Genesis – Sodom & Gomorrah
Genesis 18 seems to jump from one subject to another until you realize the three visitors to Abraham telling him he and Sarah will have a son in one year are the SAME visitors to Sodom and Gomorrah. In case you don’t remember these cities and why they were such an issue, read how Yahweh Himself describes them in Genesis 18:20 “Then the LORD said, ‘Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know.’” The second part of this verse tells us Yahweh is looking into the situation Himself. Now we must remember God ALREADY knew what was happening in Sodom and had no need to come see but chose to do things that way. I don’t know why He chose that way. I don’t have to know everything to learn from this passage.
Another nugget is in Abraham’s pleading with God for the righteous folk living in these towns. He starts with 50 and comes down to 10!! I found it interesting Abraham drops by five from 50 to 45 and 45 to 40 but then drops by tens! It made me wonder how well he knew these cities and his own concern for finding enough people to fill the quota requested!!
Abraham questions Yahweh’s intention to destroy as a result of God’s righteous judgement! But in Genesis 18:23-33, this pleading shows why God has the right to judge at the end of verse 25, Abraham says, “Won’t the Judge of the whole earth do what is just?” and Abraham’s humility in how he describes himself as “dust and ashes” (Genesis 18:27).
We don’t ever want to lose sight of who God is and what He will do and does about our sin in this world and ultimately at the Judgment throne at the end of this world! This encounter between the Lord and Abraham shows us the proper way of talking to God by remembering His greatness and our being dust!! I found that interesting as God formed Adam from the dust!!!
Another little tidbit of interest is Abraham’s nephew, Lot, is living IN Sodom. Lot had chosen the city of Sodom back in chapter 13 where it described men as “evil and, sinning immensely against the LORD.” So he evidently KNOWS it’s bad and still chooses to live here!!! Others knew it was bad because of the outcry to God about it (Genesis 18:20). Lot also shows he knew because when the two men/angels 1 come to Sodom, Lot goes out to not just show hospitality but to urge them to stay at his house for their safety from ALL the MEN of ALL ages of the WHOLE city. (Genesis 19:4)
Think about the hurt Lot must have done to his daughters when he offers them to these Sodomite men in place of the two visiting angels!!! THEN, their fiancés wouldn’t even leave with them when Lot warns them of the destruction to come! AND previous verses lead us to believe they were part of the group that came after the visitors. Talk about a bad pool to fish from or a pond of frogs with no chance of a prince! Let’s face it, they were all toads!!
Who we live around and spend time with can really affect how we live if we don’t make the choice to live as God would have us to. It’s hard to find a truly God-fearing, Jesus-believing, Bible-reading guy from a pool of sin-seeking, self-serving, perverse men!!! The same goes for a guy looking for the right girl!! What choices are you making in what you watch, read, activities you do and even your speech? Which of these two wants to hang around you? Who do you seek to be around?
Please be sure to read the full story of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 18:16-19:29. Keep reading His word and hope to see you soon at CultivatingFaith.org. Blessings. #CultivatingFaithOrg