Sodom and Gomorrah. C. There are some scholars who look to the Dead Sea. 1. Its surface and shores are 1,388 ft below sea level

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1 Sodom and Gomorrah I. Introduction and review A. Sodom and Gomorrah were part of a confederation of city states generally refered to as the five cities of the plain B. Where were they located? C. There are some scholars who look to the Dead Sea D. The Dead Sea is an unusual body of water 1. Its surface and shores are 1,388 ft below sea level a. That is the lowest elevation on the Earth's surface on dry land. 2. The Dead Sea is 1,237 ft deep, the deepest hypersaline lake in the world. 3. It is also one of the world's saltiest bodies of water, with 33.7%. a. It is 8.6 times saltier than the ocean. E. The Dead Sea is actually shrinking. 1. The southern end is now fed by a canal maintained by the Dead Sea Works 2. An Israeli company which harvests minerals from the Dead Sea F. The southern basin is much more shallow than the northern basin 1. The southern basin is on average 9 feet deep 2. It may be that it is gradually being exposed by the high levels of evaporation in the area G. As a result of this unusually shallow southern basin, some scholars believe that the remains of at least Sodom may be found at the bottom of this lake Page 1 of 7

2 H. Could it have gotten as salty as it is within the period of time it has been there? 1. Under the non-biblical view the answer is clearly yes a. Millions of years for water to flow into the lake and then evaporate out at a great rate b. How long to get that salty? 2. But if the Dead Sea only came into existence after the flood, maybe not 3. From the time of the flood to the destruction of Sodom and the other cities was 391 years a. Of course the Dead Sea did not existed as we know it before the flood b. They may not have been enough time to become so salt saturated 4. When Lot s wife turned around and looked, after she was told not to she was turned into a pillar of salt a. Why was she turned into a pillar of salt 5. Could it be that other citizens of the cities of the plain were also? 6. Could this judgment have caused this body of water to have become hypersalinated? a. A memorial to the judgment of sin and perversion I. There are other scholars who believe that the locations of the cities of the plain have been discovered in the area directly south and west of the Dead Sea. 1. They used satellite imagery to locate square or rectangular imprints a. See the map 2. Their evidence seems strong Page 2 of 7

3 II. There is an ever growing group which dislikes chapter 19 of Genesis, almost as much as they detest chapters 1 & 2 of Genesis A. They claim that for years this passage has been misinterpreted B. And that those misinterpreters are fostering hate speech C. That this passage does not speak to the wickedness and perversion of homosexuality or the gay life style, but to horribleness of widespread violence, something they say God clearly hates. D. A number of web sites clearly extol their position, which is: 1. God hates violence a. It lead to the first horrible sin committed by Cain b. It lead to the first horrendous judgment of God the Flood c. It will lead to the last horrendous judgment of God at the end of the tribulation d. In Sodom, they would argue, it was not about sexual sin, but forced, non-consensual sex, and the violence that would accompany it e. Remember their response to Lot in verse 9 2. In response, their understanding is clearly flawed a. Prior to the flood there was sexual perversion that had to be dealt with in the strongest of ways [Jude 6-7 & II Pet. 2:4-15] b. The same will occur during the end times c. Here the question is not violence but homosexuality d. The Scriptures clearly reflect that God views it as an abomination: Page 3 of 7

4 (1) Rom. 1:26-27 (2) Lev. 18:22; 20:13 3. The can be no question that God views homosexuality as a sin, but more than that, an abomination, and that is the reason He wiped out these cities III. Let s go back and consider what happened [Genesis 19] A. Look first at 18:20 1. Who or what is crying out 2. Consider 4:10 B. The judgment of God [19:1-26] 1. [1-3] Lot knew what would happen to these men, at least from the point of view of the Sodomites 2. [4-11] Notice that it is not violence that leads to sexual perversion, but sexual perversion that leads to violence 3. [8] Women s rights or equality, not in the time of Lot who has done the most for it 4. [12-14] To whom are the angels referring? Sons? 5. [15-23] Why did the Lord show mercy to Lot and his family? a. Abraham had prayed for him 6. [19:24-25] Then the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven, a. Yahweh, the God of sin, righteousness and judgment b. rjm matar {maw-tar'} Page 4 of 7

5 (1) Meaning: 1) to rain 1a) (Niphal) to be rained on or upon 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to rain, send rain 1b2) to rain hail, send hail (2) Hiphil usually expresses the "causative" action of Qal - see Qal Hiphil he ate he caused to eat, he fed he came he caused to come, he brought he reigned he made king, he crowned 7. tyrip.g" gophriyth {gof-reeth'} Meaning: 1) brimstone, sulfur a. Brimstone _ sulfur 8. [26] Lot s wife looked back a. Why? (1) her turning back pictures her inability to say no to the lure of the world and its enticements (a) (b) do you look back longingly at sin you can t move toward God as you would wish if you are still holding on to pieces of the world (2) it also demonstrated a lack of faith, love and obedience (3) obedience involves doing as you are instructed by one having authority over you (4) in most relationships it should be based on two things: (a) (b) trust love Page 5 of 7

6 b. Because of her lack of faith, and obedience, the family is now hamstrung c. What should Lot have done? (1) the wise leader would, if instructed as he was, have put his wife oand daughters in front of him 9. What about Abraham? [27-29] a. Abraham wakes early the next morning and goes Back to the site where he and God spoke b. He looks toward Sodom where his nephew is and sees the dark, acrid smoke of judgment c. Would God save Lot and his family? d. What message did that smoke carry? e. I am patient and long suffering, but I will by no means allow the guilty to go unpunished. When your iniquity is full, you will be required to pay your debt. IV. Some final thoughts A. God is still holy 1. His character has not changed 2. Neither has His standards changed 3. As He was in Abraham s day so He is in ours 4. He is still grieved by sin and He still gets angry when it is flaunted in His face. B. Depravity has not been improved over the centuries Page 6 of 7

7 1. It may be more sophisticated or carried out with more finesse 2. But sin is still sin, and it will be judged by God C. God s grace is still our only hope for survival 1. It is being rejected consistently, just like Lot s sons-in-law 2. Or not completely embraced like Lot s wife 3. We must passionately share its importance Page 7 of 7