Lot's wife is important. She was commanded to flee the coming destruction of Sodom and NOT LOOK BACK. Yet...she looked back...and turned into a pillar of salt. Certainly her disobedience was sin...and sin is punished. But...so severely? And...why salt? Why not a tree or a rock? We need to think soberly here because there is a lesson for many of us who are tempted to live in the past.
Generally speaking, God does not want us looking back. The past is static. it is etched in history and is unchangeable. There is no life-giving hope in the past. God wants us to look ahead...to "Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God". (Hebrews 12:2)
Even so, scripture points out occasions when looking back is appropriate...even critical. Think of the flood...and its aftermath. God put a sign in the heavens and said "when the bow is in the cloud, then I will look upon it, to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” (Genesis 9:16), Further along in scripture God said "you shall remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not" (Deuteronomy 8:2). I could continue but the point is made. We should look back only to remember what God has done for us.
So what did Lot's wife do wrong? I believe she looked back...in longing...at the things she loved...and would miss. And that makes all the difference. Think about this for a moment. Why would this woman look back at a city that might have raped here virgin daughters...that wanted to rape the guests in her home...that wanted to kill her entire family? We expect she would flee as quickly as possible and never look back.
But, Sodom was sin and sin is addictive...as ugly as it is.
Sin has extraordinary appeal. So much so that...on our own...we cannot overcome it. Patrick McCormick's book, Sin as Addiction, presents this case in a powerful way and I recommend it to you. And, in the end, sin will kill us...as addictions are inclined to do. In fact, sin has already killed us. We inherited the addiction through our parents and we were all born..."walking dead". It's a difficult truth to admit and many refuse to accept it. Even so...it's true. We are reminded in the 3rd chapter of Romans that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). And, "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). Yet, God...in His love for us...determined a way for our salvation and "God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).
We are reminded, then, in Romans 6:8-14 how this should affect our lives. If we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him. He died to sin once for all so we should "consider (our)selves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus...therefore do not let sin reign in our mortal body so that we obey its lusts...present ourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and our members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over us"
But...the addiction remains. Even though "the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set us free from the law of sin and of death" (Romans 8:2), we constantly find ourselves returning to the source of death. "Like a dog that returns to its vomit is a fool who repeats his folly" (Proverbs 26:11). As believers, it will no longer kill us but, it destroys the joy and peace God intended to deliver to us through His Son.
Why do we do it? Well, sin is addictive...as ugly as it is.
First, We know Sodom and Gomorrah are archetypes of sin. Nothing represents the consuming and destructive nature of sin like these two cities. In fact, even today, the names of these two cities are uttered to describe situations where sin has completely taken over and redemption is no longer likely. Sodom and Gomorrah...while real historical cities...are metaphors for how completely derelict humans become when they completely ignore God.
Second, the pillar of salt. There is no point debating the literal historicity of this event because it obstructs the most important lesson. So, while Lot's wife was historically transformed into salt, this transformation is a metaphor for the addictive nature of sin...and how to avoid it. We cannot look back either for the purpose of recalling the pleasures of sin or the pains of sin against us.
Why?
Lot's wife turning to salt explains it. Salt is a preservative. Salt (sodium) is an essential nutrient for human health. As an electrolyte, it regulates the hydration of the body as well as blood pH, and is critical for nerve and muscle function. For this reason, God has created us such a way that our bodies crave salt. Why else is there a salt shaker on every table? Not because all food needs salt but, because, we intuitively crave salt and won't run the risk of not having enough. We can put a salt lick in our backyard and wild animals will quickly make it a routine spot in their daily travels. It is so predictable that many states outlaw the use of salt licks as a lure for hunting wild animals.
Ironically, though enough salt is necessary to sustain life...too much will kill us.The National Research Council tells us adequate intake for sodium is 1.2 to 1.5 grams per day yet, just a bit more (one teaspoon per day) promotes hypertension. Long-term high blood pressure is a major risk factor for coronary artery disease, stroke, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, peripheral vascular disease, vision loss, chronic kidney disease, and dementia. The Journal For Hypertension tells us that 9.5 million people die annually from the disease. So here is the great dilemma: Looking back is an essential for healthy spiritual life. However, if we do it too much is can kill our spirits.
Here's the question: Are we looking back rather than looking forward? What are we looking at? Remember...the things we continually look back at are the things that remain preserved in our heart and mind. They retain their power over us and hold us captive. If we are looking back at the pleasures of past sins...or even the pain of past sins...their power over us is addictive and will not be assuaged. If we are looking back at the painful way others have sinned against us, the same is true and we will never find ourselves able to forgive. If, however, we look back in gratitude at God's faithfulness it keeps that alive as well. We need to choose.
A thought: Next time we pick up a salt shaker...because we just can't live without it...we should remember the fine line between too little and too much. As my friend Cindy reminds me, whether looking forward or back...Philippians 4:8 is a good rule: "Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things". That should keep us out of trouble.
Live boldly out there today...
