Lesson

Sins Crying To Heaven

Sins Crying To Heaven For Vengeance. Willful murder, the sin of Sodom, oppression of the poor, and defrauding laborers of their wages. Because of their malice (they are all sins against society), they call for punishment by a special act of Divine Justice. They bear this special name because Scripture so speaks of them. After murdering his brother Abel, Cain heard these words: "The voice of thy brother's blood crieth to me from the earth" (Gen. 4:10). Speaking to Lot in Sodom, the angels said: "For we will destroy this place; because their cry is grown loud before the Lord" (Gen. 19:13). In Exodus we read: "You shall not hurt a widow or an orphan. If you hurt them, they will cry out to me, and I will hear their cry" (Ex. 22:22-23). In Deuteronomy we read that a poor man is to receive his wages, "lest he cry against thee to the Lord, and it be reputed to thee for a sin" (Deut. 24:15).