The story of Sodom and Gomorrah is one of the terrifying narratives in the Bible. These two cities were destroyed by God because of sexual immorality, and it seems in the Genesis account, that this was the only reason that God had. But other scriptures indicate there were at least five sins associated with these cities.
We start with uncle Abraham and Lot, his nephew. Both became prosperous until one day they had to part ways to avoid strife between their herdsmen. The peaceful, gracious, magnanimous Abraham gave Lot the first choice. From his vantage point, he looked towards the “Jordan Valley, well-watered like the garden and Egypt” (Genesis 13:12–13). There were five major cities in the valley inluding Zoar/Bela, Zeboim, Admah, Gomorrah and Sodom. The Scripture tells us that Lot pitched his tent outside Sodom, then moved into the city and raised his family there.
It was during this time that the king of Elam and four other kings attacked Sodom and took Lot as captive, but he was eventually rescued by Abraham. Lot went back to Sodom, until the Lord decided to destroy the cities … “because the outcry against its people has become great before the LORD” (Genesis 19:13). The Lord sent two of his angels to destroy the inhabitants and retribution was swift.
When then were these five sins?
First there was wickedness.
Abraham referred to it. When bargaining with God, he asked: “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?” (Genesis 18:23–33). Their wickedness included an intent to cause harm. It was both malicious and cruel.
They also engaged in idolatry.
This sin was not directly mentioned but was implied. Idolatry is anything that is placed before God. Jeremiah observes that “The prophets of Samaria, prophesied by Baal and the prophets of Jerusalem, were adulterers, liars and support evildoers…like Sodom…like Gomorrah” (Jeremiah 23:13–14).
They also practiced homosexuality.
Some might argue that this is not really that bad, because it does not hurt anyone in the way that murder, theft and false testimony do. Others would counter, that it was the only reason for which God was provoked enough to destroy these two evil cities.
Leviticus 18 lists these sexual sins among those that were abominations to the Lord. Within Israel, homosexuality was punishable by death (Leviticus 20:13). When the men in Sodom heard about the men- the angels who visited Lot – all of them, both young and old, demanded that Lot give them up, so that they might “know them” (an Old Testament phrase frequently referring to sexual intercourse as in Genesis 4:1, “Adam knew his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain”).
A fourth sin was idleness.
Ezekiel pictured the southern kingdom as Sodom. The kingdom “had pride, excess of food and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy. They were haughty and did an abomination before me” (Ezekiel 16:49–50). They were busy enjoying what they had, but idle when it came to assisting the poor and needy.
And a final sin was, that they were proud of their sinfulness.
“For the look in their faces bears witness against them; they proclaim their sins like Sodom” (Isaiah 3:8–9). In some cultures manhood is measured by the number of women men have.
Jude cited the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, to illustrate what sin looks like and to warn about God’s judgment. God is righteous and judges both within history and at the end of time. Jude does not mean to scare us but to guide us in a way that only the fear of the Lord can. He reminds us that God is going to judge and he is going to save, just as He judged these evil cities but saved the righteous Lot.
Stouffville, Ontario