Two angels came to Sodom at that time to warn Lot and his family of the coming judgment. They instructed Lot to lead his family out of the city. But when Lot spoke to his sons-in-law about it, he realized that they did not believe him. In their eyes, he was like someone who was joking (Genesis 19:12–14).
When Lot hesitated any longer, the two angels took him, his wife, and his two daughters by the hand and led them out of Sodom (Genesis 19:16). Outside the city, they instructed them to flee to the mountains as quickly as possible and not to look back (Genesis 19:17). Although Lot’s wife had left the city, her heart remained in Sodom. She was attached to the city and could only separate herself from it with great inner resistance. So it was not surprising that she lagged behind her husband in their hasty escape. Eventually, the temptation to look back and see what would happen to Sodom became so great that she turned around and was turned into a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:26). What a sad ending! Someone once aptly said, “Lot should have been in his life what his wife became through God’s judgment, namely, salt of the earth.” When Lot settled in Sodom, he certainly did so with the intention of exerting a positive influence on the city through his life and work and changing the world, but in the end, he himself was changed by the world. And not only him: his entire family was so influenced by the evil goings-on in Sodom that they could no longer separate themselves from it inwardly (Genesis 19:31-32).
The case of Lot and his wife shows how different the end can be for people who are as closely connected in life as husband and wife. For years, Lot and his wife had shared a home and a bed—and yet their ends could not have been more different. While Lot’s wife stayed behind and perished in the judgment of Sodom, Lot was saved. But Lot and his wife differ not only in that their lives on this earth ended differently. No, their end is also different in terms of eternity: while Lot is saved for all eternity, his wife is lost for all eternity. This difference is because Lot believed in God and was a “righteous man,” while his wife remained an unbeliever throughout her life (2 Peter 2:8).
The Lord Jesus refers to this event in the Gospel of Luke and shows that it will be no different when he comes in power and glory (Luke 17:24): “On that day, whoever is on the roof and has his belongings in the house, let him not come down to take them away; and likewise, whoever is in the field, let him not turn back. Remember Lot’s wife! Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it. I tell you, on that night, two will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left” (Luke 17:31-35). The judgment at his coming will be so severe and devastating that even the attempt to turn back and save oneself carries the risk of perishing in the process. And even then, it will be one’s personal relationship with him that makes the difference: those who do not believe in him will be taken away (in judgment). But those who believe in him will be left and enter into the blessings of the millennial kingdom.
Today, it is no different: everyone who believes in Jesus Christ and accepts Him as Lord and Savior will be saved from the coming judgment, but those who do not believe will be lost forever. Therefore: remember Lot’s wife!
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