Remember Lot's Wife

One of the shortest but most profound verses in all of scripture is found in Luke 17:32. The verse simply reads:

"Remember Lot's Wife"

Christ was speaking about the condition of mankind in the final days of earth's history and brought to remembrance a patriarch's wife; Mrs. Lot. It wasn't that The LORD was telling His hearers to remember her for her good example; instead, He was cautioning them (and us) not to follow in her footsteps. 

We do not have a lot about Lot's wife in the Bible, we don't even know her first name! But we do have some information about his husband and family. Lot was the nephew of Abraham, and when he separated from his uncle, he chose to set his tent towards Sodom. But the Bible stated in Genesis 13:13 "But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly". Despite this, Lot chose to live in this area with his family. There are some who can live near or in a debauched area and avoid the taint of the corrupting influences, but, I believe there are more of us who will conform to degrading influences because of the environment we live in. 

When judgement was cast upon Sodom and Gomorrah, the angels went to get this family out, but their flight wasn't swift. In fact, scripture shows that Lot's departure didn't take place until the morning after the admonition of the heavenly messengers. He tried to get his sons-in-law to leave the city with him, but they mocked him; the next morning, he decided to leave without them, and yet, he still lingered...

  Genesis 19:14   And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law.
  Genesis 19:15   And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.

  Genesis 19:16   And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city.  

Why was it so difficult for Lot to leave Sodom? Why didn't he evacuate as soon as the angels told him to get out? And what about his wife? Why is this verse so prominently spoken of by The LORD? In Luke 17:31, The LORD said "In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back" and also verse 33, Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it. Society has taught us that our value is found in the abundance of things we have. We show reverence to those with multiplied letters behind their names; millionaires, billionaires, the rich, the famous (and infamous!). And yet, those of us who don't fall in these categories value our 'stuff' sometimes more than we value our family members! When disaster and/or financial ruin strikes, those who have been married to their riches find it impossible to live (and cope), and would rather take their lives than to live without their 'stuff'.

Lot's wife couldn't bare the loss of all her possessions and her life in Sodom. Although she was physically being saved from the fire and brimstone, her heart was left there. In the book Patriarchs & Prophets, it says:

While her body was upon the plain, her heart clung to Sodom, and she perished with it. She rebelled against God because His judgments involved her possessions and her children in the ruin. Although so greatly favored in being called out from the wicked city, she felt that she was severely dealt with, because the wealth that it had taken years to accumulate must be left to destruction. Instead of thankfully accepting deliverance, she presumptuously looked back to desire the life of those who had rejected the divine warning. Her sin showed her to be unworthy of life, for the preservation of which she felt so little gratitude.{P&P, chapter 14)

How many of us are in the same situation. The LORD wants to save us from worldly influences, and physically we may escape from a city, a relationship, bad influences, a compromising career; but yet our hearts still cling to that 'Sodom' that in our live until it consumes us. In this day and age, we have more 'stuff' than ever before; marketing pundits continue to encourage us to spend money we don't have on stuff that we don't need; and we fall for it over and over.

The life of a christian is a self-sacrificing life. Christ was our example in all things and HE never hoarded and accumulated stuff for Himself. Whatever The LORD had, he gave away to edify someone else. Folks, when the end-time fire and brimstone starts to fall all around us, how many of us will be lost because we cannot part with our things that will burn anyway. Let the wise remember Lot's wife.