that’s only indicative of their whole families there’s only one righteous person in the entire city and so even though God is merciful it could not spare it could not spare the city of Psalm one of the surrounding cities that were just as wicked God had to be faithful to his own self not to judge the righteous along with the wicked so he rescued lot but he had to destroy some it was too evil to let that evil go unpunished it had to be dealt with that outcry had to be answered now some may object that what God does with sodom and gomorrah is cruel he destroyed not just these cities but all the cities of the valley he obliterated them with fire and some say this is inconsistent with a God of love God of goodness you’ve never punished anyone with death or hell I would a good God ever do that hopefully you already see the answer that we’ve considered it before in class why must God even obliterate these cities with fire it’s not because he’s compassionless it’s not because he’s evil or cruel it’s actually because he’s compassionate it’s because he’s good it’s because he’s just God is too good to let rampant wickedness go believe it brothers and sisters that the great heart of God is grieved by sin yes actually grieved we saw this in Genesis 6 6 right God saw the wickedness of man and he regretted making me say he was grieved in his heart I do not believe that that is just a mere figure that God doesn’t actually experience any emotions now God is perfectly contented in himself God is perfectly happy in himself he is God he’s totally satisfied himself and yet in his great goodness he allows himself to experience suffering and pain over sin and are we not urged even as Christians not to grieve God Ephesians 4:30 do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God it injures the great heart of God to see men and women arming one another in all the ways that sin harms God is grieved even pained by sin even our sea for God then to sit idly by and do nothing in the face of such evil and harm and injustice would be extremely unloving of God it was sure that he’s not good just a God who winks at sin and after all he’s the judge of the universe that’s what Abraham says right shall not the judge of all the earth deal justly what judge will retain any sense of honour if when confronted with evil confronted with great crimes he gives an inadequate sentence of punishment or he gives no punishment at all I mean if human judges judge unjustly what do we do with them we remove them well we even send them to prison how much more God the perfect judge it is because God is good that he must judge evil now a few final points as we think more about application for ourselves today pardon me one second how do we compare to Sodom are we better or are we just as bad they might say well I’ve never tried to rape anybody I never tried to commit homosexual acts must be better right well before we can answer that question that’s good now there are some sins worse than others or are all sins the same before God answer this question is yes of course don’t be confused brothers and sisters these are both the truth on the one hand not all sins are the same in God’s sight and it should be obvious if we just look at the Old Testament law according to the law given to Israel through Moses some transgressions required reparations or sacrifices to restore the offending individual for example if you stole something you pay back double but other sins required death as punishment you commit adultery penalty is death you disobey or you Abell against your parents according to Mosaic law the penalty is death it’s not the same for every law this can only be because in some sense certain sins are worse before God than others and Jesus says something similar in the New Testament and Luke chapter 12 verses 47 to 48 Luke 12 verses 47 to 48 Jesus says this and that’s slave who knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will will receive many lashes but the one who did not know it and committed deeds worthy of a flogging will receive but few from everyone who has been given much much will be required and to whom they entrusted much of him they will ask all the more sins do indeed differ in sinfulness rape is worse than lust sex with an animal is worse than heck heterosexual sex before marriage sacrificing your children to Molech is worse than disciplining them in anger hearing God’s Word and then disobeying is worse than disobeying without hearing God’s Word at all no I don’t think we can come up with a precise hierarchy of the severity of sins but some sins let’s face it are worse than others but that’s on one side on the other hand as we think that lesser sins well we might think of as respectable sins less we think that they are not a big deal to God and they’re not important for us to repent of it is also true that in another sense all sins are the same in God’s sight all sins are statement that God is not worthy of worship God is not worthy of your entire devotion he is not the greatest treasure and thus all sins no matter how small they are idolatry all sins then causes the fall short of God’s standard of perfection all sins make us lawbreakers all sins carried the same penalty eternal death in hell gossiping about your boss it will send you to eternal torment just as much as murder will complaining about your children it merits Hellfire just as much as incest does living materialistically without any thought for God will condemn you just as much as dedicating your life to blaspheming God and destroying his church James 2:10 says for whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at one point he’s become guilty of all all sin is serious before God all sin must be repented of whether to sin it’s overlooked by society or condemned by society any sin will kill your soul unless it has already been paid for by Jesus Christ on the cross now these two principles not all sins are the same and sins are the same they don’t really contradict one another actually complement one another some sins are worse than others though all sins aren’t infinite affront to God so therefore awhile the sentence of any sin is held forever eternal torment and fire forever that is the just penalty for sin the severity of the suffering that is in hell it will depend on the kind quantity and conditions of those sins committed by the way to believers reward works the same way doesn’t it the reward for every believer is being with Christ forever in heaven and his eternal state and yet we know at the same time that believers will experience greater or less rewards in some sense based on how they live before God on the earth in one sense every believer gets the same thing in another sense believers get rewards based on their faithfulness so it is because of judgment so back to our original question how do we compare to Sodom personally communally nationally considering what we just discussed in one sense we know we are the same as Sodom we are just as much lawbreakers as they were and we deserved the same judgment it’s only by God’s mercy in saving us and calling us out from the city of destruction as John Bunyan terms it in his pilgrims progress that we have hope God rescued us in speaking of God’s grace undeserved favor and salvation Paul and the book of Romans he quotes isaiah isaiah chapter 1 verses 9 to 10 which reads unless y’all way of hosts had left us a few survivors we would be like sodom we would be like amaura unless god all by himself intervened and chose to reveal himself to you to bless you to love you to care for you what would be your fate need perish just like the people of sodom did so if you’re in Christ be glad that you have such a kind god that in grace has made you an heir of the Covenant of Abraham on the other hand our sin is different from saga 1 sense for the scene but no sense we’re different perhaps someone might argue we’re not as sinful but actually I think we’re more sinful at least in America why do I say that it’s hard to imagine a place that’s more wicked than Sodom I mean considering what we read here that is perverse and that is universal in that City and yet listen to what God says to Israel through the Prophet Jeremiah and lamentations for for six limitations for six Jeremiah God speaking to Jeremiah says for the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the sin of Sodom God said this about his own people how could Israel be worse than Sodom are you saying issue committed greater perversions and Sodom – well for sure great abominations did plate take place in Israel but I think the real reason is this God’s special people chosen by God likened as a bride to God they themselves turned against God and adulterated themselves with idols Israelites have been given so much goodness from God so their rejection of God was all the more heinous this is why if she was worse than the Sun and Jesus says the same thing in the New Testament Jesus speaks about his hometown of Capernaum Matthew 11 verse 23 Jesus stayed in Nazareth and also a party in Capernaum he was there a lot what he says about that city and you can print him BIG’s office to heaven what are you you will descend to hades that is the grave for some miracles had occurred in sodom which occurred in you it would have remained to this day nevertheless i say to you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the Day of Judgment and for you what this hometown of Jesus place in which he ministered and which he did many miracles he says it’s even worse than Sodom how is that how can that be it’s because the kingdom of God is so obviously appeared among them the light of God it’s you so obviously and directly to them through Jesus and yet they despised him considered him consider your own situation or consider our situation America how many blessings we enjoyed from God in this country how prevalent how available the gospel it is in our country and yet how great is our rebellion and perversion in this country how greatly sin is celebrated and even protected in our country are we not worse than Sodom but examine yourselves personally to how much generosity has God showed you yourself in your life he has given you friends he’s given you comfort he’s given you some measure of Health and many other gifts how often has God made his word available to you how often has God not brought upon you the consequences that your sin deserves shame and in suffering but how have you reacted to that grace in spite of God’s kindness do you still refuse to repent certain sins do you still think certain sins to be too insignificant in God’s sight for you to really do anything about them do you still prefer in the face of God’s kindness the things of the world over God himself do you really just pay no attention to God it is true what Hebrews 2 3 says Hebrews 3 3 how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation we have been given one so God requires of us more cuz otherwise we are worse than Sodom god is too good and to just to not just ly judge sin especially the vast wickedness of continuing to rebel against God when he’s given you made clear to you the sweetness of his own son Jesus Christ after you adore Jesus Christ this morning then rejoice rejoice because God has rescued you God Himself is miss keep you from Sodom just like you did a lot no I’m just so drawn to that that one image in a narrative of the angels grabbing lot by the hand and pulling him out of the city because that’s what God’s done for each one of us in Christ let you head out of the city of ruin and destruction because if he didn’t you wouldn’t have left you stayed so do you love your saving God do you love him enough to give up all for him do you love him enough to obey Him do you love him enough to love others to forgive them sir there to show them mercy God is your merciful Savior and he’s calling you to show mercy dollars so let’s do that questions about what you’ve heard today yes Rob hmm great question Rob are the different parts of the lake of fired from parts of hell how exactly are the different levels of suffering accomplished I don’t know I was not very clear this is just one of those mysterious truths that we know in part but we don’t know fully I think the Bible is clear that there are different levels of suffering that will be given to sinners but how exactly that’s accomplished I don’t know I don’t know if it’s different sections of Hell or and what what it is oh no it’s true Roy I think I saw your hand sure hmm hmm hmm hmm right yeah those are great comments Roy I know we’re running short on time I’ll just say a couple things briefly you mentioned the corrupting influence we see the corrupting influence of a place like Sodom online and I think that is true to some extent I mean this situation was a little bit different it’s not like the church or Israel existed at that time but yeah you do see that he was in some senses buying into what was around him now we live in a world that’s very much like Sodom and we are not committed to withdraw from the world 1st Corinthians 5:10 I didn’t say that you had to withdraw from those who are idolatrous or immoral because then you’d have to leave the world Paul says they says don’t tell ship with a brother who who continues in that lifestyle but I think you’re right boy this is one of the reasons why we must take advantage of the church the do as Hebrews 10 says encourage one another as we see the day of Christ drawing near in dimension also the great the great blessings we’ve been given today that our society has and that even we have as Christians and how there’s so much wickedness despite all those blessings you know this some of my professors have said at seminary this is in terms of studying the Bible this is like the best era ever we have so many resources that people the past did not have but have we taken advantage of that is our as I walk with God and not any better because of it in fact did we just take – granted for those take those things for granted I appreciate those comments and I appreciate appreciate you all being with me at Sunday school today that’s it for this week we’re done with Sodom and Gomorrah we’re done with lot next time we’re back to investigate Genesis 15 and 16 where we see their ratification the formal ratification of God’s covenant with Abraham in a very surprising way so I look forward to talking about how could you next time that’s God I thank you for this word it is a sobering word the more we think about what you’ve done for us in rescuing us it is a wonderful it is a wonderful hope getting word what I pay that are any any at Calvary and you listening today God who are still stuck in the city of Sodom yet left we’re hesitating ok gods dude bring them out I pay God that they would no longer believed in the deceitfulness of sin but escape for their lives and not even look back God but forgive us for where we at times Jew as Lot’s wife does and look back say oh should I really have left that behind oh god there’s nothing for us in the city of Sodom but there’s such great blessings in your way Lord protect grow bless your people Jesus name