What was the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah?

And now comes another example from among men, and this too used by Peter. When I say used by Peter, I do not pretend to attempt to decide the time when the two Epistles were written; nor does it signify that I am aware of. Peter says, "And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly." Whereas Judas has it: "Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after other flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the judgment of eternal fire." In this case it is evident that it is a breaking out, not merely into sin, but into that which was beyond measure flagrant, not evil alone, but contrary even to fallen nature. This is what is spoken of here. The very same persons are described in a different manner, according to the object of the Holy Ghost.

Sodom and Gomorrah and nearby cities are a third example of this apostasy, stressing, not their previous blessing, but the corrupt condition into which they sank. It was a well watered, prosperous land (Gen.13:10), but sank to the degradation of fornication and sexual perversion which called down the awesome judgment of the fire of God, called eternal fire. for there was no recovery for them.

· The third example is taken from the cities of sin. Genesis 13:10 furnishes us with the detail, Ezekiel 16:46-50 gives more information about Sodom and Gomorrha[3]. There was a well-watered plain at Zoar but that did not make the people grateful or satisfied. Sexual perversion marked them, going contrary to creation's order, whether with men or angels. Satan has ever laboured to corrupt the testimony of the church in this manner. The plain lesson that we must learn is that the destruction of the cities because of their vice serves as a vivid example of those who undergo the judgment of eternal fire because of such sins. They lie there as a corpse on display, laid out before all

Israel fell to lusting, rebelled against God, and thus abandoned their position of outward relationship with God in which they had been placed. This was apostasy and led to their judgment — they were destroyed. The angels lusted and abandoned the angelic position in which God had set them. This, too, was apostasy and in consequence they are abandoned to judgment — "reserved in everlasting chains under darkness to the judgment of the great day." Sodom and Gomorrha lusted and abandoned the natural order which God had ordained. This again was apostasy, exposing them to the judgment of "eternal fire."

Thus all apostasy starts with unbelief in what God has spoken. The angels which kept not their first estate, who left their own habitation, and who are now chained, are the same angels of whom Peter speaks, those who brought in the corruption described in the opening verses of Genesis 6. They gave up the place assigned to them. This is the next step in the progress of apostasy. Unbelief leads to rebellion against God. Sodom and Gomorrha come next. Here we find the grossest immoralities and going after strange flesh. These vicious things are still in the world, and why are they so prominent in our days? On account of unbelief. Then follows the statement, that these apostates are filthy dreamers who defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities. This is lawlessness. This is the goal of all apostasy. The predicted lawlessness with which this age ends is the fruitage of infidelity. Such is the development of apostasy. Unbelief, rebellion against God and his revealed truth, immorality and anarchy. These steps may be traced in our own times.

But their visit was rudely interrupted by many men of Sodom, both young and old, boldly demanding that the two men who came to Lot's home should come out and be subjected to the horror of homosexual relations (vv. 4-5).

Lot's concern for his guests was commendable. He even went outside, closing the door after him, to plead for the two men who had come under the shelter of his roof (vv. 6-8). But his offer to sacrifice his daughters was far from commendable. How could he offer his virgin daughters to men of such vile character? Indeed, he had no right to offer them to anybody, for children are not actually the property of their parents, and besides, they were already engaged to be married (v. 14). As to the two men, he says the reason they had come to Lot's home was for protection. How different were Abraham's words in Gen. 18:5, who realized that his visitors had come to have their hearts comforted by Abraham's fellowship. We may be sure that the two angels would not have allowed Lot to give his daughters to the men of the city.

But their visit was rudely interrupted by many men of Sodom, both young and old, boldly demanding that the two men who came to Lot's home should come out and be subjected to the horror of homosexual relations (vs.4-5).

Lot's concern for his guests was commendable. He even went outside, closing the door after him, to plead for the two men who had come under the shelter of his roof (vs.6-8). but his offer to sacrifice his daughters was far from commendable. How could he offer his virgin daughters to men of such vile character? Indeed, he had no right to offer them to anybody, for children are not actually the property of their parents, and besides, they were already engaged to be married (v.14). As to the two men, he says the reason they had come to Lot's home was for protection. How different were Abraham's words in ch.18:5, who realized that his visitors had come to have their hearts comforted by Abraham's fellowship. We may be sure that the two angels would not have allowed Lot to give his daughters to the men of the city.

Their visit gives occasion to the open and unnatural depravity of the inhabitants, "both old and young, all the people from every quarter" (ver. 4). They foam out their shame shamelessly (ver 5). Lot goes forth to plead for his guests, to remonstrate with his fellow-townsmen (alas! he calls them "brethren"), and offer his two daughters (ver. 6 8). For he has lost the simplicity of faith, and, instead of looking only to the Lord in this scene of difficulty and danger and surrounding wickedness, he chooses in worldly wisdom what he conceived the lesser of two evils. Could we expect better from a righteous Lot which "sat in the gate of Sodom?" "And they said, Stand back. And they said again, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door" (ver. 9).

Lot saw the country that surrounded Sodom to be "well watered everywhere"; it was "as the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar" (Gen. 13:10). With such a rich hinterland, Sodom no doubt became prosperous, and its prosperity was the cause of its downfall. This is made clear by the Lord through the prophet, where He says to Israel, "Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her … neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy (Ezekiel 16:49). Instead of using the prosperity that God, in His goodness, had given to alleviate the conditions of those in need, they used their wealth to gratify themselves in gross wickedness.

Pride is the first thing mentioned by the Lord, and it is the leading member of the seven things that are an abomination unto the Lord (Prov. 6:17); it was the cause of Satan's downfall (Ezek. 28:17), and the cause of the fall of many another, even as Scripture teaches, "A man's pride shall bring him low" (Prov. 29:23), and "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall" (Prov. 16:18). Pride marks nations, such as is recorded in Scripture, "We have heard of the pride of Moab" (Isa. 16:6), it marks individuals, and also cities, as here in Sodom. The Lord, who hates pride, takes account of it, wherever it is found, and deals with it in His government.

Whatever caused the pride of Sodom, we are not told: it may have been its great prosperity, for men are very proud of their possessions, especially if they have acquired them by their industry or natural ability. "Fulness of bread" in Sodom certainly showed prosperity, but instead of thanksgiving to God, and the desire to use what He had given them in His interests, the inhabitants gave themselves over to pleasure, and that of the most depraved kind. They were "lovers of their own selves", for they did not "strengthen the hands of the poor and needy", as they ought to have done.

There was also "abundance of idleness", which gave the men of Sodom plenty of time for their pleasures. When Adam was driven from Eden, he was to eat of the ground with sorrow all the days of his life, and God added, "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread" (Gen. 3:17-19). The sons of Cain, with their music and arts, had attempted to take the sorrow out of life; the men of Sodom, with their abundance of idleness, had evidently managed to eat their bread without the sweat of Adam.

The pride, luxury and leisure of Sodom brought in grievous sin, which was not unnoticed by God, for "the Lord said. Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it" (Gen. 18:20-21). Alas, when the angels were in the house of Lot, they found that the grievous sin of Sodom was according to the cry that had been heard by the Lord in heaven.