Remember Lot's Wife

In Luke 17:32 as Jesus was finishing His discourse on the end times, Jesus said simply, "Remember Lot's wife." What might this mean? Especially, what does it mean for us, the eventual hearers of His warnings in these last days?

If you remember the story from Genesis 19, Abraham contended for the sinning city of Sodom, where his nephew Lot lived with his wife and his family. Sodom was known to be a sinful city and Lot really had no business living there. Lot thought he could live in Sodom and remain untouched by the saturating sin all around him. This turned out not to be the case.

God sent two angels to warn Lot and his family and urged them to leave before God's impending wrath. It still took a bit of urging, actually, the angels had to take them by the hand and physically push them outside the gate. The family took nothing with them, leaving all behind. As they left, the angels said "Do not look back!"

However, Mrs. Lot did look back and so God instantly turned her into a pillar of salt.

Jump a few thousand years to the years of Jesus' ministry. He is pronouncing warnings to the disciples about what to watch out for in the end days. He says that the end will come suddenly and that we must be prepared to give up everything. We must be in tip-top spiritual shape, if we had not already done so before, we must instantly put into action the faith that we have professed with our lips.

Jumping ahead a few more years, in Revelation 3:16, Jesus' dictated a letter to John to the Church at Laodicea. In it, Jesus makes a terribly graphic utterance: "So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth." Spit in other translations is spew or vomit. We know that in the time of the end, many will profess to seek the Lord and few will find Him. "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.' [Matthew 7:32-33]

Lot's wife practiced lawlessness. She broke Commandment Number One: 'You shall have no other gods before Me.' What was her god? The past. Her things. Her comfy house. Her place in the sinful city. See, she knew about God, her husband was a Godly man, and her uncle Abraham was the father of the Israelites. Yet she risked disobedience to look back. At what? Corruption, sin, perversity. She professed knowledge of God, perhaps went through the motions of serving God, but as soon as the going got tough her double-mindedness was exposed. One cannot have a divided heart and be acceptable to God.

We are warned again and again: "No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." Luke 9:62

James warns: "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. " James 4:8

The Psalmist reminds us: "How blessed are those whose way is blameless, Who walk in the law of the LORD. How blessed are those who observe His testimonies, Who seek Him with all their heart." Psalm 119:1-2

God wants a full and complete servant, not one who professes on the outside but as soon as the going gets tough, looks back at the creature comforts and surrounding sin with longing. Again the double-minded are decried: "I hate double-minded men, but I love your law." Ps119:119.

For Lot's wife, being "a good person" on the outside was not enough. Going through the motions of 'being spiritual' was not enough. We must obey.

"Whoever seeks to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it." Luke 13:33. Therefore ... remember Lot's wife.
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