Jude 7-The Rebellion of the Citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah and the Cities Around Them
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Tuesday May 24, 2022
Jude Series: Jude 7-The Rebellion of the Citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah and the Cities Around Them
Lesson # 27
Jude 5 Now, I am prompted to desire to cause each and every one of you to be reminded (even though each of you are possessing a thorough knowledge about each of these examples) that Jesus, sometime after having delivered the people out from the land that is Egypt, destroyed those who would not believe. 6 Correspondingly, He is keeping by means of eternal chains under the control of total supernatural darkness for the purpose of executing the judgment during the great day of those who entered into the state of not keeping their own sphere of activity but in fact abandoned their own place of habitation. 7 Similarly, in a manner like these angels, the citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah as well as the citizens of the cities around them caused themselves to be publicly set forth as an example. Namely, because they are experiencing a righteous punishment, which is experiencing eternal fire because they committed immorality, specifically, because they pursued after homosexual activity. (Lecturer’s translation)
The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah existed in the days of Abraham and were located on the southern end of the Dead Sea.
They helped to form a confederation of cities, which included Admah, Zeboiim, and Zoar, which according to Genesis 14:2, 8 and are called by theologians “the cities of the plain.”
Two of these three cities are being referred to here in Jude 7 with the expression hai peri autas poleis (αἱ περὶ αὐτὰς πόλεις), “the citizens of the cities around them” since one of these cities, namely Zoar was spared according to Genesis 19:20-22.
These four cities are first mentioned in Scripture in Genesis 10:19.
Both Sodom and Gomorrah and these three other cities were located in the valley of the Jordon according to Genesis 13:10.
This is the area Lot settled after separating from Abraham.
All these cities were eventually destroyed by the Lord as recorded in Genesis 19.
Genesis 13:10 Lot lifted up his eyes and saw all the valley of the Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere -- this was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah -- like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt as you go to Zoar. (NASB95)
When Lot looked out over the valley of the Jordan, he more than likely was standing on an elevation close to Bethel, which is 2,886 feet above sea level and has a magnificent view of the Jordan Valley to the southeast.
“The valley of the Jordan” was a tropical area between Jericho and Zoar, 800 to 1200 feel below sea level, where crops could grow all year-round.
Like the rich delta of the Nile area in Egypt, the valley of the Jordan was well watered land stretching to Zoar at the southeast end of the Dead Sea and reminded Abram and Lot of the stories of the Garden of Eden (the Lord), which were passed on from Noah to his three sons and their descendants.
Like Egypt, which has the Nile, the valley of the Jordan is fed by streams, brooks, springs and oases from the base of the Jordanian Rift.
Today, the valley of the Jordan is no longer a green, well-watered land since the Lord’s judgment upon Sodom and Gomorrah brought a drastic change to the entire area.
“Sodom” and “Gomorrah” are on the east at the south end of the Dead Sea and helped to form a confederation of cities, which included Admah, Zeboiim and Zoar according to Genesis 14:2, 8 and are called by theologians “the cities of the plain.”
Abraham pleaded to the Lord to spare these cities on account of Lot, which is recorded in Genesis 18:16-33 and the Lord fulfilled Abraham’s request but destroyed the rest of the inhabitants of the city, which is recorded in Genesis 19.
The phrase “like the garden of the Lord” is a reference to the Garden of Eden and indicates that like the Garden of Eden, the valley of the Jordan, possessed breathtaking beauty and was full of lush vegetation.
The phrase “like the land of Egypt” tones down the previous comparison and indicates that like the rich fertile land of Egypt, which tempted Abram to depart from Canaan, the valley of the Jordan was also a rich fertile land but points us back to Abram’s disastrous choice to go to Egypt, implying that Lot’s choice was a bad one.
“Zoar” was a small town situated on the south or southeast of the Dead Sea and was the only one of the five cities of the valley or plain that were not destroyed by fire in God’s judgment recorded in Genesis 19:24-28 and is the town to which Lot escaped from the coming judgment (Gen. 19:20-23, 30).
Sodom and Gomorrah as well as Admah, and Zeboiim appear again in Genesis chapter fourteen.
Genesis 14:1-4 records the Dead Sea Kings in the days of Abram rebelling against the Eastern kings of Mesopotamia.
Genesis 14:5-12 records the defeat of these Dead Sea kings by the Eastern kings.
This battle had a major impact on Abram since these Eastern kings captured Lot his nephew who lived in the Dead Sea area.
The designation “eastern” kings are given to these four kings since their kingdoms resided in Mesopotamia, which is east of Israel.
Genesis 14:13-16 records Abram’s defeat of the Eastern Mesopotamian Kings and the subsequent rescue of his nephew, Lot.
The next time the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah are mentioned in Scripture is Genesis chapters 18-19, which records the Lord destroying them for their unrepentant sinful behavior, which took on various forms.
Genesis 13:13 describes the inhabitants of Sodom as exceedingly wicked and against the Lord meaning that they were involved in “gross” immorality, which is defined as homosexuality in Genesis 19.
The prophet Jeremiah identified Sodom with adultery, deceit and lies and the encouragement of evildoers and all without any remorse.
Jeremiah 23:14 But I see the prophets of Jerusalem doing something just as shocking. They are unfaithful to me and continually prophesy lies. So they give encouragement to people who are doing evil, with the result that they do not stop their evildoing. I consider all of them as bad as the people of Sodom, and the citizens of Jerusalem as bad as the people of Gomorrah. (NET)
The prophet Ezekiel describes the inhabitants of Sodom as arrogant displaying an uncompassionate attitude towards the poor and needy.
Ezekiel 16:49 “‘See here—this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters had majesty, abundance of food, and enjoyed carefree ease, but they did not help the poor and needy. 16:50 They were haughty and practiced abominable deeds before me. Therefore when I saw it I removed them.’” (NET)
The prophet Isaiah states that the inhabitants of Sodom did not conceal their wicked deeds but flaunted them.
Isaiah 3:8 Jerusalem certainly stumbles, Judah falls, for their words and their actions offend the LORD; they rebel against his royal authority. 3:9 The look on their faces testifies to their guilt; like the people of Sodom they openly boast of their sin. Too bad for them! For they bring disaster on themselves. (NET)
Genesis 18:20 So the LORD said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so blatant 18:21 that I must go down and see if they are as wicked as the outcry suggests. If not, I want to know.” (NET)
The Lord’s statement recorded in Genesis 18:21 does “not” mean that the Lord needed to confirm what was taking place in Sodom and Gomorrah since He is omniscient but rather He makes this statement so that He might reveal to Abraham that He is a God of righteousness and justice.
The Lord’s statement recorded in Genesis 18:21 was made to demonstrate to Abraham that He is a righteous and just sovereign over the inhabitants of the earth.
The Lord’s statement recorded in Genesis 18:21 is for the sake of Abraham so that Abraham might intercede on behalf of the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Remember, Abraham’s nephew Lot is living in Sodom, so at this particular point in the narrative the Lord is withholding judgment of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah until Lot and his family have vacated the city.
Therefore, the Lord is withholding judgment for the benefit of Abraham so that he could exercise himself spiritually on behalf of the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah and the Lord was withholding judgment so that Lot, a believer could escape the destruction unharmed.
The Lord is also withholding judgment temporarily upon Sodom and Gomorrah so that He might demonstrate His character and nature and that Abraham might demonstrate his as well and Lot might escape the impending judgment.
Genesis 18:23-32 records Abraham’s intercession with the Lord for the inhabitants of Sodom and in particular his nephew Lot and his family.
Genesis chapter 19 records the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah as well as the cities Admah, Zeboiim and Zoar, which surrounded them in the days of Abraham.
The men of Sodom did “not” conceal their homosexual behavior but were blatantly open about.
This explains why the Lord said in Genesis 18:20 that the “outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is indeed great and their sin is exceedingly grave” (NASB95).
Genesis 19:4-11 records several crimes committed by the Sodomites: (1) Violation of guests (2) Violation of personal property and privacy (3) Homosexual conduct (4) Attempted rape. (5) Attempted assault and battery.
In Genesis 9:1-11, the Sodomites are guilty of presumably the worst sexual offense, namely, attempted homosexual gang rape (cf. Judges 19; Jude 7).
The Bible also records other sins committed by both Sodom and Gomorrah such as social oppression (Isa. 1:10, 17), adultery, lying and abetting criminals (Jer. 23:14), arrogance, complacency and showing no pity on the poor and needy (Ezek. 16:49).
Therefore, the conduct of the Sodomites and their unrepentant attitude towards their Creator Jesus Christ confirmed to the angels that the Lord would be justified in destroying them and this He did!