Ezekiel 16 describes the sins of Sodom like this:

Look, these were the sins of Sodom, your sister: she and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; 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 fit. (Eze 16:49-50)

What where the sins of Sodom? And what did they do to others that was so offensive to Yehovah that made Him decide to destroy Sodom and her daughters from the face of the earth?

The answers to these questions may provide us with some of the wisdom we need to survive the coming last days of the world as we know it. Sodom is only a shadow picture, a regional example, of what Yehovah will bring on the earth in the future.

In my Sabbath class today we went over an itemization of the sins of Sodom in the book of Yasher in chapters 18 and 19. I believe we will see many similarities to what is happening all over the world today.

Sins Of Sodom In the Verdant Valley

In Yehovah’s kingdom the sin is always on “the man;” for it was “the man” who was created to serve only Yehovah.  And the man’s woman was created to serve only him.

Yasher begins its description of the sins of Sodom with a short narrative about where the men of Sodom went 4 times each year; and, what they did in that place.

Yasher 18:12 And they had in their land a very extensive valley, about half a day’s walk, and in it there were fountains of water and a great deal of herbage surrounding the water.
13 And all the people of Sodom and Gomorrah went there four times in the year, with their wives [their women – there is no word for “wife” in Torah] and children and all belonging to them [male and female servants], and they rejoiced there with timbrels and dances.

Of course, this was all about the worship of the sun four-times per year; at the summer & winter solstice, and the spring and autumn equinox, a clear violation of the 2nd commandment. Today we need only look as far as Easter (spring equinox)and Christmas (winter solstice) to see these same sins of Sodom.

And the wickedness which these men performed in that valley violated both the 7th and the 10 commandments regarding adultery and covetousness.  Today, we need only to check out the so-called “Family Channel” to see the promotion of adultery and the encouragement of our young sons and daughters to become sexually active. Ha, and that is just the start of the wickedness that goes on 365 days a year, not just 4 times a year.

Yasher 18:14 And in the time of rejoicing they would all rise and lay hold of their neighbor’s women and some, the virgin daughters of their neighbors, and they enjoyed them, and each man saw his woman and daughter in the hands of his neighbor and did not say a word.

Sins of Sodom – Theft And Lies

Next Yasher gives several accounts of men coming to the cities of Sodom and having their possessions taken from them.  These are long narratives, but here is just a portion of the whole.

Yasher 18:16 Also when a stranger came into their cities and brought goods which he had purchased with a view to dispose of there, the people of these cities would assemble, men, women and children, young and old, and go to the man and take his goods by force, giving a little to each man until there was an end to all the goods of the owner which he had brought into the land.
17 And if the owner of the goods quarreled with them, saying, What is this work which you have done to me, then they would approach to him one by one, and each would show him the little which he took and taunt him, saying, I only took that little which thou didst give me; and when he heard this from them all, he would arise and go from them in sorrow and bitterness of soul, when they would all arise and go after him, and drive him out of the city with great noise and tumult.

Yehovah’s 8th Commandment is, “Thou shall not steal.”

Sins of Sodom – Theft, False Witness And Perverted Judgments

Next we hear the story of a wicked man (Hedad) who gave refuge to a traveler in order to steal his goods and his money. He bore false witness before the judge of Sodom and the judge rendered an erroneous decision in support of the wicked man.

Yasher 18:28 And the man saddled his ass to go, and he asked Hedad to give him the cord and mantle to tie it upon the ass.
29 And Hedad said to him, What sayest thou? And he said to him, That thou my lord shalt give me the cord and the mantle made with divers colors which thou didst conceal with thee in thy house to take care of it.
30 And Hedad answered the man, saying, This is the interpretation of thy dream, the cord which thou didst see, means that thy life will be lengthened out like a cord, and having seen the mantle colored with all sorts of colors, means that thou shalt have a vineyard in which thou wilt plant trees of all fruits.

This man then took Hedad to the judge.

Yasher 18:33 And the man was provoked at the words of Hedad, and he cried bitterly, and he brought Hedad to Serak, judge of Sodom.
34 And the man laid his cause before Serak the judge, when Hedad replied, saying, It is not so, but thus the matter stands; and the judge said to the traveler, This man Hedad telleth thee truth, for he is famed in the cities for the accurate interpretation of dreams.

This traveler too went away “with bitterness of soul, lamenting and weeping.”

Yasher 18:41 And they went away quarreling from the judge; when the people of Sodom heard them, and they gathered about them and they exclaimed against the stranger, and they drove him rashly from the city.
42 And the man continued his journey upon his ass with bitterness of soul, lamenting and weeping.

The world today often uses the courts to steal everything that a man has. I was one who had my life stolen from me by my ex; my children, my home,  my belongings, even my father, mother and sisters.  And it got worse.  They then tried to make me their slave. This kind of behavior displayed by those who bear false witness and by the judges (many of them women) who support this wickedness will not be allowed to go unpunished by Yehovah forever. People WILL reap what they have sown. In this story we again see a violation of the 8th commandment and now the 9th commandment also; “thou shall not bear false witness.”

Sins of Sodom – Shedding Of Blood And Murder

Finally, we see many who are hurt or killed by the people of Sodom. Some for simply being poor and others for helping the poor who came to their cities. These sins of Sodom are all being called to Yehovah’s attention.

Chapter 19 talks about the torture and murder of the innocent in the city of Sodom. Men are tortured, some are starved to death, a woman is killed for giving a traveler a drink of water, Eliezer is wounded for helping a man who was mistreated and even one of Lot’s own daughters is killed for doing kindness to a stranger.

You will have to listen to hear “the rest of the story.” The cries concerning the sins of Sodom are being heard by Yehovah and next week he is going to send two witnesses to see if what He has heard is true, or not.

And Yehovah said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave, I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know.” (Gen 18:20-21)

Currently, many of the sins of Sodom are an accepted and natural part of the kingdoms most people live in today. Be sure your sins will find you out, just like Sodom.

Sins Of Sodom And Our World Today

2G23 Yasher 18 – 19:44 – Sins of Sodom
[Click here to download this audio mp3]

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