What is This?. James Henry Bryant
practices;…which have forsaken the
right way, and are gone astray, following
in the way of Balaam, the son of Bosor,
who loved the wages [pay] of unrighteousness.
These citizen also gave worship to Chemosh, the god of Moab.
Chemosh was worshipped with human sacrifice mostly children as was Molech, the god of the Ammon. The Isrealites so often fell consisted either in making images that allegedly represented Jehovah, such as the calves of Jeroboam [1 Kings 12:28] or in worshipping, in addition to Jehovah, one of the gods of the heathen nations around them, including King Jeddiah Soloman [the son of King David] who build high places for Chemash, the abomination of Moab, in the hill before Jerusalem and for Molechi the abomination of the children of Ammon [1 Kings 11:7] The prophet Ahijah speaking on behalf of God concerning these activities stated:
“Because that they have forsaken me,
and have worshipped Ashtoreth, the
goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh, the
god of the loabites and Milcom, the
god of the children of Ammon and have
not walked in my ways to do that which
is right in my eyes, and to keep my statutes
and my judgements. [1 Kings 11:33]
The residence of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zebrim were full of pride, full of food in abundance including idleness, they cared nothing for the poor or needy, they were high strung [in other words they didn’t believe their mess stunk] and committed the—of idolatry and adultery, human sacrifices in mock worship to these idols made by man. [Ezekiel 16: 48–50]
Concurring with this fact, God Himself said in Deuteronomy 29:23–26 that;
the whole land thereof is brimstone, and salt
and burning, that it is not sown, not beareth,
nor any grass growth therein, like the over-
throw of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zebrim
which the Lord overthrew in His anger and
in His wrath. All nations will say, where-
fore has the Lord done this unto those
lands, what the heat of this great anger?
Then men will say, because they have
forsaken the covenant [Exodus 20:1–3]
of their fathers, which he made with them
when He brought them forth out of the
Land of Egypt. FOR THEY WENT
AND SERVED OTHER GODS, and
worshipped them, gods whom they knew
not, and whom He had not given unto them.”
With this in mind now lets look at the prayer of Abraham on behalf of the people in those cities once he knew God’s intention to destroy them because of their idolatry. Abraham stood before the Lord. [Genesis 10:22]
Abraham drew near and said, Will you also
destroy the righteous with the wicked? Perhaps
there are fifty [who are not into idoltry] with-
in these cities; will you also destroy and spare
not the place for the fifty servants of the One
True God and who have kept Your Commandment?
[emphasis added] That’s not like you to slay Your
servants with the idolaters, will not the Judge
of all the earth do right?
The Lord said, if I find in Sodom fifty
who have not gone astray and kept my
Commandments, I will spare all for
their sake. Abraham said, look, I’ve
taken upon me to speak Lord, I am no-
thing but dust and ashes. Perhaps
there lack five of the fifty would you
destroy these cities for the lack of five?
God said, If I find forty five I will
not destroy the cities. Abraham spoke
unto him again, what if there’s only forty?
God said, I will not destroy them if forty
are found. Abraham said, don’t be angry
with me Dear Lord as I speak, but what
if only there are thirty. God said, I’ll
spare them if thirty are found. What
if only twenty are found. God said, I’ll
spare all if there be twenty found. Abra-
ham, don’t get angry, but what if there
are only ten. God said as he departed from
Abraham said: if you find ten, I’ll
spare them all.
Not even ten true believers and keepers of the Commandments were found as God already knew, and don’t this prayer make more sense in this wise than trying to imput sexual immorality thereto?
Now let me see if I can hook this train up and get on track now first let’s get an understanding of the word “know” and this is best explained in the book of Judges, Chapters 19 and 20, we will began at verse twenty two
“Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men
of the city, certain some of Belial, beset the house round a-
bout and beat at the door, and spoke to the master of the
house. the old man saying: Bring forth the man that came into
your house that we may KNOW him. [Judges 19:22]
Now translators, teachers and others think this word only means sexual intercourse and in most instances it does, but not in Judges 19:22 or Genesis 19:5 as we get a clear understanding from the man that they want to be sent out over in Judges 20 verse 5 as he explained to the other eleven tribes just what the sons of Belial meant by “Bring him out that they may know him.”
In verse five, chapter twenty this man says:
“And the men of Gibeah rose against me, and beset
the house round about upon me by night, and thought to
have SLAIN me.”
My understanding of the word “SLAIN” mean to “kill” does it not? Then how do you get “sexual immoral” or “carnically” from “kill” or as the word says “SLAIN.” So with that clarification of the word “know” go back and read Judges 19:22 which should read like this:
Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the
men of the city, certain sons of belial, beset the house
round and about, and beat at the door, and spoke to the
master of the house saying, Bring forth the man that came
into your house, that WE MAY KILL HIM. [Judges 19:22]
And the man, the master of the house, went out unto
them and said unto them, No! my brothers. No! I pray you
[or beg you] do not so wickedly, [or evil] seeing this
man is come into my house, do not this foolishness. [vs. 23]
Now with this clarification and understanding of the