Remember Lot’s Wife: Don’t Look Back

For the last couple of weeks, we have been looking at idioms; and specifically, those common, often every-day-sayings whose source comes directly from the Bible.

So far, we have looked at, The Eleventh Hour, At your wit’s end, Blind leading the blind, To fall by the wayside, There is nothing new under the sun, By the skin of your teeth, Eat, drink and be merry, a leopard cannot change its spots, The land of Nod (and Am I my brother’s keeper?), Faith can move mountains, Cast your pearls before swine, and Fly in the ointment. Today another trip; and for this we travel to Israel on the edge of the Judean desert overlooking the Dead Sea.

This object is located along a cliff on the western side of road 90, about 25 miles south of Masada. A road sign marks the parking spot from where photos of this object can be taken. It slightly resembles a figure leaning forward and wearing a dress. Its name is “Lot’s Wife Pillar”.

This large pillar is made of salt and brown soil and if you ask any local there, they will tell you this is Lot’s wife who was turned to a pillar of salt for disobeying God’s command.

I am familiar with the story. I learned it as a child, but I have not read the story in a very long time. The message, I believe, is as prevalent today, if not more so.

I think it is worthy to note that of all the women in the Bible, Lot’s wife is the only one Jesus told us to remember. It’s in Luke 17 and Jesus was talking about His 2nd coming and what to look for. He cautioned in verse 31, “In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away. And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back.”

And then verse 32 says simply, “Remember Lot’s wife.”

Remember. Why remember? Let’s take a look.

As you may recall, and we are coming into the story mid-sentence, I mean, by this time Abraham is no spring chicken. He is 75 years old when he received word from the Lord to leave his country, and his family and his father’s house and go.

God basically said, “Just trust me; just go.”

God promised to lead the way, and so Abraham went. He packed up his possessions, he took his wife Sarah and his brother’s son Lot, he took all of their servants, and they left Haran.

We are told they passed through the land of Canaan and settled for a time in Shechem. But eventually, and once again, there is much more to this story, they returned to Canaan.

Once they got there, Abraham’s servants and Lot’s servants were constantly getting in fights over the grazing areas. Each had massive herds of livestock.

Genesis 13:2 tells us, “Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold.” And verse 5 says, “Lot also…had flocks and herds and tents.”

These men needed more space.

“Now the land was not able to support them, that they might dwell together, for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together. And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock…” Genesis 13:6-7 NKJV

Abraham and Lot agreed to part ways, with Abraham giving Lot first choice of land.

Lot chose the land of the plain of Jordan, near Sodom and Gomorrah, because of the rich pastureland there. He would soon enough learn what a terrible decision that was. He had not counted on the wickedness of Sodom.

Verse 13, “But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the Lord.”

Chapter 18 is about three visitors to Abraham’s door. They promised him a son, and Sarah, who was eavesdropping, laughed, and then denied laughing when confronted about it. And then the Bible says the men rose and looked toward Sodom.

I love verse 17. “And the Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing…?” The answer was no, “since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him.” Verse 18.

This chapter ends with Abraham bargaining with God. And I guess I really love this about God. First He asks, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing?”, and then He entertains all this wishy-washy asking from Abraham. Don't we do the same?

He cares about this man, and He made the choice to include him in the plan, but then this back-and-forth banter really tells me that God can take our often indecisions.

“And the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave, I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know.”

Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. And Abraham came near and said, “Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it? Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”

So the Lord said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.”

Then Abraham answered and said, “Indeed now, I who am but dust and ashes have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord: Suppose there were five less than the fifty righteous; would You destroy all of the city for lack of five?”

So He said, “If I find there forty-five, I will not destroy it.”

And he spoke to Him yet again and said, “Suppose there should be forty found there?”

So He said, “I will not do it for the sake of forty.”

Then he said, “Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Suppose thirty should be found there?”

So He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”

And he said, “Indeed now, I have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord: Suppose twenty should be found there?”

So He said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of twenty.”

Then he said, “Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak but once more: Suppose ten should be found there?”

And He said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of ten.” So the Lord went His way as soon as He had finished speaking with Abraham; and Abraham returned to his place.” Genesis 18:20-33 NKJV

As I read this anew today, I just sat back in my chair in awe. Jesus, you are so awesome! You are not willing that any should perish, but we each have a choice.

Abraham knew there were no faithful people in Sodom. I am sure he was thinking solely of his nephew and family.

And the Lord knew there were no faithful people in Sodom. He knew how wicked it had become. In fact, He truly had first-hand knowledge: “Now before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house. And they called to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally.” Genesis 19:4-5 NKJV

Can you begin to imagine the depravity of the people who lived in these cities?

It truly blows my mind reflecting on it. And Lot! What kind of father would offer his 2 daughters to this large mob of people?

How many people were there? “the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house.” We are not told the number of people, but it had to have been very intimidating.

It's no wonder the Lord didn’t destroy it before now.

I’ll let you catch up on the story if you care to. Like I mentioned I had not read this story in some time. It’s just amazing the patience of the Lord. But now it is time for the final warning.

“Then the men said to Lot, “Have you anyone else here? Son-in-law, your sons, your daughters, and whomever you have in the city—take them out of this place! For we will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has grown great before the face of the Lord, and the Lord has sent us to destroy it.”

“So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who had married his daughters, and said, “Get up, get out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city!” But to his sons-in-law he seemed to be joking.

“When the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot to hurry, saying, “Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city.”

“And while he lingered, the men took hold of his hand, his wife’s hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the Lord being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city.

“So it came to pass, when they had brought them outside, that he said, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed.”

“Then Lot said to them, “Please, no, my lords! Indeed now, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have increased your mercy which you have shown me by saving my life; but I cannot escape to the mountains, lest some evil overtake me and I die. See now, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one; please let me escape there (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.”

“And he said to him, “See, I have favored you concerning this thing also, in that I will not overthrow this city for which you have spoken. Hurry, escape there. For I cannot do anything until you arrive there.”

“Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.

“The sun had risen upon the earth when Lot entered Zoar. Then the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the Lord out of the heavens. So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.

“But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.” Genesis 19:12-26 NKJV

What was the big deal? At first glance, you think, cruel; unnecessary; why? But when we look closer, there is much to learn.

“The sense of the phrase “looked back” is that she “regarded, considered, paid attention to.” In other words, dragged free of her life of self-focus and set well on her way to freedom, Lot’s wife looked longingly and lingeringly on her past. Even as it was being consumed by the fiery wrath of God.

“I think that a clue to understanding her demise lies in what she was turned into. God could have ended her life in any way, converted her to or covered her in any substance. But Genesis tells us specifically that she became a pillar of salt. To the modern ear salt is a reference to a popular seasoning, but this is because we enjoy the benefits of refrigeration. For thousands of years the primary function of salt was not as a seasoning but as a preservative. An apt metaphor for Mrs. Lot.” (Source: the gospel coalition dot org)

Why did God not show Lot’s wife the mercy and patience He had shown Abraham? Even Lot argued with where to flee to.

“What if God had shown mercy to Lot’s wife? What if she had been allowed to flee the wickedness of Sodom to a better place, all the time harboring in her heart a love for her past? The virus of Sodom’s wickedness would have gone with her to her new home, preserved deep within her, waiting its chance to emerge and infect other lives. Rather than allow her to preserve the cherished memory of Sodom in a new place, God preserves her as a pillar of salt. She becomes a memorial for the preservation of evil, a warning to all who might see her frozen in her half-turned gaze of longing.” (got questions dot org)

So, why remember? Because we cannot keep looking back at the world and its temporary pleasures when God is trying to lead us out of its danger.

And more than that, Jesus is trying to lead us to Heaven and eternity with Him. Don’t look back. Stay focused; Keep your eyes on Jesus. In a little while we’re going Home.

by Jeanette Stark – Thursday, July 13, 2023