Articles on Christianity
Remember Lot's Wife
By
John Buttrey II
We want to talk about a person in the Bible whom we do not typically spend a lot of time discussing. The fact is we don’t even know this person’s name! The person we want to discuss is Lot’s wife. Why talk about her? Jesus pointed out to His generation, that there are some things about her we ought to remember. He told them:
Remember Lot’s wife.
Luke 17:32
In context, Jesus was talking with His disciples about the coming destruction of Jerusalem. He had given them some signs they could look for in determining when this event would take place. By instructing them to remember Lot’s wife, Jesus is telling them to recall to mind what happened to her, so that what happened to her would not happen to them. Not that they would be turned into pillars of salt, but when the time for Jerusalem’s destruction came, they were not to look back or they, like her, would suffer destruction. They were to flee the city.
You and I are not facing the peril of the destruction of Jerusalem, but we too need to remember Lot’s wife. Yet, when was the last time you ever really thought about her? In recalling her situation to mind, there are some very important lessons to be
learned. Let us each consider the following:
Lot’s Wife was Punished by God,
Even though She was Married to a Righteous Man
The Bible refers to Lot as a righteous man (2 Peter 2:7). The fact that “Mrs. Lot” was married to this righteous man didnot guarantee her salvation. The same is true today. You may be married to a deeply spiritual and very active Christian, but that alone is no guarantee that you are going to be saved. You may be the child of an elder, deacon, preacher, Bible class teacher, or just very spiritually-minded Christian parents. That alone is no guarantee that you are going to be saved. In the same way, you may be attending a very active and sound congregation. This, too, will not guarantee your own personal salvation. The Bible tells us we must work out our own salvation (Phil. 2:12; 1 Peter 1:17).
Lot’s Wife was Punished by God,
Even though She Sought Salvation
We often hear people talk about being “once saved, always saved.” The Bible clearly refutes this false belief (cf. 1 Tim. 1:19; 4:1). Lot’s wife sought salvation. She left the city with her husband and daughter, escorted by angels. However, she got distracted and could not go the distance.
What an important lesson for us. Life is full of distractions to our faith. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, work against us every day. This can distract us, and throw us off course. The Hebrew writer encouraged Christians:
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurancethe race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus,the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:1-2 (Emphasis Mine)
The idea of keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus relates very well with remembering what happened to Lot’s wife. In fact, consider our last point in this writing:
Lot’s Wife was Punished by God,
Even though She Committed One Sin
The sin she committed was looking back (Gen. 19:26). While there are many lessons to be learned from Lot’s wife, this may be the one we struggle with the most. It is reasonably believed, she looked back in a longing kind of way toward Sodom. In the same way, it is our attachment to the things of this world that causes us to look back, and not above, to the things of heaven (cf. Col. 3:2). Notice how this relates to the words of Jesus to His disciples just prior to telling them to “remember Lot’s wife.”
On that day, the one who is on the housetop and whose goods are in the house must not go down to take them out;and likewise the one who is in the field must not turn back.Remember Lot’s wife.
Luke 17:31-32 (Emphasis Mine)
Let us always remember the lessons to be learned from Lot’s wife.
Remember Lot’s wife.
Luke 17:32
In context, Jesus was talking with His disciples about the coming destruction of Jerusalem. He had given them some signs they could look for in determining when this event would take place. By instructing them to remember Lot’s wife, Jesus is telling them to recall to mind what happened to her, so that what happened to her would not happen to them. Not that they would be turned into pillars of salt, but when the time for Jerusalem’s destruction came, they were not to look back or they, like her, would suffer destruction. They were to flee the city.
You and I are not facing the peril of the destruction of Jerusalem, but we too need to remember Lot’s wife. Yet, when was the last time you ever really thought about her? In recalling her situation to mind, there are some very important lessons to be
learned. Let us each consider the following:
Lot’s Wife was Punished by God,
Even though She was Married to a Righteous Man
The Bible refers to Lot as a righteous man (2 Peter 2:7). The fact that “Mrs. Lot” was married to this righteous man didnot guarantee her salvation. The same is true today. You may be married to a deeply spiritual and very active Christian, but that alone is no guarantee that you are going to be saved. You may be the child of an elder, deacon, preacher, Bible class teacher, or just very spiritually-minded Christian parents. That alone is no guarantee that you are going to be saved. In the same way, you may be attending a very active and sound congregation. This, too, will not guarantee your own personal salvation. The Bible tells us we must work out our own salvation (Phil. 2:12; 1 Peter 1:17).
Lot’s Wife was Punished by God,
Even though She Sought Salvation
We often hear people talk about being “once saved, always saved.” The Bible clearly refutes this false belief (cf. 1 Tim. 1:19; 4:1). Lot’s wife sought salvation. She left the city with her husband and daughter, escorted by angels. However, she got distracted and could not go the distance.
What an important lesson for us. Life is full of distractions to our faith. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, work against us every day. This can distract us, and throw us off course. The Hebrew writer encouraged Christians:
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurancethe race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus,the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:1-2 (Emphasis Mine)
The idea of keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus relates very well with remembering what happened to Lot’s wife. In fact, consider our last point in this writing:
Lot’s Wife was Punished by God,
Even though She Committed One Sin
The sin she committed was looking back (Gen. 19:26). While there are many lessons to be learned from Lot’s wife, this may be the one we struggle with the most. It is reasonably believed, she looked back in a longing kind of way toward Sodom. In the same way, it is our attachment to the things of this world that causes us to look back, and not above, to the things of heaven (cf. Col. 3:2). Notice how this relates to the words of Jesus to His disciples just prior to telling them to “remember Lot’s wife.”
On that day, the one who is on the housetop and whose goods are in the house must not go down to take them out;and likewise the one who is in the field must not turn back.Remember Lot’s wife.
Luke 17:31-32 (Emphasis Mine)
Let us always remember the lessons to be learned from Lot’s wife.