Lot’s wife: The dangers of looking back

Have you ever wanted something so badly that even though you knew that it is not good for you, you still went ahead to have it? Desires and cravings if not controlled can lead one to make the wrong choices and decisions. Whatever does not add to us, takes away a virtue from us and as such we should be very intentional about what we desire for. We shall consider one woman whose desire to look back to see what she left behind caused her to lose her life. Lot’s wife was a mother to two girls and obviously the wife of Lot. The only name we have is Lot’s wife so let’s call her Mrs. Lot. Like many women in the Bible, Mrs. Lot is not heard of much. The Bible does not tell us much about her personality. Let’s imagine that she was happily married to Lot and they were blessed with two daughters. Mr. and Mrs. Lot lived with Abraham and family until a conflict arose between the herdsmen of Abraham and Lot. For peace to prevail, Abraham  said to Lot, “Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives. Is not the whole land before you? Let’s part company. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.” (Genesis 13:8‭-‬9)

We are not told whether Lot consulted his wife before making this all important decision. “Lot looked around and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan toward Zoar was well watered, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company” (Genesis 13:10‭-‬11). These verses reveal the heart of Lot when he chose the best of the land. His wife and children and all he had followed him to the well watered land which was like the Garden of the Lord. Mr. and Mrs. Lot moved and “lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom. Now the people of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord” (Genesis 13:12‭-‬13). Moving to the well watered land had its own implications and Lot and his wife suddenly became part of a sinful community whose act of sin became so obnoxious to God that they were marked for destruction. How did Mrs. Lot survive in such an infiltrating environment? Did she have friends from the city? How did she manage her household to live holy in the midst of the stench of sin? Unfortunately, even though Abraham bargained up to ten righteous souls, Mr. and Mrs. Lot did not even have servants who were not polluted by the sins of Sodom. 

But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt. (Genesis 19:26)

Lot and the family hosted the two divine men who were sent by God to destroy the cities and that caused the men of the land to attack Lot’s house. “The two men said to Lot, “Do you have anyone else here—sons-in-law, sons or daughters, or anyone else in the city who belongs to you? Get them out of here, because we are going to destroy this place. The outcry to the Lord against its people is so great that he has sent us to destroy it” (Genesis 19:12‭-‬13). Even the men who had pledged to marry the children of Lot were not ready to leave the sinful city. The men brought the family out of the city and “as soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!” (Genesis 19:17). Looking back was no option. The mess in Sodom was not healthy for the family and God saved Lot’s family because of his covenant with Abraham. Don’t look back should have echoed in their eyes and with fear and trembling, the family would have run with all the strength in them. Their future was ahead of them, their past was behind them. All that they possessed, their house, their animals, their expensive garments, the beautiful gold accessories, the friends, the pomp of their lives were all left behind in Sodom. “But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt” (Genesis 19:26).

Mrs. Lot was rescued from Sodom but she became a monument of salt reminding us of the dangers of looking back. She lost all that she possessed and the single act of looking back to see what she lost led to the loss of her life. She was saved from Sodom but did not reach her destination. Whenever we are saved from the lust and passions of this world, we should be intentional about looking up to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Looking back could be disastrous and can cause one to miss the destination. Our future is ahead, what lies behind is a baggage of sinful acts that pulls us from knowing God. In the past, we were slaves to our sinful passions. Now, we are children of the Most High God and our focus is things above not those behind. Mrs. Lot looked back and lost her soul. We should be intentional about looking unto Jesus. The old ways of life are permanently closed and we should not desire it nor look back to see what we have lost. The truth is, we lost nothing but gained everything.