Jude 7-Rebellion of Sodom and Gomorrah and the Cities Around Them (Doctrinal Bible Church Huntsville, Alabama)

Doctrinal Bible Church

Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom

Sunday August 14, 2022

Jude Series: Jude 7-The Rebellion of Sodom and Gomorrah and the Cities Around Them

Lesson # 11

Jude 5 Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord at one time delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. 7 In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire. (NIV)

Now, we come to our study of Jude 7, which presents the third example of a group of individuals that God judged in the Old Testament for their rebellion against Him.

Jude 7 is a comparative clause because it is presenting a comparison with the previous assertion in Jude 6, which speaks of the fallen angels who rebelled against God by possessing the bodies of unregenerate men in order to have sex and procreate with unregenerate women during the antediluvian period.

Therefore, the comparison is between the rebellion of these fallen angels during the antediluvian period and the rebellion of the citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah during the days of Abraham because both groups rebelled against God by committing sexual immorality.

Consequently, both groups are presently experiencing eternal condemnation in Hades and eventually, they will both experience it in the eternal lake of fire.

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 surrounding towns” 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 and 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 looked around and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan toward Zoar was well watered, like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt. (This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) (NIV)

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 whole plain 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).

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 And among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen something horrible: They commit adultery and live a lie. They strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that not one of them turns from their wickedness. They are all like Sodom to me; the people of Jerusalem are like Gomorrah.” (NIV)

The prophet Ezekiel describes the inhabitants of Sodom as arrogant displaying an uncompassionate attitude towards the poor and needy.

Ezekiel 16:49 “‘Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. 50 They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen.’” (NIV)

The prophet Isaiah states that the inhabitants of Sodom did not conceal their wicked deeds but flaunted them.

Isaiah 3:8 Jerusalem staggers, Judah is falling; their words and deeds are against the Lord, defying his glorious presence. 9 The look on their faces testifies against them; they parade their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it. Woe to them! They have brought disaster upon themselves. (NIV)

Genesis 18:20 Then the LORD said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous 21 that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.” (NIV)

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!