<> Ask the Pastor The Rev. Walter P. Snyder After many weeks of difficult, prayerful deliberations, I have declined the call to serve Trinity Lutheran Church in Austin, Texas. That means that I will remain as pastor here in southeast Texas for the foreseeable future. Of course, foresight is not a special gift of mine, so this is in God's hands, as are all other aspects of my life. Q: What is the significance of Sodom and Gomorrah? I was never taught that in Sunday School or anything. I only hear people make a reference to it as a metaphor, and I never understand. Also, I can't ask questions, because it is usually an article or song. So if you could please tell me the basics, it would be much appreciated. Thanks! A: The cities are first mentioned in Genesis 10, as strongholds of the Canaanites. Genesis 13:13 says, "Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord." Abram's nephew Lot went to live in the area, eventually settling in Sodom. The Lord later came and told Abraham of his plans for the city: He would destroy it because of its wickedness. Abraham pleaded with God to spare the city, if God could find at least fifty righteous people in it. He continued to ask until the Lord said that even for the sake of ten, he would spare Sodom. When angelic visitors came to Lot's house, the men of the city tried to force them into homosexual rape. This was the final gross depravity of the cities. The angels got Lot to flee with his wife and their two daughters, warning them not to look back upon the destruction. Lot's wife disobeyed and was transformed into a pillar of salt. Lot's daughters, concerned that they had lost their fiances in the destruction, took turns getting him drunk and sleeping with him, that they might have children for their support in old age. One became the father of the Ammonites, the other the father of the Moabites. Thus the sins of Sodom continued even after the city's downfall and these two nations later became enemies of the house of Israel. Q: I am from South Africa and have a question for you. I hope you don't think it is a trivial one. My nephew's English teacher claims that there is a flower that was created by God that has now become extinct. This flower had seven petals. Each one a different colour. The teacher used some English text book to justify this claim. The text book includes quotes from Genesis. My question is this: Is there such a flower and if yes, how did it function? As I go through Genesis in my Bible, it doesn't speak of any such specific flower, only plants in general. A: Some time ago, I did a column on pious myths and fables. This is not one that I included, but I could have. I don't know the source of the teacher's information, but you are correct in concluding that it has no biblical basis. Q: Why does God use different names for the people of Israel? A: Your question referred to Isaiah 43, where the Lord goes back and forth between "Israel" and "Jacob" in addressing his people. Remember that both of these are the same person, since Jacob was given the new name by God following his struggle at Penuel (Genesis 32). Israel means "God strives," and is a reminder of Jacob's personal struggles with God, including his wrestling through the night. It also reminded God's people that their God continually strove on their behalf to free them from the bondage of the nations and from bondage to sin. It is no wonder that the Messiah is often prophesied as being "Israel reduced to one." In other words, the Christ would "stand in" for his people. This is exactly what happened: God himself became a man---a man of Israel---and struggled to free his people from sin, death, and devil. As for Jacob, this is the given name of this son of Isaac and grandson of Abraham. He was born grasping the heel of his elder twin Esau; the name means "he clutches." It can also mean "he supplants (or overtakes)," a play on the word, since clutching one's heel would cause him to trip. Jacob's trickery "tripped up" Esau and he received the inheritance and blessing due the elder son. God had already promised Isaac's wife Rebekah that "the elder shall serve the younger," but rather than letting the Lord choose his own way, they resorted to deceit. Not only did Jacob fool his brother, he also deceived Isaac in order to receive the blessing. In using these two names in juxtaposition, Isaiah voiced God's view of his people: They were his chosen, for whom he struggled, yet he also struggled with them, as befitting the heirs of Jacob's deceit. Still, the Lord had promised that in the great Descendent of Israel, all mankind would be blessed. This happened in Jesus. There are other names also used for God's people. I mention only the most well known: After the kingdom was divided at the death of Solomon, the northern tribes were usually referred to as Israel. The kingdom surrounding Jerusalem kept the name of the tribe of Judah, the family to which the Savior would be born. Later, "Judah" became the source of the word "Jew." That's it for now. You can submit questions by mail to "Ask the Pastor," PO Box 1080, Jasper, Texas, 75951; E-mail xrysostom@aol.com; or just stop me on the street. Walter Snyder is the pastor of St. Paul and Faith Lutheran Churches in Jasper and Woodville, Texas and coauthor of the book "What Do Lutherans Believe? A Study Guide in Christian Teachings for Adults." Copyright (c) 1999 by Walter P. Snyder Permission is granted by author to reproduce or retransmit this by any means, provided that its content is not altered, that this notice of copyright and permission is included, and that no financial gain is realized.