“For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the LORD; and the LORD hath sent us to destroy it.”
(Genesis 19:13)
The destruction of Sodom is a sure testimony to the holiness and justice of God. The city that had long continued in its sin was now marked for destruction. God had spoken judgment on it, and what He had determined could neither be prevented nor overturned.
Sodom was allowed to continue for a time in its wickedness, but God’s patience did not mean that He approved of its abominations or that judgment would never come. The cry of its sin had risen before His face. The holy God saw everything that was done within the city, and at His appointed time He acted in righteousness against it.
Lot was commanded to flee because the judgment about to fall on Sodom was both dreadful and inescapable. There could be no safety in lingering, no wisdom in looking back with affection, and no thought of returning. Once the appointed hour arrived, there was no refuge within the city. The only proper response was to flee from that which God had condemned.[1]
This narrative reminds us that what God condemns must not continue to hold our affections. True repentance is not an outward moving away from something that the heart continues to look back on with desire. There must be a sincere forsaking of sin because it is in direct opposition to God and destructive to the soul.
Why should one of God’s children cherish what God has condemned? Sin may promise pleasure and satisfaction, but its end is destruction. Faith therefore believes God’s testimony and turns away from sin without reservation.
Indeed, the only proper response is to agree with God’s judgment concerning sin, confess it without excuse, and flee from it to the refuge He has provided. Those whom God mercifully calls out must not desire to return to what lies under His condemnation. His warnings are expressions of mercy, calling sinners away from destruction and teaching His people to hate the sins from which they have been delivered.
Contemplations:
- Confessing My Tendency To Treat Sin Lightly. I can sometimes consider sin according to my own judgment rather than according to the holiness of God. But what happened with Sodom reminds me that God’s patience must never be mistaken for indifference toward sin. I need grace to see my sins as offenses against a holy God and to confess them without minimizing, defending, or excusing them. Lord, give me a tender conscience that grieves over what displeases You and quickly turns from every known transgression.
- Refusing To Look Back With Affection. The command to Lot and his family to flee Sodom warns me against leaving sin with my feet while looking back toward it with my heart. True repentance requires more than separation from certain actions; it requires a changed desire concerning the things God condemns. I must not secretly cherish what Christ has called me to forsake. Whatever pleasure sin once promised cannot compare with the misery it leads to or the fellowship with God that it destroys. Lord, cause me to hate what You hate and to find my satisfaction in holiness rather than remembering the pleasures of sin with lingering desire.
- Believing God’s Warnings About Sin. I am prone to believe what I can see and feel rather than what God has declared. Sodom appeared secure until the appointed judgment came, but its apparent safety could not overturn the decree of God. In the same way, sin may appear harmless for a season, and its consequences may seem distant, but God’s Word remains true. When Scripture exposes a sinful practice, affection, or desire, I should not wait until its consequences become visible before turning from it. Lord, give me faith to receive Your testimony as certain and sufficient, and make me quick to forsake whatever You condemn.
- Fleeing To The Refuge God Provides. The warning of judgment should drive me away from sin and toward the mercy God freely provides. I have no refuge in myself, and I cannot escape divine judgment by my own righteousness or strength. My only safety is found in Jesus Christ, who delivers His people from the wrath to come. I want to flee from sin without looking back and to cling more closely to my Savior. So Lord, keep me near Christ, make me thankful for His perfect righteousness and atoning blood, and cause the certainty of Your judgment to increase my appreciation for the greatness of the salvation You have provided.
Prayer (Confession):
Most holy and righteous Father, I confess that I have too often regarded sin lightly, failing to see it according to the purity of Your holiness. You see every thought, desire, word, and action, and nothing is hidden from Your sight.
I confess the times when Your delay of judgment has made me careless rather than repentant. Keep me from mistaking Your longsuffering for approval and teach me to respond to Your warnings with humility and godly fear.
I confess that even when I have outwardly departed from sin, my heart has sometimes looked backward with affection. Remove every desire to return to former sins, and make me willing to forsake completely whatever dishonors Your name.
Forgive my unbelief when I have doubted the seriousness of Your warnings or trusted my own judgment above Your Word. Give me grace to believe everything You have spoken and to flee quickly from every path that leads away from You.
I confess that I have no righteousness or refuge in myself. My hope is entirely in Jesus Christ. Hide me in Him, cleanse me through His precious blood, and clothe me in His perfect righteousness.
Keep my heart from looking back toward the things from which You have delivered me. Fix my affections upon Christ and make me thankful for the mercy that calls sinners away from destruction and brings them safely into the salvation provided in Your beloved Son.
Through Jesus Christ my Lord, Amen.
Further Scripture References:
Gen. 18:20; 1 Chron. 21:15; Gen. 13:13; Rev. 18:4
[1] Jonathan Edwards, Sermons and Discourses, 1734-1738, ed. M. X. Lesser and Harry S. Stout, vol. 19, The Works of Jonathan Edwards (New Haven; London: Yale University Press, 2001), 325-326.
