Lessons from Sodom Part 2
It is a disaster once people in authority think that they can do whatever they want with the position that they have. They forget that it is God who delegated such authority to them. If these people are making decisions contrary to the revealed will of God, they are no longer acting as faithful public servants, but as rebels and tyrants.
Among numerous examples of this kind of rebellion, we can cite at least three:
The legalization of abortion is a violation of the 6th commandment, God's rule about the sanctity of life.
Another example was the 1913 Federal Reserve Act; it was a violation of the 8th commandment, God's rule on private property.
Finally, the decision of the US Supreme Court on June 26 2015 giving legal status to same-sex marriage is not only a mockery against God as the Creator, but also a direct challenge to Him as the Author of the moral law. It is the legalization of immorality, a violation of the 7th commandment, God's rule concerning the sanctity of marriage and sex.
With this continuous attack on the foundation of culture and civilization, our generation is putting ourselves at risk. If this will not stop, destruction will be its end.
I want to return to the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. Even those who have a superficial knowledge of the Bible know what type of people live in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. These people do not fear God. They no longer respect the law of God. They thought they could do whatever they wanted. They also thought that God could be mocked and that the threat of judgment was not true. And so they persevered in doing all kinds of evil until there was no more remedy left except their destruction.
In this article, let me share with you the second part of lessons from Sodom based on Genesis chapter 19.
The most important lesson we can learn from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is that God does not tolerate evil.
God is a righteous Judge. He does not tolerate evil. Many people think that if God does not judge man's rebellion immediately, they conclude that the threat of judgment is not real, instead of seeing the patience of God giving them time to repent.
On the other hand, if people are judged immediately for their wickedness, most people would conclude that the idea of the last judgment is also not true.
Just like the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, many people in our days think that God does not exist and that they can do anything they want. They are wrong. The judgment of God upon Sodom and Gomorrah should serve as a warning to our generation that our sins do not escape the eyes of God.
Notice the extent of the moral deterioration of people living in Sodom and Gomorrah. Spending the night in the public square was no longer safe. The men of the cities surrounded the house of Lot; they invaded his liberty and privacy. They uttered a "racist" statement. The men were sexual perverts. They considered themselves above the law. In short, living in these cities was no longer conducive to a peaceful life.
Sexual perversion is also rampant in our time. Many people instead of being ashamed of their perversion, celebrate and glory in it. And the most unfortunate of all is that human courts make it even legal. If human laws become immoral, how can you expect to live in peace in such a society?
God remains merciful even in times of destruction.
Another lesson we learn in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is that God remains merciful. Even during destruction, God remembered Abraham and his intercession, and for his sake, God saved Lot and his family.
God demonstrated his mercy upon Lot and his family by sending angels to assist them in leaving the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. This tells us that if a city is sinning greatly against God, the most practical thing to do is to leave that city.
Some people will never listen no matter how biblical, spiritual, logical, and convincing your message is. This is because such people have given their whole life to moral perversity. They will never listen simply because they are fully committed to their way of life. This tells us that there is a time to stop persuading people. The more you persuade them, the more they get angry. Destruction is the only way to stop this way of life.
The moral environment of a country is very important. Lot suffered a Lot for ignoring this basic fact. He lost his wealth and ended his life living in fear.
As a result of the decision of the US Supreme Court, many churches have expressed their rejection. For a long time, I have never seen religious institutions as united at that time in their opposition to this legal decision. Let us remember in our prayers that God will do something to help stop the continuous erosion of the Judeo-Christian foundation of Western civilization. Let us pray that the fear of God will visit the decision-makers and that the people will return to Him. Let us pray that God will have mercy upon our generation.
We should still keep our faith in God though our generation is rebelling against Him.
Lot in witnessing the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah lost his vision, the vision that God remains the Sovereign Lord. Unlike Lot, we should keep in mind that God is still sitting on his throne.
Many ugly things are happening in our time. However, despite these ugly things, you should not lose your focus away from God. He should remain the biggest reality in your life.
We know that human rebellion against God will not remain forever. The fact that God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah should tell us that God still sits on his throne despite people's rejection, that God judges man in history, and that there is a final day of judgment.
Yes, human court might escape the judgment of men. The US being the most powerful country on earth can escape the judgement of men. However, the decision they made will never escape the court of history and the court of God. Regardless of power, political or economic, no nation, no man can escape the justice of God.
I have been repeating this: God has two primary ways to visit mankind, revival and war. In the case of Sodom and Gomorrah, it was an exceptional way of judgment. There was no revival and there was no war; it was a direct destruction from the hand of God. This kind of visitation is very unusual simply because the sins of these cities have reached a point beyond moral recovery.
In our time, if the Church fails to do its duty, I am afraid that all these economic problems, monetary distortion, moral perversion, and international political bullying will end in war. Let us pray that our generation will not reach that stage before it's too late. Instead, let us pray that many people will come to their senses, leading to spiritual change and the moral recovery of our society.
Conclusion
The story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah should remind us of three important lessons: that God does not tolerate evil, that He remains merciful, and that He is still on his throne.