Sodom and Gomorrah was guilty of many horrendous sins, but most likely the reason for their destruction at the hands of our Lord was homosexuality. Sodom is identified in scripture with Gomorrah as the "cities of the plain." Its this area that Lot, Abraham's nephew, lived. Lot was one of the leaders of the cities, most likely a judge. The Bible tells us that Lot was under distress and torment having to witness the awful actions of the people living in Sodom and Gomorrah, 2 Peter 2:7-8. When God revealed to Abraham His plan to destroy the two cities, Abraham pleads with Him to spare them. Sodom and Gomorrah are clear examples of societal reprobation.
Genesis 18:16-21 The Angels who visited Abraham, continues on toward the two cities. Abraham goes with them acting as their guide. God says that the people's sins "cried out for judgement." God does not need to justify His actions, but because of His Grace and Love He does exactly that.
Genesis 18:22-33 This is the lengthy conversation in which Abraham asks God to spare the cities. Abraham says, "wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?" Then Abraham pleads with God if there were 50 righteous people, would He destroy them? Then 45......then 40......then 30.....then 20....and finally 10. In ALL instances God shows His love for humanity by telling Abraham that He would not destroy them for the sake of 10.
Why stop at 10? Is there something to the number 10? Is it significant to Abraham? Abraham begins his plea with 50 righteous souls, then decreases three times by five(50, 45, and 40). Then he lowers his plea again, this time by 10(30, 20, and 10). The text does not explain why Abraham starts at 50 and ends at 10. This has prompted scholars to speculate the significance of these numbers. Its possible that Abraham started with 50 as it was commonly used as an estimation for the population of cities in this culture. A random number for discussion which ended with the number 10. An example could be in Amos 5:3. There is also another theory and its an intriguing one, as to why Abraham ends his plea with 10 righteous people. That is, its possible that may have been the number in Lot's immediate family that Abraham was interested in saving? We can piece this together, losely, in Genesis 19:12.
1.) Lot 2.) Lot's wife 3.) virgin daughter 4.) virgin daughter 5.) married daughter 6.) married daughter 7.) daughter's husband 8.) daughter's husband 9.) Lot's son 10.) Lot's son Its a weak theory, but an interesting one.
Genesis 19:29 "God remembered Abraham." God had spared Lot and his two daughters as a direct result of Abraham's pleading. Lot had asked the Lord if he could escape to a city called Zoar, but later he would dwell in a cave in the mountains with his two daughters.
Luke 17:31-33 "Remember Lot's wife." Lot's wife disobeyed God by turning to look back at what she was leaving behind. She was turned into a pillar of salt. She was too concerned about her worldly possessions and was reluctant to let go, it would seem. In the days leading up too Jesus' return, it will require more devotion to God as opposed to worldly possessions.
The events leading up to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, God shows His love and mercy three significant times:
1.) Abraham's constant pleading to save Sodom and Gomorrah.
2.) Giving Lot's family the opportunity to escape.
3.) Allowing Lot to escape to a place of his choice.
Sodom and Gomorrah was two separate cities that many scholars believe now lies beneath the Dead Sea, in southern Jordan. The Lord brought fire and brimstone or sulfur, down from Heaven. The vast amounts of sulfur that still exists today, in the Dead Sea, Biblical scientists claim is the result of God's wrath upon the two cities. Some claim that flying sulfur from the explosion is actually what hit Lot's wife. They turn to the Hebrew language where "pillar" is translated as "a pile" and "salt" meaning "sulfur". So Lot's wife was encrusted into a pile of molten sulfur or salt and became hardened or oxidized.
Genesis 18:16-21 The Angels who visited Abraham, continues on toward the two cities. Abraham goes with them acting as their guide. God says that the people's sins "cried out for judgement." God does not need to justify His actions, but because of His Grace and Love He does exactly that.
Genesis 18:22-33 This is the lengthy conversation in which Abraham asks God to spare the cities. Abraham says, "wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?" Then Abraham pleads with God if there were 50 righteous people, would He destroy them? Then 45......then 40......then 30.....then 20....and finally 10. In ALL instances God shows His love for humanity by telling Abraham that He would not destroy them for the sake of 10.
Why stop at 10? Is there something to the number 10? Is it significant to Abraham? Abraham begins his plea with 50 righteous souls, then decreases three times by five(50, 45, and 40). Then he lowers his plea again, this time by 10(30, 20, and 10). The text does not explain why Abraham starts at 50 and ends at 10. This has prompted scholars to speculate the significance of these numbers. Its possible that Abraham started with 50 as it was commonly used as an estimation for the population of cities in this culture. A random number for discussion which ended with the number 10. An example could be in Amos 5:3. There is also another theory and its an intriguing one, as to why Abraham ends his plea with 10 righteous people. That is, its possible that may have been the number in Lot's immediate family that Abraham was interested in saving? We can piece this together, losely, in Genesis 19:12.
1.) Lot 2.) Lot's wife 3.) virgin daughter 4.) virgin daughter 5.) married daughter 6.) married daughter 7.) daughter's husband 8.) daughter's husband 9.) Lot's son 10.) Lot's son Its a weak theory, but an interesting one.
Genesis 19:29 "God remembered Abraham." God had spared Lot and his two daughters as a direct result of Abraham's pleading. Lot had asked the Lord if he could escape to a city called Zoar, but later he would dwell in a cave in the mountains with his two daughters.
Luke 17:31-33 "Remember Lot's wife." Lot's wife disobeyed God by turning to look back at what she was leaving behind. She was turned into a pillar of salt. She was too concerned about her worldly possessions and was reluctant to let go, it would seem. In the days leading up too Jesus' return, it will require more devotion to God as opposed to worldly possessions.
The events leading up to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, God shows His love and mercy three significant times:
1.) Abraham's constant pleading to save Sodom and Gomorrah.
2.) Giving Lot's family the opportunity to escape.
3.) Allowing Lot to escape to a place of his choice.
Sodom and Gomorrah was two separate cities that many scholars believe now lies beneath the Dead Sea, in southern Jordan. The Lord brought fire and brimstone or sulfur, down from Heaven. The vast amounts of sulfur that still exists today, in the Dead Sea, Biblical scientists claim is the result of God's wrath upon the two cities. Some claim that flying sulfur from the explosion is actually what hit Lot's wife. They turn to the Hebrew language where "pillar" is translated as "a pile" and "salt" meaning "sulfur". So Lot's wife was encrusted into a pile of molten sulfur or salt and became hardened or oxidized.