Luke 17:30 It will be in the same way on the day in which the Son of Man is revealed. (31) In that day, he who will be on the housetop and his goods in the house, let him not come down to take them away; and he who is in the field, likewise, let him not turn back to the things behind. (32) Remember Lot’s wife.
In verse 32 the Lord says, “Remember Lot’s wife.” Lot’s wife became a pillar of salt because she took a lingering, backward look at Sodom. That look indicated that she loved and treasured the evil world which God was about to judge and utterly destroy. She was rescued from Sodom, but she did not reach the safe place that Lot reached (Gen. 19:15-30). She did not perish; neither was she fully saved. Like the salt which becomes tasteless (Luke 14:34-35), she was left in a place of suffering shame. This is a solemn warning to world-loving believers. Lot’s wife was rescued from Sodom by angels, but her heart was still in that evil city.
When the angels had brought forth Lot and his wife, they said, “Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed” (Gen. 19:17). Lot and his wife were charged to go forward and not look back. Sodom was altogether under God’s condemnation and was about to be consumed, and they should forget it. However, unable to forget the city of Sodom, Lot’s wife had a lingering look backward at the city, and immediately she became a pillar of salt: “But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt” (Gen. 19:26). What a shame! If we love the Lord and are warned by the case of Lot’s wife, we shall not care for material things or set our hearts on them. Instead of preserving our soul by loving material things, we shall be filled up with Christ as the heavenly air. Then we shall rise in rapture.
Prayer Confession Heavenly Father thank you for this word and knowledge. Thank you for reminding us that while serving you, we should not look back but escape for our lives. Lord, we receive this word of not caring for material things with humility. Lord grant us more grace of being filled with Christ as the heavenly air in Jesus’ name, Amen.