By: Jerry Bates

I feel sure that it would offend most people to even question whether they may be worse than the citizens of Sodom. Most know about Sodom and how it is repeatedly used as an equivalent for sin and evil. Therefore, most would quickly and adamantly deny that they are worse than the people of Sodom. In Ezekiel 16, the prophet sought to “cause Jerusalem to know her abominations” (16:2 NKJV). In other words, he wanted Jerusalem to realize how sinful she was. Of course, Jerusalem, like most of us, did not consider herself sinful at all. She was part of God’s chosen people and had been given many blessings. Compared to the Gentile nations around her, she thought she was good; however, God had a different opinion.

To accomplish his purpose, Ezekiel presented his rebuke in the form of an allegory picturing Jerusalem as a child who had been abandoned in an open field at birth. However, God found her in this pitiful state and cared for and blessed her greatly. In vs. 10–14, we find Jerusalem being adorned with beautiful jewelry and clothing, so much so that her fame spread among the nations. However, she became a harlot (16:15).

Ezekiel continued and compared Jerusalem to her “sisters,” Samaria and Sodom. He declared that Jerusalem was the worst of the three (16:46–47). I am sure that you remember Sodom was destroyed due to her sin and was often used in Scripture as a byword for evil. Samaria was the northern kingdom and had been carried away into captivity due to her sin. Yet, Ezekiel asserted that Jerusalem was worse than either of them. The Jews’ special blessings made their sins uglier and their responsibilities greater.

We need to consider this in light of our situation today. We have received even greater blessings than Jerusalem. In considering this subject, I want to look specifically at Ezekiel 16:49–50 and the sins of Sodom. “Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty and committed abomination before Me; therefore I took them away as I saw fit.”As we think about Sodom, the common idea is that Sodom was condemned due to her homosexuality (Genesis 19). However, in these verses, that was not even mentioned. He did, however, mention several other things that many today do not even consider to be sinful. What are these sins?

The first one is pride. Pride is an exalted opinion of oneself. It is the idea that one does not need God, and he does not answer to God. “The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God; God is in none of his thoughts” (Psalm 10:4). Many verses describe God’s attitude towards the prideful. In Proverbs 6:17, the wise man said that there were seven things that were especially disgusting to God, and the first one listed is a proud look. “…Pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate”(Proverbs 8:13).“Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; …Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:5, 18). “For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith” (Romans 12:3). “But He gives more grace. Therefore, He says: ‘God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble’” (James 4:6).

The next sin mentioned is fulness of bread. This does not imply that it is sinful to have plenty to eat. This refers to an attitude of the heart where one is living to satisfy the fleshly appetite. It is a similar attitude that Paul described in Philippians 3:19, when he said that for some, their God was their belly. Fulness of bread may cause one to forget God. The Lord specifically warned Israel against this attitude. He cautioned that when they began to live in cities they did not build and enjoy the fruits of vineyards they did not plant, they easily could forget the Lord who brought them into the land (Deuteronomy 6:10–13; 8:11–14). Men today are frequently guilty of similar sin. When we have plenty, we routinely become boastful of what we have accomplished and care little about God and His will.

A third sin often connected with abundance is idleness. When men have plenty, they habitually become idle. Prosperous ease brings softness and decay and leads to other sins. When a person becomes idle, he usually spends his time indulging his flesh. Additionally, one often becomes a busybody in the lives of others. That is what Paul said the Thessalonians were doing. “For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies” (2 Thessalonians 3:11). Paul also commanded the church not to care for younger widows because they would “…learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house, and not only idle but also gossips and busybodies, saying things which they ought not” (1 Timothy 5:13). Paul encourages us to “walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15–16). To redeem the time is to make wise use of it.

A fourth sin listed was ignoring the needs of the poor and needy. God has special concern for the needy, and God has always demanded that His people be merciful. The Jews were commanded to leave a little in the fields for the poor. Concern for the poor was one of the characteristics of the early church. In Acts 4:34, we find that in the early church, no one lacked food. There were daily ministrations given to the widows (Acts 6:1). The church at Antioch was merciful (Acts 11:29), as were the churches of Macedonia (Acts 8:1–4). James condemned the rich for exploiting the poor (James 5:1–6). John worded it even more strongly when he said, “But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?” (1 John 3:17). John said that if we do not help our poor brother, we do not love God.

We have seen four sins of which Sodom was guilty, which led to its destruction. Jesus said in Luke 10:12 that for those people who refused to hear the preaching of the Seventy as they went out, it would be more tolerable in the Day of Judgment for Sodom than for that city. In the next three verses, He also said that if Sodom had seen the works that the people of His day had seen, they would have repented in sackcloth and ashes. These same sins of Sodom are very prevalent today, sometimes even among Christians. Since we have received many more blessings and opportunities than the people of Jesus’ day, if we commit the same sins, are we not worse than Sodom? How shall we escape if we commit the same sins of Sodom? We can escape only by repentance!

Author: Jerry Bates