Why We Should Remember Lot’s Wife (Luke 17:32 and Genesis 19:26)

Jesus told us to remember Lot’s wife (Luke 17:32). Genesis 19:26 says she became a pillar of salt. What should we learn about her? https://youtu.be/cMyNs7ppUWQ Jesus told us to remember Lot’s wife (Luke 17:32). Genesis 19:26 says she became a pillar of salt. What should we learn about her? Table of contentsThe Two People in Scripture to RememberWhy It's Surprising We're Told to Remember Lot's WifeDon't Look Back!Lot’s Wife Shows the Lord Knows How to Rescue the Godly and Punish the UnrighteousLot’s Wife Disregarded God’s GraceThe Grace Lot's Wife ReceivedLot’s Wife Disobeyed Divine CommandsLot’s Wife Loved the WorldWhy Lot's Wife Wanted to Remain in SodomSodom Is a Type or Shadow of the WorldLot’s Wife Was Close to SalvationWhat Should We Remember About Lot's Wife?Examine Yourself The Two People in Scripture to Remember There are only two people in Scripture we are told to remember. One is Jesus Himself: Luke 22:19 He took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” The other person is, surprisingly, Lot’s wife. If you told me there was a person in Scripture to remember, besides Jesus, I would guess someone like Abraham, David, or Daniel for two reasons: Their godliness - I could imagine Jesus telling us to remember one of these men, because of how godly they were and how much there is to learn from them. Their content - I could imagine Jesus telling us to remember one of these men, because of how much is written about them in Scripture. Why It's Surprising We're Told to Remember Lot's Wife Lot’s wife wouldn’t even make the list for the opposite of these two reasons: Her ungodliness The lack of content about her Aside from this verse, there is only one other verse in Scripture about her, and it’s a famous one… Genesis 19:26 But Lot's wife, behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt. Jesus tells us to remember Lot’s wife, but we know almost nothing about her: We don’t know when she was born We don’t know where she was born We don’t know who she was born to; we don’t know her parents We don’t even know her name Something making this even more interesting is the verse about her is in Genesis, which is the book of origins. There are more genealogies in Genesis than any other book in Scripture. Genesis has six genealogies, while Numbers is in second place with only two. Yet in the book that is all about people’s backgrounds, there is nothing about Lot’s wife. So why did Jesus tell us to remember a woman whom we know almost nothing about? Let's back up to the previous verse for content: Luke 17:31 On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back. This sounds strange, because we don’t spend time on roofs, but in Jesus’s day roofs were flat and people would spend time on them. There were stairways on the outside of the house leading up to the roofs. Think of the paralytic and how the four men carried him up to the roof. They would have done so using external stairs. Don't Look Back! The context is the the Second Coming in Luke 17:22-30. Jesus is destroying His enemies and establishing His Kingdom on the earth. This isn’t the time to turn back because the danger will be so great. People shouldn’t be looking back longingly at their possessions. Doing so would show: a focus on the earthly versus the heavenly that this life is more important than the next life So, this is a warning to people who are obsessed with the physical instead of the spiritual cling to their earthly lives despite all that heaven offers are tempted to confuse the enjoyments of the world with the eternal life that could await them When Jesus returns, true believers will not be concerned about what is in the house. They will be concerned with what is in heaven. The end of the verse says "not [to] turn back." Then Jesus provides the premier example of looking back and suffering as a result: Luke 17:32 Remember Lot's wife. Let's consider what we can learn from her example... Lot’s Wife Shows the Lord Knows How to Rescue the Godly and Punish the Unrighteous 2 Peter 2:4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment; 5 if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; 6 if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; Sodom and Gomorrah are supposed to serve as "an example." God sent an unmistakable message to all future generations, including us, that wickedness results in judgment. But I don't think people have learned from this example. 2 Peter 2:7 and if he rescued RIGHTEOUS Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked 8 (for as that RIGHTEOUS man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his RIGHTEOUS soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard); Three times in two verses, Lot is called righteous. Keep this in mind. Because of Lot’s behavior, we would probably think he is not righteous, but this is not about his behavior. This is about his spiritual standing. We are justified, or declared righteous by grace through faith, and Lot had faith. 2 Peter 2:9 then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment, This is Peter's point in the verses. God can rescue the godly from trials: That would be Noah and his family That would be Lot and his family And God can keep the unrighteous under punishment: That would be those drowned by the flood That would be the inhabitants of Sodom destroyed by the fire and sulfur Lot's wife looked like she made it out of Sodom, but she didn’t. She died with the people of Sodom because that’s where her heart was. She was as much a citizen of Sodom as every person who died in the destruction. It looked like Lot’s wife, an unrighteous person, was escaping God’s judgment. But God was able to keep even her under judgment as the verse says. Lot’s Wife Disregarded God’s Grace Lot was Abraham’s nephew, but because Abraham took Lot with him, Lot was more like Abraham’s adopted son: Genesis 12:5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people that they had acquired in Haran, and they set out to go to the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan, There’s no mention of Lot having a wife. Lot was unmarried when he left with Abraham. Genesis 13:1 So Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the Negeb. Again, no mention of Lot having a wife. Genesis 13:5 And Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents, 6 so that the land could not support both of them dwelling together; for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together, First, there’s mention of Lot and everything he had, but again no mention of a wife. Second, Lot was very wealthy. That’s why he had to separate from Abraham: they had so many animals that they couldn’t share the same land. This is when Lot headed to Sodom: Genesis 13:12 Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom. Now Lot reached Sodom, but again no mention of a wife. We know Lot didn’t have a wife before moving to Sodom, and we know he had a wife after moving into Sodom, so it’s likely Lot’s wife was from Sodom. Additionally, God does not slight godly women in Scripture, and in Genesis the wives’ names are frequently given. Think of Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, and Leah. The fact that Lot’s wife isn’t named, or even mentioned except to describe her destruction, says something about her character. God thought nothing of describing her, her background, or how Lot married her, which are things God did with other women. Sodom was defeated in battle. The people were captured, including Lot, and Abraham saved him: Genesis 14:16 Then [Abraham] brought back all the possessions, and also brought back his kinsman Lot with his possessions, and THE WOMEN AND THE PEOPLE. More than likely Lot’s wife, and perhaps daughters, were part of this group of women. The Grace Lot's Wife Received When Abraham rescued Lot, she was one of the recipients of that deliverance. A grace of God When Lot entertained angels, she was the hostess. This should have been a powerful witness to her. Another grace of God. When the perverted men of the city were trying to knock down Lot’s door, she witnessed the miraculous deliverance when the angels blinded the men and saved Lot and his family, including her. Another grace of God. When the angels dramatically delivered Lot and his family from Sodom, she was delivered as well. Another grace of God. Finally, Lot was a flawed man, but three times he was called righteous. She was married to a righteous man, which made her the beneficiary of Lot’s righteousness and faith: 1 Corinthians 7:14 The unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. This doesn’t mean Lot’s wife was saved by being married to Lot, but holy means set apart. She was set apart for a special spiritual work because she was married to a believer. More than likely, she heard Lot pray, and heard stories about Lot’s uncle, Abraham, and the God of Abraham, and the way Abraham was called out of his country and brought Lot with him. If Lot was greatly distressed and tormented by Sodom’s wickedness,...