Genesis 19: 17 and 26 read, “When they were safely out of the city, one of the angels ordered, ‘Run for your lives! And don’t look back or stop anywhere in the valley! Escape to the mountains, or you will be swept away! But Lot’s wife looked back as she was following behind him, and she turned into a pillar of salt.”
You are more than likely familiar with the particular passage of scriptures from which these verses were extracted. If you are not, allow me to familiarize you with what occurred for the sake of your understanding of this posting. There was an outcry from Sodom and Gomorrah due to the grievous sins of the people (Genesis 18: 20). This outcry reached God so he desired to validate whether the sins were truly wicked; he sent forth two men (angels) to evaluate the region (Genesis 18:21). After the men arrived in the region, Lot convinced them to come to his home to feast and stay for the night (Genesis 19:3). But before they could retire for the night, the young men and old men of Sodom encompassed Lot’s home demanding that he release the men to come out of the house so they could have sex with them (Genesis 19: 4&5). This incident confirmed that the outcry was indeed factual so the angels arranged to destroy the region (Genesis 19:13).
Lot was given an opportunity to save his family because he was the only righteous man in the area, and his uncle, Abraham, had interceded on his behalf (Genesis 18: 23-32). God’s rescue plan for Lot and his family included: run, do not look back and do not stop in the valley. But Lot’s wife looked back. When studying “looked back” in the Hebrew language, it is not defined as a casual glance before returning one’s focus back forward. It is defined as gazing with intent, consideration or emotional attachment. So Lot’s wife did not just look over her shoulder before continuing forward; she gazed towards the area she had been rescued out of. Question: did she turn into a pillar of salt because she looked back? Partially. Recall verse 17 when the angel also said, “Or you will be swept away.” Lot’s wife turned into a pillar of salt because she did not follow the instructions. Her disobedience caused her to lose her life.
The scriptures do not go into depth regarding why Lot’s wife gazed back. I imagine the sight of the city being destroyed caused her to grieve. I imagine she did not truly desire to let go of what she previously knew. I imagine she had become accustomed to living amongst the people despite their sins and condition. I imagine she did not truly desire to leave what she considered home. I imagine she considered her loved ones whom she had left behind (including her sons-in-law). I imagine the struggle within her as she desired to escape destruction while also desiring to hold onto all that she had known. But friend, even if those things were true, they obviously did not justify her disobedience.
Friend, God has a rescue plan for you. Run for your life. Do not look back. Do not stop in life’s valley. Follow God’s instructions. You cannot afford to be disobedient in this season of your life; not even with what you may consider to be “small” things. Ensure that you are aligned with God and open to his instructions. And once He releases those instructions, obey quickly. Do not reason within yourself or seek the advice of others. Just obey. Once again, I desire to encourage you not to gaze back at the areas which the Lord is destroying and rescuing you out of. Instead, fix your gaze ahead. Run for your life. Do not look back. Do not stop in the valley. TTYL!
