Today’s Scripture Reading (May 5, 2020): Ezekiel 10
The story of
Sodom and Gomorrah presents a captivating image for those who remember the
story. We may argue about the cause of the tragedy, which I believe seems to be
a lack of hospitality and not sexual sin according to the text, but what we can
usually agree on is the end of the story. Due to the grievous sins of the
cities of the plain, the cities, and all who were found living within them,
were destroyed. And the means of the destruction was hellfire falling from
heaven. Scholars have argued for centuries over the origin of the fire. Was it
a supernatural phenomenon, or is it possible that the fire had a more natural source?
One theory maintains that the five cities of the plain, which likely existed on
the south end of the Dead Sea, were destroyed when an earthquake struck the
area, causing the Dead Sea to spew out balls of burning tar. The result would have
had a devastating effect on the cities as these balls of burning tar smashed into
the buildings, breaking them down, and then adding fire to the carnage by
burning what remained. There would have been little chance for escape, and it
would have felt like God himself had taken up an attack on the city and was
reigning down fire from heaven.
While the
theory makes sense, the problem with it is that we have no contemporary reports
of a major earthquake that occurred in the area during the days of Abraham. So,
the concept remains a maybe, and not something that we can confirm with any
degree of confidence. It is just a story about what might have happened to the
cities at the south end of the Dead Sea.
We have a
better level of confidence about the destruction described within the vision
that Ezekiel relates to his audience. Like Sodom and the cities of the plain,
God seems to be saying that he is going to destroy Jerusalem by raining down
fire on the city. Ezekiel can hear the command coming from the throne of God and
issued to the man clothed in linen; go and fill your hands with burning coals
from among the cherubim, and then scatter the coals among the buildings of the
city. It is clear that God intends to rain down fire on the city, just as he
poured down fire onto the cities of the plains during the days of Abraham.
Unlike Sodom,
there is no doubt about the origin of the fire that was going to rain down on Jerusalem.
We may not know if there was an earthquake that caused hot tar to explode out
of the Dead Sea, destroying the cities of the plain, but we do know that it
would be the Babylonians who would destroy the city and burn everything that
existed in Jerusalem
And there is
also little doubt that as Ezekiel watches this scene played out in front of
him, he understands that Jerusalem would be dealt with and would meet that same
end as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities of the plain. Even if the Babylonian
threw the fire at the city, it was clear that it was God who had lit the match.
Tomorrow’s
Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 11
Personal Note: Happy Birthday to
my daughter, Alyssa. Dad is proud of you!
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