So I’m reading the story of Sodom and Gomorrah again this morning (Genesis 19), when a sentence stopped me in my tracks. The angels warn Lot in the latter part of verse 13, “The outcry to the Lord against its people is so great that he has sent us to destroy it.”
Wait a minute! The outcry to the Lord . . . Who cried out? I’ve read this story – without skipping this verse – many times. Before, I simply accepted that an outcry happened, without considering its source. Today, I didn’t want to read further without tossing around a few possibilities.
Surely the people of the cities weren’t crying out. The Lord seemed to be the furthest thing from their minds. Could it have been Lot? I doubt it. He had chosen to live there and had obviously remained for a long while, despite the rampant sin. On the other hand, it could have been such a great burden on his heart as he sat at the city gate day after day that he did cry out to the Lord. I suppose it is also possible that Abraham knew about the gross sin and interceded, even before the Lord told him of His plans. Who else cared enough to cry out to the Lord?
I don’t have the definitive answer to this question, and may never. Then again, there may be an aha moment when Holy Spirit reveals it to me. If that happens, I’ll come back to share His answer.
To Make Christ Known 