Genesis 19:23-29 "The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar. Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the LORD: And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace. And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt."
As the story of Sodom and Gomorrah unfold, we may wonder how Lot came to dwell in such a city. Remember that Lot was Abraham’s nephew, and by custom of that time, could also be referred to as his brother. Lot and Abraham went their separate ways, and Lot chose the plains because there was plenty of grass and water for his herds. At some point, Lot ceased to sojourn through the land and made his home in Sodom.
Even though Lot made his home in that sinful place, he was not able to be at peace there. The scripture tells us that he was vexed (worn down) by the sinful ways of that place (2 Peter 2:7). The LORD commanded Lot to take his family and escape the city. They were to leave and not look back.
Day had broken by the time Lot reached Zoar. The LORD intended for Lot to see the destruction that comes from living wickedly before Him. Lot saw the destruction of that place, but he also felt the righteous judgement of God on a personal level. Although they had been told to not look back, Lot’s wife could not resist the urge to take another look at the city where they were leaving sons-in-law, so it is reasonable to assume that they were leaving daughters there as well (Genesis 19:14).
God’s righteous judgement is not always easy to observe, especially when it involves those we love. But Jesus told us that no one who puts his and to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God. When God makes for us a way of escape from our vain way of living and we choose to look back rather than following our Husband (Jesus), we will find ourselves left in a barren and desolate place. I pray for grace to always bear hardness as a good soldier of Jesus (2 Timothy 2:3).