On the night that the angels visited Lot, Lot said to his wife, 'Give these guests a bit of salt.' In Genesis Rabbah R. Isaac said: "She sinned through salt. Another explanation for Lot’s wife being transformed into a pillar of salt is based on her having four daughters, two married and two betrothed. Lot was considered a righteous man, but was forced to be separated from Abram because of the lack of resources for both their stock and resources. Lot’s wife disobeys, looks behind, to the city, and immediately turns into a pillar of salt. My Book of Bible Stories, Audio download options In Luke 22:30, we see Peter’s misplaced self-confidence. But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt. Genesis 19:15-17 & 25-27, NKJV. This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh and despise authority. Ironically, by becoming a pillar of salt, Lot’s wife became an eternal part of Sodom. But, then, in disobedience to the angel’s command, “Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt” (verse 26). During a period of unrest, Lot was taken captive and ultimately rescued by Abraham. She became physically incorporated into the … The author wrote that God “if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard).”. Run to the hills, so that you won’t be killed.’. morʹrah because of their badness. “Do not look behind you,” was the clear command of the angels. The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were entirely destroyed by Divine Power and this mountain was there to observe the scene. Lot’s wife assisted in entertaining the angels when they visited the house, warning the family of Sodom’s impending destruction. But, as we have seen, she looked back from behind her husband and became a pillar of salt. Interestingly Lot’s wife was not specifically mentioned until the family was visited by the two angels. However, she then lingered behind before ultimately looking back toward the city. He was the nephew of Abraham, who was promised that his family would be spiritually prosperous. My Book of Bible Stories, Share Geologists say they have pinpointed the probable site of the biblical cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and worked out a theory of why Lot's wife was reported to … John Gill in his “Exposition of the Bible” noted that Josephus wrote that the “pillar continued to his times, and that he saw it.” Additionally, “Irenaeus, and Tertullian speak of it as in their times, a thing incredible.”. My Book of Bible Stories. Because she sinned through salt, Lot’s wife was punished by being turned into a pillar of the same material (Gen. Rabbah 51:5). Lot allowed his wife to unduly pressure him to abide in Sodom. Lot’s wife lost her life because she “looked back.” This was more than just a glance over the shoulder; it was a look of longing that indicated reluctance to … But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt. The name ‘Sodom’ is mentioned in the book of Genesis concerning the city of sinners that Lot, Abraham’s nephew, had to escape from after protecting his angel-guests from a wrathful mob. Genesis 19 tells of the devastating fate of Sodom and Gomorrah, and the salvation of Lot, his nameless wife and their two daughters. Then one of the angels said: ‘Run for your lives! Jesus, in Revelation 3:15, rebuked the Laodicean church for its lukewarm condition. We primarily read about her in Genesis 19:12-29. Bold and arrogant, they are not afraid to heap abuse on celestial beings.”, In Colossians 3:2 and Colossians 3:5, we are encouraged to “Set your mind on things above not on earthly things,” and to “put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.“. The chances that this rock is actually Lot’s wife are very slim considering that the rock is much bigger than an actual person. As we have already pointed out, there is no doubt that Lot’s wife was saved from destruction. He enjoys serving his church as a deacon and Sunday School teacher. The narrative of Lot's wife begins in Genesis 19, after two angels arrive in Sodom and urge Lot to get his family and flee, and not look back. Her looking back indicated the place of her real treasure. In Proverbs 31:12, we learn that a righteous woman brings her husband “good, not harm, all the days of her life.” In verse 27, we are told of her priorities: “She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.”, In Luke 17:32-33, Jesus Christ says, "Remember Lot's wife! Lot’s wife was turned into a pillar of salt when she ran out of the city despite the warning not to do so. Consider the teaching in Zephaniah 1:12 which warns of a time when “I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the men who are complacent, those who say in their hearts, ‘the Lord will not do good, nor will he do ill.’” The man who believes, yet physically allows the flesh to be satisfied by the world, denies God’s righteousness. She knew whom she married and his blessed lineage and commitments, yet she had no desire for such spiritual commitment for herself. Further, the amount of time from Lot’s initial arrival in Sodom until the time of the angels’ warning was not sufficient. Download this activity, and see what you can learn from Lot and his family. Can Loved Ones in Heaven Look Down on You? God always gives us “an out” when something or somewhere is not beneficial for our spiritual health. What she chose to value in her heart led her to sin, which led to her death. After much hesitancy and his home being physically confronted by the men of Sodom seeking the angels, Lot and his family finally made the move to escape. King Agrippa, in Acts 26:28, told Paul “Do you think in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?” Despite the preaching and witness of Paul, Agrippa was able to see the benefits of Christ but was unwilling to make such a commitment. In 2 Peter 2:9-10, we are taught about judgment regardless of family connection. Just print this template out and color with crayons or markers. They certainly all could have benefited from the presence, wisdom, and guidance of a loving mother. Sadly, Lot’s wife did not reach the safety of the mountains because she “looked back.” And she immediately was turned into a pillar of salt. 25 Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, including all those living in the cities—and also the vegetation in the land. A section of it is a formation resembling a pillar, aptly named “Lot’s Wife.” While this landform is probably not actually her, we can appreciate the scientific plausibility of her turning into salt in this very area. Church House Crafts has Lot's Wife Pillar of Salt Craft for kids to do in Sunday school or Children's Church. After they had gone some distance from Sodʹom, she stopped and looked back. Lot’s wife looked at the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah with brimstone and fire, and she turned into a pillar of salt. The oldest daughter realized the agedness of her father and the absence of her mother. The Bible does not tell us her name in Genesis 19:26, as she is only referred to as “Lot’s wife,” but Jews reflect her name as either Adith or Irith. Posted on July 20, 2012 by John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation , General , Miracles , Prefigures and Foreshadows , Science and the Bible , Uncategorized . By her hesitancy and disobedience, she was struck dead and her “grace period” expired. See more ideas about lot's wife, sodom and gomorrah, genesis 19. Often, we don’t receive such a blatant warning of judgment, but the Holy Spirit is merciful enough to draw sinful behaviors or conditions to our attention. Even though Lot’s wife heard the same warning, she did not full-heartedly exit Sodom because she had doubt it would actually happen. Lot’s Wife Looked Back, Deliverance From Egypt to Israel’s First King, Israel’s First King to Captivity in Babylon, Captivity in Babylon to Rebuilding of Jerusalem’s Walls, Jesus’ Resurrection to Paul’s Imprisonment, Publication download options Traveling behind her husband, Lot's wife looked back, thereupon turning into a pillar of salt. Lot and his two daughters fled to the nearby mountains in the city of Zoar. The daughters reason in Genesis 19:31, “there is no man around here to give us children—as is the custom all over the earth.”. Then Lot’s wife became a pillar of salt. When the family of Lot was being urged to flee the destruction of Sedom, they were told not to look back. In 1 Corinthians 2:4, Paul explains “my message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power.”, Believers have the same divine inspiration today by and through the presence of the Holy Spirit. a pillar of salt] Lot’s wife for disobeying the command, recorded in Genesis 19:17, was, according to the tradition, changed into a pillar of salt. Traditional Site of the Death and Burial of Lot's Wife (Eshet Lot) at Mount Sodom. As the cities were being demolished, Lot’s wife “looked back, and she became a pillar of salt” (Genesis 19:26). PRIVACY POLICY, https://assetsnffrgf-a.akamaihd.net/assets/m/1101978068/univ/art/1101978068_univ_sqr_xl.jpg, https://assetsnffrgf-a.akamaihd.net/assets/a/my/E/wpub/my_E_lg.jpg, Share As you follow after God, know that every bit of His Word of is for you. As mentioned earlier, Lot was a righteous man who found himself amidst an increasingly sinful people. But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt. The angels told Lot: ‘Hurry! We can learn a good lesson from this. In Romans 12:2, the believer is strengthened by the promises of His guidance. The Lord always leads. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed” (Genesis 19:17). But it is interesting that she is described as a “pillar.” The evil and sinful desires of the Sodomite society was fully illustrated when the men of the Sodom sought “relations” with the angels. All rights reserved. He declared, “I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. However, she forsook her husband’s spiritual responsibilities by satisfying her own desire to live in Sodom. Genesis 13:5-13; 18:20-33; 19:1-29; Luke 17:28-32; 2 Peter 2:6-8. The Story of Mrs. Yet, they both continued to blend in among the worldly society. Here, as in the gospel of Mark, Peter insisted he was ready to go with Christ no matter whether it is to prison or to death. What lesson can you learn from Lot’s wife? The Bible isn’t clear whether Lot’s wife was covered in the salt that rained down with the brimstone or if her remains were dusted with a coating of salt later. Lot’s Wife Pillar Lot’s Wife Pillar is a label given to a large pillar of salt and brown soil located above the Dead Sea, south of Masada. Just as Lot’s wife “lingered behind,” we are told in Luke 22:54, Peter “followed at a distance.”. God is about to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah with brimstone and fire. We know very little about Lots wife, but we do know that she was a very wealthy woman. Peter’s conceit then soon led to a life lacking in prayer. Lot's Wife Pillar, Mount Sodom, and Zohar Fortress - YouTube The Zohar valley is identified by scholars as the Edom Way mentioned in 2 Kings 3. She is believed to have been turned into a pillar of salt when she disobeyed God by looking back at the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah when ordered to flee. When we make the decision to follow Christ, we must fully repent from the past behaviors which drew us into a realization of our sinful state. First, here's the relevant passage. Genesis 13:13 reminds us that “the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord.”. However could such a travesty happen? Thanks to Zecharia Sitchin, I've learned that this is very likely a mistranslation, though a very understandable mistake, as you'll see. Her story: Genesis 19:1-29. His guidance can always be trusted because he is the “spirit of truth.”, We are reminded of this assurance in John 16:13,  “when the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.”. Lot chose the land near Sodom, “while Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan” (Genesis 13:12). Traditional Site of the Death and Burial of Lot's Wife (Eshet Lot) at Mount Sodom. Let’s find out. We must flee from it immediately. They didn’t stop for a moment, and they didn’t look back. When we are so indwelled and so enthralled with “the world”, we ultimately meet the same demise. The author wrote, “...the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment. Why a pillar of salt and not, let’s say, pepper, or cumin? Use decorative scissors to cut it out and glue down on card stock. '"Lot's wife looked back [from behind him], and she thereupon turned into a pillar of salt." Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it.”.