From our lesson of Lot’s Wife, Genesis 18:16-19:29; Luke 17:28-33, here are some important points. The points do not directly answer the questions on pages 26-27 of the text, but may help you in our discussion at the Saturday Bible Study 05/24/2014.
1. Lot’s wife is only mentioned three times in the Bible (Genesis 19:15-17, 26; Luke 17:32), therefore, the lesson makes assumptions about Lot’s Wife’s life based on the life of Lot and his wealth and community status.
2. Lot was the nephew of Abram (Abraham) (Genesis 11:27).
3. Lot moved from Ur to Haran with his Grandfather Terah, Abram (Abraham), and Sarai (Sarah) (Genesis 11:31). After the death of Terah Lot moved from Haran to Canaan with his uncle Abram (Abram) and Sarai (Sarah). They took all of Abram’s workers and possessions with them. (Genesis 12:4-5).
4. As Lot also acquired workers and possessions, the land they owned was inadequate for he and Abram (Abraham) (Genesis 13:5-7). Lot and Abram (Abraham) agreed to part company (Genesis 13:8-9) and Lot moved with his workers and possessions near Sodom (Genesis 13:10-13).
5. In Sodom, Lot, his people and possessions were seized by opposing kings. They were rescued by Abram (Abraham)(Genesis 12-16).
6. Since Chapter 19 of Genesis presents accounts of Lot, Lot’s Wife and adult daughters, at some point Lot married Mrs. Lot, who’s name is not given.
7. We also assume that during the period of Lot’s acquisition and enjoyment of wealth and status, Lot’s wife enjoyed the same. It also seems that throughout the entire narrative of Lot, he was married. Here is our reasoning: Although narratives in scripture are not always in chronological order, it appears this one has elements of time and order. What we know is that Lot’s story is tied into Abram’s (Abraham) story. Abram was 75 years old when he left Haran to go to Canaan, he took Lot and Sarai (Sarah) with him (Genesis 12:4-5). Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born (Genesis 21:5), 25 years after leaving Haran. When the three visitors came to Abraham and Sarah (Genesis 18), they proclaimed that Sarah would give birth in less than a year (Genesis 18:10) and in that story Abraham also started the plea to save Sodom (Genesis 18:16-33). When the two angles of Genesis 18 visited Sodom (Genesis 19) they were sought after by the townsmen for sex (Genesis 19:5), Lot offered his two virgin daughters pledged in marriage to two other townsmen (Genesis 19:6-14). The angles told Lot to leave Sodom with his wife and two daughters to avoid death (Genesis 19:15). The point is, that because the daughters were of marriage/childbearing age (Genesis 16:36-38), Lot’s wife must to have been with him for all of the narrative, from the introduction of Lot (Genesis 11:27) to her death (Genesis 19:26). In the financial success of Lot, Lot’s wife most certainly enjoyed the same privileges as him.
8. The angles agree with Lot that his family could stay in Zohr for safety (Genesis 19:21), but made it clear that the family was not to look back towards Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:17). Lot’s wife looked back and became a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:26).
9. Both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their father and their sons became the fathers of the Moabites and the Ammonites (Genesis 30-38).
10. Jesus uses Lot’s Wife’s looking back as an example of what not to do when the kingdom of God comes to Earth. (Luke 17:28-32)
Comments are always welcome on any of these points.
Study Text: Women of the Bible, Jean E Syswerda, Zondervan, 1999.
Bible : The NIV Study Bible, Zondervan, 1995.
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