Sin of Sodom

Have you heard the story of the city of Sodom?

In Genesis 18, God speaks to Abraham and tells him about His plan to destroy the city. Abraham begs God not to do it for the sake of his nephew Lot. So, in Genesis 19, God sends two angels down to the city gate of Sodom. The angels, two men, meet Lot at the city gate and proceed to the city square where Lot secures them in his house and then must defend them to the crowd of men standing outside that want to have sex with them. Yeah, you read that right!

So, in an effort to keep these men from accosting these angels inside his home, Lot offers up his two virgin daughters to the crowd of men to "do with what they want". They refuse Lot's offer and try to break down the door to get to the men inside. So, the angels pull Lot in the door, strike the evil men with blindness and proceed to lay out God's plan of destruction. The angels send Lot to a nearby town and God rained down burning sulfur on Sodom.  

So, here is a question; why was the city of Sodom destroyed?

You see, many people use the city of Sodom as an example that God despises same-gender relations and that He punishes this sin. While this is true, that is not the primary reason that the city of Sodom was destroyed! Read Ezekiel 16:49-50 and you find out something different.

"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."

That sounds a lot like America. Moreover, that sounds like a lot of Christians living in America!

ARROGANT ~ OVERFED ~ UNCONCERNED

It's odd that we look at the city of Sodom as an example that God will punish sin until we find that we are guilty of the very sin by which God was punishing.