I want to follow up on yesterday’s FRESH Perspective on the Prophets Todd Hall and if you haven’t viewed the video take a look. I can remember the first time I had the cognitive ability to understand the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. Simply God destroyed the city because of the homosexuality that had existed. As a youth, I was raised primarily in a homophobic church their message had an influence on how I viewed homosexuality. As I grew, I realized that this portrayal of Sodom conflicted with me and I decided that further exegesis was needed.
John Boswell a Yale Historian provides four possible reasons for the destruction of Sodom:
(1) The Sodomites were destroyed for the general wickedness which had prompted the Lord to send angels to the city to investigate in the first place; (2) the city was destroyed because the people of Sodom had tried to rape the angels; (3) the city was destroyed because the men of Sodom had tried to engage in homosexual intercourse with the angels...; (4) the city was destroyed for inhospitable treatment of visitors sent from the Lord.
Considering Boswell assumptions, I intend to focus more on Boswell’s fourth reason that has no relationship to sexual orientation, and by doing so, it is important to recognize the cultural aspect that surrounded Sodom.
We must understand that during this time, the Hebrew’s were living in a hostile environment and hospitality was important to their survival. If you were not hospitable, it could cause you your life. I am sure it is difficult for us to imagine ourselves as an ancient traveler riding all day and night. And once we decided to rest, we were unable to find shelter at a hotel or even a family member’s house, but we could only find shelter with a stranger who invited us in out of hospitality.
This measure of hospitality was important in ancient near east cultures because they wanted that same favor returned to them when they were off traveling between cities (treat others the way you want to be treated).
With that said, Genesis 19 opens with Lot displaying to the Angels hospitality insisting that they come and spend the night at his house, and wash their feet. Lot extends this hospitality to the angels and feeds them, which was common practice. During this time in history, traveler’s safety depended on a stranger’s hospitality.
Lot knew the importance of hospitality and when the hostile crowd came insisting that he “Bring them out unto us, that we may know them”, lot refused and even offered his two virgin daughters.
I know that it is hard to believe that Lot would offer his two virgin daughters to protect strangers he did not know, but it was customary that you protected your visitor at whatever cost. Lot’s response to protect his guest was expected of him in his culture.
The story ends with the angels blinding the men and Lot and his family being rescued by the angels while Sodom is destroyed.
So was Sodom demise due to the homosexuality that existed?
Here is what a few scholars say regarding the claim
Dr. Richard Hayes, of Duke Divinity School,
The Sodom story “is actually irrelevant to the topic." [of homosexuality].
"there is nothing in the passage pertinent to a judgment about the morality of consensual homosexual intercourse."
Dr. Robert Gagnon, of Pittsburg Theological Seminary
However, to the extent that the story does not deal directly with consensual homosexual relationships, it is not an “ideal” text to guide contemporary Christian sexual ethics.”
Therefore, what was the sin of Sodom?
(Ezekiel 16.49-50)
49)This was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy. 50) they were haughty and did abominable things before me; there I removed them when I saw it.
Although the attempt has been made to single out one factor for the destruction of Sodom to instill fear into the lives of homosexuals and supporters, it is apparent that the sexual act of attempted rape, a violation of the hospitality code was not enough. However, if you go back to chapter eighteen of Genesis God had already intended on destroying Sodom and the angel had yet to arrive when God had made this decision.
Therefore, what was Sodom’s grieve sin, it must have been a combination of offensives such as, the inhospitality to others, idolatry, and violence. Also to blame the destruction of Sodom on the attempted rape of the angels without understanding that rape during that time was a sign of humiliation and to assert ones power on another and it was commonly practiced by heterosexuals. Also claims that the city was infested with homosexuality, leads me to question the populations growth because the story records that there were both old and young men in the city attempting to get to Lot’s guests.
The point that I have attempted to illustrate is to show that the destruction of Sodom was not contingent on one single factor, nor was it because of homosexuality. Over time, people have used this story to manipulate so many people. Moreover, I find it interesting that homosexuality is viewed almost exclusively as a male dominated topic when it pertains to the bible, but I guess that because the bible does not mention anything about women same-sex relationship NOW THAT JUST TRUTH MUSIC.
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