Ezek 16:49-50 Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, 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 good.
There is a great deal of the sin of Sodom prevalent in this world of abundance. Many look at the grosser sins of Sodom as that which have defined Sodom, but in reality the sin of Sodom is that which few people may even consider to be sin.
1) Pride is an obvious one which though not often considered breaking a commandment, is that which caused the devil to fall. He was lifted up in his own imaginations and rebelled against his Creator. Pride is the overwhelming sin of the western world.
2) Fulness of bread, is one that few will consider sin, yet it is fullness of bread, or having as much to eat as one can desire that spurred on the lust of Sodom. “The poor man searches for meat for his belly, whereas the rich man searches for belly for his meat”, says a wise one. Many people are not eating to live, but rather living to eat. We have so much good food that we must try to find room in our stomach for it, what gluttony! As we come off the back end of this season of gluttony we know that this sin of Sodom abounds!
3) Abundance of idleness is another that few will consider sin. Having too much time and doing too little in it with regards to survival or eternity. Survival is relatively easy in this day of abundance, easy enough that people believe they have spare time on their hands. This is why people crave entertainment or hobbies, they see not a need for providing for their and another’s eternity. Sodom cared little about their own soul and for the souls of others, otherwise they would have found that they had not enough time for entertainment. Were the TV invented in the days of Sodom, I am sure it would have been listed. We as a nation have so little to do and so much to eat that fat farms and the like have become a booming business. 200 years ago it was all that people could do to keep the roof on their head, enough food in their stomach and provide for the care of souls. Today it is, where can I find the next thrill/vacation/adventure/pastime etc?
4) Failing to strengthen the hand of the poor and needy is another of the great sins that Sodom had, albeit a sin of omission this time. We like they, have an abundance of food and idle time, yet lust for more because we are lazy creatures that care little about the needs of others. The word of the day is let us eat drink and be merry while others perish for want of these things. Sodom had too much food, too much idle time and no desire to do anything with it other than satisfy their own lusts. They had little thought of the poor and needy, and even less action in helping them in their situations. Sound like anyone you know?
5) Haughtiness says, that even though this is so, it’s their problem. I have worked for what I have, and will use it to serve myself because I deserve it. Really? If you knew what you deserved, you wouldn’t be quite so haughty. That pride-induced high look down the nose isn’t fitting for one who thinks so much of themselves. If you can read this, you already have enough to help one who doesn’t. I invite you to come down off of that high horse, and do good to the souls of men, taking your place as a servant.
6) Committing abomination came naturally to Sodom, just as naturally as it comes to us. We defile the Lord’s day, we look for deals such that the labourer is robbed of his pay, we willingly partake in the evils of the world through entertainment, we lust and covet that which we ought not to, we worship and serve the creature more than the Creator. Yes, these abominations were prevalent in Sodom, and they are prevalent in us. Were we all to take an honest look at ourselves we would consider ourselves Sodomites indeed!
7) The end of the matter was that Sodom was destroyed for all this, and we know that ‘as it was in the days of Lot, so shall it be also in the days of the coming of the Son of man’. Yet we know from Lam 4:6 that which is coming upon the world will be worse than that which came upon Sodom, which, though they were destroyed by fire and brimstone from heaven, was bad enough. What then can become of us?
You say this particular thing you are doing isn’t considered ‘a sin’, whereas the fact of the matter is that even taking time to justify yourself in it is a sin, even your best efforts at prayer are sin if not sanctified by the blood of Christ. As a fallen creature you will attempt to justify yourself and your deeds before God, instead of acknowledging your sin. It is sin, all of it, that is why you need a Saviour, that is why I do as well. ‘For ALL have sinned and come short of the glory of God’.
Nevertheless, ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners’. Acknowledge your sin, and your need of a Saviour, and trust Christ the Saviour of sinners today.
Acts 16:30-31…Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…
This was a very good message. Actually, it is one that enforces what my husband and I have recently found out. Food was an idol to us. Especially, sweets/carbohydrates. Realizing the sin in it is helping with breaking the addiction. The evil one is very cunning. Never did a preacher speak out against sugar in your coffee, but it starts with a spoonful here and grows to cake and pie after meals. Or, when driving, let’s stop for an ice cream. Everything revolved around feeding the SELF.
Thank God for the strength provided through Jesus to clean up our lives. It is like peeling and onion, get rid of one thing and you find more. Pray for time to repent of them all,
Janice
This is excellent brother, Lee!!
I recently read Ezekiel 16 and it is one of the most powerful preaching ever! If a preacher was to preach like that today, many people would accuse him of being judgmental, and uncompassionate.
I must admit, that when I heard the word Sodom, the first word or thought that came to mind, was homosexuality. I thought that homosexuality was the sin that defined Sodom, and I didn’t really consider the other sins mentioned. It’s so easy for us the point out the sins that we are not involved in and deem them as being the worst sins of all, and fail to notice the ones in our lives, such as pride, gluttony. and idleness. Somehow we think that these are not as bad, but clearly, God loathes all sin.
The funny thing, is that the Jewish nation was so full of pride, that caused them to look down on their “elder sister” Samaria, and their “younger sister” Sodom, not knowing that their own sins were in fact a lot worse in God’s eyes.
Ezekiel 16:52
Thou also, which hast judged thy sisters, bear thine own shame for thy sins that thou hast committed more abominable than they: they are more righteous than thou: yea, be thou confounded also, and bear thy shame, in that thou hast justified thy sisters.
God bless you, bro.
Tenisha