The book of Genesis 19th chapter says that the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know. Well let's see what the Bible says about the outcry that was heard and what their sin were, and ask ourselves, are we doing the same sins of Sodom and Gomorrah today?
First look at Genesis 19:4 it says Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom-both young and old-surrounded the house. They called to Lot, Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them.
Now look at Deuteronomy 29:14 I am making this covenant, with its oath, not only with you who are standing here with us today in the presence of the Lord our God but also with those who are not here today. You yourselves know how we lived in Egypt and how we passed through the countries on the way here. You saw among them their detestable images and idols of wood and stone, of silver and gold. Make sure there is no man or woman, clan or tribe among you today whose heart turns away from the Lord our God to go and worship the gods of those nations; make sure there is no root among you that produces such bitter poison. When such a person hears the words of this oath, he invokes a blessing on himself and therefore thinks, I will be safe, even thought I persist in going my own way. This will bring disaster on the watered land as well as the dry. The Lord will never be willing to forgive him; his wrath and zeal will burn against that man. All curses written in this book will fall upon him, and the Lord will blot out his name from under heaven. The Lord will single him out from all the tribes of Israel for disaster, according to all the curses of the covenant written in this Book of the Law.
Your children who follow you in later generations and foreigners who come from distant lands will see the calamities that have fallen on the land and the diseases with which the Lord has afflicted it. The whole land will be a burning waste of salt and sulfur-nothing planted, nothing sprouting, no vegetation growing on it. It will be like the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which the Lord overthrew in fierce anger. All nation will ask: Why has the Lord done this to this land? Why this fierce, burning anger? And the answer will be: It is because this people abandoned the covenant of the Lord, the God of their fathers, the covenant he made with them when he brought them out of Egypt. They went off and worshiped other gods and bowed down to them, gods they did not know, gods he had not given them. Therefore the Lord's anger burned against this land, so that he brought on it all the curses written in this book. In furious anger and in great wrath the Lord uprooted them from their land and thrust them into another land, as it is now. The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.
Now look at Deuteronomy 30:6 it says The Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live.
Look at Proverbs 8:32 it says Now them, my sons, listen to me; blessed are those who keep my ways. Listen to my instruction and be wise; do not ignore it. Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway. For whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from the Lord. But whoever fails to find me harms himself; all who hate me loves death.
Now look at Isaiah 3:9 it says The look on their faces testifies against them; they parade their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it. Woe to them! They have brought disaster upon themselves.
Look at Isaiah 8:11 it says The Lord spoke to me with his strong hand upon me, warning me not to follow the way of this people. He said: Do not call conspiracy everything these people call conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread, and he will be a sanctuary, but for both houses of Israel he will be a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall. And for the people of Jerusalem he will be a trap and a snare. Many of them will stumble; they will fall and be broken, they will be snared and captured. Bind up the testimony and seal up the law among my disciples. I will wait for the Lord, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob. I will put my trust in him. Here am I, and the children the Lord has given me. We are signs and symbols in Israel from the Lord Almighty, who dwells on Mount Zion. When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living? To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn.
Now look at Jeremiah 5:21 it says Hear this, you foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear: Should you not fear me? Declares the Lord. Should you not tremble in my presence? I made the sand a boundary for the sea, an everlasting barrier it cannot cross. The waves my roll, but they cannot prevail: they may roar, but they cannot cross it. But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts; they have turned aside and gone away. They do not say to themselves, Let us fear the Lord our God, who gives autumn and spring rains in season, who assures us of the regular weeks of harvest. Your wrongdoings have kept these away; your sins have deprived you of good. Among my people are wicked men who lie in wait like men who snare birds and like those who set traps to catch men. Like cages full of birds, their houses are full of deceit; they have become rich and powerful and have grown fat and sleek. Their evil deeds have no limit; they do not plead the case of the fatherless to win it, they do not defend the rights of the poor. Should I not punish then for this? declares the Lord. Should I not avenge myself on such a nation as this? A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land: The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end?
Look at Jeremiah 29:23 it says For they have done outrageous things in Israel; they have committed adultery with their neighbors wives and in my name have spoken lies, which I did not tell them to do. I know it and am a witness to it, declares the Lord.
Now look at Ezekiel 13:21 it says I will tear off your veils and save my people from your hands, and they will no longer fall prey to your power. Then you will know that I am the Lord. Because you disheartened the righteous with your lies, when I had brought them no grief, and because you encourage the wicked not to turn from their evil ways and so save their lives, therefore you will no longer see false visions or practice divinations. I will save my people from your hands, And then you will know that I am the Lord.
Look at Ezekiel 16: 49 it says now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen.
In closing look at James 4:7 it says Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee form you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
We all must ask ourselves, are we committing the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah today. The Lord clearly warns us about the sins they committed from idols, adultery, to disheartening the righteous with lies, to encourage the wicked not to turn from their evil ways and so save their lives, being arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; not helping the poor and needy. Will we give God a reason to do away with us. I surely hope not!!! I pray that we all consider our own ways of life and ask ourselves, is this what God wants me to do, and look in the Bible for your answer. I pray that the Lord be with you all.
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