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Remember Lot's Wife
Women play a very important role in the bible message. There are plenty of examples of women who play a vital role in the Old Testament, but they don’t occur as much in the New Testament. However, there is one particular woman that stands out in the words of Jesus. One that Jesus made sure to mention we remember. In Luke 17:28-32, Jesus mentioned a particular phrase that was really interesting. “Remember Lot’s Wife.”It sounds a lot like a warning that Jesus is handing down in this passage but why Lot’s wife? What’s so special about her?
1. Do Not Look Back–In Genesis 19 we are told of the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. Most of us know the story very well. There are so many lessons in this story of destruction and Lot’s wife is one of them. As the cities were full of wicked men with evil deeds God granted Lot and his family a way out. The command was simple, it was clear. Lot and his family were told to get out, escape for their lives, don’t stay anywhere in the valley, flee to the mountains and to not look back! Lot’s two sons-in-law didn’t want to be a part of it, so it was Lot, his wife, and his daughters and they were on their way to safety and salvation. Or at least that was the plan. But the Bible tells us that Lot’s wife looked back and she became a pillar of salt. Just like that she was gone. Back in Luke 17:31, prior to mentioning Lot’s wife as an example, Jesus said those that are in the field must not go back. “Remember Lot’s wife.”It was quite likely from what was taking place that Lot’s wife looked back and started making her way back. You see, her heart was set on Sodom and Gomorrah and she wasn’t ready to just pick up and leave. It wasn’t just about looking back, it was about loving the world. That’s where her heart lay. God have her to opportunity to escape for her life, to be safe and to be saved. But she looked back. Here’s what I’m saying: Jesus gives us the opportunity to escape our lives, this life that is broken and engulfed with sin, to run and get out but like Lot’s wife sometimes we choose to look back. And frankly it’s easy. It’s easy to go back to the comfort of sin and pleasures. It’s easy to give in to all the desires and lusts of our heart. And it’s the most difficult thing to see that and try to move past it when everything around you is exactly that. Make no mistake about it, this world that we live in is enticing. The passing pleasures of sin is sometimes too good to pass up. But there’s nothing good about loving the world and all its pleasures. We all have choices to make and one of the most impactful, life-changing choices we can make is choosing whether or not we are on God’s side or on the devil’s side.
2. Do Not Forsake God’s Commandments– But there’s more to it than just that. It wasn’t just about looking back. It was about forsaking God’s command. When Mrs. Lot chose to look back, she decided that was her path. Whether it was split or a well thought out process, she blatantly chose to say NO to God. In effect, God told Lot, “I’m going to save you and your family in accordance with my mercy and grace but there’s certain things you have to do.” But, Lot’s wife said: no God, I have a better idea and I want to do things my way. I like my way better. I don’t like your authority. Well we know how that ended up. But I do want you to see the underlying, compelling factor here. It’s saying no to God’s commandments, to His authority and forsaking Him. Each time we look back, each time we decide to turn back we forsake the very commandments that can save us. It becomes so easy to overlook God when we can’t see Him, we don’t really read our Bibles, we don’t help each other, we don’t focus on the spiritual and the eternal, but we back pedal 10 steps for every step we go forward and that’s so often the case. Maybe it’s because we take for granted the fact that we won’t become a pillar of salt, at least not here and now, but know that we will be judged.
3. Do Not Neglect His Deliverance– Jesus’ recollection of Lot’s wife has brought to mind a couple aspects of application that we must see and observe and ultimately learn from but perhaps even bigger than these two aspects is the vital summation that Lot’s wife chose to neglect God’s deliverance. She chose to neglect His saving grace! Lot wasn’t perfect, and neither was his family. But God (two of the most important and life-changing words you can ever hear) chose to set them outside of the city and help them. He told them exactly what to do but even through all of that Lot’s wife didn’t want any part of it. Imagine that? One would think any logical person would be especially grateful for such an act of help but to reject it? Unheard of. Well, not really. In Matthew 27:15-26, the Jews and the religious leaders rejected Jesus as the Messiah.
They rejected the only hope of them being saved. In John 19:15, Pilate said, “shall I crucify your King and the answered Him, we have no King but Caesar.”But according to His lovingkindness, His mercy and His grace, He still wants to save us! Paul said this: “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom. 5:8). And how wonderful is that!
God has extended His outstretched arms to every single one of us because He doesn’t want what happened to Lot’s wife, to happen to us. Jesus’ statement of Lot’s wife is a reminder for everyone that we must listen to His commandments, follow through on them, not looking back, ultimately taking advantage of His offer of deliverance. This is a life-changing decision that we must make, and it can determine whether or not we enter into life or death.
