Genesis 19:1-26 Luke 17:32
REMEMBERING LOT'S WIFE
Intro: In the Luke 17 passage, Jesus has just been asked by
the Pharisees when the kingdom of God will come. His answer
is to warn them to be ready for the coming of the kingdom is
like the flash of lightening that instantly lights the sky. It is
compared to the coming of the flood in Noah's day, and to the
destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah in Lot's day. Those who
hear are warned to be ready to go when the Lord comes, and
they are warned against turning back for anything. Then, in
the midst of His teaching, the Lord tells those listening to Him
that they should "remember Lot's wife."
Nowhere in the Bible are we told to remember Abraham,
Isaac or Jacob. We are not commanded to remember Ruth or
Rahab, David or Joshua, but we are commanded to remember
Lot's wife! We are told to awaken our sluggish memories and
look back to the death of one soul who passed through this
world, lived in sin and died in sin. We are told to remember
Lot's wife. What is there to remember? She was married to
Lot and she lived in Sodom. Before God's judgment came on
Sodom and Gomorrah she, along with her husband and two
unmarried daughters were forced from the city. They were all
commanded not to look behind them as they fled, but she
disobeyed and was instantly judged, killed and transformed
into a pillar of salt. That is what we know, but when we study
her story, we can learn even more about her, how she lived
and why she died like she did.
Evidently, there are some lessons that can be learned from
Lot's wife. Our assignment from the Lord is that we remember
her. Therefore, in keeping with the Lord's command, I want to
preach for a while this morning on the thought, Remembering
Lot's Wife. Let me just say that there is a message here for
both saint and sinners. There is a word here for both the
saved and the lost. There is a word from God for your heart in
Remembering Lot's Wife. I want to consider Lot's Wife and
her spiritual condition this morning. There are three areas of
her spiritual life that need to be remembered this morning.
I. CONSIDER HER SPIRITUAL PRIVILEGES
A. She Was Privileged In Her Relationships - She was
privileged to be married into the only family on the earth
that was serving the one true God.
1. She Saw The Clear Faith Of Abraham - This man,
who was called "the Friend of God", James 2:23,
was her husbands uncle! She had witnessed his
dedication to the Lord. She had seen his altars and
his worship. She had seen him operate in the
power of God and deliver her husband from sure
death in Gen. 14. She was privileged to be
associated with on of the greatest godly men who
ever walked this planet!
2. She Saw The Cloudy Faith Of Lot - Ill. Lot was a
man of many spiritual failures. His story is found in
Genesis 13:9-13; 14:12. He traded his tent for a
townhouse! In spite of his failures, the Bible calls
Lot a righteous man, 2 Pet. 2:6-8. His wife could
have benefitted from his faith, but she failed to do
so!
(Ill. One's relationships do not save. Faith in Jesus
saves souls!)
(Ill. The responsibility of parents, especially fathers
to set the right example.)
B. She Was Privileged In Her Revelations - Because of
her relationship with Lot and Abraham, she learned a
few things about God.
1. She Was Acquainted With Deity - She certainly
knew who God was and how one approaches Him.
She had learned this from her husband and his
uncle. Yet, she never followed through with it.
(Ill. How many sit in church and know Who God is
and how to come to Him, but they fail to act on what
they know? Friend, it has to move from the head to
the heart before it can save your soul. Knowing
John 3:16; Acts 16:31; Acts 4:12; Romans 10:9;
10:13 is one thing. Acting on them is what saves
the soul!)
2. She Was Aware Of The Destruction - God had
even graced her by sending angels to warn her and
her family of the impending doom, Gen. 19:1-13.
Still, she refused to flee from the wrath of God, Gen.
19:16. Ill. 19:26, "from behind him" carries the
idea that she was lagging far behind the others.
She knew, but it didn't phase her!
(Ill. How many here today know of the judgment that
is coming and still they do not flee to Jesus for
refuge? Everyone know, how many have run to Him
for shelter? Only a fool walks into Hell with his eyes
open to its reality and closed to God's proximity!)
C. She Was Privileged In Her Responsibility - Here is a
woman who knew the facts and was given every
opportunity to act upon them. She was given the
chance to change, the chance to believe, the change to
be saved. Yet, she squandered those chances and
died without God.
(Ill. The privilege of conviction! When God calls, it isn't
to harm you, but it is to remind you that He loves you
and wants to save you by His grace, John 6:44; John
6:65.)
II. CONSIDER HER SPIRITUAL PROBLEMS
(Ill. For thousands of years men have wondered why this
woman looked back. There are three spiritual problems
that Lot's wife had in here life. These are revealed in this
passage and they answer this answer this question.)
A. A Problem With Her Faith - Disbelief - She looked
back because she did not believe that God would what
He said He would do! She thought He was bluffing!
(Ill. Lost people still make the same gamble today!
Friend, He isn't bluffing! Just ask the Rich Man of Luke
16:19-31. Just ask Judas Iscariot! There is a Hell and
you will go there if you do not come to Jesus Christ for
salvation! There is chastisement for the child of God
who chooses sin over the will of God, Heb. 12:6-11.
God isn't bluffing! Sin is a hard taskmaster, Pro.
13:15.)
B. A Problem With Her Face - Disobedience - She,
along with all the others, had been commanded not to
look back. But, there was something within her that
caused her to turn back toward Sodom. The problem
with Lot's wife was that she had her eyes on all the
wrong things. She was looking back at a lost life, a lost
lifestyle and a lost city.
(Ill. Wherever your gaze is fixed this morning will
determine the path taken by your feet. (Ill. The Prodigal
Son - Luke 15:1-24 - His gaze was on the world and his
feet followed.) That is why some of you won't get
saved! That is why some of you can't life right! Your
gaze is fixed on the wrong things! What a dangerous
way to live! God's plan, as it is laid out in His Word, is
a perfect plan! Those who follow God's plan enjoy
God's blessings and His peace. Those who reject
God's plan for living find their path strewn with disaster
and trouble. What are you looking at this morning?)
C. A Problem With Her Focus - Deception - She
probably had everyone in the family fooled! They
probably thought that she was saved. She had
everyone fooled but God! The problem with Lot's wife
is the problem with many people today, they have
merely made a profession of faith, but they have never
truly been born again! She proved what she was when
she looked back to Sodom! You see, her body was
out of Sodom, but her heart was still there.
(Ill. This is a picture of that religious person, that church
member who has turned over a new leaf, but who has
never been converted! There is a difference in claiming
to be a Christian than in being saved! When you are
truly saved, you will not be able to enjoy the pleasures
and allurements of the world as you did before! Why?
Because you have been made a new creature, 2 Cor.
5:17. If you are just pretending to be saved, please be
aware that you are not fooling the Lord! He knows your
heart and will judge you accordingly!)
(Ill. By the way, it is possible for those who have been
converted to find themselves looking back longingly at
the old life they lived in Sodom. This was condemned
by Jesus, Luke 9:62. You see this trend in the church
today. Everywhere there are professing Christians that
want to dress, act, walk and talk like the world. People
who say they know Jesus, but act like the unsaved
around them. What they are doing is playing around
with sin and treating sin too lightly! My friends, sin is a
deceiver, it is a killer and it is dangerous! It must be
dealt with early and radically. Do not let it get a foothold
in your life, but root it out, whatever the cost or the pain,
Eph. 4:27; Matt. 5:27-30. We must get radical with our
sins!
That is a travesty! That is a tragedy! Some people
in this room live, dress and act in such a fashion that I
would just as soon you not tell anyone where you went
to church! It brings a reproach upon every saint of God
who does try to live for Jesus in this place. Yet, I thank
God that there is a place of repentance for those who
are guilty of the backward look this morning.)
III. CONSIDER HER SPIRITUAL PUNISHMENT
A. It Was Sudden - When judgement same, it was swift
and sure. Ill. Pro. 29:1. You may walk in sin for years,
but one day judgement will surely come. One day, time
will run out! There will be no more opportunities and no
more calls to repentance, Gen. 6:3. There will be
nothing but judgement swift and sure! Friend, I
challenge you to flee the wrath of God! There is but
one shelter for the soul, Romans 5:6-9.
B. It Was Serious - The Bible says that she became a
pillar of salt. Instantly, the judgement of God fell on her
and she perished and was swallowed up in the wrath of
God. Her judgement came in spite of her unbelief!
Friend, it won't be a pillar of salt for you, but it will be an
eternity in Hell, Psa. 9:17. If you die without Jesus,
your judgement will be swift and sure! Instantly, at the
moment of death, you will find yourself in Hell!
C. It Was Settled - For Lot's wife there would be no
pardons, no second chances and no hope. She was
gone and lost forever and nothing could be done about
it! My friend, the time to prepare for the next world is
today, 2 Cor. 6:2. When time runs out on you, there
will be no opportunities after death. There will be no
pardons and no paroles. There will be nothing for you
but justice and judgement. Your sentence will be
settled forever.
However, there is grace today if you will come to
Jesus, Eph. 2:1-10. There is hope if you will respond
to His call. There is salvation for all who will come to
Him by faith, Rom. 10:13; Rev. 22:17. Wouldn't you
rather have hope than Hell? Would you rather have the
joy of salvation rather than the judgement of sin? You
can, but you have to come to Jesus! Will you do that
today?
Conc: We need to remember Lot's Wife this morning! Not so
that we can revive an ages old, painful story, but so that we
can be reminded that this life we are living is fleeting. It
doesn't last very long. As you pass through this world, you can
do not better than to come to faith in Jesus and be saved. The
lesson from Lot's Wife is this: Take God at His Word! If He
says it, then it will come to pass, and men need to be ready to
meet Him some day.
With that in mind let me say this: Hell is real! Judgement is
real! Death is real! The only way to safely navigate your way
past these stark realities is through faith in the Lord Jesus
Christ.
Here is the invitation: if you are lost, like Lot's wife and you
want to be saved, then you come to Jesus, He will save you.
If you are saved, but you are guilty of looking back at the
world, and of living like the world, He has forgiveness and
restoration for your soul. Whatever the need of your heart,
there is help in Jesus. But, you will only get the help you need
if you come!
