A Little Bit of Sodom by Chuck Lawless

READING: Ezekiel 16-17

Sometimes just a few verses of Scripture give you information you may not have fully known before — but that is critical to understanding the entirety of the teaching of the Word. In today’s reading, we learn more about the sin of Sodom that we did not learn from the city’s primary description in Genesis 19. In that chapter in the first book of the Bible, the sin of Sodom so dramatically described was homosexual activity — so pervasive that young and old men alike came from every quarter of the city to try to sleep with Lot’s guests.  

Yet, we learn much more about the sins of that city from the book of Ezekiel: “She [Sodom] 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” (Ezek 16:49-50). Note the nature of their sins now added to the list: pride about themselves, luxury and ease in life, neglect of the poor, and detestable moves into sin. Materialism marked their life. They had abundant food they shared with no one. Injustice and immorality followed. Arrogance apparently convinced them they had no need to confess sin. 

You see, it’s easy to condemn Sodom for its blatant homosexual activity. In fact, it’s easy to condemn America for affirming and promoting this same sin. It is indeed right and appropriate to condemn that which God condemns, and we must stand up for biblical sexuality. What we don’t like to do, though, is address our sins of materialism, luxury, arrogance, and selfishness. We don’t like bearing the conviction of not ministering to the poor and instead living according to our own prideful plans. Yet, we’re just as guilt of these latter sins as the people of Sodom were also guilty of the sin of homosexuality. 

While Genesis 19 addresses homosexuality, Ezekiel 16 does not let us any of us off the hook. Instead, this chapter describes sins of many American believers, thus putting us in the same needy, desperate position of the sinners of Lot’s day. We’re selfish. Often overfed. Unconcerned. Prideful. Worldly. Immoral. 

Truth be told, all of us probably need to repent of a little bit of Sodom in us today.