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The Story of Sodom in Genesis 19 often is interpreting as a story about God's wrath against homosexuality. This idea is not Scriptural. God destroyed Sodom because of its general wickedness, adultery, lying, lack of hospitality to strangers, pride, plenty, laziness, lack of caring for the poor and needy, haughtiness, and false religious practices. These are the reasons identified by the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. (Isa. 1:9-10 and 3:9, Jer. 23:14; and Eze. 16:48-50) Why do contemporary Christians read into the story?
Genesis 19:1-11 says:
Matthew Henry is quoted saying about this Passage "Lot was good, but there was not one more of the same character in the city. All the people of Sodom were very wicked and vile. Care was therefore taken for saving Lot and his family." God already had plans to destroy Sodom. He sent the angles down to warn lot.
Many contemporary Christians insist that homosexual rape is the primary sin of Sodom. The word Sodomy has derived from this assumption. What does "Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them." (V. 5) "That we may know them." (KJV) "To know" means "to have sex with." interesting isnt it to see that the men of Sodom want "to know" them. "To Know" occurs 943 time in the Old Testament. Out of 943 only 10 refer to having sexual meaning.
"Rape" is defined as unlawful sexual intercourse without the woman's consent (can also be applied to men), effected by force, intimidation, or deception as to the nature of the act. The city showed it deserved destruction, for the vile mob of residents of Sodom, including boys and old men, surrounded Lots house, attempting to rape his angelic guests.
The Bible tells us that rape of any kind - heterosexual or homosexual - is evil. If rape is part of Sodom's sins, it could be included-but not specified-in the sins mentioned by Isaiah and Ezekiel. But since homosexuality, as distinguished from homosexual rape, is not mentioned as one of Sodom's sins, we have no grounds for concluding that it was a sin in Sodom. Again remember the difference between orientation and practices.
For the Bible often refers back to the story of Sodom and says aright what Sodoms sin was. In Lot's time, homosexual rape was a way of showing oneself to be superior to the victim. The village wanted to prove their superiority to the visitors. In order to get a clear view of this passage, we need to look at the context that it was written in.
We come to first to Ezekiel 16:48-49 which we read:
Nowhere does the text mention that they were destroyed of homosexual acts.
The Prophet Jeremiah states in chapter 23, verse 14, "And among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen something horrible: They commit adultery and live a lie. They strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns from his wickedness. They are all like Sodom to me; the people of Jerusalem are like Gomorrah." Jeremiah was another Prophet that was telling Israel to stop being wicked. They did not listen and they continued badness in the eyes of the Lord. And it wasnt because of male-male sex they were destroyed it was because (Jeremiah 23:14; see also Zeph. 2:8-11)
In Isaiah 1:9-10, "Unless the LORD Almighty had left us some survivors, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah. Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom; listen to the law of our God, you people of Gomorrah!" The thoroughness of the destruction of these cities (Sodom and Gomorrah) was afterward used as a symbol of complete and everlasting annihilation. (De 29:22, 23; Isa 1:9; 13:19; Jer 49:18) God figuratively expressed the depth of wickedness to which the rulers and people of Judah and Jerusalem had sunk when he addressed them through the prophet Isaiah. (Isa 1:1, 10; Jer 23:14.) Judah and Jerusalem continued throughout the centuries what Sodom was destroyed for and it wasnt about homosexuality. "The look on their faces testifies against them; they parade their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it. Woe to them! They have brought disaster upon themselves." (Isaiah 3:9)
What did Jesus have to say about Sodom? Did he speak anything about homosexuality? Jesus spoke as recorded in Matthew 10:5-15 which we read:
Sodom was not destroyed because of homosexual acts but because of inhospitality. That is what Jesus was referring to. He sent his disciples out to preach the gospel. If people did not accept them into their homes, then Jesus instructed them to leave.
It is shocking to think that Lot would have offered his daughters to the Sodomites. This is a good example of how different Lot's culture was from our own. In that time the father of the house actually owned the women. They were his property. He was free do with them almost whatever he wanted. It would have been very costly for Lot to give his daughters to those men in the village. It would have been financially costly for Lot. For no one would then want to marry those women, already "used." It is surprising that Lot preferred to let the men of town rape his daughters then let them abuse his houseguests.
What did then men of Sodom want with Lot's two visitors? They say they wanted "to know them." Some take this to mean the men wanted to have sex with the visitors. Lot's offering his daughters for sex in place of the male visitors certainly indicated as much. Still, others argue the word "to know" need not refer to sex. It may simply be that the men of Sodom wanted to find out who these strangers were and what they were doing in their town. After all, Lot was not native of Sodom. He, too, was an outsider. The townsfolk were not happy with his inviting strangers in.
In the end there is no way of being absolutely certain if this was referring to homosexual acts or not. Most experts believe that it does. The text is concerned about abuse and rape, not simply about sex.
Even Jesus understood the sin of Sodom as the sin of inhospitality. Other passages in the Bible come right out and say the same thing. Yet people continue to cite the story of Sodom to condemn gay Community. Such oppression is very sin of which the people of Sodom were guilty. People oppose and abuse homosexual men and women for being different, odd, strange or they say, "queer." Today, rape is recognized as a crime of violence. No one considers it proper.
Remember, too, that God already decided to destroy Sodom. God sent the angels to warn Lot and his family. God's decision preceded and therefore was not based on what the men of Sodom wanted to do to the angels that God had sent. Don't be like Sodom and not let strangers in to your home.
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Two Teenagers in Twenty : Writings by Gay & Lesbian Youth Ann Heron (Editor) The Shared Heart : Portraits and Stories Celebrating Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Young People Adam Mastoon (Photographer)
Websites:
Other Articles By Steve Payne:
Reconciling our Homosexuality
Also In This Issue:
My Grace is Sufficient for You
Suffering in the Service of Christ
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