It’s definitely not what I think of when I hear the word Sodom. I think if you ask the average person what Sodom is remembered for one thing comes to mind: perverted sexuality. Jason Boyett humorously captures the typical story of Sodom that gets passed on from Genesis 19:
“An angry mob tries to break down Lot’s door so they can get it on with Lot’s two angelic visitors. Out of loyalty to his guests, Lot refuses, and offers his two virgin daughters instead. Ah…family values.”
And, like Paul Harvey, you know the rest of the story. Now rest assured that I am no bible scholar. I do not know much about the Greek or Hebrew languages and I certainly do not know much about the Aramaic dialect that Jesus spoke. I have a hard enough time understanding translated Scripture as it is. But something has come to my attention lately that seems to always get overlooked with Sodom: fasting.
Yes. I said fasting. The destruction of Sodom had more to do with…wait for it…fasting than it did with sexual immorality. SaY WhaT?!? Stay with me. Before you write this off as ridiculous finish this paragraph. Did you know that the prophet Ezekiel identifies the “sin of Sodom” as the fact that they were “arrogant and overfed” and that they “did not care about the poor and the oppressed?” (Ezekiel 16:48-50). Read it for yourself. I know…what does helping the poor and needy have to do with fasting? Glad you asked. Check out Isaiah 58…One of the most beautiful and stunning definitions of fasting in all of Scripture:
Isaiah 58
True Fasting
6 "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
I don’t know about you but the story of Sodom just hit really close to home…
Thoughts?
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As I read this story of God's righteous judgement, I kind of get grossed out by the men of Sodom. What the men intended to do with Lot's visitors makes me turn up my nose as if I've caught the scent a dirty diaper. Their badness reviles me and at the same time there is comfort there. Although I know it's wrong, comfort comes from the thought that I'm not as bad as they were or as bad as others currently are (self righteousness). The problem with this is that this type of fasting hits me right between the eyes.
ReplyDeleteAm I setting people free?
Am I breaking or lifting people's burdens?
Am I providing food, shelter, clothes?
Talk about busting up some self righeousness!