The Hardness of the Human Heart
So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were pledged to marry his daughters. He said, "Hurry and get out of this place, because the LORD is about to destroy the city." But his sons-in-law thought he was joking.
With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, "Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished."
When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the LORD was merciful to them. As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, "Flee for your lives! Don't look back, and don't stop anywhere in the plain!" . . . But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.
Genesis 19:14-26
With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, "Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished."
When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the LORD was merciful to them. As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, "Flee for your lives! Don't look back, and don't stop anywhere in the plain!" . . . But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.
Genesis 19:14-26
The night before Sodom was destroyed, two angels of God had struck some of the men and boys in the city with blindness. These men were violently insisting on having sex with the men (angels) who had been accommodated by Lot in his house. Obviously, what transpired had to be known in the entire city. The news had to travel around.
But it appears that the people were so steeped in sin that the incident struck no fear in their hearts. This is evidenced by a couple of things: First, when Lot warned his sons-in-law to flee from the city because of the impending destruction, they thought he was joking so they did not budge. Second, Lot himself was very hesitant to leave the city of Sodom. The angels "grasped his hands and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city." Third, against the clear warning not to look back, Lot's wife still looked back and became a pillar of salt. The hardness of the human heart is beyond explanation!
There is an element of blindness that overtakes us when we become comfortable in a sinful environment, even when we are not directly involved. We become blind to any signs of impending doom and our hearts become hardened; we are virtually impervious to any form of reasoning! That appears to have been Lot's state of mind when he hesitated to leave Sodom until the angels forced him to do so, and that is what caused Lot's wife to look back and become a pillar of salt!
God is so merciful that He warns us and shows us many ways to avoid destruction before it overtakes us! When those warning signs appear, we can either think God is joking (like Lot's sons-in-law); or be hesitant to heed the warning (like Lot) or even violate the warning by looking back (like Lot's wife) because our hearts are reluctant to let go of the sinful environment. We end up as "Pillars of salt" because we are constantly looking back and not letting go!
May that not be our lot! May we quickly soften our hearts and heed every warning God gives us so that we will not be overtaken by destruction in any shape, form or fashion.
But it appears that the people were so steeped in sin that the incident struck no fear in their hearts. This is evidenced by a couple of things: First, when Lot warned his sons-in-law to flee from the city because of the impending destruction, they thought he was joking so they did not budge. Second, Lot himself was very hesitant to leave the city of Sodom. The angels "grasped his hands and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city." Third, against the clear warning not to look back, Lot's wife still looked back and became a pillar of salt. The hardness of the human heart is beyond explanation!
There is an element of blindness that overtakes us when we become comfortable in a sinful environment, even when we are not directly involved. We become blind to any signs of impending doom and our hearts become hardened; we are virtually impervious to any form of reasoning! That appears to have been Lot's state of mind when he hesitated to leave Sodom until the angels forced him to do so, and that is what caused Lot's wife to look back and become a pillar of salt!
God is so merciful that He warns us and shows us many ways to avoid destruction before it overtakes us! When those warning signs appear, we can either think God is joking (like Lot's sons-in-law); or be hesitant to heed the warning (like Lot) or even violate the warning by looking back (like Lot's wife) because our hearts are reluctant to let go of the sinful environment. We end up as "Pillars of salt" because we are constantly looking back and not letting go!
May that not be our lot! May we quickly soften our hearts and heed every warning God gives us so that we will not be overtaken by destruction in any shape, form or fashion.
Prayer: Lord, Please help me to soften my heart and heed to your voice at all times. Amen