What Was Sodom’s Sin?
What was Sodom’s sin? The answer may seem obvious, but in our society today, we need to move past our own preconceptions and presuppositions to see what the Bible says. The answer may be surprising.
Sodom, as you may remember, was an ancient city mentioned in the book of Genesis. Abraham’s nephew Lot lived in the city, which was located on a fertile plain, “well-watered everywhere like the garden of the LORD” (Genesis 13:10). Yet God’s assessment of the city was that “the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the LORD” (Genesis 13:13).
To determine the sin of Sodom, I went through all the Biblical references to this city. (It is mentioned 48 times in the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation). After the epic story of its destruction in Genesis 19, the city of Sodom is referred to multiple times as an example of God’s judgment on evil-doers. In addition, as I searched through the references to this wicked city, I noticed two sets of sins that typified Sodom.
The First Set of Sins – Pride, Prosperous Idleness, and Neglect of the Needy
After we are first notified that Sodom was a wicked place (Genesis 13:13), we don’t hear about its evil again until Genesis 18, when God decides to tell Abraham about the destruction that he will send on Sodom. God determines to send messengers to go down into the city ‘to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me.” Why? “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave” (Genesis 18:20-21).
When God’s messengers come into Sodom and assess the situation, they decide that Sodom does, indeed, deserve destruction. They warn Lot to flee from the city, saying “We are about to destroy this place, because the outcry against its people has become great before the LORD, and the LORD has sent us to destroy it” (Genesis 19:13).
In fact, God’s messengers had a horrific experience in Sodom. As strangers in a near eastern city, they expected hospitality, a place to sleep, and a meal to be provided for them. While Lot demonstrated this hospitality, the rest of the city attempted to assault and abuse them. Only Lot’s generosity, and divine intervention, kept the messengers from a horrible fate. Evidently this was not the first time that Sodom was inhospitable. Hence, Genesis pictures Sodom as a place that abuses and mistreats the strangers and foreigners, refusing to provide them with the basics of hospitality.
Isaiah 1:10-15 provides a similar description. Isaiah rebukes God’s people in strong terms, referring to them as ‘rulers of Sodom’ and ‘people of Gomorrah.’ He then goes on to describe their sin: they are a religious people, he admits, but it is a hypocritical religion. They spread their hands to pray, but those same hands are full of blood. Israel, like Sodom, is a land that mistreats the needy.
Ezekiel 16:49 provides the most concise description of this first set of sins: “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.” When we remember that Sodom was a city located in a prosperous and fertile plain, and we remember how they mistreated God’s messengers, it is easy to see how this description fits.
The Second Set of Sins – Parading Sensuality, Immorality, and Unnatural Desire
In an effort to be culturally inoffensive, some people today say that the only sins that Sodom was guilty of were the sins of pride, prosperous idleness, and neglect of the needy. Yet the Bible is quite clear that Sodom’s sin involved more.
The assault that God’s messengers almost experienced was an assault of ‘sodomy;’ the men of the city surround Lot’s house, calling out euphemistically, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, that we may know them” (Genesis 19:5).
Lot, horrified at their evil, responds, “I beg you, my brothers, do not act so wickedly.” Then, in a moment of panic – and trying to follow the tenants of Middle Eastern hospitality, which demand protection for the stranger – he makes an incredibly stupid offer to the men – “Behold, I have two daughters who have not known any man. Let me bring them out to you, and do to them as you please. Only do nothing to these men, for they have come under the shelter of my roof.” By the grace of God, and a miraculous intervention, God prevents Lot from carrying out his evil offer. Yet this offer shows something telling about the city of Sodom – even this horrific offer is not sufficient to ‘please’ the men of the city.
When we read Ezekiel 16, it is easy to only read verse 49, about pride and neglect of the needy. Yet Ezekiel continues on: “this was the guilt of your sister Sodom…They were haughty and did an abomination before me. So I removed them, when I saw it” (Ezekiel 16:50).
Was the sin of Sodom simply that it pursued ‘nonconsensual relations?’ No, because the New Testament describes, in clear language, why God destroyed Sodom:
“…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…in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones” (Jude 7-8).
In 2 Peter, Lot is described as one who was “greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked.”
Hence, the New Testament clearly teaches that Sodom’s sin was immorality and unnatural desire, which Paul defines in Romans 1 as “men committing shameless acts with men.”
This immorality was not hidden, but celebrated and paraded in Sodom. Isaiah condemned the Israelites that “They proclaim their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it.” (Isa 3:9)
What Is Left?
What can be done with a city, or a society, that lives like Sodom? While some people may give up hope, The Bible is surprisingly optimistic about Sodom.
Less Punishment
Three times in the New Testament, Jesus uses Sodom as an example of a city that will receive less punishment than the Galilean towns, because Sodom was ignorant of the truth. While Sodom may be an evil city, it was never given the opportunity to meet the Lord Jesus. There is hope even for the Sodomites.
Mercy
In one of the most heart-rending accounts of biblical prayer, Abraham decided to plead for Sodom right before it was destroyed. He begs God to save the city if 50 righteous people are within it. God agrees. Then, sensing that maybe he asked for more than he could expect, he asks for mercy if there are only 45…or 30…or 20…or 10. Each time God agrees.
Abraham stops asking at 10, and God didn’t find 10 righteous people in the city. Yet God’s mercy shines in this story – for the sake of 10 people he will save the city. We are left wondering – what would God do if Abraham asked for only one righteous person?! The implication seems obvious – God would still have mercy, if his people would intercede. There is hope even for the Sodomites.
I don’t comment to often, though I appreciate your thoughts. This was good Daniel. Keep up your articles. Thanks for your faithfulness.
S0doms sin was not gang rape. Sodomites were religious people who had prayer that God would not hear. The people i9n that city thought they were protecting themselves by knowing the two beings who went into Lots house. That is what they wanted to know them. The two beings in Lot5s house were not like them thus would be condemed. That happens to day with nude people and zoosexuals and pedophilia people. The devil gives the wrong kind of judging, through a person.
Money makes the divide between they that have, and the needy. Isreiel is against the descendants of Esau. God is eternal fire to the wicked. The sin of then is the sin of today in the Legal system, and Islam. Both are like the people of Sodom. Both have their p0licce looking for victims. All are victims to a Muslim. The victims are not Muslim. Muslims fake it, in order to stay around to kill non Muslims. Muslims want to destroy. Lot was vexed with filthy conversation. 2 Peter 2:7 – 8, KJV.
Artie, please review the article above and the Biblical verses. Your view is not in line with what the Bible itself tells us about the sin of Sodom.
The people of Sodom were clambering for one person to judge the two beings in Lots house. People do that today using the legal system. There is one man on a high place called a judge. Both are the same. Muslim’s have their imam.
The church is wrong. Does Isaiah 1 describe gays, zoosexuals, naked people, or furries, or bronies or pedophilia people? All of them are vexed with unfriendly filthy communication. The legal system vexes people. Islamic people vex Israelites constantly. All are Israelite’s to Muslims. Islamic people think destroy 24/7. Religious’ Sodomites thought destroy 24/7. Lot was not saved from sex. Neither were the two beings in Lots house. One person came to Lots door. The word one is used in the verse. He was there to judge the two beings. The word judge is used in Genisis 19 – 9. KJV. No one knew the two beings. One came to the door to find out about them. They were not like them. The people out side lots house sought their own like Christs enemies sought their own. Sodomites were not there to bless anyone with their words. Isaiah 1:10 Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah.
11 To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the Lord: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.
12 When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts?
13 Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.
14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them.
15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.
16 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;
17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.” How can the above describe gays, etc.?
The church is wrong about everything. Seventh day Adventists have hell right. Wicked perish forever in God’s light. It is a consuming fire to the lost. The lie about hell being eternal torment makes people to make tormenting laws, thinking they are like God, being like Satan. Satan will not say who that being is visually seen. That is a spectacular looking being, dressed in gold and every precious gem. That is the Abomination of desolation. Hell is where the dead are. The dead don’t know anything. God’s light will purify the entier earth of sin, burning it through and through, or to the lowest hell.
The consept of hell being a place of torment, makes god’s image to torment god’s image with fear giving laws. That makes people to be afraid to walk outside with only their sneakers on. People are conditioned to panic. The state, and government are making people to work ill to people. Those people are breaking love works no ill to their neighbour. State and Government would not be the way they are, had the church taught the truth. Birth of Jesus as with Christmas does not teach people how to be with each other. That imitates ask and receive, seek and find, not being ask and receive or seek and find or knock and the door will be opened unto you. People are seeking their own, too. The misunderstanding of what charity is, makes people to not see that. People who have charity will also have pure undefiled religon in them. Jamies 1:26 – 27. Jesus, doing his good pleasure through us. The church made people to think many. Same with us. We are not many. We are the human race. Our strength needs to be in God, not our numbers. God counseled David to not make a census. God wants to work through us. Money being used, constrains us, keeping God from doing what he wants to do, through us.
Pedophilia people are said to be perverts. Satan says that through a person. Jesus will not speak in that manner to a person. jesus would have a perverted tongue had he say pervert to a person. God will not pervert judgment. They that have a perverted tongue will be perverted in their ways. The words a person speaks will, or will not defile their soul. ◄ Proverbs 3:32 ►For the froward is abomination to the LORD: but his secret is with the righteous. Proverbs 4:24 Put away from thee a froward mouth,
and perverse lips put far from thee. Proverbs 8:13The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way,
and the froward mouth, do I hate.
The church made people to speak in mean way to gays zoosexuals and people accused of pedophilia. Satan is the accuser. People have spoken mean words to furries, and bronies, too. Matthew 11:12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.” Those violent people are using the wrong kind of judging, even as the people around Lots house. Jesus did not judge in that manner. He had blood in him at the time. John 5:22 “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:” It is best for people to repent, being good to people that they were not good to before. Luke 19:27 “But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.”
King James Version (KJV). The earthly powers that be, need to change many man made laws, and repent of turning God’s word into a lie, Romans 1:25. They turn people into violent Romans 1:29 – 32 people. I wish I could edit.