Sodom and Gomorrah, the Path to Judgment
“Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had arrogance, abundant food and careless ease, but she did not help the poor and needy. “Thus they were haughty and committed abominations before Me. Therefore I removed them when I saw it.” (Ezekiel 16:49-50)
With the 4th of July upon us I see across social media, in the news and during the public conversation an attempt to show pride in our nation the United States of America. I have always felt to be extremely blessed to be a citizen of the United States of America and as there are many a wonderful places to live in the world, there is as Dorothy said, “There’s no place like home.” I think it to be fair to say that we are a good people who show a concern for our fellows as a whole. I also think in the half century that I have been in this land the United Sates has surely lost its way. Our sayings of “One Nation Under God and In God we Trust” is nothing but blatant hypocrisy. I feel ashamed that since the day that I joined the living that we the people have thrown God, the one who poured His grace upon us, out of our public life and therefore out of our privet life. Now we are beginning to reap the reward of our lack of moral footing resulting in knowing what is right from wrong. The words of King Solomon shutter my timbers, “I will also laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your dread comes, When your dread comes like a storm And your calamity comes like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you.” (Proverbs 1:26-27)
We as a people have abandoned our Creator, we have shunned His truth, and we now find ourselves on a slippery slope falling into complete disorder. I am saddened that the nine justices of our Supreme Court take council of themselves. Giving no concern for the enduring truth of the Word of God, seeking not the wisdom of our nation’s founding fathers, on their own have re-written legislation based upon popular opinion rather than on proven truth. I realize that in a nation of 320 million you cannot write law that will find full agreement, but, neither can you appease the loud and quench the obedient and in clear conscious call it justice. We have lost our footing upon the rock and are satisfied to sink in the quickening sand of passing time. “There is none who understands, There is none who seeks for God.” (Romans 3:11)
Now there is much debate upon the Supreme Court’s decision to legalize marriage for the sexually immoral. My only problem is that marriage is an institution of the Church of Jesus Christ and the constitution of the United States has a separation clause between Church and state. But to make it easy I say so be it. God has given man the right to free will, let the men and women who chose to practice such evil have their choice to do so, as God will judge us all for our deeds in the flesh. They have let their lust of the eye and lust of the flesh blind their hearts to the truths of God’s Word, have given the god of this world a foothold into their minds and a stronghold in their hearts. “In whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:4) I am compelled to do nothing more than to pray that God will have mercy upon them.
I am more disturbed at the news lines that say the Churches are divided over the Supreme Court’s ruling on homosexual marriage. That should be a no brainer if that Church in is the Word of God. But I am aware that the Candy Christianity Churches have omitted that which is not contemporary to today’s liberal society. I have this to say, God’s Word does not change as it is truth and will endure forever. “But the word of the Lord endures forever.” (1 Peter 1:25) But this is not a new thing as the Apostles had much to say that in the end times many false teachers would arise in the Church teaching false doctrines to deceive the believers in Christ. The depraved are already in the hands of the father of lies so where else would the Devil be but at the doors of the Church. “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” (1 John 4:1)
But these things that we see happening in our society today are but the means, the bad fruits of the cause and need to be discarded as such. We need not treat the symptoms of the disease but the cause of the disease, sin. The ancient cities of Sodom and Gomorrah have been much in the conversation these past few days and the discussion has been that God judged the city because of homosexual behaviors. This is not a misstatement but it is not a whole truth. The truth is that homosexuality is no worse that steeling condiments from a fast food restaurant. They both are sin and sin is an abomination to God. God hates sin, period.
As we look at the words of the Prophet Ezekiel in 16:49-50 we see three sins that to our similar to our society and most likely all society. Arrogance, indifference, and a lack of love for our neighbor. All of these were the sins that contributed to the abominations that led to God’s judgment. I have been arrogant and still have to battle with it from time to time. I have lived most my life in careless ease and was not concerned of the effect my actions would have upon others, particularly my children. And for most of my life I have not had a real love for anyone other than my own. I was blind to all of that but now I can see that I was quite normal in the worldly way. That seems to be the norm that I run into more often than I care to and the only right thing I can do that is effectual is to return good for the evil I receive. “Not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.” (1 Peter 3:9)
Arrogance or pride is a fault of human nature that drives God out of our lives. Pride in one’s self achievements leave no room to give God the glory for what He has done. “In his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.” (Psalm 10:4) Most people do not recognize that our time, talent and treasure come from God. God created the heavens and the earth and gave man dominion over it. We like that and most accept the responsibility that it entails. There is nothing that man can do to earn an extra minute of time, there is nothing man did to receive that talents he was born with, and as a result of those we have the ability to earn wealth using the gift of the earth God created. Which is a long way to say that all that man has and will have comes from God. Yet, man takes self-pride in his achievement as if he did it all by himself. No acknowledgement, no reference, and not even a thank you to the God who made it all possible. My parents taught me to say please and thank you, they taught me common courtesy, and who deserves it more that the God who made it all. I used to be prideful, I would make sure that people knew the accomplishments I had done. So much so that my Grandmother Welsh said, “Little Tommy, you certainly have I trouble.” God does not like the prideful and He give correction. “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18) Our nation is extremely prideful and we think we have no need of any other in the pursuit of the American Dream. I say look around, open your eyes to what is happening, we are on the threshold of God’s humbling work upon us. “Babylon, the jewel of kingdoms, the glory of the Babylonians’ pride, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah.” (Isaiah 13:19)
We live our lives here in careless ease. Oh, there are plenty who mumble and complain about this, that, and the other but the worst of us live better that most of the world who survive in squalor. But this is not the heart of the problem. The heart is that in our carelessness we have closed our eyes and ears to the real root of what is devastating our nation. We no longer have a moral guide, a standard to reach for, and we search for truth within ourselves, which is foolishness as there is no truth in us. Our government is leaderless and corrupt, but, it is a government of the people who have abandoned the truth. “Now hear this, O foolish and senseless people, Who have eyes but do not see; Who have ears but do not hear.” (Jeremiah 5:21) That check engine light is on and we keep driving thinking it will fix itself. Yet even the least prudent know that is not what will happen. Eventually the car will stop and then we will sit on the side of the road and watch the world pass us by. We need not try something new, we need to return to something tried and true, the Word of God. We need to take the wax from our ears and the sand from our eyes and seek God while He can be found. “For the heart of this people has become dull, With their ears they scarcely hear, And they have closed their eyes, Otherwise they would see with their eyes, Hear with their ears, And understand with their heart and return, And I would heal them.” (Matthew 13:15)
Jesus said the poor will always be with us, there will always be people in need. Our government has done much to assist the poor and needy but the government does not know the poor and needy other than by a number. I am not against welfare programs, I am against welfare programs that just hand out fish without teaching people to fish on their own. It is not necessarily the governments business. It is our business and we have best be getting involved for this we do to bring glory to our God. “One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the LORD, And He will repay him for his good deed.” (Proverbs 19:17) In our efforts to help the poor and needy we must keep at the forefront the truth that our Lord told us that man does not live on bread alone. The sickness of our society is not a physical sickness it is a spiritual sickness. A spiritual sickness that manifest itself into the physical. We need not just lend a helping hand in food, clothing and shelter, we must truly minister to them with the truth of God’s Word. This is the cure of the root cause of the weakness in our society. “Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.” (1 John 3:18)
These three, arrogance, indifference and lack of ministering to the poor and needy is an abomination to the Lord. These three were what brought judgment upon Sodom and Gomorrah. Sin is an abomination to God, God hates sin, God is love and God is just. “There are six things which the LORD hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil, A false witness who utters lies, And one who spreads strife among brothers.” (Proverbs 6:16-19) If we as a nation, a society, do not return to the truths found in the Scriptures of God’s Word, then our house will be built on the sand and great will be its fall. (Matthew 26:26-27)
My E-mail inbox will light up by those who take offense to what I have said. And that is ok by me as I am certainly no greater than the Lord I serve. It is His Word and now you have heard it and it is your choice to believe it or reject it. Who am I to say, God gives you free will. To those who understand my point and see the challenge then now is the time to get active in the Word of God through faith. I hear many speak of revival in America and then go home and remain in the same position that they left home in. It is just my opinion but we have arrived here because the Church of Jesus Christ has been apathetic in fulfilling their call to “Go and make disciples.” It is an opinion because I do not attend every Church in the nation or the world. We all have a little arrogance. We all have a little carelessness, and we all need to minister to the poor and needy, spiritually hungry, and the lost sheep in the world. It is not our work but God’s work through us, but we must take the first step. “And My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)
Jesus was nailed upon a tree and died a most suffering death for each of us, for all of us, for the sin of the world. We can at least work the fields and harvest souls for their benefit and His glory. It is our reasonable service to Him and our duty to our fellowmen. As only He is worthy. “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.” (Revelation 4:11)
Thomas N Kirkpatrick
July 1, 2015
Let Go & Let God 
Leave a comment