Lord’s Day, Vol. 1 No. 4
Lot’s wife –
Not Longing for the World
Introduction
Lot’s wife had her heart completely swayed, immersed and mesmerized by the attractions of the worldly life in Sodom and Gomorrah that she did not escape God’s judgment. Genesis 19:24-26 described for us the last moments of Lot’s wife, “Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon 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 grew upon the ground. But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.”
She was turned into a pillar of salt, her lingering heart, the hesitation in those critical moments of escape, sealed her end. She was enshrined as a monument for posterity to behold, a monument signifying folly and wasted opportunity for eternal life. The indulgence of life in Sodom – its luxury, ease and pleasure numbed her senses, her conscience seared. She failed to comprehend the heinous nature of the ungodliness that warrants God’s judgement to totally destroy the city. Sodom was a city filled with immorality especially the sin of homosexuality. It was a perverted world in Sodom that totally rebelled against God’s order for society, the godless behaviour of the inhabitants were appalling, men with men doing that which is against their nature. When two men sought refuge in Lot’s home, the evil men of the city came seeking these men for sexual favours. Her husband Lot offered their virgin daughters to these men (Genesis 19:7-8). What parents would do such shocking acts? Nevertheless, this was the sad state of perversion in Sodom, Lot’s family were partakers.
(1) Love not the world
The Apostle John has this timely warning for us in 1 John 2:15 “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” Indeed, Lot’s wife did not possess that love for God and for godliness, the bondage of sin bounded her heart, she did not take hold of the free grace of God to help her break that spiritual bondage. She paid a heavy price. The family was broken. It led later to the incestuous relationship that the daughters had with their father Lot. The love of the world has such devastating effects on family life. It breaks up the family.
We have the modern equivalent of Sodom in every metropolitan city in the world. Homosexuality and Lesbianism are fast becoming alternative life-styles with the gradual legalization of same-sex marriage. The family unit breaks down. It is against God’s order for society. God had to judge Sodom for the filth of immorality that polluted His creation.
God’s judgment is near, even at the doors. This world is going to be destroyed. But for God’s people, Christ will return to bring His bride, the church to heaven. Jesus gave this grave warning against indulgences in the pleasures of the world in Luke 17:28-36, “Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. 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. Remember Lot’s wife. Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it. I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.”
Their uncle Abraham was wise to separate himself from the filth of Sodom but Lot, the Bible says, pitched his tent toward Sodom. Soon, he was living in Sodom and he became someone influential there for the Bible says he was one who sat at the gate of the city. Lot and his family did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built. Just like the rich man is Jesus’ parable who said in Luke 12:18-21 “And …This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” Lot, her husband, though vexed by the life-style of Sodom was righteous in the sight of God. He escaped the snare of Sodom but Lot’s wife did not, her soul was confined to the dreadful abysses of hell where there are wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Loving the world, longing for the things of the world was the Achilles heel of Lot’s wife, it sealed her doom. We are exhorted to remember Lot’s wife, to remember how she turned back to the world and was consumed by it. She had the opportunity to escape. God’s angel was sent to lead the family out of trouble, but she refused God’s grace. God’s Word, the message of the gospel has been preached to you many a time. Has God’s Word taken root in your heart or is there that longing for the things of the world?
What are these things of the world? The Apostle John tells is in 1 John 2:16-17, “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”
What others have in terms of material possessions I must also have is commonly observed as the consuming lust that wrecks up many families. In order to finance the life-style, husband and wives cut corners to make money, only to be caught and chastised. Families in the middle income often sought to own multiple homes, taking up exorbitant loans to make money so that they can retire comfortably. But the prices of houses did not always go up and up and up. When they come down and down and down and the houses cannot be rented out the instalments are due, that’s when many a family’s trauma begins. Not just housing loans, there are also car loans, unpaid credit card purchases. We all know that a forbidding 24% interest is charged for these unpaid credit card bills. In no time, the amount owed to the bank would balloon to unserviceable levels.
Most working adults today possess multiple credit cards, this is the snare of this materialistic world. What is the antidote to counter this overwhelming tide of wanton, unrestraint, euphoric and hedonistic – eat, drink and be merry party mentality kind of a life-style? This world is so attractive, but the sanctified heart will see the danger of its seductiveness and flee.
(2) Live a contented pilgrim’s life
Abraham, their uncle, was such a one. He chose to unshackle himself from the influence of the cities of the plain. The Bible tells us in Genesis 13:12-13 “Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom. But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.” The Book of Hebrews has this to say of Abraham’s life in Hebrews 11:9-10 “By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” Abraham did not long and lust after the things of this world but was contented to live as a pilgrim, Hebrews 11:16 tells us the desire of the godly like Abraham, “But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.”
May the Lord help us to be rich toward God and not rich toward the things of the world for the world will disappoint us. In examining the life of Lot’s wife, it must cause us to examine our own lives. May the Lord help us to flee the materialistic and immoral life-style of this world offers for the eternal well-being of our souls. Amen.
Yours lovingly
Pr Lek Aik Wee