Let's get real. It's time for some honesty, wouldn't you say? Maybe you've heard some of the things set forth these days, as proof that the Bible really does not teach that homosexuality is a sin, and further, that homosexuality was not the reason God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.
Surprise! Surprise! People have been believing an error that has been passed on for generations to unsuspecting people who did not know the Bible does not teach that homosexuality is a sin!
Or does it?
After all, just because God made man and woman to be united and said clearly –
Genesis 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh., -
that doesn't mean that any other type of union is wrong. Right?
Hmmm … let us use those little gray cell as (Hercule Poirot would say), in our brains and reason here for a minute. So, if I tell my child that he must be in bed by 10 PM, he will not necessarily conclude that to do anything else would be wrong. Right?
If I find him still up at midnight and he says to me. “You did not tell me not to be up until midnight,” he will be justified, and it will be wrong for me to correct him? Right?
Umm … NO! I did not have to say, 'Do not stay up past 10 PM,' if I specifically said to be in bed at that time. If he has done anything other than be in bed at 10 PM he knows that he has disobeyed.
Shall we pause for a duh moment here? Simple logic still has its place.
But let's say it another way. Suppose I make a glaze to go on the homemade donuts that I have just finished frying. My son walks into the kitchen and I tell him, 'I made this glaze to go on the fresh donuts. Now if he picks up the bowl of glaze and says 'I would rather use it as candy and eat it with my friends,' then heads out of the door with it, he has done nothing wrong – right?
Pause, for another duh moment........ Just because he wants to use the glaze in a different way than what it was made for does not mean that makes it okay!
Ask any physician what certain body parts, including internal organs, are for, and he can tell you. He can tell you how that the male and female bodies are designed to unite, even with intricate detail.
Still, be that as it may, what is to be considered here is what the Bible has to say.
Genesis 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
Matthew 19:5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
Well would you look at that? It is in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. Please forgive my sarcastic tone, but it's time to get real and to get honest.
Shall – leave. Shall- cleave to his wife. Shall - be one flesh. - Shall, Shall, and Shall!
Matthew 19:4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,
If that seems hard to understand then let me help. The one who made humans in the beginning, made two sexes- male and female.
Matthew 19:5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
For this cause, - that is – because God made them two sexes – male and female –(designed for perfect physical union) - a man is to leave his parents and be glued to his wife - AND – they are to be one flesh.
In other words the reason for heterosexuality is that the Creator made these two sexes to be united and thereafter not be considered two but one composite being who is made of two parts, that come together in a unity that makes them one.
Genesis 2:18 And the Lord God (elohiym) said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
WAS NOT GOOD? Only one thing! The man to be alone. However, in the Hebrew, this word does not mean simply to be singular.
Alone' – (Hebrew -Strong's Exhaustive Concordance) = 'bad', meaning, separation, by impl. a part of the body, branch of a tree ….
This indicates something more than to be only one thing by itself, or singular. It indicates an incomplete state. It indicates separation.
Help meet for him – (Strong's) = ezer; aide; - help. - and neged; a front, i.e. part opposite; spec. a counterpart, or mate ….
Counterpart (Webster's 1913) = 1. A part corresponding to another part; anything which answers, or corresponds, to another; a copy; a duplicate; a facsimile. 4. A thing may be applied to another thing so as to fit perfectly, as a seal to its impression; hence, a thing which is adapted to another thing, or which suplements it; that which serves to complete or complement anything; hence, a person or thing having qualities lacking in another; an opposite.
So, God created the woman to be the man's counterpart. She fits perfectly, in a physical sense. She completes him by having the qualities he lacks, while being the same, as in also human, and yet opposite. She is the receiver of what he has to give (seed). Male and female were created in a way that would complement and contrast each other.
By the way, according to
http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/38539/title/Male-and-Female-Brains-Wired-Differently/
... The female brain appears to have increased connection between neurons in the right and left hemispheres of the brain, and males seem to have increased neural communication within hemispheres from frontal to rear portions of the organ
Isn't that interesting? If this is the case, then, when male and female are united as one, the neural connections of the whole brain – left to right and front to back – come together and there is completion.
Matthew 19:6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
Put asunder (Greek, Strong's) = [cwrizw] chorizo kho-rid'-zo from [cwra] - chora; to place room between, i.e. part; reflexively, to go away:--depart, put asunder, separate.
If it was the creator God who designed this unit, if He made these two parts to connect and become one flesh, or one singular united being, do not let human beings separate, or put any room between the members of this composite being.
Not only do these verses give God's distinct instructions, but there is even a 'wherefore.' There was a reason that this was to be done.
God made His instructions clear and had a reason for making it so. This is easy to see.
Two males cannot be counterparts. And since, in the physiological makeup of each, there is only the 'giver' (of seed and the sexual organ) and no 'receiver,' either physical union must not happen, leaving only stimulation by some other means, or the partners must improvise and manipulate another part of the body to a use it was not designed for.
They must go against the natural use of the body. Any physician can tell us that the anus is not designed for sexual intercourse. Both the colon and the rectum are part of the intestines. The anus is where waste it to be passed from the body. The anus is full of bacteria, whereas the vagina is self-cleansing.
Let's be honest.
No one would try to feed their body by stuffing food into their ear or nose or anus. Who would not think that anyone who would do such a thing has no sense at all? We cannot force our eyes to smell or our nose to see. No one expects that they can cause their lungs to pump blood or their heart to digest food. And yet individuals will choose to take that which was meant for passing off body waste as the place to receive life-giving seed, knowing it will only be cast off and die. Not only so but they will condemn anyone who will not accept this as acceptable, right, and even godly.
How can a reasonable person consider that which goes against God's design to be godly?
Can we be reasonable here?
Yet the sort of ridiculous reasoning put forth as evidence that God is not against men marrying men or women marrying women, or homosexuality in general, is to say that just because God created male and female with the ability to have sexual intercourse, does not mean that it's wrong to do it another way other than according to God’s design and purpose.
How about this? Let's have honesty now! Do it if you choose to, but leave God out of the picture; out of the discussion. He made his design, His purpose, and His instructions clear. So why insult Him?
Or at least, to make a case for God accepting homosexuality, please at least use more reasonable evidence, though I understand there are many gullible people who will not catch on to this very obvious misuse of scripture.
As to the next question, Did God really destroy Sodom and Gomorrah because of homosexuality and sodomy in particular, let's be honest. Let's get real.
What was the reason God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah?
For years there may have been few who would have even questioned the assumption that it was because of homosexuality. However today, where there has been a push for acceptance and validation of the gay lifestyle, this has been questioned and, in many cases, denied.
It is understandable why someone might say that the destruction did not come because of what the men of Sodom attempted to do to the angels, since God had made the decision to destroy the cities before the angels came to see Lot and to warn him of God's intentions.
Genesis 18:20 And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;
Genesis 18:28 Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it.
Genesis 18:32 And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once:
Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake.
The verses in Genesis 18 above, let us know that God's decision to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah was based on the outcry that God had heard, the unrighteousness, and the grievous sins that the people were committing, although he does not list those sins in these verses. In this portion of scripture, we are not told that homosexuality is the primary sin of these cities. However, there is more to be found on the subject in other scripture verses. Genesis chapter thirteen tells us this -
Genesis 13:13 But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly.
Here we are told what the men of Sodom were like. The word 'man' here refers to the male gender.
It would seem that the behavior of the males of Sodom toward the angels was evidence of a pre-existing state of mind, which God already was aware of before the angels arrived.
These were exceedingly wicked men.
Men = (Strong's Exhaustive Concordance) iysh; a man as an individual or male person ...him (that is) husband ….
So then God specifies the condition of the 'males' of Sodom as being 'sinners exceedingly'.
Before looking at the list of Sodom's sins that are named in scriptures let us take a closer look at what happened specifically, on the day Sodom was destroyed and the night before.
Genesis 19:1 And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;
2 And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night.
3 And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.
Here we see that the angels came to Sodom while Lot was sitting in the gate of the city in the evening. Lot invited the angels to come to his home but at first, they refused, saying they would stay the night in the street. After Lot “pressed on them greatly,” they finally consented and went with him into his home.
4 But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter:
5 And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? Bring them out unto us, that we may know them.
Before the angels had laid down to rest for the night, both the young and the old men (males) of the city, in fact, all of the people of the city compassed Lot's house
Young (Strong's) = ... from out of in many senses – with – naar ; a boy (as active), from the age of infancy to adolescence … also (by interch. of sex), a girl (of similar latitude of age):....
At this point in the story, we are given some very interesting information about the people of Sodom.
One train of thought today is, that what was happening when the people told Lot to bring out the angles to them, was something commonly done as a means of showing strangers just who was in charge of the city. I guess the idea is that Sodom had set up a system whereby they instilled fear into any strangers who might think of entering the city, whereby they would not think of entering in an aggressive manner but would rather be subdued from the beginning.
As much as some may want us to believe this to be the case, I am afraid such an idea overlooks some very important information given thus far in the scriptures.
You see, it would be one thing to have a vigilante group or a law enforcement group, who were assigned the job of carrying out this cruel introduction to Sodom and putting the fear of the city into all new comers, but what we read goes far beyond even the cruelty of such an idea.
What we have here is all the males of the city from children to old men coming out in mass to carry out their twisted behavior on the angels. Remember that the Bible has told us that these were exceedingly wicked men.
What was it they were intent on doing to these angels who they saw as men? It was to “know” them.
It is a far stretch to suggest that all they wanted to do was to be casually introduced to these men, when Lot responded in the way he did.
6 And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him,
7 And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly.
8 Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof.
Clearly the men of Sodom were seeking to do something that was wicked as Lot plainly stated.
“And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly”
Let's be reasonable. Okay? A simple introduction would not have been seriously evil.
While Lots begs them not to do this evil thing, he, in turn, offers them an alternative. He offers them to take his daughters who had not yet “known” man and to - “do ye to them as is good in your eyes.” Not just introduce yourselves to them, but rather – do what you want to do to them.
There are probably few who would fail to acknowledge that Lot was referring to his daughters as being virgins who had not had sexual relations with a man.
It is apparent that the men of Sodom were calling out to Lot to let them have sex with these two men (angels). This is why, Lot called their intentions wicked. Lot, knowing who his guests were, would prefer letting these men do what they chose to do with his virgin daughters than to let them have the angels of God.
There are those who may be willing to acknowledge that this is what the men of Sodom were intent on doing, yet try to pass it off as only a way of bullying newcomers and showing them who was in control.
I read the explanation of one person who claimed that the majority of the men in Sodom and Gomorrah were heterosexual (although where such an idea came from, I do not know). But think about it with a rational mind. If this was the case, then we have before us something quite astounding.
We have a multitude of primarily heterosexual males of all ages, willing to commit an act of homosexual rape on complete strangers.
I THINK NOT!
Ask any man who is heterosexual if he would commit a homosexual act in order to humiliate someone and see what his response would be! To his thinking, he would not only humiliate the person he attacked but would also defile himself, doing something he finds repulsive.
For any man, let alone a heterosexual male, to be willing to 'put the hurt on' someone who is endangering his family, his town, or his country, may seem completely feasible. Men go off to war all the time in order to protect their country and loved ones. They will fight an enemy. They will fistfight, or even kill if they feel the necessity. They will threaten bodily harm to anyone who would think of hurting their loved ones. But it takes a different sort of a person, a degenerate sort of person to rape another human being, let alone to consider rape as a warning to someone who has not threatened them or their loved ones in any way.
To use rape as a form of bullying all strangers is not reasonable even to very rough men.
But, and if, this did seem to be something that a city of greedy people thought would ensure the safety of their city, it would be more reasonable to have certain men who were willing to commit such heinous atrocities on other human beings be assigned to the task.
To get to the point of being capable of raping another human requires a killing of the conscience and a hardening of the heart to an extreme.
But what happened in Sodom on that fateful day, was that even the young men or boys were not only willing to rape strangers but to rape other males. Not only this, but they were so intent on doing so that they were going to break Lot's door down in order to get to these men and get the job done.
9 And they said, Stand back. And they said again, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door.
10 But the men put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut to the door.
11 And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door.
Do you hear what is being said here?
What do you think your immediate reaction would be to instantaneously becoming blind? Think about it honestly. If suddenly, right now, you were to lose your vision, how would you react? I think most people would panic. Oh, if you were indoors, you might try to calm yourself for a second as you attempted to find out if the lights had gone out in the house. But these men were outdoors. If you suddenly lost your sight outdoors, you might rub your eyes to see if something had fallen over them or gotten into them, but when the reality hit you that you were indeed blind, I think most of us would panic!
However, when the angels struck all the men in Sodom with blindness at once, what did they do? All of them, both small and great, kept right on trying to find the door to Lot's house to get to the two strangers. And they continued their determined search until they had wearied themselves in their efforts!
Incredible!
This suggests being so consumed and driven by such a fever of lust, that the fact of suddenly becoming blind is a secondary concern to satisfying their sexual appetite!
My friend there is nothing normal about such a condition! And even the young ones were consumed with this passion!
Jude spoke of the condition of the people of Sodom that confirms this.
Jude 1:7-8 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
8 Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.
Giving themselves over to fornication means –
Fornication = (Strong's) = ekporneuo, ek-porn-yoo'-o from [ek] – ek and [porneuw] - porneuo to be utterly unchaste:--give self over to fornication.
To be chaste, is to be - 1. Pure from unlawful sexual intercourse; virtuous; continent. (Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913 + 1828)
They were completely impure.
They practiced unlawful sexual intercourse. And what is fornication in the Bible?
Fornication (Strong's) – zanah (Hebrew) and porneia (Greek) - Zanah; to commit adultery (usually of the female and less often of simple fornication, rarely of involuntary ravishment); figuratively to commit idolatry ( the Jewish people being regarded as the spouse of Jehovah): …. porneia; harlotry (including adultery and incest); fig. idolatry:- fornication.
A ‘harlot’ in the Old Testament is the same word as is translated 'fornication' above. It is the Hebrew word zanah.
Jude tells us that the people of Sodom had given themselves over to fornication. They went after strange flesh. In other words, it was not simply that they lived with a lover out of wedlock or were unfaithful to their spouse. No! One partner would not suffice. They went after “strange” or different or even altered flesh.
strange (Strong's) = heteros (an-,the) other or different: - altered... strange.
Let's tell it like it is. The people of Sodom were utterly unchaste, they gave themselves over to fornication and they went after strange flesh, or that is - other flesh – different or altered flesh.
Notice also, in the meaning of the word fornication, are the words incest and idolatry.
So then according to the Bible, the majority of the people of Sodom were not simply everyday heterosexuals, nor were the homosexuals simply people who led regular lives only with a partner of the same sex.
These were people who wanted that which was strange, altered, or different. Not only was this what they wanted but they went after what they lusted for.
My friend, this sounds very much like a serious addiction. As a matter of fact, I think of only three reasons why so many men of all ages would be so determined to get to these two strangers that even blindness would not distract them. That would be fear, pain, or addiction. And these easily go together.
If an individual is addicted to drugs and is unable to get the drugs that he is addicted to, he may suffer great pain, hallucinations, and fear. His suffering can become so tremendous that all he can think of is getting what he needs to stop his pain.
No, it is indeed unlikely that young men at the age of early adulthood, who normally might be thinking of what they were going to do with their future; what career they might enter, who they might marry, where they would like to live etc. would suddenly be so completely consumed with getting to two complete strange men and raping them, that nothing would deter them, including being stricken with blindness.
Nor is it likely that a normal young man would rush off, at the drop of a hat, to rape anyone, let alone someone of his own gender, who had done nothing to incite anger and rage; unless this was already an addiction; unless his hunger for strange flesh was fueled by an unholy appetite and addiction.
In other words. it is unlikely that such homosexual acts were new and unfamiliar to the mass of men in the city of Sodom.
It is far more likely that such acts were common to them and something they greatly desired.
I believe most honest individuals would have to admit this to be the case.
Even the historian Flavius Josephus in his writing of the Antiquities of the Jews, which according to - http://www.britannica.com – was written in Greek in about AD 93, spoke of the actions of the people of Sodom as being of a sexual nature, not a desire for a simple introduction!
Flavius Josephus of the Antiquities of the Jews Chapter Eleven — Book I
And the Angels came to the city of the Sodomites, and Lot intreated them to accept of a lodging with him: for he was a very generous and hospitable man; and one that had learned to imitate the goodness of Abraham. Now when the Sodomites saw the young men to be of beautiful countenances, and this to an extraordinary degree, and that they took up their lodgings with Lot, they resolved themselves to enjoy these beautiful boys by force and violence: and when Lot exhorted them to sobriety, and not to offer any thing immodest to the strangers, but to have regard to their lodging in his house; and promised, that if their inclinations could not be governed, he would expose his daughters to their lust, instead of these strangers: neither thus were they made ashamed.
4. But God was much displeased at their impudent behaviour: so that he both smote those men with blindness, and condemned the Sodomites to universal destruction. But Lot, upon God’s informing him of the future destruction of the Sodomites, went away; taking with him his wife, and daughters; who were two, and still virgins: for those that were betrothed (31) to them were above the thoughts of going; and deemed that Lot’s words were trifling.
Whether you give Josephus' writings any credit or not, it is clear what the mindset of this man who lived approx. 93 AD was. This is not just some new idea of our day and time.
Also, remember that the scripture speaks of the cries that were coming from Sodom that God had heard.
Genesis 18:20 And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;
cry - zeaqah= (Strong's) a shriek or outcry: - cry (ing)
Definition of shriek in English: - http://www.oxforddictionaries.com
verb [no object] - 1. Utter a high-pitched piercing sound or words, especially as an expression of terror, pain, or excitement:
noun - A high-pitched piercing cry or sound; a scream:
great = (Strong's) – rabab; to cast together, i.e. increase, espec. in number; also (as denom. from rebabah, to multiply by the myriad: - be many (-ifold), be more, multiply, ten thousands.
Genesis 18:21 I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.
Cry = (Strong's) tsaaqah; a shriek: -cry (ing).
There were cries or shrieks that were numerous and perhaps increasing, coming from Sodom and Gomorrah. The sort of sounds that often express terror, pain, or excitement. It was obviously not a sound of something good if it displeased God as it did.
Could these have been the cries of other victims of the men of that sinful city, as they cried out in terror and pain?
Could it have been the cries of multitudes of sinful men indulging in orgies and many unchaste acts?
Perhaps both, for the cries stirred God into action. And the scriptures give us a glimpse of the men of that city on only one night when they again went after strange flesh, the flesh of two angels of God. They were so overcome with desire that even being struck with blindness did not stop their fervent efforts to get to them. They pressed on until they wearied themselves in their blind efforts.
11 And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door.
Still, some would have us believe that homosexuality had nothing to do with God's reason for destroying Sodom and Gomorrah, even though it appears to have been a great part of their activities, in fact, a probable addiction of the men of those cities; such an addiction in fact, that the males of all ages were so consumed with the lust for strange flesh including the same sex, that they mobbed Lot's house. Even after losing their eyesight, they would not let up with their desperate efforts to assault the angels of God. Yet, some would have us believe that the story of Sodom and Gomorrah is a weak argument against homosexuality and that it does not indicate God's disapproval of it.
Well alright then. If that is not convincing, then let's go on and look at other scriptures about these cities.
Sodom and Gomorrah were Canaanite cities -
Genesis 10:19 And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon, as thou comest to Gerar, unto Gaza; as thou goest, unto Sodom, and Gomorrah, and Admah, and Zeboim, even unto Lasha.
In Leviticus chapter 18. the Lord spoke to Moses, telling him that he was not to do the things done by the Canaanites.
I bring this scripture to show the list of what the Canaanites were doing, that God said was 'defiling' them. I do not bring these verses for a discussion of the Law and whether or not it is in effect today, but to make clear that homosexuality was among the things defiling these people.
These things are said to have already been 'defiling' the Canaanite people when God began to give Moses the Law.
In other words, they did not just become wrong, because to do them would be breaking the Law. Before the Law was given, they were already defiling the Canaanite people, of which Sodom and Gomorrah were a part.
Leviticus 18:24 Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you:
Since the word 'defile here means -
tame' taw-may' - a primitive root; to be foul, especially in a ceremial or moral sense (contaminated):--defile (self), pollute (self), be (make, make self, pronounce) unclean, x utterly.
we are able to see God's view even before He put the Law of Moses in place.
God began setting forth, as law, the forbidding of those things that were already making the people foul, contaminated, polluted, and unclean.
Among the sins of these people were homosexuality (v. 22) and even bestiality (v. 23)
Leviticus 18:22 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.
Shall not lie – (Hebrew, Strong's) shakab shaw-kab' a primitive root; to lie down (for rest, sexual connection, decease or any other purpose):--x at all, cast down, ((lover-))lay (self) (down), (make to) lie (down, down to sleep, still with), lodge, ravish, take rest, sleep, stay.
Leviticus 18:23 Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion.
Note the word 'defile' here again.
An honest person can see the meaning of these verses. God had designed male and female for physical union. To have physical union or sexual activity with one of the same sex, or with an animal, was to make them unclean and polluted. It was to disrespect and disregard God, His creation, and the purpose for which He had created man. But these people rebelled against the plan and purpose of God, and men are doing the same yet today.
Deuteronomy 9:24 Ye have been rebellious against the LORD from the day that I knew you.
Thus, we can see that if the nation of Canaan was defiled with all of these things, so was Sodom and Gomorrah. Yes, homosexuality was practiced in these cities.
Any honest person will recognize the meaning of these verses and not try to twist their meaning.
These activities, among others, brought on the wrath of God!
Deuteronomy 29:23 And that the whole land thereof is brimstone, and salt, and burning, that it is not sown, nor beareth, nor any grass groweth therein, like the overthrow of Sodom, and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim, which the LORD overthrew in his anger, and in his wrath:
In Ezekiel, we find another list of sins of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Some point out that homosexuality is not named in this list. But is this the case?
Ezekiel 16:49-51 Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.
50 And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good.
51 Neither hath Samaria committed half of thy sins; but thou hast multiplied thine abominations more than they, and hast justified thy sisters in all thine abominations which thou hast done.
Abomination here is the Hebrew word - tow`ebahto-ay-baw' or tonebah {to-ay-baw'}; feminine active participle of 'ta`ab'; properly, something disgusting (morally), i.e. (as noun) an abhorrence; especially idolatry or (concretely) an idol:-- abominable (custom, thing), abomination.
The list -
1 Fulness of bread
2 Abundance of idleness
3 She did not strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. (Self-centered)
4 Haughty
5 Committed abominations
6 Justified thy sisters in all thine abominations
The picture here is of a selfish, proud, and lazy people who indulge themselves with food and whatever abominations, or that is, disgusting and abominable things they choose and to justify the actions of others who do them, while having no concern for the needs of others. No details are given as to which particular abominations they were committing, but as stated earlier, they were Canaanite people and God listed their abominations in Leviticus! These included homosexuality (man lying with mankind as with womankind).
The abominations may not be specified here, but as we have seen, they were in Leviticus and were evidenced in Genesis chapter 18, in the story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.
As can be seen from the meaning of the word 'abomination,' these things were disgusting, morally. They were abominable (unequivocally detestable [The Free Dictionary]) and an abhorence (
one that is disgusting, loathsome, or repellent. [ The Free Dictionary])
IDOLATRY OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH
Deuteronomy 32:32 38 For their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah: their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter:
33 Their wine is the poison of dragons, and the cruel venom of asps.
34 Is not this laid up in store with me, and sealed up among my treasures?
35 To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste
36 For the LORD shall judge his people, and repent himself for his servants, when he seeth that their power is gone, and there is none shut up, or left.
37 And he shall say, Where are their gods, their rock in whom they trusted,
38 Which did eat the fat of their sacrifices, and drank the wine of their drink offerings? let them rise up and help you, and be your protection.
Perhaps, they had even invented a religion in which such treatment of newcomers were considered rituals of sacrifice to their gods.
When men turn from the true and living God, lifting themselves above Him in their own minds and hearts, they commonly turn to gods of their own making. If they do not make Gods with their hands, they worship themselves as God. What are the results of such a mindset according to the Word of God?
Zephaniah 2:9-11 Therefore as I live, saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, even the breeding of nettles, and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation: the residue of my people shall spoil them, and the remnant of my people shall possess them.
10 This shall they have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of the LORD of hosts.
11 The LORD will be terrible unto them: for he will famish all the gods of the earth; and men shall worship him, every one from his place, even all the isles of the heathen.
Isaiah 3:8-9 For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen: because their tongue and their doings are against the LORD, to provoke the eyes of his glory.
9 The shew of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves.
Jeremiah 23:14 I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah.
So be honest! It is time for truth!
Does the Bible bear out that homosexuality was among the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah? Yes, it clearly does. Those who would like us to believe otherwise can pick out verses about Sodom and Gomorrah and point out that homosexuality is not named in them. They can perhaps be quite convincing if they leave out what is said before and after these verses; if they omit other portions of scripture, like those addressing the Canaanite cities, which Sodom and Gomorrah were a part of and whose sins are actually listed. If they fail to look honestly at what was going on in Sodom the day the angels of God arrived and are unwilling to face the facts that the activities of the men of that city, on that day, had to be the result of an already developed way of life.
But is that why God destroyed Sodom? We have read clearly that He destroyed them because of their abomination, of which homosexuality was a part. And He was moved by the cries that He heard coming from those cities.
Of course, some of you may have heard the scoffers, who like to point out other things in the Old Testament that are called abominations, as though these were ridiculous and no longer binding. They refer to things in the Law of Moses, speaking of things they apparently do not understand. They mock things that had important purpose at the time of the Levitical priesthood, pertaining to the ceremonies that were performed before Jesus came and brought a more perfect means of true salvation for all mankind.
We have seen, however, that what was said to have defiled the Canaanite people to which the people of Sodom belonged, and was considered, by God, to be abominations, was defiling them before the Law was given. They were acts of rebellion against God.
The scoffers scoff either in ignorance or purposeful deception and either ignore, hide, or do not know or understand what Jesus Himself said -
Mark 10:6-8 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.
7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;
8 And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.
God said how it was to be, in the beginning, and Jesus affirms that it remains the will of God.
God hears every word of insult made against Him. He sees every arrogant heart that is puffed up and willing to defy Him. Those who think they are elevated enough, intellectually, to take upon themselves the right and justification to turn away from God's design and purpose, to their own, may smile and speak condescending to those who refuse to do so.
They may insult and slander those who refuse to pervert the Word of God or speak irreverently of His design and His will. But one day they will receive in themselves that which is a fair return for their actions, as is said in -
Romans 1:27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
Recompence (requital - .1 something given in return, compensation, or retaliation)
meet necessary (as binding ...needful
They will reap their just reward.
Psalms 10:4 The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.
Proverbs 16:18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
Romans 14:11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.
While many homosexuals have suffered severely from abuse, pain, and loss, before turning to this lifestyle; while many are hurting and see no way to identify themselves in any other way, yet we cannot, in all honesty, manipulate the scriptures to justify what goes against the heart and purpose of God.
There is hope for any, and all, who are consumed in a life of sin, no matter what that sin may be. For Jesus has said -
Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Mark 1:15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
John 6:37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
1 Peter 2:6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
1 Peter 2:7-8 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,
8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.
Romans 3:4 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.
