Genesis 18:20-21 (NIVUK)
20 Then the Lord said, ‘The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous 21 that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.’
God is no remote God, uninterested and uninvolved in his creation. He is intimately concerned for its well-being. The story of Sodom and Gomorrah is often held up as an example of the actions of the callous, angry and judgemental actions of the Old Testament God in contrast to the loving, compassionate Jesus of the New. But God’s actions aren’t motivated by hatred or wrath, this is where the story starts, God hearing the cries of those affected by their actions. He acts not in order to destroy Sodom, but to protect those they’re harming. He’s motivated not by hatred, but love. Whilst this may not make everything about this story easy to accept, perhaps it’s a starting point in our coming to grips with it.
Thank you Father that you are concerned for us and our well-being. Thank you that you act when we face threat and harm through the wrongdoing of others. Thank you that you want to know what we feel and are experiencing, that you are interested. Amen.
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