Lots’ wife is an unnamed woman mentioned in the Bible very few times. First come Genesis 19:15-16, her husband is invited to take her and her daughters out of the city of Sodom. Then while they were running, in Genesis 19:26Lot’s wife looked back as the city burned. Finally, Jesus referenced it in Luke 17:32 saying, “Remember Lot’s wife! »
We know more about the story of Lot’s wife’s death than anything else.
The story of Lot and Lot’s wife in Sodom and Gomorrah
Abram, Sarai and Lot flee Egypt
The story begins in Genesis 13 when Abram, Sarai, (later renamed Abraham And Sarah by God) and Lot flee Egypt with all his possessions. Most of the possession belonged to Abram as well as Genesis 13:2, he told us that he “was very rich in cattle, silver and gold.” They traveled south and built an altar between Bethel and Hai. However, they soon realized that the land was not suitable for both of them because Lot also had herds, herds and principles.
Lot chooses Sodom
Conflict arose between the shepherds of Abram and Lot. Abram did not want resentment. So he proposed to Lot: “If you go to the left, I will go to the right; if you go right, I’ll go left. » Genesis 13:9. Lot studied the land and chose the plain of Jordan since he found that it had great access to water. Lot “pitched his tent toward Sodom,” while “Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan” (Genesis 13:12). We are reminded in verse 13 that “the men of Sodom were wicked and sinful before the Lord in the extreme.”
After this separation, the Lord promised Abram and his descendants all the territory that he could see from east to west and from south to north. After much quarrels and political struggles between the kings of the lands surrounding Sodom and Gomorrah, the kings of both countries fled and “took all the goods…and all their food” (Genesis 14:11). The economy of Sodom and Gomorrah suffered. Lot, who we learn is Abram’s nephew, was taken by the kings in their flight.
Abram learned of his nephew’s captivity and pursued them to Dan. He and his armed servants were able to save Lot and all his possessions. Melchizedek, king of Salem, blessed Abram and recognized him as “of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth” (Genesis 14:19). He was grateful to Abram for his help in delivering his people. The king of Sodom, however, demanded the return of all his possessions and his people. Abram assured the king that the only spoils he received were distributed to the people during his journey.
Sodom and Gomorrah are destroyed
Abraham and Sarah (as they were named by this point) were growing old, but the Lord informed him of the increasing wickedness and coming judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham was certain that Lot would have at least “command(ed) his children and his house” and kept “the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and judgment” (Genesis 18:19). But Abraham could not find even 10 righteous people among those in the land.
Two angels met Lot as he sat at the gate of Sodom and offered them lodging for the night. They refused because they wanted to “stay on the street all night” (Genesis 19:2). They finally agreed and went with Lot who fed them.
That night, however, all the men of Sodom caught the wind of the angels and surrounded Lot’s house. They surrounded Lot’s house and shouted, “Where are the men who came to see you tonight? Bring them to us so we can have sex with them” (Genesis 19:5). Lot responded by offering his two virgin daughters instead. The men of Sodom persisted, trying to reach the angels, who looked like men.
The angels inside brought Lot back inside and locked the door. They then beat the evil men blindly, to the point where they could not find the door to the house. The angels told Lot to gather his family and leave Sodom immediately “because we are going to destroy this place. So great is the outcry before the LORD against his people that he has sent us to destroy them. »(Genesis 19:13). Lot warned his sons-in-law, but they mocked him and refused the warning. At dawn, the angels again told Lot that judgment was immediate and that he must bring his wife and daughters out of the city.
Lot and his family flee Sodom
As they fled the city, one of the angels said, “Flee for your life! Don’t look back and don’t stop on the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away! »(Genesis 19:17). “Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven; and he overthrew those cities and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities and that which lay upon the ground” (Genesis 19:24-25).
As the cities were being demolished, Lot’s wife “looked back and became a pillar of salt” (Genesis 19:26).
Lot and his two daughters fled to the mountains near the town of Zoar. The eldest daughter realized her father’s age and her mother’s absence. With these thoughts, she suggested to her sister that she make her father drink “and we will sleep with him, in order to preserve our father’s seed” (Genesis 19:32). Due to his drunken state, Lot did not understand what was happening when his daughters slept with him one after the other. Each daughter conceived a son in this way, who became the father of the Moabites and the Ammonites (Genesis 19:37-38).
Why was Lot’s wife turned into a pillar of salt?
Jewish teachings suggest Lot’s wife was turned into a pillar of salt because Lot asked his wife to offer him salt to the two traveling angels. His wife told Lot that it was a bad habit to offer salt from their house, so she went from house to house in the neighborhood informing the men of the two travelers’ houses while she searched for salt. This idea is not expressed in the Bible, but in Jewish teachings.
According to biblical commentaries such as NIV Zondervan Study BibleLot’s wife was turned into a pillar of salt by looking back, “for disobeying the instruction not to look back.” Her action suggests that she identifies with the people of Sodom. His inability to flee God’s punishment becomes a clear warning to others (Luke 17:320). “
What is the significance of the story of Lot’s wife?
Interestingly, Lot’s wife’s name does not appear in the Bible, although her life is instructive. We weren’t told the specific reason why she watched the city destroy her.
Some commentators believe she was looking back to see if her daughters were following him or if her father’s house was surviving the wrath.
The story warns believers of the consequences of returning to their previous lives of sin before salvation. Such meditation will usually bring us back to past sins. There is no time or time to worry about the things we leave behind in our journey with Christ. To grow spiritually, we must place our trust in God and not dwell in our past. We must follow God knowing that His will is perfect and He will be present with the believer every step of our life’s journey.
Chad is a believer in Christ, lawyer, amateur golfer, runner, dog lover and writer. He enjoys serving his church as a deacon and Sunday school teacher. You can find him on Facebook, Twitter and his dedication to golf by3sixteen.com. He and his wife Brandi reside in Tennessee with their canine son Alistair.
Photo credit: Unsplash / Jason Tuinstra
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