As the Church instructs, one should read the Old Testament in the Light of Christ. But that doesn’t mean one merely throws out what you don’t understand. God is Truth and God doesn’t change. God inspired all the Old Testament writings, so I don’t think you can simply ignore the parts that don’t agree with your understanding of God. I’m not claiming that this is what you are doing Robert, but it is all too common.One ought not interpret the Old Testament literally; one must consider the psychological warfare that exists. Psychological warfare that exists to this very day. Hatred back then, as it is now, relates to Satan and the sin itself. The first task of any child of Christ, is to crush (kill) the animal soul which fuels sin.
Sodom and Gomorrah’s destruction had less to do with hospitality and much more to do with their perversions and uncontrolled lust and attempts to rape the strangers coming into the city…this is why God destroyed the city.In the age of the patriarchs, God was fulfilling His word
He told Abram that He would bless those who blessed him and curse those who cursed him.
This is exactly the motivation for the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. I’m reading a commentary of Genesis, and taking my time, and I’m picking up such subtlety as this. Nothing subtle about the fire and brimstone but the story is really telling about the hard hearts of the Sodom and the “cities of the plain.”
They did not extend hospitality to strangers, like to the three angels that came to Abraham and to Lot. Even Lot was an outsider to the Sodomites, even though he had lived there and was known to them and whose daughters were betrothed to a couple young men of Sodom. So the blessing was to Abraham and even to Lot but the curse was to the cities of the plain, including Sodom and Gomorrah.
We cannot stop the justice of God and why would we want to ?
I’m a little confused. The Egyptians certainly faced the wrath of God. Can you clarify, because I’m not sure what exactly you are saying.A simplistic way to understand the term ’ wrath of God’ may be as the claims satan has on those who have chosen to let it have authority over them - enough to the extent that spiritually (may be even physically !) , they become like (if not worse ) in the modern day equivalents of those affected by a combination of Ebola, Mad Cow Disease and Rabies !
It should help us all to be more grateful for what our Lord , who is One with The Father , has done by His coming , to break the powers of evil !
All praise and honor be to The Most Holy Trinity !
Apologies and caution - came across this too -In trying to come up with an adequate response, came across this -( thanks google !)
booksforcatholics.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=B&Product_Code=0912141824&Category_Code=End_Times
and this on the same topic - hicatholicmom.blogspot.com/2009/03/wrath-of-god-days-of-antichrist.html
Looking at the issues of our times - greed , immorality , infanticide - seems the Egyptians too had invited in the wrong powers !
Mercy , my Lord !