The nation of Israel was God’s chosen people: Deuteronomy 7:6-8, “…the LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession…it was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath he swore to your forefathers…” God had honored Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s many acts of faith by promising to bless the world through Abraham’s seed. (See Genesis 12:2,3 and 28:4.) God made the Law Covenant with Israel, and they were expected to know right from wrong – by following the Law. From the time Israel was established to the coming of their promised Messiah, God dealt exclusively with the nation, “You only have I known of all the families of the earth…” Amos 3:2. Thus, when Jesus came and instructed the Apostles to go out and perform miracles, it was an exclusive blessing for Israel.
However, the Israelites lost their favor with God when they rejected Jesus and crucified him. In Matthew 23:37-39 Jesus said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets…Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.” Jesus was telling the Jews that they would lose God’s special favor when they did not accept the Messiah. History records Israel’s subsequent destruction and their diaspora. After the Jewish favor ended, God began to bless the Gentiles. This is why non-Jews could become Christian followers after Israel lost their special favor. “…Have they (Israel) stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles….” Romans 11:11
Matt 10:14-15 describes a situation where the Apostles go out to proclaim the Gospel to the Jews. The Jewish people should have known the prophesies and been looking for the Messiah. But instead, they rejected the message even when Jesus performed many miracles. Jesus taught that a when a man is more blessed, then he is more responsible to God. “That servant who knows his master’s will and …does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded.. Luke 12:47, 48.
Because the Israelites had much favor from God throughout their history and they then chose to reject Jesus, it will be easier for Sodom and Gomorrah, who had no special favor from God, in the Judgment Day. Even though Sodom and Gomorrah were evil (see Genesis 18-19, Ezekiel 16:48-51, and Jude 1:7), they did not have the obvious miracles, signs, disciplines, and helps God gave to His chosen people. Since, Sodom and Gomorrah lacked these special evidences from God, their judgment will be less severe.
