"Why God Judged Sodom" January 13 Readings: Genesis 17-21

Today's Reading - Genesis 17-21

Background

Our reading today has several familiar stories. Chapter 17 reveals the practice of circumcision that would become such a key element in both the law and in the New Testament church's struggles. In chapter 18 God sends 3 angels to tells Abraham that he will have a son. Sarah laughs at the idea of a 90 year old woman having a baby, and this becomes the basis for their son's name, Isaac.

Then, the angels have a more serious message. They reveal God's plan to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah and Abraham undergoes the famous negotiation to reduce the threshold from 50 to 10 righteous people for God to save the city. It didn't matter, the city was still destroyed. Chapter 19 tells the ugly story of the destruction of the two wicked cities and the even uglier story of the beginning of the nations of Moab and Ammon as Lot's daughters get him drunk and seduce him. Abraham gives his wife to the pagan king in chapter 20 - not Abraham's finest hour. In chapter 21, Isaac is born and Ishmael and Haggar are sent away.

Devotional - Why God Judged Sodom

"If God doesn't judge America, he will have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah."

I've heard that all my life and the sentiment is understandable. Every in that was present in Sodom can be found in our land in spades. They were no more wicked that we are. But the idea behind that quote shows a lack of understanding of God's judgment against those towns.

A quick search can turn up theological debates on whether it was homosexuality or a lack of hospitality that caused God to condemn the city. Both were offenses against God, but neither was the reason that God rained fire and brimstone on them.

God did not destroy Sodom and Gomorrah because of the sin in the cities, but because there was no righteous remnant to effect change. God was willing to spare them for 50 righteous people and Abraham bargained him down to 10. Ten righteous folks in two towns. I am sure that Abraham thought it would be easy. There was Lot and his wife and their daughters. Surely a few more folks had been influenced through the years.

But, no. Lot stood alone. Not a single person in Sodom and Gomorrah had become righteous and Lot had lost his wife and even his daughters to the ways of the wicked.

We like to complain about the wickedness of the wicked, bemoaning the darkness all around. Henry Blackaby used to say, "Never blame the darkness, it is doing its job." Darkness is dark. It is meant to be dark. Why would we rail against the darkness when it is only doing what it is natural for it to do? Darkness is dark!

The problem in darkness is never the darkness but the absence of light. Judgment fell on Sodom not because there was too much sin but because there was not enough righteousness. When the world is too dark, the solution is not to complain about the darkness but to let the light shine.

Our nation is darkened with sin, sin that grieves us, shames us, and angers us. We can gather and cry out against the darkness or we can seek and submit to the Light of the World who will shine his light through us into the darkness.

Father, let the light of your Son shine through me into the darkness of this world.

Think and Pray

Is your light shining before men so that they might see Christ through you?