Unveiling Lot: Tragedy & Victory

Gen 19:23  The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar. 
The fact that the sun was risen upon the earth tells us quite a bit about the time it took Lot to flee to Zoar. We don’t know exactly how far the sun was risen, but it would be safe to say that it was at the least a couple of hours if not five or six! We can draw this conclusion from two factors: Lot is brought outside the city of Sodom as morning is breaking, that is to say, the sun is beginning to rise. When Lot gets into Zoar, we are told that the sun has risen, which strongly implies something around midday, that is to say, the sun is no longer rising.
This time period is important to take note of as it lends more evidence to the idea that Lot was interceding for Zoar. Here is Lot, fleeing for his life with his daughters and wife, and instead of taking to the mountains for refuge, he instead opts to go to a small city that is at least several hours away on foot at what would have been a vigorous pace!
This time span is also of important note for later when we look at the type of the days of Lot and the days of the second coming of Jesus Christ – very briefly – it alludes to the idea that there is a very short window of time between when the believers are taken out of harm’s way/raptured and when the judgement falls.
Those hours that Lot spends fleeing would have been longer than it took to get to the mountains (check any Bible atlas to see the locations of mountains near any supposed site of Sodom vs Zoar). What does that mean? Any of the many people who would have seen and heard ‘madman’ Lot running around in the dark of the night declaring doomsday could have changed their mind and gotten out. It’s yet another testament to God’s mercy and the refusal of the inhabitants of the plain to repent.

Gen 19:24-25  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. 
What more can be said here, but that Lot’s faith is validated? This is important for the next accusation that will be leveled against Lot, even though it would seem apparent that Lot’s faith will be even stronger now, not weaker, as he has just seen God act graciously towards him and his house.

Gen 19:26  But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.
Now we come to the final tragedy of Lot’s life: up until this point, Lot being the head of the house has seemingly been able to protect all those under his headship – his wife and his two unmarried daughters. We know from the text that he has son-in-laws and therefore other married daughters who have remained in Sodom, and who knows who else he has left behind, be it sons or grandchildren.
The final tragedy is perhaps the greatest: with safety in sight, Lot’s wife looks back, disobeying the commandment of the angel. In that moment she is turned into a pillar of salt. We do not know the impact this had on the man himself – we can only imagine the anguish that having been so close to safety, she had lost her life by ignoring the commandment of God.
We will be coming back to Lot’s wife, for Jesus specifically points her out with the statement: ‘Remember Lot’s wife.” That advice is something that the church by far and large has forgotten. In short – Jesus injunction to remember Lot’s wife is because unlike Lot – she didn’t make it. As Lot’s wife was to become an example to the future generations that even when we’re on the doorstep of deliverance, obedience is necessary or we may find ourselves missing out, so to is Lot an example to us of a man who through faith was delivered though surrounded by wicked men with evil intentions.

It is here in this moment we see both victory and tragedy. Victory in that Lot has found salvation. Tragedy in that his wife almost made it, but not quite.

May we take the time to remember Lot’s wife, and when we do so, may we also keep in mind Lot himself. May that be who we emulate when the day of judgement comes.