When looking back can be disastrous

By Tope Banso
DON’T LOOK BACK
“But Lot’s wife looked back as she was following along behind him, and she became a pillar of salt” (Genesis 19:26 New Living Translation).
Remember Lot’s wife. Probably, the deceitfulness of riches caused Mrs. Lot to look back, instead of focusing on the journey to escape the fire that was to consume Sodom and Gomorrah. I can’t find any other explanation for her action.
Mark 4:19 warns against the worries of life, deceitfulness of riches and the desire for other things entering a man’s heart to choke the Word such that it becomes unfruitful. Jesus warned us to remember Lot’s wife (Luke 17:32).
The angels, who came to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, said to Lot, “Have you anyone else here? Son-in-law, your sons, your daughters, and whomever you have in the city — take them out of this place! For we will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has grown great before the face of the LORD, and the LORD has sent us to destroy it” (Genesis 19:12-13 New King James Version).
Verse 15 says, “When the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot to hurry, saying, ‘Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city’” (New King James Version).
But these angels had to drag Lot and his family out of the city, because Lot was lingering; he was foot dragging; he was hesitating. Verse 16 says, “When Lot still hesitated, the angels seized his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters and rushed them to safety outside the city, for the LORD was merciful” (New Living Translation).
The entire life investment of Lot and the family was in Sodom. They were about to lose everything; therefore, they were unwilling to escape from the city that God was about to destroy.
The angels (men) told Lot (and the family), “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed” (verse 17 New King James Version). But Lot pleaded to be allowed to flee to a near city, Zoar, on the pretext that he couldn’t escape to the mountains, lest some evil overtook him and he died. The angels still granted his request though after Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed, Lot was afraid to continue to live there. He fled with his two daughters to the mountains.
However, before then, and as they were escaping from Sodom, verse 26 says, “But Lot’s wife looked back as she was following along behind him, and she became a pillar of salt” (New Living Translation). This is unfortunate!
Why did she look back despite God’s mercy that Lot and his family had received? (Verse 18). God had exempted them from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah as a result of Abraham’s intercession (verses 16-33). Evidently, it was because the treasure of Lot’s wife was in Sodom, and she couldn’t help thinking about what she was going to leave behind – all lost. The consequence was that she became a pillar of salt. Mrs. Lot lost her treasure and lost her life!
This is a lesson for everyone today, especially Christians who are entangled in the affairs of this world to the detriment of their souls. 2 Timothy 2:4-5 warns, “And as Christ’s soldier, do not let yourself become tied up in the affairs of this life, for then you cannot satisfy the one who has enlisted you in his army” (New Living Translation). As Jesus Christ said, what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his soul? What will he give in exchange for his soul? (Matthew 16:26).
Hear Jesus’ warning: “Watch out! Don’t let me find you living in careless ease and drunkenness, and filled with the worries of this life. Don’t let that day catch you unaware, as in a trap. For that day will come upon everyone living on the earth. Keep a constant watch. And pray that, if possible, you may escape these horrors and stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:34-36 New Living Translation). You may not be guilty of careless ease (carousing) and drunkenness, but what of the worries of life?
By looking back, Lot’s wife disqualified herself from salvation from the impending doom. Jesus says anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God (Luke 9:62). Don’t look back. And that’s not talking about looking back physically. Don’t look back in your heart. Don’t look at any other thing; look unto Jesus the author and the finisher of your faith (Hebrews 12:2). Set the LORD always before you (Psalm 16:8a).
Lot’s wife looked back and lost the salvation God had prepared for her. If you look back, you may go back to your former sins, to your old ways of life, to the sinful lifestyle you were delivered from. It will be like a dog returning to its vomit, and that’s foolishness. “As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly” (Proverbs 26:11 New Living Translation).
Remember Lots wife. Anyone who returns to his vomit will wallow in it. “Let her stagger and fall like a drunkard, for she has rebelled against the LORD. Moab will wallow in her own vomit, ridiculed by all” (Jeremiah 48:26 New Living Translation). And the latter end of such a person shall be worse than the former (2 Peter 2: 20-22). That shall not be your portion.
The children of Israel, in their hearts, turned back to Egypt (Exodus 32:1; Acts 7:39). Eventually, majority of them didn’t make it to the Promised Land; they died in the wilderness because of their rebellion.
Lot’s wife should have put Sodom behind her; she shouldn’t have looked back. There are things you must put behind you if you must get to your Promised Land. Otherwise, they’ll hinder you. Remember Lot’s wife. You must forget the old city of sin and follow God to the new city He’s prepared for you (Revelation 21:1, 22-27, 22:14-15; Isaiah 65:17, 66:22).
If any man is in Christ, he is a new creature, old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new (2 Corinthians 5:17). Paul had to forget some things behind him and pressed forward to those things which were ahead (Phiippians 3:13).
The writer of the book of Hebrews says, “‘For yet a little while, and He who is coming will come and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith; but if anyone draws back, my soul has no pleasure in him.’ But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul” (Hebrews 20:38-39 New King James Version). Don’t draw back. Remember Lot’s wife. Don’t look back.
PRAYER POINT: I shall not look back. I receive the grace to follow Jesus to the end.
This is wisdom for living, and it’s worth sharing. Please share.
(For over 260 in-depth and insightful messages by T. O. Banso, visit: www.cedarministry.org).
▪ Banso, a pastor, heads Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
cedarministryintl@yahoo.com, cedarministryng@gmail.com
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