Could we consider the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah an act which demonstrates the loving kindness of our Creator? The knee jerk reaction is no, of course. When we carefully read and consider the facts in this Bible account, however, the answer becomes yes for reasonable people.

Remember first of all, these ancient cities were so vile their depravity has become their legacy. God's people needed to be protected from their influence. Sacrificing their children in fire, as well as magic, spellbinding, spiritism, and hateful sexual abuses were among the Sodomites detestable practices: Wickedness was their way of life! (Deuteronomy 18:9-12 ; Deuteronomy 23:17-18 ; 1 Kings 14:24) The Bible account of Sodom tells of two angels who went to visit the city, to "find out" if it was truly wicked; and then to destroy the wicked in it. (Genesis 18:20-21) The angels carrying out this assignment presented themselves as men. The people of the city proved themselves to be so wicked, they all came out to rape and abuse the two strangers who had come in to them. (Genesis 19:1-5) When Lot tried to dissuade them, they told Lot they would also do worse to him than to the strangers. (Genesis 19:9-11) It was their free moral choice to join with the city in such a vile act, and they all joined in. By that choice, they displayed to the angels what they were in their heart: They were wicked and needed destruction!

Lets go back to a little earlier in this account, as   יהוה   indicated He "was going down to see" if the Sodomites were altogether as wicked as the outcry against them. (Genesis 18:20-21) Doesn't that seem interesting to you? God knows when even a bird falls to the earth; and has numbered the hairs of your head. (Matthew 10:29-31) He certainly knew what were the actions of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. Why would he need to go down to see if they were really as bad as the outcry against them? Could it be he was judging them by giving them a chance to rise above what they had been, a chance to become better? Could it be he was trying to give them warning; to help them to avoid being destroyed? [Later, in the ninth century BCE, God sent Jonah to preach to and warn the Ninevites. The Ninevites were a people of war who cultivated the fear of other nations. When they laid siege to a city, the inhabitants were so terrified most would simply surrender: Doing so because of the fame of the Ninevites and the well known and unimaginable abuse they would heap upon any survivors who had not surrendered. Jonah was justifiably terrified to approach the Ninevites, but when he finally did follow God's directions to preach to the city, the Ninevites took God's warning to heart and repented from their bad ways. God stopped the scheduled destruction and spared the city. - The Ninevites later returned to their bad ways, however, and did have to be destroyed. It was their free will choice to repent that first kept them from being destroyed, and their own bad choice that later led them back to destruction. Please consider the short Bible book of Jonah.]

As the Bible introduces us to this account of Sodom's impending destruction, we find Abraham trying to barter with   יהוה   in an attempt to get any righteous people of the city spared. (Genesis 18:22-33) God concedes to Abraham that if even ten righteous persons are to be found in the city, he would spare it. The question this account might lead us to ask is this: Was ten the minimum number for God to spare the city? Would God destroy even one righteous person? Never!!! (Luke 12:6-7; Mat 12:18-21)

Moving forward in this Bible drama, we find the angels entering the city of Sodom. Lot extends hospitality by insisting they come to his home to spend the night. (Genesis 19:1-3) The Sodomites soon come to Lot's door, to rape and abuse the two angels [whom they imagine to be men]. As Lot tries to restrain the mob, they grow angry and try to harm Lot. The angels pull Lot inside and strike the men near the door with blindness. (Genesis 19:4-11) [Lot even offered his two virgin daughters: Probably not in sincerity but in an effort to help them see the gravity of their depravity; and to shock them from their homosexual frenzy.] That all transpired at evening time, and the account goes on to tell us the angels did not hurry Lot and his family out of the city until the next morning. What transpired all during that night? Was the warning given during that night a kindness from   יהוה  , being extended as a chance [or choice] for any righteous persons in the wicked city?

The Bible tells us the men near Lot's door were blinded. Was the whole city blinded, or just those near Lot's door? If they went away from the door, did they regain their vision? If they tried to return to the door, did they go blind again? The Bible does not give those details, but what it makes clear is the blinded men did not even consider changing in their wicked course. They went on "wearing themselves out" trying to find the door, even after being blinded. (Genesis 19:9-11) They apparently had all night to reconsider their actions! How wicked must they really have been? Struck with blindness, and yet still thinking only to accomplish their badness. During the night, while the Sodomites should have been repenting, the angels specifically mentioned his future sons-in-law to Lot. They told him he should go out to warn and gather them: He is told to get his family "and all who were his" out of the city. (Genesis 19:12-13) Lot thus had opportunity to go out among the city to try to get his future sons-in-law [and probably others he talked to during that night] to leave the city with him? The Bible tells us Lot's warning to his sons-in-law was as a joke in their eyes. (Genesis 19:14) Any people Lot spoke with [and probably all the people of the city] had to have known their wicked "neighbors" had been struck blind by the visiting strangers. How could they not take Lot's warning seriously? With all or most of the night to consider the warning they were being given: Surely the whole city was abuzz with what was happening? Likely, in one way or the other, every person in the city got Lot's warning that God was in the process of destroying the city. They had each and every one of them come out for the gang rape of the visitors. They would surely have known about the miraculous actions by the angels to protect Lot and his guests. All of them had ample reason to take God's warning seriously. Even after the miracles they were witness to, and having time to consider the warning by Lot, when he left the city the next morning, Lot could get only his wife and his daughters to leave with him. Even his wife looked back longingly and was destroyed. Not ten, and not even one, except Lot's own family, heeded the warning and took the opportunity to flee the city. Even so, the opportunity to repent and save their lives had lovingly been extended to them.

It would seem then,   יהוה  's "coming down" to see if the badness of the city was really as bad as He had heard, implies He came down to give them a chance to reject their badness and to act wisely [to gain their lives]. The inhabitants of Sodom would surely have heard from righteous Lot and his Uncle Abraham about their God   יהוה   prior to that night. (Genesis 14:21-23 ; 2 Peter 2:5-10) In any case, their refusing to heed the warning of Lot during the night of God's inspection cost them their lives. The warning Jesus gave for our day is similar. (Luke 17:26-30) Do you take Jesus's warning to heart, or does it seem a joke or a fairy tale in your ears? Do you try to justify actions or a lifestyle which are clearly condemned in the Bible? (2 Tim 3:1-5; 1 Cor 6:9-10 Isaiah 5:20) The choice is yours, and your life depends on your decision. (John 12:48; John 3:19; John 3:35-36) Because of all the suffering disobedience to God has caused in this world, we join John in saying: "Amen, come quickly lord Jesus!" (Revelation 22:20 ; Revelation 1:7)

We can easily see   יהוה  's destruction of Sodom as an act of loving kindness toward the individuals being raped and harmed by its wicked citizens. What about those wicked inhabitants of the city though? Was it a kindness toward them? It probably was, actually! The Bible teaches our happiness comes from our being aware of our spiritual need, and in our satisfying that need. (Matthew 5:3 ; James 1:25) Those words by Matthew and James were inspired by our Creator. He certainly knows how we are made. The fact our expressing love for our God and our fellow-man will make us happy, is a law just as surely as gravity. (Psalms 1:1-2 ; Luke 10:27-28) Chasing after what God defines to be wicked only makes people unhappy. (Isaiah 57:21) That is one reason God defined it as bad. If you don't understand that simple truth, you have been deceived to believe a lie. So... The Sodomites were not made happy by their choices to seek badness. By those choices, they also separated themselves from   יהוה  's  blessings. Having separated themselves from God, they were dying anyway. [Adam and Eve were told they would die in the day of their eating the forbidden fruit. They didn't fall over on that day, but they started to die when they separated themselves from God's spirit. They were dead in God's sight, and as good as dead literally. It was just a matter of a few years.] It is our faith in, and obedience to, our Creator that can keep us alive and protect us. (Galatians 2:16 ; John 3:36) The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah was thus an act of loving kindness, even to the inhabitants of those cities. We join John in saying: "Amen, come quickly lord Jesus!" (Revelation 22:20 ; Revelation 1:7)

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