The Gospel of Christ is Justice, not Compassion

Genesis 19:1-26

Genesis 19:1–26 HCSB

1 The two angels entered Sodom in the evening as Lot was sitting at Sodom’s gate. When Lot saw them, he got up to meet them. He bowed with his face to the ground 2 and said, “My lords, turn aside to your servant’s house, wash your feet, and spend the night. Then you can get up early and go on your way.” “No,” they said. “We would rather spend the night in the square.” 3 But he urged them so strongly that they followed him and went into his house. He prepared a feast and baked unleavened bread for them, and they ate. 4 Before they went to bed, the men of the city of Sodom, both young and old, the whole population, surrounded the house. 5 They called out to Lot and said, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Send them out to us so we can have sex with them!” 6 Lot went out to them at the entrance and shut the door behind him. 7 He said, “Don’t do this evil, my brothers. 8 Look, I’ve got two daughters who haven’t had sexual relations with a man. I’ll bring them out to you, and you can do whatever you want to them. However, don’t do anything to these men, because they have come under the protection of my roof.” 9 “Get out of the way!” they said, adding, “This one came here as a foreigner, but he’s acting like a judge! Now we’ll do more harm to you than to them.” They put pressure on Lot and came up to break down the door. 10 But the angels reached out, brought Lot into the house with them, and shut the door. 11 They struck the men who were at the entrance of the house, both young and old, with a blinding light so that they were unable to find the entrance. 12 Then the angels said to Lot, “Do you have anyone else here: a son-in-law, your sons and daughters, or anyone else in the city who belongs to you? Get them out of this place, 13 for we are about to destroy this place because the outcry against its people is so great before the Lord, that the Lord has sent us to destroy it.” 14 So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were going to marry his daughters. “Get up,” he said. “Get out of this place, for the Lord is about to destroy the city!” But his sons-in-law thought he was joking. 15 At daybreak the angels urged Lot on: “Get up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away in the punishment of the city.” 16 But he hesitated. Because of the Lord’s compassion for him, the men grabbed his hand, his wife’s hand, and the hands of his two daughters. Then they brought him out and left him outside the city. 17 As soon as the angels got them outside, one of them said, “Run for your lives! Don’t look back and don’t stop anywhere on the plain! Run to the mountains, or you will be swept away!” 18 But Lot said to them, “No, my lords —please. 19 Your servant has indeed found favor in your sight, and you have shown me great kindness by saving my life. But I can’t run to the mountains; the disaster will overtake me, and I will die. 20 Look, this town is close enough for me to run to. It is a small place. Please let me go there—it’s only a small place, isn’t it?—so that I can survive.” 21 And he said to him, “All right, I’ll grant your request about this matter too and will not demolish the town you mentioned. 22 Hurry up! Run there, for I cannot do anything until you get there.” Therefore the name of the city is Zoar. 23 The sun had risen over the land when Lot reached Zoar. 24 Then out of the sky the Lord rained burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah from the Lord. 25 He demolished these cities, the entire plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and whatever grew on the ground. 26 But his wife looked back and became a pillar of salt.

God is the Law Giver and Law Enforcer

The Letter from Paul to the Church of Rome

Catholic Books of the Bible/New Testament (James, 1&2 Peter, Jude)-Call to Godly Living

Sin is the conscientious decision to rebel against the law of God

Homosexuality is a sin, not an alternative lifestyle

Sin has consequences; death.

Judgment is based on Knowledge

Lot knows that what is taking place in Sodom is ungodly, it is the reason why he is sitting in the gate (false belief is that he is a “leader or judge” of the city)

Yahweh knows that Lot moved from a tent outside of the city, to a “house” within the walls of the city

The family knows the society and culture of the city; Lot’s daughters are engaged to be married

The angels know that Lot, his family, and his ministry have been compromised

Gathering Evidence

Location: Best place to gather evidence is the middle of the city, during the time period when people believe that they can get away with the crime (Night/Bedtime)

Who is involved

All the men of the city

All - every member or individual component of (Webster’s Dictionary)

Word men (Ish) means male gender who are capable of reproducing life/children. Youngest age would approximately be 10 years old

Fathers taught their sons (Proverbs 22:6)

All the women of the City

Only Lot’s relatives are mention in this passage, where are the other women?

Will not even engage in sexual expressions with Lot’s daughters

What is the activity

Pleasure instead of procreation

Middle Eastern/African slang “men are for pleasure, women are for procreation.”

Homosexuality - exclusive sin (there is no mention of rape or sexual aggression in the text)

Hardness of heart

Counter-Accusations

Who does Lot think he is. He is an “illegal alien”, “not from around here” a stranger who has no authority, no power, and no clout

Who is he to judge. His lifestyle is no different, his teaching is no different, his training of his children is no different, his life does not reveal a fear of God

He must be joking. Certainly he cannot be serious that destruction is going to occur? Certainly he cannot be serious in running away from this place? Certainly he does not expect us to run with him and his daughters?

Progressive Judgment

Begins temporarily - men are blinded, just enough not to be able to find the door of Lot’s but it seems that they are able to find the doors to their own home.

Needs massive convincing - Lot is reluctant to run, he is very wary to move, he has to be grabbed and pulled by the angels, comes at the appointed time once Lot was safe - Salvation involves the tugging of the Holy Ghost and the willingness of mankind

Ends eternally - Lot’s wife turns around becomes a pillar of salt. Luke 17:32 claims she is to be remembered because of this decision (Negative). Sodom and Gomorrah examples of the eternal damnation that will occur to other nations and individuals who follow in their “footsteps.”

It is God who is the Enforcer and the Judge

Conclusion

Adrian Rodgers said, "It is better to be divided by truth than to be united in error. It is better to speak the truth that hurts and then heals, than falsehood that comforts and then kills. It is not love and it is not friendship if we fail to declare the whole counsel of God. It is better to be hated for telling the truth than to be loved for telling a lie. It is impossible to find anyone in the Bible who was a power for God who did not have enemies and was not hated. It’s better to stand alone with the truth than to be wrong with a multitude. It is better to ultimately succeed with truth than to temporarily succeed with a lie."