7 OCTOBER
Learning from very grievous sin
‘And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.’ Genesis 18:20–21
SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Romans 1:18–32
The cry of some sinners and in some places is louder than others. The cry and sin of Sodom was great and grievous. Let us see what might concur to increase the cry, that we may learn what are those circumstances and aggravations which make sin particularly provoking to the Lord and expose the sinner to sudden and exemplary vengeance. Observe their height of sinning. A particular instance of wickedness (not to be named without horror) is remarked in the course of their history, as likewise afterwards was found among the Benjamites in Gibeah (Judges 19). But this proves a course of abandoned sinning in other respects. When sinners do not like to retain God in their knowledge, he sometimes righteously gives them up to a reprobate mind to do those things which are not convenient[appropriate] and many who have cast off his fear have sunk far below the level of the beasts that perish. It is to be feared, or rather there is too much ground to speak positively, that there was no abomination practised in Sodom which is not committed in our Christian country. The heart of man under the power of Satan is capable of abominations which cannot with propriety be insisted on in a public discourse, and which charity would hope may be safely omitted here. The great God, to whom the night shineth as the day, knoweth all things, and there is an hour cometh when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed. O the blasphemy, the drunkenness, the whoredom, the adultery, under which our land groans.
FOR MEDITATION: ‘Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of God’ (1 Corinthians 6:9–11, NIV).
SERMON SERIES: GENESIS, NO. 39 [2/3], GENESIS 18:20–21
Milo 