Ashes of a Fallen City
Why Sodom and Gomorrah were wiped off the map—and what that means for us
“Even as Sodom and Gomorrha… are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.”
— Jude 1:7
God doesn’t destroy cities without warning.
And He doesn’t judge without a cause.
Sodom and Gomorrah weren’t random targets.
They were a case study.
A divine marker.
A prophetic warning for every generation after.
The Sin Beneath the Surface
Most only associate Sodom with sexual perversion.
And rightly so—Genesis 19 makes it clear:
When angels entered the city, men surrounded Lot’s house and demanded to violate them.
It was brazen.
Aggressive.
Public.
But the sin of Sodom wasn’t just about lust.
“Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness… neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.”
— Ezekiel 16:49
Pride.
Excess.
Apathy.
These were the roots.
Sexual perversion was the fruit.
When a people grow arrogant, overfed, and unconcerned, the door opens to all forms of corruption.
Fire from Heaven
God sent two angels.
Not to warn the city—but to remove the righteous.
Lot hesitated.
The angels grabbed his hand.
And as soon as he left the city…
“Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven.”
— Genesis 19:24
The cities were annihilated.
Completely.
Not just buildings.
But the soil.
The vegetation.
The very ground was scorched.
To this day, the region near the Dead Sea bears chemical and geological evidence of intense sulfur-based destruction.
Sodom wasn’t just destroyed.
It was erased.
A Pattern for Judgment
God didn’t leave Sodom’s story in the Old Testament.
Jesus referenced it.
“It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.”
— Matthew 11:24
Peter referenced it.
“And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes… [God] made them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly.”
— 2 Peter 2:6
Jude referenced it.
“Giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh…”
— Jude 1:7
Sodom is a prophetic signpost.
Not just of what happened.
But of what will happen again.
The Spirit of Sodom Returns
Jesus said the days before His return would mirror the days of Lot.
“Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot… the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone…”
— Luke 17:28–29
What defined those days?
A society consumed with pleasure.
Indifferent to holiness.
Hostile to righteousness.
The cities were proud of their sin.
They didn’t just tolerate immorality—they celebrated it.
And when judgment came, it was sudden.
The Takeaway
God is merciful.
But His mercy has a limit.
When sin becomes normalized…
When pride replaces repentance…
When society mocks purity and embraces perversion…
Judgment follows.
Sodom and Gomorrah were not unique.
They were a warning.
God will not be mocked.
“Remember Lot’s wife.”
— Luke 17:32
She looked back.
Longing for what God was judging.
And she became a pillar of salt.
The message?
Don’t look back.
Don’t mourn the ashes of a dying world.
Escape while there’s still time.
Beautifully done. I just listened and imagined as you read. I could see it burn.
And, thank you Mr Paull, for your contribution.
This story has always intrigued me, espec the part of Lot's wife. So, was she showing she was going to be missing what had been there?
Thank you!