And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;
The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah was great before God because their sin was very grievous, prompting His announced attention to their conduct and purpose to destroy them. Though He knew their guilt, He spoke in human terms of going down to see whether their deeds matched the outcry, showing that He examines conduct before judgment so the justice of His dealings would be clear and time for repentance still allowed. Angels were sent in the form of men to see whether the inhabitants had passed the boundary of forbearance beyond hope of redemption, while Abraham pleaded that the city might be spared for its honest inhabitants, yet not even ten righteous could be found there. The Lord delights in mercy, restraining calamities and prolonging tranquillity for the sake of the few who serve Him, but when persistent iniquity reaches its full measure after warning, light, and time, judgment is no longer withheld. Sodom and Gomorrah stand as examples of grave moral corruption and disregard of God's law paralleled in the world today, calling for most earnest seeking of the Lord, decided stand for Him, and obedience to all His requirements rather than only professing truth.
Meaning and Historical Setting
The sin of Sodom and Gomorrah was very grievous, even exceedingly grievous, and the outcry against them had become great before God, crying out for judgment. Because of that great outcry He announced His attention to their conduct and His purpose to destroy the cities. The cry that reached Him included the cries of distress and suffering arising from within the city because its sin was very great.
Though He already knew their guilt, He spoke in human terms of going down to see whether their deeds matched the outcry. By this He shows that He examines conduct before judgment, so that the justice of His dealings would be made clear. Before judging He would still allow time for repentance if the limits of divine mercy had not been passed.
Angels were sent in the form of men to visit the wicked assembly in Sodom to make a record of deeds and see for themselves. They were to determine whether the cries coming up before heaven were of such a character that the inhabitants had so corrupted their ways as to be beyond hope of redemption and to have passed the boundary of forbearance. Abraham, though not himself part of Sodom, cared deeply that the city facing destruction might be spared if possible, and pleaded that it might be spared for the sake of its honest inhabitants. God told Abraham His purpose and was revealed to the inhabitants of Sodom through Abraham as His representative, yet only ten, indeed not even ten righteous, could be found there, so destruction followed.
God's Justice and Mercy
The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah was met not by immediate destruction but by a visitation, for angels came in the form of men into the assembly of the wicked to make a record of deeds and determine whether the boundary of forbearance had been passed. The delay reveals that the Lord delights in mercy, restraining calamities and prolonging the tranquillity of multitudes for the sake of the few who truly serve Him. Sinners against God therefore owe their own lives to the faithful few whom they ridicule and oppress.
Judgment fell only after all had been done for the cities, for warning and light and time had been given and yet their inhabitants refused to obey the commandments. Promised blessings are conditional upon obedience, and the wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah had become so great as to call for divine attention. Their case stands as the accumulated guilt of persons and nations, where persistent iniquity at last reaches its full measure and judgment is no longer withheld.
Sodom was a beautiful city highly favored, yet its corruption extended deeply and the cries rising before heaven showed inhabitants who had so corrupted their ways that there was no hope of redemption. Because they had passed the limits of divine forbearance, wrath was revealed signally against them. The very grievous sin that brought fire from heaven to consume its inhabitants included dishonest business driven by greed for gain, chasing dreamlike prospects of great wealth, making representations that were positively untrue, and forgetting God and truth, the same dishonesty seen in financial speculation in lands and mines. Unjust and dishonest dealing of this kind is very grievous before God and brings His notice and hatred, whether in confederating to rob Him and take from His treasury, in accepting large remuneration while restricting others and denying them what is their due, or in unfairness in deal after the ungodly practices of the world that prevailed in the days of Lot.
Warning for the Present
Sodom and Gomorrah stand as examples of a world sunk in grave moral corruption whose sin was so great that it drew God's attention, and their disregard of God's law resembles the corruption of the present world. Their condition before the overthrow parallels the corruption and restless pursuit of excitement seen in the world today.
Cities and even country towns are now becoming like Sodom and like the world in the days of Noah, under the same great cry because sin is very grievous. That grievous sin is shown in failure to educate youth to diligent habits, and in training them to love excitement, to glorify themselves, and to follow the imagination of their own evil hearts. Such training produces depravity, cruelty, violence, and crime, fostered by the observance of holidays and idle, lazy days believed essential to health and happiness but full of evil that is ruining the country.
Many modern large cities are a very Sodom in the sight of heaven, with an appalling record of crime and iniquity almost beyond comprehension. Their increasing wickedness is rapidly bringing multitudes to a point in personal experience beyond which it will be exceedingly difficult to reach them with the saving knowledge of the third angel's message. Because the enemy of souls is working in a masterful manner to gain full control of the human mind, what is done to warn and prepare men for the day of judgment must be done quickly. Hidden fornication, adultery, crime, and murder filling the nominal churches, with ministers in high places covering dark deeds under a cloak of godliness, sends a great cry to heaven because their sin is very grievous like Sodom and Gomorrah. They are marked for exposure and judgment, while the honest in heart will be brought to the light and come out of them. The passage is therefore a call to seek the Lord most earnestly, to take a more decided stand for Him, and to be obedient to all of God's requirements rather than only professing belief in the truth, with confession of sin and earnest prayer under the softening and subduing work of the Spirit.
The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah was great before God because their sin was very grievous, prompting His announced attention to their conduct and purpose to destroy them. Though He knew their guilt, He spoke in human terms of going down to see whether their deeds matched the outcry, showing that He examines conduct before judgment so the justice of His dealings would be clear and time for repentance still allowed. Angels were sent in the form of men to see whether the inhabitants had passed the boundary of forbearance beyond hope of redemption, while Abraham pleaded that the city might be spared for its honest inhabitants, yet not even ten righteous could be found there. The Lord delights in mercy, restraining calamities and prolonging tranquillity for the sake of the few who serve Him, but when persistent iniquity reaches its full measure after warning, light, and time, judgment is no longer withheld. Sodom and Gomorrah stand as examples of grave moral corruption and disregard of God's law paralleled in the world today, calling for most earnest seeking of the Lord, decided stand for Him, and obedience to all His requirements rather than only professing truth.
Meaning and Historical Setting
The sin of Sodom and Gomorrah was very grievous, even exceedingly grievous, and the outcry against them had become great before God, crying out for judgment. Because of that great outcry He announced His attention to their conduct and His purpose to destroy the cities. The cry that reached Him included the cries of distress and suffering arising from within the city because its sin was very great.
Though He already knew their guilt, He spoke in human terms of going down to see whether their deeds matched the outcry. By this He shows that He examines conduct before judgment, so that the justice of His dealings would be made clear. Before judging He would still allow time for repentance if the limits of divine mercy had not been passed.
Angels were sent in the form of men to visit the wicked assembly in Sodom to make a record of deeds and see for themselves. They were to determine whether the cries coming up before heaven were of such a character that the inhabitants had so corrupted their ways as to be beyond hope of redemption and to have passed the boundary of forbearance. Abraham, though not himself part of Sodom, cared deeply that the city facing destruction might be spared if possible, and pleaded that it might be spared for the sake of its honest inhabitants. God told Abraham His purpose and was revealed to the inhabitants of Sodom through Abraham as His representative, yet only ten, indeed not even ten righteous, could be found there, so destruction followed.
God's Justice and Mercy
The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah was met not by immediate destruction but by a visitation, for angels came in the form of men into the assembly of the wicked to make a record of deeds and determine whether the boundary of forbearance had been passed. The delay reveals that the Lord delights in mercy, restraining calamities and prolonging the tranquillity of multitudes for the sake of the few who truly serve Him. Sinners against God therefore owe their own lives to the faithful few whom they ridicule and oppress.
Judgment fell only after all had been done for the cities, for warning and light and time had been given and yet their inhabitants refused to obey the commandments. Promised blessings are conditional upon obedience, and the wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah had become so great as to call for divine attention. Their case stands as the accumulated guilt of persons and nations, where persistent iniquity at last reaches its full measure and judgment is no longer withheld.
Sodom was a beautiful city highly favored, yet its corruption extended deeply and the cries rising before heaven showed inhabitants who had so corrupted their ways that there was no hope of redemption. Because they had passed the limits of divine forbearance, wrath was revealed signally against them. The very grievous sin that brought fire from heaven to consume its inhabitants included dishonest business driven by greed for gain, chasing dreamlike prospects of great wealth, making representations that were positively untrue, and forgetting God and truth, the same dishonesty seen in financial speculation in lands and mines. Unjust and dishonest dealing of this kind is very grievous before God and brings His notice and hatred, whether in confederating to rob Him and take from His treasury, in accepting large remuneration while restricting others and denying them what is their due, or in unfairness in deal after the ungodly practices of the world that prevailed in the days of Lot.
Warning for the Present
Sodom and Gomorrah stand as examples of a world sunk in grave moral corruption whose sin was so great that it drew God's attention, and their disregard of God's law resembles the corruption of the present world. Their condition before the overthrow parallels the corruption and restless pursuit of excitement seen in the world today.
Cities and even country towns are now becoming like Sodom and like the world in the days of Noah, under the same great cry because sin is very grievous. That grievous sin is shown in failure to educate youth to diligent habits, and in training them to love excitement, to glorify themselves, and to follow the imagination of their own evil hearts. Such training produces depravity, cruelty, violence, and crime, fostered by the observance of holidays and idle, lazy days believed essential to health and happiness but full of evil that is ruining the country.
Many modern large cities are a very Sodom in the sight of heaven, with an appalling record of crime and iniquity almost beyond comprehension. Their increasing wickedness is rapidly bringing multitudes to a point in personal experience beyond which it will be exceedingly difficult to reach them with the saving knowledge of the third angel's message. Because the enemy of souls is working in a masterful manner to gain full control of the human mind, what is done to warn and prepare men for the day of judgment must be done quickly. Hidden fornication, adultery, crime, and murder filling the nominal churches, with ministers in high places covering dark deeds under a cloak of godliness, sends a great cry to heaven because their sin is very grievous like Sodom and Gomorrah. They are marked for exposure and judgment, while the honest in heart will be brought to the light and come out of them. The passage is therefore a call to seek the Lord most earnestly, to take a more decided stand for Him, and to be obedient to all of God's requirements rather than only professing belief in the truth, with confession of sin and earnest prayer under the softening and subduing work of the Spirit.