Although Lot’s wife got out of Sodom, her heart was still there. The angels had said, “Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain,” but she looked back and became a pillar of salt. She became a constant reminder of the fact that there must be real faith if there is to be real salvation. Your father and mother, dear children, may bring you up in separation from the world, but unless you have to do with God yourself, and accept the Lord Jesus as your own personal Saviour, you, too, may “look back” and be lost forever.
The Judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah
God rained fire and brimstone on Sodom and Gomorrah. The sun had risen brightly that morning, and many of the people there had probably made their plans for the day, but they were never carried out. God’s judgment brought a sad and unexpected end to everything. And are we not living in similar days when people make their plans and leave God out? They want to forget about coming judgment, and when they cannot forget it, they deny it. May we plead with you, dear reader, not to follow the crowd that is going down the broad road? God has told us that the broad road leads to hell, and He is calling you to “Escape for thy life” because He wants to save you for eternal glory. He will give you the assurance of His own Word that there is no condemnation (or judgment) for you, if you will accept His beloved Son as your own Saviour. You will have eternal life, and a home above, if you will just come to Him.
The last we hear of poor Lot is very sad and disgraceful to say the least. As you read these lines, perhaps you still have life before you if the Lord does not come. May He help us all to take warning from Lot’s course, for if we go after the world, who can tell how our lives will end. None of us would like them to end as Lot’s did, would we?
Again Abraham went down toward the south country, and in that place he got his eyes off the Lord. He had the fear of man before him, and that always brings a snare. He should have learned that lesson long ago in the land of Egypt, but how often we have to learn the same lessons over and over again.
Uprightness and Honesty
There is another thing here too. Abraham told the truth to hide the truth. It is so easy to do that and a very deceitful kind of lie indeed. Abraham said of his wife, “she is my sister,” and while this was true, it was deception, for she was really his wife. Let us learn to be open and above board in all things, for the secrets are all going to come out someday, and God wants uprightness. “All things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do” (Hebrews 4:13).
God graciously intervened on Abraham’s behalf, and spared him the full results of his sin, but he let Abimelech rebuke him. It is a bad thing when the world has to rebuke us. Be careful, dear boys and girls, that you don’t do anything so that your friends have to say, “I didn’t think a Christian would do that.” It is very displeasing to the Lord. God told Abimelech that Abraham was a prophet and that he would pray for him. How gracious this was, for it shows that in spite of our failure, God is patient and never disowns His children, though He does not belittle our sin. Salvation is always “by grace” and grace alone!
Further Meditation
1. Why did Lot’s wife become a pillar of salt?
2. What does “tell the truth to hide the truth” mean? How is it possible to do the same thing? Why is this a form of dishonesty?
3. If you’ve never read The Bible Promise Book edited by K. Abraham, you might find that you enjoy the verses collected together on the subject of honesty.