Question about Lot’s wife

יהוה_saves

Well-known member
The account said she began to look back at the city before turning into a pillar of salt.

I’ve speculated over the years what could have been going through her mind when she looked back at the city because the account doesn’t say- i wonder if she was looking for close family members or friends.

When Christ appears again in his parousia, and he says to us this is the way, walk this way and we perhaps turn around and look back for friends and family we could lose out on our chance at being rescued. When we get explicit instructions like that it’s imperative we follow them exactly. Thoughts?

Gen 19 Then Jehovah made it rain sulfur and fire on Sodʹom and Go·morʹrah—it came from Jehovah, from the heavens. So he overthrew these cities, yes, the entire district, including all the inhabitants of the cities and the plants of the ground. But Lot’s wife, who was behind him, began to look back, and she became a pillar of salt.
 

SusanB

Well-known member
The account said she began to look back at the city before turning into a pillar of salt.

I’ve speculated over the years what could have been going through her mind when she looked back at the city because the account doesn’t say- i wonder if she was looking for close family members or friends.

When Christ appears again in his parousia, and he says to us this is the way, walk this way and we perhaps turn around and look back for friends and family we could lose out on our chance at being rescued. When we get explicit instructions like that it’s imperative we follow them exactly. Thoughts?

Gen 19 Then Jehovah made it rain sulfur and fire on Sodʹom and Go·morʹrah—it came from Jehovah, from the heavens. So he overthrew these cities, yes, the entire district, including all the inhabitants of the cities and the plants of the ground. But Lot’s wife, who was behind him, began to look back, and she became a pillar of salt.
Great question. Of course I can only refer to what the bible tells us and what I was taught to reason on as one of JW’s. If we look in Genesis, the reason that Abram (Abraham) and Lot separated was because they had so many goods and livestock they could no longer dwell together. Abram is described as VERY RICH (muy rico) in livestock, silver and gold and so I imagine that was the case for Lot. Lot got first choice in the land where he wanted to make a home. So think of it. If you had plenty of dough and you could choose any land you wanted, you would choose the best. And Lot did. The bible tells us that he chose the whole district of the Jordan and that it was like the garden of Jehovah, so it must have been gorgeous! And, now that you have the most exquisite property you can chose, you now have the money, materials, workers, etc. to build your dream home. Of course your neighbors are pretty disgusting but hey, life‘s not perfect right? And, your daughters have found husbands there too. So, you have developed deep roots in that area. I believe I recall that they even likely had indoor plumbing too.

Now the angels want you to flee for your lives. What can you take with you? Not much, just the basics. So, it makes sense to me that she had a longing for the materially prosperous life, their custom home and just a comfort that comes with familiarity. And, no doubt there was a lack of faith. Pretty much all sin results from a lack of faith. So, this is my guess.
 

יהוה_saves

Well-known member
Great question. Of course I can only refer to what the bible tells us and what I was taught to reason on as one of JW’s. If we look in Genesis, the reason that Abram (Abraham) and Lot separated was because they had so many goods and livestock they could no longer dwell together. Abram is described as VERY RICH (muy rico) in livestock, silver and gold and so I imagine that was the case for Lot. Lot got first choice in the land where he wanted to make a home. So think of it. If you had plenty of dough and you could choose any land you wanted, you would choose the best. And Lot did. The bible tells us that he chose the whole district of the Jordan and that it was like the garden of Jehovah, so it must have been gorgeous! And, now that you have the most exquisite property you can chose, you now have the money, materials, workers, etc. to build your dream home. Of course your neighbors are pretty disgusting but hey, life‘s not perfect right? And, your daughters have found husbands there too. So, you have developed deep roots in that area. I believe I recall that they even likely had indoor plumbing too.

Now the angels want you to flee for your lives. What can you take with you? Not much, just the basics. So, it makes sense to me that she had a longing for the materially prosperous life, their custom home and just a comfort that comes with familiarity. And, no doubt there was a lack of faith. Pretty much all sin results from a lack of faith. So, this is my guess.
yep, she had a longing for the comfortable life nestled in amongst the cedar. It’s interesting that the bible verse says that Jehovah overthrew the cities, entire district and its inhabitants and even the plants. NO, NOT THE PLANTS!

When we left for our road trip three days ago i had to leave a container plant knowing it might not make it because i don’t know the cabin people that live in this little community well enough to ask someone to water it for me. (they would know i wasn’t going to be there for some days) so i just hid it out of the sun. my poor plant.

I do wonder though if her longings weren’t only for the material aspects of her cushy home, but also for some people she was hoping might have followed but did not. perhaps a relative or friend.

This is a bible account that has always spooked me for years. When Jesus gives us explicit instructions we have to do exactly as he says.
 

SusanB

Well-known member
yep, she had a longing for the comfortable life nestled in amongst the cedar. It’s interesting that the bible verse says that Jehovah overthrew the cities, entire district and its inhabitants and even the plants. NO, NOT THE PLANTS!

When we left for our road trip three days ago i had to leave a container plant knowing it might not make it because i don’t know the cabin people that live in this little community well enough to ask someone to water it for me. (they would know i wasn’t going to be there for some days) so i just hid it out of the sun. my poor plant.

I do wonder though if her longings weren’t only for the material aspects of her cushy home, but also for some people she was hoping might have followed but did not. perhaps a relative or friend.

This is a bible account that has always spooked me for years. When Jesus gives us explicit instructions we have to do exactly as he says.
It is open for speculation.
 

SusanB

Well-known member
This is a bible account that has always spooked me for years. When Jesus gives us explicit instructions we have to do exactly as he says.
I got a tip from New Zealand Robert about your comment. So, here are some scriptures that may help “unspook” you but you let me know if this makes sense.

Luke 17:28-33: “Likewise, just as it occurred in the days of Lot: they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building. But on the day that Lot went out of Sodʹom, it rained fire and sulfur from heaven and destroyed them all. It will be the same on that day when the Son of man is revealed. “On that day let the person who is on the housetop but whose belongings are in the house not come down to pick these up, and likewise, the person out in the field must not return to the things behind. Remember the wife of Lot. Whoever seeks to keep his life safe will lose it, but whoever loses it will preserve it alive”.

This seems to be parallel to Matthew 24:15-22: “Therefore, when you catch sight of the disgusting thing that causes desolation, as spoken about by Daniel the prophet, standing in a holy place (let the reader use discernment), then let those in Ju·deʹa begin fleeing to the mountains. Let the man on the housetop not come down to take the goods out of his house, and let the man in the field not return to pick up his outer garment. Woe to the pregnant women and those nursing a baby in those days! Keep praying that your flight may not occur in wintertime nor on the Sabbath day; for then there will be great tribulation such as has not occurred since the world’s beginning until now, no, nor will occur again. In fact, unless those days were cut short, no flesh would be saved; but on account of the chosen ones those days will be cut short”.

So, it appears that we already know what we will need to do. We already have the instructions to “flee” and it may seem to be a life or death choice and it may involve material loss, but we must keep our relationship with Jehovah strong and then he will protect us right through to Armageddon. Credit goes first to Jehovah and New Zealand Robert does not want any credit for pointing out the connection of these scriptures. So, I am thankful to Jehovah that we have a wonderful family of true worshippers who want ALL the glory to go to our great God, Jehovah.

We definitely won’t be getting any new instructions that may seem illogical, impractical or strange. Plus we have the pattern from the first century when they had a period of time to flee but it obviously did involve sacrifice and was not the comfortable thing to do. It just wasn’t anything surprising because the instructions are already recorded for us to flee.
 
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Jordan Seager

Well-known member
i agrée. and we have to be prepared to leave it completely behind, no matter how much we are attached to something. (or someone)
My life mostly consists of data on a computer, pretty boring and worthless information, my job is literally back breaking which has now given me physical health problems and I know hardly anyone well in person, it'd be easy leave all that behind. My mother will probably do the same and I'd give my cat to my next door neighbour 😏
 

jay

Well-known member
The account said she began to look back at the city before turning into a pillar of salt.

I’ve speculated over the years what could have been going through her mind when she looked back at the city because the account doesn’t say- i wonder if she was looking for close family members or friends.

When Christ appears again in his parousia, and he says to us this is the way, walk this way and we perhaps turn around and look back for friends and family we could lose out on our chance at being rescued. When we get explicit instructions like that it’s imperative we follow them exactly. Thoughts?

Gen 19 Then Jehovah made it rain sulfur and fire on Sodʹom and Go·morʹrah—it came from Jehovah, from the heavens. So he overthrew these cities, yes, the entire district, including all the inhabitants of the cities and the plants of the ground. But Lot’s wife, who was behind him, began to look back, and she became a pillar of salt.
She was looking back for those cinnamon rolls just out of the oven.
 

Watchman

Moderator
Staff member
When we realize that humanity got into this mess because of disregarding a very simple command from God not to eat fruit from a single tree it puts things into perspective. The angel ordered Lot and his clan not to look back. Simple. Straightforward. No ambiguity. The angel spoke for God. No way around it. Life can only be obtained by obeying God and the one whom he has given all authority.
 

יהוה_saves

Well-known member
When we realize that humanity got into this mess because of disregarding a very simple command from God not to eat fruit from a single tree it puts things into perspective. The angel ordered Lot and his clan not to look back. Simple. Straightforward. No ambiguity. The angel spoke for God. No way around it. Life can only be obtained by obeying God and the one whom he has given all authority.
that certainly takes the pressure off. we will know exactly what to do and exactly when to do it. like you said- no ambiguity.
 

BARNABY THE DOG.

Well-known member
The account said she began to look back at the city before turning into a pillar of salt.

I’ve speculated over the years what could have been going through her mind when she looked back at the city because the account doesn’t say- i wonder if she was looking for close family members or friends.

When Christ appears again in his parousia, and he says to us this is the way, walk this way and we perhaps turn around and look back for friends and family we could lose out on our chance at being rescued. When we get explicit instructions like that it’s imperative we follow them exactly. Thoughts?

Gen 19 Then Jehovah made it rain sulfur and fire on Sodʹom and Go·morʹrah—it came from Jehovah, from the heavens. So he overthrew these cities, yes, the entire district, including all the inhabitants of the cities and the plants of the ground. But Lot’s wife, who was behind him, began to look back, and she became a pillar of salt.
Interesting thought. When we discussed this in my watchtower years, the suggestion from watchtower was that she was regretting leaving the life she had there. I.e., that she enjoyed the sexual laxity there. There was never any suggestion that she was unfaithful etc, but again, as is often the case, it is what is in the heart. Looking back for loved ones is a different matter in my thinking. First of all it depends on the proximity of the loved one being behind us and secondly, what our motive is in wishing to be with them. Christ’s last words were for the provision of his mother, so care and love, sadness at leaving loved ones does not appear to be a sin in itself. Christ would hardly have wanted to stay in this pit of iniquity one moment longer than he had to, but he felt for those that he had to leave behind. Clearly then, circumstances, loss and parting is going to want us to look back to see if they have changed their mind. That does not infer that we choose them above Jehovah But that we want them to choose life with us. Jehovah had already established to Lot that there was not one righteous person left in Sodom.

Love is the primary facet of Jehovah‘s being. If we could callously leave loved ones , what would Jehovah feel about us then? Jesus also asked Jehovah to forgive his murderers. Therefore, it is safe to assume that Lot‘s wife had something else on her mind.

The other factor, could simply be that Jehovah had told her not to look back. Clearly He had a reason. One only had to touch the Ark, to die. Moses was told not to turn around because he would die if he saw Jehovah’s likeness on Sinai. Perhaps Jehovah‘s presence or representation was being made clear to Sodom at the time of their destruction, just as Christ’s appearance may have similar consequences at the tribulation for those not wishing to follow.

The fact that Lot’s wife was turned to salt, has always been something to ponder over. I am sure it has some significance. Salt was synonymous with life in those days, and right up to the 1600s in Britain, due to its scarcity and cost. If you are ever in England, should you visit the Tower of London, you can see some breathtaking examples of salters in the Crown Jewels from the 1500s. It gives some idea of the value of salt in those days.
 

SusanB

Well-known member
Interesting thought. When we discussed this in my watchtower years, the suggestion from watchtower was that she was regretting leaving the life she had there. I.e., that she enjoyed the sexual laxity there. There was never any suggestion that she was unfaithful etc, but again, as is often the case, it is what is in the heart. Looking back for loved ones is a different matter in my thinking. First of all it depends on the proximity of the loved one being behind us and secondly, what our motive is in wishing to be with them. Christ’s last words were for the provision of his mother, so care and love, sadness at leaving loved ones does not appear to be a sin in itself. Christ would hardly have wanted to stay in this pit of iniquity one moment longer than he had to, but he felt for those that he had to leave behind. Clearly then, circumstances, loss and parting is going to want us to look back to see if they have changed their mind. That does not infer that we choose them above Jehovah But that we want them to choose life with us. Jehovah had already established to Lot that there was not one righteous person left in Sodom.

Love is the primary facet of Jehovah‘s being. If we could callously leave loved ones , what would Jehovah feel about us then? Jesus also asked Jehovah to forgive his murderers. Therefore, it is safe to assume that Lot‘s wife had something else on her mind.

The other factor, could simply be that Jehovah had told her not to look back. Clearly He had a reason. One only had to touch the Ark, to die. Moses was told not to turn around because he would die if he saw Jehovah’s likeness on Sinai. Perhaps Jehovah‘s presence or representation was being made clear to Sodom at the time of their destruction, just as Christ’s appearance may have similar consequences at the tribulation for those not wishing to follow.

The fact that Lot’s wife was turned to salt, has always been something to ponder over. I am sure it has some significance. Salt was synonymous with life in those days, and right up to the 1600s in Britain, due to its scarcity and cost. If you are ever in England, should you visit the Tower of London, you can see some breathtaking examples of salters in the Crown Jewels from the 1500s. It gives some idea of the value of salt in those days.
Is a “salter” a container for shaking out the salt on a meal? I saw the photo but I couldn’t really understand exactly what a “salter” is.
 

Nomex

Well-known member
When you look at the account where Abraham was asking Jehovah, "if there were "X" many righteous people would Jehovah still destroy it"? Well apparently there wasn't even 5, and of those five maybe it was only one and that was Lot. When his two daughters saw what happened, after fleeing to the mountains, and even their mother dying, they got there father drunk and had sex with him because they "thought everyone had been killed so they could have children." I think the more likely explanation is that, Sodom had so corrupted them that they no longer knew good from bad, and maybe they got it from their mother. More than likely, she didn't think Sodom was all that bad, not bad enough to destroy her home and belongings! And she sure didn't instill common sense to her daughters.
 

SusanB

Well-known member
When you look at the account where Abraham was asking Jehovah, "if there were "X" many righteous people would Jehovah still destroy it"? Well apparently there wasn't even 5, and of those five maybe it was only one and that was Lot. When his two daughters saw what happened, after fleeing to the mountains, and even their mother dying, they got there father drunk and had sex with him because they "thought everyone had been killed so they could have children." I think the more likely explanation is that, Sodom had so corrupted them that they no longer knew good from bad, and maybe they got it from their mother. More than likely, she didn't think Sodom was all that bad, not bad enough to destroy her home and belongings! And she sure didn't instill common sense to her daughters.
A very disfunctional family.
 

BARNABY THE DOG.

Well-known member
Is a “salter” a container for shaking out the salt on a meal? I saw the photo but I couldn’t really understand exactly what a “salter” is.
It was more commonly known as ‘The Salt”. The ‘container’ was made to reflect not only the value of salt, but also the status of the person who could afford it. If I remember correctly the one in the picture is about a foot square and slightly taller. The salt would be spooned out but unless offered it, I doubt if anyone would take it. The article in the picture is indeed a fancy container for salt.
 

יהוה_saves

Well-known member
It was more commonly known as ‘The Salt”. The ‘container’ was made to reflect not only the value of salt, but also the status of the person who could afford it. If I remember correctly the one in the picture is about a foot square and slightly taller. The salt would be spooned out but unless offered it, I doubt if anyone would take it. The article in the picture is indeed a fancy container for salt.
would that be like a salt shaker?
 

יהוה_saves

Well-known member
Interesting thought. When we discussed this in my watchtower years, the suggestion from watchtower was that she was regretting leaving the life she had there. I.e., that she enjoyed the sexual laxity there. There was never any suggestion that she was unfaithful etc, but again, as is often the case, it is what is in the heart. Looking back for loved ones is a different matter in my thinking. First of all it depends on the proximity of the loved one being behind us and secondly, what our motive is in wishing to be with them. Christ’s last words were for the provision of his mother, so care and love, sadness at leaving loved ones does not appear to be a sin in itself. Christ would hardly have wanted to stay in this pit of iniquity one moment longer than he had to, but he felt for those that he had to leave behind. Clearly then, circumstances, loss and parting is going to want us to look back to see if they have changed their mind. That does not infer that we choose them above Jehovah But that we want them to choose life with us. Jehovah had already established to Lot that there was not one righteous person left in Sodom.

Love is the primary facet of Jehovah‘s being. If we could callously leave loved ones , what would Jehovah feel about us then? Jesus also asked Jehovah to forgive his murderers. Therefore, it is safe to assume that Lot‘s wife had something else on her mind.

The other factor, could simply be that Jehovah had told her not to look back. Clearly He had a reason. One only had to touch the Ark, to die. Moses was told not to turn around because he would die if he saw Jehovah’s likeness on Sinai. Perhaps Jehovah‘s presence or representation was being made clear to Sodom at the time of their destruction, just as Christ’s appearance may have similar consequences at the tribulation for those not wishing to follow.

The fact that Lot’s wife was turned to salt, has always been something to ponder over. I am sure it has some significance. Salt was synonymous with life in those days, and right up to the 1600s in Britain, due to its scarcity and cost. If you are ever in England, should you visit the Tower of London, you can see some breathtaking examples of salters in the Crown Jewels from the 1500s. It gives some idea of the value of salt in those days.
your points here are excellent and well taken. thank you for your comment. i read it twice.
 
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