Do NOT Look Back!

Yesterday we filmed a segment of Women in the Word. The topic: Lot’s wife.

Of all the women in the Bible, she is the only one Jesus told us to remember.

Luke 17:31 “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. 32 Remember Lot’s wife.” NKJV

Remember Lot’s wife. That is a very solemn warning from our Savior. Why? Let’s look.

We skipped over vast amounts of the story simply for time-sake, but Abraham was about 75 years old when he received word from the Lord to leave his country; take his family and go. God promised to lead the way and they eventually settled in Canaan.

We picked up in that very detailed story with Lot welcoming two angelic visitors into his home, but this would be no ordinary visit.

“Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them, and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground. And he said, “Here now, my lords, please turn in to your servant’s house and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise early and go on your way.”

“And they said, “No, but we will spend the night in the open square.”

“But he insisted strongly; so they turned in to him and entered his house. Then he made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.” Genesis 19:1-3 NKJV

Lot knew what kind of city he lived in. Lot knew there was no limit to the depravity that was all around him. Was it enough to protect these heavenly visitors?

“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

Lot begged the men of the city not to do this wicked thing but instead offers the men his daughters! Does this not highlight the extreme moral corruption and wickedness of the city?! And they called it ‘home’.

Skipping ahead to verse 12 the angelic visitors ask Lot if he has anyone else in the city. Son-in-law, sons, daughters…anyone he cares about he is told “Take them out of this place!”

Lots tried speaking to his sons-in-law who had married his daughters, but they thought he was joking. They would learn all too quickly and all too late, that Lot was not the jokester they accused him of being.

“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.”

Even then the Lord is being merciful to Lot and his small group. Just amazing.

“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 19:24-26 ESV

The phrase “looked back” is that she “regarded, considered, paid attention to.” Lot’s wife looked longingly on her past even as it was being consumed by fire.

Have you ever wondered why God did not show Lot’s wife the mercy and patience He had shown Abraham? Even Lot argued with where to flee to. I believe it is because the virus of Sodom’s wickedness would have gone with her to her new home.

What can we learn from this nameless woman?

1 Lot's wife is known for her disobedience to God's explicit command. She serves as a powerful reminder of the consequences of disobedience to God's instructions.

2 Her unwillingness to leave behind the material possessions and comforts of Sodom serves as a cautionary example of the dangers of being too attached to worldly goods and values.

3 Her moment of indecision, when she hesitated to follow the angels' instructions, ultimately led to her demise. It is important to make decisive and timely choices, especially when it comes to matters of faith and obedience.

4 The fate of Lot’s wife serves as a reminder of the importance of having faith in God and trusting in His guidance, even when faced with difficult or seemingly irrational instructions.

5 Lot's wife's transformation into a pillar of salt is a striking example of divine judgment in the Bible. Her story serves as a warning about the consequences of defying God's will and reminds us of the need to live according to God's commands.

The warning could not be more clear in Luke chapter 17.

“And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed. “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. Remember Lot’s wife.” Luke 17:26-32 NKJV

by Jeanette Stark – Thursday, October 19, 2023