After Lot and Abraham go their separate ways, Lot eventually moves to the city of Sodom. God is displeased with the great sin of the people who live there, and he plans to destroy the city and its inhabitants. However, two angels go there first to rescue Lot and his family.
The next day, at dawn, the angels drag Lot, his wife, and his two daughters out of the city. As soon as they get out, the angels tell them to run for their lives, to not stop, and to not look back.
As they flee, Lot’s wife can’t help herself. She looks back at what they are leaving behind. When she does, she dies, turning into a pillar of salt.
Jesus mentions Lot’s wife when he talks about the coming kingdom of God. He effectively says, look forward to what will be. Don’t look back at what you’re leaving behind.
Don’t be like Lot’s wife.
When we follow Jesus, do we look ahead to what he offers or long for the old life we left behind?
[Discover more about Lot’s wife in Genesis 19:15–16, 26 and Luke 17:30–32.]
Learn about other biblical women in Women of the Bible, available in audiobook, e-book, paperback, and hardcover.
A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.
