Thursday Devo
Scripture:
Jude 1
7 And don’t forget Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring towns, which were filled with immorality and every kind of sexual perversion. Those cities were destroyed by fire and serve as a warning of the eternal fire of God’s judgment.
7 And don’t forget Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring towns, which were filled with immorality and every kind of sexual perversion. Those cities were destroyed by fire and serve as a warning of the eternal fire of God’s judgment.
Commentary:
7 The Analogy of Sodom and Gomorrah. As with the unfaithful Israelites and the rebellious angels (vv. 5–6), so also the people of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19) received the judgment of eternal fire. Smoke was still rising from the site of Sodom and Gomorrah in the first century a.d. (see Philo, On Abraham 141; Philo, Life of Moses 2.56; Wisdom of Solomon 10:7), and this was taken as a physical symbol of eternal divine judgment. Pursued unnatural desire refers to the homosexual activity of Sodom (Gen. 19:5; cf. Josephus, Jewish Antiquities 1.200–201; Philo, On Abraham 134–136; Testament of Naphtali 3.4). The Greek is literally “went after other flesh,” meaning “other” or “different” than the sexual immorality with women that Jude had just mentioned (cf. Rom. 1:26–27). The judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah in history functions as a “type” (a foreshadowing planned by God, cf. Rom. 5:14) of eternal judgment to come.
Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 2450.
Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 2450.
Questions:
- In verse 7, Jude recalls the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. These people had turned the grace of God into sexual immorality and perversion. The Bible makes it clear that the most serious sin of Sodom and Gomorrah was homosexuality. And God rained down fire and sulfur and destroyed them. How different is this attitude towards sexual perversion from what is tolerated in today's society? How difficult is it to live as a Christian in a world where sexual perversion of every kind is celebrated and encouraged? How can we stand apart from culture, hold fast to God's truth, and love people at the same time?
- This is how God handles sin... it MUST be punished. In fact, God did just that when His wrath was satisfied by Jesus' death on the cross. We like to think other peoples' sins are worse than our own, but even YOUR sin was enough to require Jesus' death in order for you to have a relationship with God. Your sin is WAY worse than you can possibly understand on this side of eternity. When was the last time you were broken over your own sin? What are the dangers of treating our own sin casually?
Prayer Topics:
- That you would faithfully stand on truth, even when it's unpopular.
- That your heart would be broken over your sin.
This Week's City 7:
Try to commit to memory!
5. Why do I follow Jesus? I follow Jesus because Jesus rose from the dead proving that He is the way, the truth and the life.
(Matthew 7:24-27; John 14:6)
(Matthew 7:24-27; John 14:6)
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