Genesis 18.20-21-Sodom and Gomorrah
Tuesday January 31, 2006
Genesis: Genesis 18:20-21-Sodom and Gomorrah
Lesson # 91
Please turn in your Bibles to Genesis 18:1.
This evening we will study Genesis 18:20-21, which records the Lord’s assessment of the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Genesis 18:1, “Now the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, while he was sitting at the tent door in the heat of the day.”
Genesis 18:2, “When he lifted up his eyes and looked, behold, three men were standing opposite him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth.”
Genesis 18:3, “and said, ‘My lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, please do not pass your servant by.’”
Genesis 18:4, “Please let a little water be brought and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree.”
Genesis 18:5, “and I will bring a piece of bread, that you may refresh yourselves; after that you may go on, since you have visited your servant. And they said, ‘So do, as you have said.’”
Genesis 18:6, “So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, ‘Quickly, prepare three measures of fine flour, knead it and make bread cakes.’”
Genesis 18:7, “Abraham also ran to the herd, and took a tender and choice calf and gave it to the servant, and he hurried to prepare it.”
Genesis 18:8, “He took curds and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and placed it before them; and he was standing by them under the tree as they ate.”
Genesis 18:9, “Then they said to him, ‘Where is Sarah your wife?’ And he said, ‘There, in the tent.’”
Genesis 18:10, “He said, ‘I will surely return to you at this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son.’ And Sarah was listening at the tent door, which was behind him.”
Genesis 18:11, “Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; Sarah was past childbearing.”
Genesis 18:12, “Sarah laughed to herself, saying, ‘After I have become old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?’”
Genesis 18:13, “And the LORD said to Abraham, ‘Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, when I am so old?’”
Genesis 18:14, “Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”
Genesis 18:15, “Sarah denied it however, saying, ‘I did not laugh’; for she was afraid. And He said, ‘No, but you did laugh.’”
Genesis 18:16, “Then the men rose up from there, and looked down toward Sodom; and Abraham was walking with them to send them off.”
Genesis 18:17, “The LORD said, ‘Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do.’”
Genesis 18:18, “since Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation, and in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed?”
Genesis 18:19, “For I have chosen him, so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice, so that the LORD may bring upon Abraham what He has spoken about him.”
Genesis 18:20, “And the LORD said, ‘The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is indeed great, and their sin is exceedingly grave.’”
Genesis 18:21, “I will go down now, and see if they have done entirely according to its outcry, which has come to Me; and if not, I will know.”
“Sodom” and “Gomorrah” were located on the east at the south end of the Dead Sea and helped to form a confederation of cities, which included Admah, Zeboiim and Zoar according to Genesis 14:2, 8 and are called by theologians “the cities of the plain.”
Genesis 13:13 describes the inhabitants of Sodom as exceedingly wicked and against the Lord meaning that they were involved in “gross” immorality, which is defined as homosexuality in Genesis 19.
Genesis 13:5, “Now Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents.”
Genesis 13:6, “And the land could not sustain them while dwelling together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to remain together.”
Genesis 13:7, “And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram's livestock and the herdsmen of Lot's livestock. Now the Canaanite and the Perizzite were dwelling then in the land.”
Genesis 13:8, “So Abram said to Lot, ‘Please let there be no strife between you and me, nor between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, for we are brothers.’”
Genesis 13:9, “Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me; if to the left, then I will go to the right; or if to the right, then I will go to the left.”
Genesis 13:10, “Lot lifted up his eyes and saw all the valley of the Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere -- this was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah -- like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt as you go to Zoar.”
“The valley of the Jordan” was a tropical area between Jericho and Zoar, 800 to 1200 feel below sea level, where crops could grow all year-round.
The phrase “like the garden of the Lord” is a reference to the Garden of Eden and indicates that like the Garden of Eden, the valley of the Jordan, possessed breathtaking beauty and was full of lush vegetation.
The phrase “like the land of Egypt” tones down the previous comparison and indicates that like rich fertile land of Egypt, which tempted Abram to depart from Canaan, the valley of the Jordan was also a rich fertile land.
Genesis 13:11, “So Lot chose for himself all the valley of the Jordan, and Lot journeyed eastward. Thus they separated from each other.”
Genesis 13:13, “Now the men of Sodom were wicked exceedingly and sinners against the LORD.”
“Wicked” is the adjective ra` (ur^), which describes the men of Sodom as conducting their lives independently of God and in the context of Genesis 13-19, this independence from God expressed itself in gross immorality and specifically, homosexuality.
“Exceedingly” is the adverb me’odh (da)m+) (meh-ode), which intensifies the meaning of the verb ra’, “wicked,” thus indicating that the evil that the men of Sodom were involved was “gross” immorality, which is defined as homosexuality in Genesis 19.
“Sinners” is the noun chatta (aF*j^) (khaw-taw), which describes the men of Sodom as involved in gross immorality, namely, homosexuality and this is confirmed in Genesis 19.
The phrase “against the Lord” describes the men of Sodom as opposed to the laws of God that regulated conduct between the sexes and which laws are later reflected in the Mosaic Law.
Leviticus 18:22, “You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination.”
Leviticus 20:13, “If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death. Their bloodguiltiness is upon them.”
The prophet Jeremiah identified Sodom with adultery, deceit and lies and the encouragement of evildoers and all without any remorse.
Jeremiah 23:14, “Also among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing: The committing of adultery and walking in falsehood; And they strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one has turned back from his wickedness. All of them have become to Me like Sodom, and her inhabitants like Gomorrah.”
The prophet Ezekiel describes the inhabitants of Sodom as arrogant displaying an uncompassionate attitude towards the poor and needy.
Ezekiel 16:49, “Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had arrogance, abundant food and careless ease, but she did not help the poor and needy.”
Ezekiel 16:50, “Thus they were haughty and committed abominations before Me. Therefore I removed them when I saw it.”
The prophet Isaiah states that the inhabitants of Sodom did not conceal their wicked deeds but flaunted them.
Isaiah 3:8, “For Jerusalem has stumbled and Judah has fallen, because their speech and their actions are against the LORD, to rebel against His glorious presence.”
Isaiah 3:9, “The expression of their faces bears witness against them, and they display their sin like Sodom; They do not even conceal it. Woe to them! For they have brought evil on themselves.”
Genesis 18:20, “And the LORD said, ‘The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is indeed great, and their sin is exceedingly grave.’”
Genesis 18:21, “I will go down now, and see if they have done entirely according to its outcry, which has come to Me; and if not, I will know.”
The Lord’s statement recorded in Genesis 18:21 does “not” mean that the Lord needed to confirm what was taking place in Sodom and Gomorrah since He is omniscient.
But rather He makes this statement so that He might reveal to Abraham that He is a God of righteousness and justice.
The Lord’s statement recorded in Genesis 18:21 was made to demonstrate to Abraham that He is a righteous and just sovereign over the inhabitants of the earth.
Psalm 11:4, “The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD'S throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men.”
Psalm 11:5, “The LORD tests the righteous and the wicked, and the one who loves violence His soul hates.”
Psalm 11:6, “Upon the wicked He will rain snares; Fire and brimstone and burning wind will be the portion of their cup.”
Psalm 11:7, “For the LORD is righteous, He loves righteousness; The upright will behold His face.”
Genesis 18:20, “And the LORD said, ‘The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is indeed great, and their sin is exceedingly grave.’”
Genesis 18:21, “I will go down now, and see if they have done entirely according to its outcry, which has come to Me; and if not, I will know.”
The Lord’s statement recorded in Genesis 18:21 is for the sake of Abraham so that Abraham might intercede on behalf of the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Remember, Abraham’s nephew Lot is living in Sodom, so at this particular point in the narrative the Lord is withholding judgment of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah until Lot and his family have vacated the city.
Therefore, the Lord is withholding judgment for the benefit of Abraham so that he could exercise himself spiritually on behalf of the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah and the Lord was withholding judgment so that Lot, a believer could escape the destruction unharmed.
The Lord is also withholding judgment temporarily upon Sodom and Gomorrah so that He might demonstrate His character and nature and that Abraham might demonstrate his as well and Lot might escape the impending judgment.
1 Timothy 2:4, “who (God) desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”