A Study In Genesis

We come to one of the most well-known passages in the Bible. Today, we are talking about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. First, we need to understand the foundation of this passage. This did happen; some scholars like to say this was fictitious or that it was not at the level of what is described in Genesis. However, like the global flood discussed in Genesis 7, we can once again examine the evidence and see that God did do what His Word says He did.

Now, ironically, the most important verse is at the end of the account of the destruction. Genesis 19:29“And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when He overthrew the cities in which Lot had dwelt.” God remembered Abraham! What does this mean? It means that even in the destruction, even in the judgment, God’s thoughts were on Abraham. This reveals a characteristic of God that many fail to recognize. God’s thoughts towards His own are good thoughts! Examine the following verses,

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

We are His delight, and He eagerly listens to us!

Psalm 16:3 “As for the saints who [are] on the earth, “They are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.” Psalm 4:3“But know that the LORD has set apart for Himself him who is godly; The LORD will hear when I call to Him.”

If you want to know more about what He thinks about us, and His good nature towards us, examine the following: Psalm 56:3-4, Romans 8:28, and Isaiah 41:10.

Now you might be wondering at this point about where Sodom and Gomorrah come into play. The main point here is not that God did it, but what were His thoughts? He was thinking of Abraham, so God rescued Lot. There are two reasons why I believe the Lord did what He did. First, because God loved Abraham so much that Abraham’s family was also blessed. Second, it is because through Abraham, the Son of God would come and those who called upon the name of the Lord would be saved. We know that Lot was a righteous man; this righteousness only came about because of the future seed of Abraham, being Jesus Christ. So God’s loving favor through Abraham allowed Him to save Lot.

As for the destruction itself. Many have claimed that the city was doing “this” or “that,” but I believe the best answer is what the Lord gives us in Genesis 18:20‍, ‍“And the LORD said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave.” If you are wondering what the specific sin is, look at the verse again. It appears to be all the categories of sin. Their sin had accumulated to the point that they wanted to have sexual relations with the angels. If your mind does not go back to Genesis six, you should go read our study on it.

The city’s sin was so devastating that God had to act in a manner that was without question only from Him. This city was a place of sanctuary for sin and evil. However, this is not the worst city to ever be; in Jesus’ day, Capernaum was equated to being worse than Sodom and Gomorrah. Matthew 11:23-24 “And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 “But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you.” One day, Babylon will be rebuilt, and the city will reach its ultimate zenith of evil and will be dealt with by God.

Why are we talking about all of this? For two simple reasons. God loved Abraham, and God destroyed sin. God does not change and will not change. You are either with righteousness or evil, and on both sides, God is decisive and will act accordingly. Do not be hemmed up that God did what He did to the cities, but rather examine the good, loving nature of God to destroy such a wicked city, but not before He rescued Abraham’s family. God’s wrath is not for those who are of Abraham’s seed; there is only one way to be a part of that righteous family, which is to be born again in Jesus Christ. For the Church, it is clear, Galatians 3:29 “And if you [are] Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” The ultimate restoration is still coming, the nation of Israel, which is the world’s physical and living monument of God’s eternal promises to us all. He will not abandon Israel, thus He will not abandon you and I who are saved. Sodom and Gomorrah should be a simple but powerful reminder of why we need to be saved. God’s love for His own is more powerful than we can possibly imagine, and yet it is something we fail to grasp in the slightest. So next time someone attempts to get hemmed up on the destruction of the city, you can quickly tell them that it did happen and that there is a remarkable lesson for us to see.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL