This is not a hit piece on the Gay Christian Movement. These are thoughts for our church as we consider moving into Genesis 19 - our next chapter as we preach through God's word. The reason I am writing this preparation blog is because I am not preaching on the subject of homosexuality on Sunday as we cover this crucial chapter in biblical history. Sadly, Genesis 19 is often seen with a singular subject focus on the sin of homosexuality on display in the crowd of men who come to Lot's home. That's simply not the thrust of the text but neither should we deny that this is one of the particular sins of Sodom on display.
The reason I am using this subject in our preparatory thoughts this week is because there has been significant traction from the Gay Christian movement in our time using this passage and others to suggest that the bible does not forbid consensual homosexual relationships/marriage. In saying this, I also want to make one thing clear before we begin. My motivation is purely to protect our church in our commitment to God's holiness and His design for us as we live for Him as our Creator. This is not a punch being thrown but a hedge of protection being placed around the church which is a pillar and buttress of truth. I also want it to be known that we desire for all to know Christ and to be serious about any and every sin in any and every category that causes us to bring shame to the name of Christ. We seek to walk with all who are willing to walk with us in true repentance and faith. The most unloving thing a pastor can do is to evade his responsibility to give biblical warning where unrepentant sin is present.
Here are the verses in question in Genesis 19. Genesis 19:4-8 But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, all the people to the last man, surrounded the house. 5 And they called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, that we may know them." 6 Lot went out to the men at the entrance, shut the door after him, 7 and said, "I beg you, my brothers, do not act so wickedly. 8 Behold, I have two daughters who have not known any man. Let me bring them out to you, and do to them as you please. Only do nothing to these men, for they have come under the shelter of my roof."
Objection 1. - The sin of Sodom is lack of hospitality.
Ezekiel 16:48-50 As I live, declares the Lord GOD, your sister Sodom and her daughters have not done as you and your daughters have done. 49 Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy. 50 They were haughty and did an abomination before me. So I removed them, when I saw it.
There is no debate that the description of Ezekiel 16:49 is that of a prideful people who live in the enjoyment of their own luxury without any care for others. That is most certainly inhospitable, and it displeases the Lord. Verse 50 says they were also haughty and talks about an abomination that is not further explained in that verse. Those who object to homosexuality being the sin of Sodom in the text of Genesis 19 suggest that Ezekiel is a commentary on this passage and it shows otherwise.
There are multiple answers to this objection. It is normal usage of language in the Old Testament for the term "to know" to mean that it is to sexually know. The original readers of Genesis 19 would have been very familiar with the term as originally set forth from Genesis 4:1 when Adam knew his wife, Eve, and they conceived Cain. The context of Genesis 19 further verifies this usage in that Lot wickedly offered his daughters in place of the visitors for the men to do with them as they pleased. There is little doubt that Lot has a hospitality issue in mind, but it is clear even within the text of Genesis 19 that the men of the city have a sexual desire for the men in Lot's home.
Furthermore, Jude also discusses this event of God's judgment and makes it clear that more than hospitality was at stake (see also 2 Peter 2:7-8). Jude 1:7 just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire. Notice that Jude makes a general statement about sexual immorality and then specifically mentions unnatural desire.
When Jude speaks of something being unnatural, he is referring to design. They were acting in a way that was not natural to the original design of humanity. This is the same way the Apostle Paul speaks when he is talking about judgment on the godlessness of humanity and gives some examples. Romans 1:24-28 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. 26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. 28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.
It is clear that both Paul and Jude are speaking about homosexual relationships as unnatural to the order of the creation as originally designed by God. The original creation prior to sin reflected the holiness of God as a very good creation and the ethics of God will not work in contradiction to his holiness displayed.
When we see just some of the greater teaching of Scripture, we can see that homosexual sin was clearly one of the sins (but not only) on display at Sodom. If one reads the entire chapter of Ezekiel 16, the flavor of sexual immorality as a consistent sin of God's faithless bride is seen clearly throughout the chapter. There is no doubt that the few verses used above also do not rule out this general flavor in Sodom.
Objection 2. The sin of Sodom was that the men were violent and seeking something non-consensual.
I would have general agreement with this statement. It is certain that non-consensual sexual sin in the intentions of this mob is on display. The reason this objection is often made is to suggest that the bible does not prohibit consensual homosexual relationships. This however is also false. It has already been displayed in the verses above from Romans 1. Paul has no discussion in these verses about the violence or non-consensual practice in the act that is unnatural and forbidden by God. His argument is based on the design of creation. God made one man for one woman who were to leave and cleave and become one flesh. Paul's statements are very clear that any sexual relationship outside of a man/woman (male/female) monogamous marriage is not in line with God's natural order and therefore, abominable to the Lord.
Other texts that discuss the sin of same sex physical unions in the scriptures also forbid this without any mention of violent or non-consensual actions. Other Scriptures that speak generally of God's prohibition of same-sex relationships are found in Leviticus 18,20, 1 Corinthians 6, and 1 Timothy 1.
There is a lot more to say on this subject but this overview is hopefully enough for our church to understand that there is a clarity in the scriptures that show God's design for marriage and that everything outside one man for one woman marriage is forbidden for sexual union.
One last thing:
Our church seeks to speak the truth in love. We do not expect our world to share the sexual ethic of God while people are not regenerate in heart through faith in Christ Jesus. There is no true light outside of Christ. For that reason, our compassion must be shown first and foremost in calling all people to know Christ as Savior and Lord and that hope for forgiveness of sin and reconciliation with God can only be found through his cross. I also wish to further emphasize that our greatest love for people struggling in same sex desire is not to affirm a sinful temptation and avoid God's warning of judgment on sin but to call them to repentance and faith where contentment and joy can be found in Jesus Christ alone.
We must also know that Sodom, like our world today, was not judged by God solely because of homosexual sin. While it is on display in Genesis 19, other scriptures also show us that the comprehensive nature of licentiousness in luxury was on display in this city. It is also on display in our world. We have a church full of people who have been saved out of all manner of licentiousness in this world. I am one of them. We can truly look at each other and use the same words Paul used to the Corinthian church. 1 Corinthians 6:11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.