Lot's Wife



The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. When he saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground.  “My lords,” he said, “please turn aside to your servant’s house. You can wash your feet and spend the night and then go on your way early in the morning.”

“No,” they answered, “we will spend the night in the square.”

 But he insisted so strongly that they did go with him and entered his house. He prepared a meal for them, baking bread without yeast, and they ate.

~Genesis 19:1-3

Lot invited these men to stay inside his house without even consulting his wife.  What sort of home do you think Lot's wife made for him and his children?

• This is an interesting question.  In a way, I would like to assume that since Lot was very welcoming to these men, that he very well knew that his wife kept a tidy and well organized home no matter who would show up in their city.

How do you respond when someone you live with invites a guest over unexpectedly?  Are you gracious?  Frazzled?  Antagonized?

• If I was not expecting any guests over and all of a sudden my spouse brings one over, I would probably respond with some suprise.  Granted, I would prefer knowing beforehand that someone would be over for a time, but if he give me a good reason as to why someone else is there, then I'm most definitely sure that I would be pretty gracious about the persons presence and make them feel welcome.  The only time I can think that I would feel even possibly frazzled about it is if I was in the middle of cleaning a room the unexpected guest might see and it would still be a total and complete mess by the time they got there.  Otherwise, I can't see how I would feel antagonized by a guest being there, unless I was very much suspicious of something, which I would think would be a very rare occasion and would probably never happen anyway.

Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom—both young and old—surrounded the house.  They called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them.”

  Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him  and said, “No, my friends. Don’t do this wicked thing.  Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them. But don’t do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof.”

~Genesis 19:4-8

What do you think of Lot's suggestion that he give his daughters to the raiders rather than his guests?  What reaction do you think Lot's wife might have had? 

• I think he's absolutely crazy for even thinking of giving his daughters away just for pleasure!  I mean, what kind of father is that?  I think he should have just told these raiders to just hit the road! 
• If I were Lot's wife, my reaction would be the same as I stated above, but I'm pretty sure she might have the same feelings.

Why would Lot offer such a thing?  Keep in mind that, according to ancient culture, in opening his house to these guests he guarenteed not only their comfort but their safety.

• Well, if this was all to guarentee these things, then his suggestion was all in protection.  Afterall, these men were messangers of the Lord.

Do you think the time you are living in is more or less degenerate than the times recorded here?  Why?

• I think we still have a lot of sinful things still around that happened in the times of Sodom.  However, in a way, I think I might see our times today a slight bit less degenerate from back then because you don't hear about people having consentual incest because that is more or less seen as taboo these days.

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.

~Genesis 19:15-16

Why do you think Lot hesitated?  What might have he been thinking? 

• He might have hesitated because he wasn't sure if the men were just joking or he could have been scared thinking if there was anything precious he couldn't possibly leave behind.

When have you hesitated to do something you know God wanted you to do?  Why did you hesitate?  What happened?

• I would say that I have done some hesitation within the past couple days!  Why did I do it?  Well because I was afraid of getting someone mad or defensive at me and then I thought if that happene di would not know how to handle it, eventhough I was not in the wrong.  Well, with all the hesitation on my part, my parents pretty much forced me to do what I really needed to do so I took care of the situation at hand.

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! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!”

But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.

~Genesis 19:17, 26

Even though warned not to do so, Lot's wife couldn't resist looking back.  Why do you think she turned?  Was she sad?  Scared?  Curious?

• I think she turned because she was curious as to what was going on behind her.  I think she wanted to know why the wrath of God really looked like.

In Lot's wife, we can see ourselves looking back, regretting decisions made, mourning lost opportunities, yearning for ended relationships.  Because we are looking behind us, we can't see what is before us.  we may not turn into a pillar of salt, but we'll end up stuck in one place.  Do you spend a lot of time looking back?  How can you leave the past behind, enjoy the present, and plan for the future? 

• I think there are times that I do spend looking back at the things I wish I would have done differently.  But how I can changed that and leave the past behind is thinking about how I can improve myself, use those ideas, and as long as they work, enjoy the time I have and keep working at doing even better if necessary.