LESSON 10
A WOMAN TO BE REMEMBERED
Remember Lot's wife!
(Luke 17:32)
These are words spoken by Jesus Christ when he was talking of his second coming
and describing the awful state of many people who would not be ready to receive
him. It is a solemn thing that Jesus had to speak-of Lot's wife, when he
thought of those lost souls who would not be ready for his return.
What Jesus said is even a more solemn warning when we realise that he was not
speaking to the scribes and Pharisees who hated him, but to his disciples! And
notice that he does not say, `Do not be like Lot's wife', but, `Remember her'.
He speaks as if we were in danger of forgetting the subject; the words are not
merely a solemn warning but a plea to stir up lazy memories! I will use three
headings to help us give some thought to this matter.
1. The religious privileges which Lot's wife enjoyed
In the days of Abraham, true, saving religion was scarce. There were no Bibles,
no ministers of religion, no churches. The knowledge of God was confined to a
few families. Most of the inhabitants of the world were living in spiritual
darkness, ignorance, superstition and sin. Compared with them Lot's wife had
great advantages.
She had a godly man for her husband: she had Abraham - the father of the
faithful - for her uncle by marriage. Lot's wife must have been aware of the
faith, the knowledge and the prayers of these faithful men. She was probably
there when Abraham built his altar between Ai and Bethel (Genesis 12:8). When
Lot was taken prisoner by Chedorlaomer, and later rescued by Abraham, she was
there (Genesis 14:12). When the angels came to Sodom to warn her husband to
flee, she was there (Genesis 19). When the angels took the family by their
hands in order to hurry them out of the city, she was there (Genesis 19:16).
But what good effect did all these privileges have on her? None at all! She
died graceless, godless, impenitent rind unbelieving. In all probability she
conformed outwardly to her husband's religion, but inwardly her heart was wrong
in the sight of God - given over to the love of material things. There is much
to learn from remembering Lot's wife!
a) The mere possession of religious privileges will save no one's soul. This
may seem a hard truth to those who feel that religious privileges will help
them be better Christians. But Lot's wife teaches us that it requires something
more than religious privileges to save a soul. Joab was David's captain: Gehazi
was Elisha's servant: Demas was Paul's companion: Judas Iscariot was Jesus'
disciple - these all died in their sins. We need something more than
privileges. We need the grace of the Holy Spirit.
It is right to value religious privileges, but let us not rely on them alone.
Let us use them, thankfully, if they are given to us.
If they do us no good, they may do us great harm. The same fire which softens
wax hardens clay; the same sun which causes life to flourish in one plant dries
up the dead tree. Nothing
so hardens our hearts as an unfruitful familiarity with sacred things. We need
more than religious privileges!
I give a warning to young people who have had the privilege of godly parents.
You cannot enter the kingdom of God on the credit of your parents' religion.
You must have the witness of the Spirit in your own hearts. You must have your
own repentance, faith and holiness.
2. What was the sin which Lot's wife committed?
We read that, Lot's
wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt
(Genesis 19:26). Does that seem a small sin? This is the feeling some may have.
But there was far more in that look than appears at first.
a) It revealed her true character. Little things often show the state of our
minds better than great things. Little symptoms can be the signs of serious
disease. One look may demonstrate the state of a person's heart - see Matthew
5:28.
b) It showed her disobedience. The command of the angel was unmistakable,
`Don't look back!'
Lot's wife did not obey. When God speaks plainly by his words in the Scripture
our duty is clear.
c) It told of proud unbelief. Lot's wife seemed to doubt that God would do what
he had said and destroy Sodom. Without
faith
it
is impossible to please God
(Hebrews 11:6). When anyone thinks they know better than God, their souls are
in great danger. If we cannot see the reason of God's dealings with us, our
duty is to be silent, and believe.
d) It revealed a secret love of the materialism of this world. She could not
leave her home without a backward glance. Her desires were in Sodom, though her
body was now outside the city. Her eyes turned towards the place where her
treasure was, as the compass needle turns towards the North.
Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God (James
4:4). If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him
(1 John 2:15).
I believe there never was a time when warnings against unholy worldliness were
so much needed by Christians as today (Ryle died in 1900! - Ed.). Lot's wife
was no murderer, no adulteress, no thief - but she seemed to be religious, and
then she looked back! There are thousands who call themselves Christians yet
who fall victims to a love of the materialism of the world. I am sure that it
is time for us all to remember the sin of Lot's wife.
a) How many children of religious families begin well and end up irreligious!
In childhood they seemed full of religion. The boy becomes a young man and
cares for nothing but amusements and sport. The girl becomes a young woman and
cares for nothing but dress and exciting company. They are like Lot's wife.
b)' How many young men and women seem to love religion at first but then,
little by little, the affairs of this life push out of their minds the things
of the life to come. And soon they are behaving like Lot's wife.
c) How many married people do well in religion until their children grow up and
leave - and then they fall away. In the early years they follow Christ
diligently. But a spiritual blight comes over them when their children grow up
and have to be introduced to adult life. The spirit of the world seems to enter
the family. They begin to walk in the steps of Lot's wife.
Beware of a half-hearted religion: beware of following Christ from any
secondary motive - to please friends or to appear respectable. Follow Christ
for his own sake. Be thorough, be honest, be whole hearted. No
one who takes hold of the plough and looks back is fit for service in the
kingdom of God
(Luke 9:62).
3. The punishment inflicted on Lot's wife
It is written that
Lot's wife looked back and she became a
pillar of salt (Genesis 19:26). From living flesh and blood she was turned into
a pillar of salt. To die in the best of circumstances and at what could be
thought the best of times is still a serious matter. But to die suddenly by the
direct intervention of an angry God, to die while in full health and strength,
to die in the very act of sin, is a fearful thing indeed!
It was a hopeless end to come to. There was no time even for the briefest of
prayers. Such was the end of Lot's wife. Are we to ignore the warning of her
end? Think also of such people as Korah, Dathan, Abiram, Hophni and Phineas,
Saul, Ahab, Absalom, Belshazzar, Judas Iscariot, Ananias and Sapphira! They
were all suddenly destroyed without opportunity for remedy. As they lived
rejecting God's word, so they died. They went to meet God with all their sins
upon them.'
a) Let us understand that the same Bible which teaches that God; in mercy and
compassion, sent Christ to die for sinners also teaches that God hates sin and
must, from his very nature, punish all who cling to sin and reject the
salvation he has provided. The very same chapter which declares God so loved
the world also tells us that
whoever rejects the Son will not see life
for
God's- wrath
remains
on him
(John 3:16,36).
b) Let us understand that there is proof upon proof in the Bible that God will
punish the unbelieving, as well as show mercy to the repentant.
c) Let us understand that the Lord Jesus Christ spoke most plainly about the
reality and eternity of hell. No lips have used so many words to express the
awfulness of hell as the lips of him of whom it was said, No
one ever spoke the way this
man
does
(John 7:46). .
d) Let us understand that the comforting ideas, which the Bible gives us of
heaven, have no real meaning if there is no hell. The eternity of hell is as
clearly taught in the Bible as the eternity of heaven. Once allow that hell is
not eternal and you may as well say that heaven and God are not eternal. The
same Greek word is used in the New Testament to express the eternity of both.
If you wish to be a healthy, holy Christian, I ask you to keep the truth of the
reality of hell in your thoughts. I ask you to avoid any church ministry, which
does not plainly teach the reality and eternity of hell. I ask you to consider
often what your own end will be. Will it be a hopeless one, like Lot's wife?
Let me conclude by asking a few questions to help you think about this subject.
i) Are you careless about the second coming of Christ? The people of Sodom were
careless about the warning from God that their city was about to be destroyed.
ii) Are you lukewarm and cold about your Christianity? Are you hesitating
between the love of the world and the love of Christ?
iii) Are you secretly loving some sin that you cannot give up? Are you trifling
with some `little' sins?
iv) Are you relying upon having some religious privileges? Are you trusting in
your religious knowledge?
v) Are you assuming you will have time to repent later in life? Remember Lot's
wife!
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