The Sodomites & Sodom and Gomorrah

It is recorded in the Book of Genesis that Abraham “sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground. Abraham then pleaded, saying ‘Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree, while I bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on—since you have come to your servant.’ So they said, ‘Do as you have said.’ And Abraham went quickly into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quick! Three seahs of fine flour! Knead it, and make cakes.’ And Abraham ran to the herd and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to a young man, who prepared it quickly. Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them. And he stood by them under the tree while they ate. (Genesis 18: 2-8) It is interesting that Abraham had promised the men just a morsel of bread and water to clean their feet but instead gave his guests much more than he had told them by bringing not only only bread but also a feast of meat, curds, and milk as well. Abraham treated his guests with kindness and love. This was a stark contrast to the how Abraham’s three guests were later treated by the people of Sodom while residing in the house of Lot, Abraham’s nephew. Rabbi Eliezer Ben Hyrkanos, a first and second century historian writes concerning the people of Sodom saying they “were wealthy men of prosperity. He says, using a quote from Job, that the Sodomites had ‘dust of gold’ (Job 28:6). And like the Garden of Eden, Sodom was loaded with precious stones and pearls of great price. Rabbi Eliezer comments that it is this wealth which caused the Sodomites to sin. The Sodomites had forgotten how to trust in the Creator and instead trusted in their wealth. Rabbi Eliezer points to their wealth as the cause of their sins. It is wealth, as we shall see, that ties all the sins of Sodom together.
This wealth had repercussions; it caused the people of Sodom to refuse charity to their neighbors. As it says, ‘The men of Sodom had no consideration for the honor of their Owner, by not distributing food to the wayfarer and the stranger, but they even fenced in all the trees on top above their fruit so that they should not be seized’ In this parable-like sentence, the Owner is God. The people of Sodom had dishonored God by not giving out charitables to strangers and wayfarers who passed their way, and even worse, they were so selfish they fenced in their fruit. Furthermore, these same strangers and wayfarers were persecuted by the Sodomite judges due to their perverse judgments. Rabbi Eliezer uses Ezekiel for his proof: ‘They have oppressed the stranger without judgment’ (Ezek. 22:29). Another repercussion of this wealth is that Sodomites who showed charity were burnt by fire. It is recorded that once, a Sodomite woman gave water to a poor man in Sodom and the people of Sodom declared that she should be burnt by fire! It is said that Lot, too, was afraid of the men of Sodom, so much so that he did not venture out during the day but only under the cover of darkness.Shortly after Abraham’s three guests entered the city of Sodom and were resting in Lot’s house, the Bible tells us, “The men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter: And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them. And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him, And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly. Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof.” (Genesis 19: 4-8) Speaking of Sodom, in the New Testament, Jesus Christ instructed his disciples before sending them out to teach the gospel saying,” Into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you: And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.  But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say, Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city. (Luke 10 5-12) Concerning the city of Sodom, the Lord God told the prophet Ezekiel: Behold, this was the iniquity of... Sodom, pride, fulness of bread [food], and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty, and committed...