|
Pouredst Out Fornications Gen. James Green T HE PROPHET EZEKIEL (cpt. 16) writes about Jerusalem as a foundling child of mixed parentage. She was discovered by Yahweh and later taken by Him in marriage and established in “queenly” estate…but later proved faithless, apostatizing at pagan shrines she built and making the Assyrians and Chaldeans her lovers (vss. 1-34). The judgment of Yahweh is now on His unfaithful wife; He will turn her over to her lovers (vss. 35-43). My point of mentioning this is that Ezekiel uses the word “Sodom” (Jerusalem is given an older and younger sister, Samaria and Sodom, who were found guilty of great “abominations,” but later, Jerusalem committed even greater abominations). The prophet compares one sister with Sodom (of which our subject is about here): “Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness…” (16:49). Verse 50 continues with: “And they (Sodom and her daughters) were haughty, and committed ABOMINATION before Me…” God mentions some of the sins of Sodom—Sodom has become proverbial for unmentionable crime; the chapter which tells of her fate is one of the most REPULSIVE to read. Again and again in the Old Testament (and mentioned in the New Testament), the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is referred to as the most AWFUL instance of Divine Judgment (the New Testament speaks of their unrivaled degradation as well). We could very well call America SODOM! To downplay the “sex” issue in Sodom and Gomorrah is to play DUMB!! Ezekiel says of Jerusalem (comparing her to Sodom): “…and players the harlot because of thy renown, and POUREDST OUT THY FORNICATIONS ON EVERYONE that passed by; his it was” (v. 15…the RSV uses “Harlotries”). Even if we’re to accept the half-truth of “sexual rites of the Canaanitish cults/sacred prostitution etc.”, this is better than the silly idea of “inhospitality.” Verse 17 is telling: “Thou hast also taken thy fair jewels and My gold and of My silver…and makest to thyself images of men, and didst commit whoredom with them.” Most scholars believe the “images” to be “Phallics” to do sexual acts with them (both male/female). Of course “harlotries” can either be natural or spiritual. But, there is no doubt that Sodom and Gomorrah was into both! The word “fornications” (v. 15), used in the larger sense, includes homosexual acts. Ezekiel says in verse 43: “Because thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth…I also will recompense thy way upon thine head…and thou shalt not commit this LEWDNESS above all thine abominations.” There is NO WAY one can conclude that Sodom was merely “guilty of inhospitality.” We’re all aware of the sacred prostitute cults (Fertility Cults), but we also need to be aware of the homo/lesbian acts that were included. We would like to hear from
you!
|