Do Not Look Back

When we disobey God there are three routes a person can take. One way leads to forgiveness, one way leads to losing God’s favor, and another leads to immediate death. Last Sunday we discussed King Saul’s disobedience that discredited him and he was removed from God’s sight as the anointed one. This week’s discussion on disobedience takes a look into the consequence of a simple statement which has deadly results. Let us see what happened to Ado, the wife of Lot.

A Troubled Mind  

Even with all the evil that Sodom and Gomorrah had been accused of and had been proven, Ado had found happiness in the lives of her daughters. There were many warnings and chances for Lot’s family and extended family through his son in laws to get the whole family out of the land but Lot’s married daughters had enjoyed life too much to leave and they also would not leave their husbands even though they were part of the evil in the land.

Lot and Ado’s youngest daughter, Paltith, had been killed by the authorities for being kind to a beggar who was starving (Book of Jasher 19:24-43). Ado had many memories that she would not let go of. Her life was filled with happiness, but she suffered through many incidents and those kept her in the world she knew even when given the chance to start over when saved from destruction.

The Order is Given

When they had brought them out, he said, “Flee for your life! Don’t look behind you, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain, but escape to the hills! Otherwise you will be swept away.”  Genesis 19:17

God told the messengers, who were sent to get Lot and family out, very specific orders. He wanted them to leave that life behind so that the family could start over again sharing the Word of God. Lot, seeing that the area they were being directed to was far off and possibly still in the destruction zone, pleads with the messengers:

Lot said to them, “Please, no, my lord! Here, your servant has already found favor in your sight, and you have shown me even greater mercy by saving my life. But I can’t escape to the hills, because I’m afraid the disaster will overtake me, and I will die. Look, there’s a town nearby to flee to, and it’s a small one. Please let me escape there — isn’t it just a small one? — and that way I will stay alive.” Genesis 19:18-20

The family made it to Zoar just in time for God to rain destruction on the cities. Without second thought Ado made a deadly choice.

But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a column of salt. Genesis 19:26

What Choice Would You Make

God gave Lot and his family a second chance and the family would have been fine staying in the city. Ado chose to look back out of sadness and concern for the daughters she left behind with their husbands. She probably wanted to see the destruction of her daughter Paltith’s killers. I do feel sorry for her but at the same time she held on to things God wanted left behind. Choices were made and Ado’s disobedience led to her death.

When we choose to follow God we are held accountable for conducting ourselves in a way that is pleasing to God. Being pleasing to God means obeying His Word the best way possible. We all know we cannot do what He asks without messing up so He sent us Jesus. We still have to move forward without looking back and desiring our past. We have to let go of the things that will keep us from God which sometimes means leaving family and friends behind. It also means leaving our worldly ways that distract us from being in communion with God.

Sometimes God asks some very challenging things of us and it is up to us to make the choices that will be pleasing to Him. We are not to look back and desire our past like Ado had done. Granted we might not be turned into a pillar of salt but if we preserve our past in our minds, we fill ourselves with salt that dries us and consumes us leaving no space for God. What choice would you make?
 
In the Father’s Embrace,
Rob, Servant of God