Lot gets married
Lot’s wife is not a leading lady in the Bible. She gets a small cameo in the book of Genesis–but what a scene it is! Jesus recalls her in the New Testament and uses this woman as a teaching illustration. Lot’s wife’s role in the drama of Scripture continues to speak to us today.
Lot was the son of Abraham’s brother, Haran. Haran died prematurely (before his father Terah) in Ur of the Chaldeans–the family’s native land. Abraham may have adopted the fatherless Lot. Lot accompanied his uncle when God called Abraham to an unknown land. They left together in Genesis 12:4 but separated only a chapter later in Genesis 13:2-13.
Abraham and Lot grew wealthy in their sojourning. The sheer volume of their possessions made it difficult for the two men to travel as one. Abraham proposed a separation and Lot, agreeing, lifted his eyes toward the Jordan Valley–in the direction of Sodom and Gomorrah–and departed for that city.
The Bible doesn’t say much about Lot’s marriage. Perhaps, like Abraham, Lot married a Chaldean relative from Terah’s line (Gen. 20:12). Or maybe he took a wife once he settled in Sodom and Gomorrah. We can’t say. We only know this: Lot is married with two daughters by the time he’s mentioned again in Scripture. And he’s also a man of prominence in his new city.
Lot gets Position
Lot is pictured sitting at the city gate in Genesis 19:1. I used to imagine him passing the day away at the entrance of the town. My assumption missed a key cultural point. The city gate was where the officials and prominent men of the town judged and conducted the affairs of the community (Deut. 21:18-12). The New Testament calls Lot a righteous man who lamented the wickedness of Sodom (2 Pet. 2:7-8). He sat at the gate, among the judges of the city, always tormented by the lawless and sensual conduct around him.
Lot’s wife was married to a righteous man of status. I wonder if she shared her husband’s convictions and anguish over Sodom. Or maybe her interest was drawn more to her family’s wealth and status? Perhaps she delighted in possessions and positions over the promises of Abraham’s God? Her husband, a man declared righteous, must have believed God’s promise to bless all the families of the earth through Abraham’s coming promised Seed (Genesis 12:1-3). I wonder if this woman–Abraham’s niece by marriage–believed the same.
Lot’s Wife, a woman without a name
Here, it’s interesting to note that the Bible never honors this woman with a name. We are given the name of Abraham’s brother’s wife, Milcah, as early as Genesis 11:29, yet Lot’s wife is unnamed in Scripture. She brings to mind Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:21-23. The Lord speaks of people who will come before Him at the judgment, professing great faith and works–perhaps people linked to known ministries, families, and big names–but He will say to them: “depart from me for I never knew you.”
God’s salvation is not by family or church association. And as Jesus’ teaching in Matthew shows, salvation doesn’t come by our profession of faith alone–but by the possession of faith. Saving faith is seen in the renewed lives of sinners who continually turn away from sin toward the One who suffered their punishment and credits to them His earned righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21). Friend, our preference for Jesus above all is a testament of our salvation!
Why we Remember Lot’s Wife
Lot’s wife belonged to a family with a great name and trust in God’s promises. She even had angels visit her home! God sent them to personally escort her from His coming wrath to His safety (Gen.19:1-22). Yet, she fell into eternal judgment because she looked back to her life in Sodom. She longed to preserve what she had and became a pillar of salt–a crystalline substance used for preservation (Gen. 19:26).
It would be easy for me to ridicule Lot’s wife, if not for this reality: my own heart doesn’t always demonstrate a preference for Jesus above all. In fact, sometimes I turn away from Him to look back at other longings. Sometimes I desire to preserve the things God has marked for judgment. Friends, Jesus is kind to warns us in Luke 17:32-33: “Remember Lot’s wife. Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it.”
Lot’s wife, crystallized in salt, is preserved as a caution for you and me. The woman desired to maintain her place in the City of Destruction and so lost her life. Friends, let’s look to God for help—He is willing! May He help our eyes to remain on the One who came to escort us from judgment to salvation. May our hearts turn continually from sin to Christ, our safeguard. And may He know us by name on that great day!