Luke 17:26-32(NIV):
"Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all. It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.
It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. On that day no one who is on the roof of his house, with his goods inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. Remember Lot’s wife!"
The stories of Noah and Lot are actually opposites. And I will ask some questions in order to highlight this statement.
FIRST question. When God destroyed the world in Noah’s day, what agency did he use to bring about the destruction? Water, isn’t that right?
- When God destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, what was the agency that God used to bring about the destruction? It was fire.
We are in the presence of a direct contrast in God’s dealing with those two time periods. One is uses Water and the other is uses Fire.
SECOND question. I like you to also consider with me for a moment – how long before the flood did God tell Noah of the coming of the destruction? How much time? How long before? 120 long years.
Now, how long before the coming of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah did God tell Lot and his family about the destruction? How long before? The Bible says in Genesis 19 that the angels of God arrived at Sodom in the evening; Lot invited them in his home, and immediately the story with the wicked men of the city that night… And it was the next morning when the angels took Lot and his wife and their daughters by the hand and they left the city. How long is that? It’s about 12 hours.
Notice the contrast again. Because in Noah’s day God warned the world 120 years. In Lot’s time, how long before? Almost 12 hours.
THIRD question. Now something else. I want you to think about how much those two men lost. When the flood came, how much did Noah lose in the destruction that God send? How much did he lose when the flood came? … Nothing. We have good Bible students here… In the book “Patriarch and Prophets” Ellen White told us that all that Noah possessed, all, everything, he invested in the building of the ark.
“While Noah was giving his warning message to the world, his works testified of his sincerity. It was thus that his faith was perfected and made evident. He gave the world an example of believing just what God says. All that he possessed, he invested in the ark”. (PP 95)
How much did he invest? ALL. He lost nothing… Friends, do you realize what that means? That means that came a time when Noah sold his last horse of his farm, his home furniture, his house, everything he owned, and he invested everything into building of the ark. Which means that when the flood came, Noah lost nothing! Why? The money was… where? How much did Lot lose when the fire came from above to destroy the wicked cities? Lot lost everything.
Let’s talk about their families. How much of Noah’s family was saved when the destruction came? All of them. It was he, his wife, their sons and the sons’ wifes, all of them were saved.
When the destruction came, how much of Lot’s family was saved?... Was Lot’s wife saved? No. And when you read about the account of Lot’s daughters – although Lot’s daughters have made it out of the city of Sodom, Sodom had not made it out of the daughters. We can follow the history of the people known by the name of Moabites who latter on became quite a plague and a bother for God’s people, the Israelites, throughout the history.
I shared these things with you because these two stories are presented in Scriptures to gave us an idea of two classes of people that will be saved before Jesus comes. Now, I’m sure you recognize that both of these men, Noah and Lot, are given to us in the Bible as righteous men. Bible says that “Noah was a just man and perfect in his generation” (Gen.6:9).
And how about Lot? The Bible gives us a brief description of him in 2 Peter 2: 7-8 “And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds”… The Bible says that Lot was a righteous man.
But you see, friends, there will be people – as they will see the approaching of Jesus coming, as they are recognizing the signs of the end, they will be people like Noah that will invest all that they have in the cause of God and for His work. And they will have invested their means and energies in the heavenly bank, the one that FDIC does not need to guarantee for… So then, when Jesus comes, these people, like Noah, will have lost nothing. Because these “Noah people” lived a life that is transparent not only to the people that they have witnessing, but to their own families, then all their children and family members will be saved.
You know, I am convinced that Noah’s family was saved because every one of the could see that Noah believed what he preached in his home life. We see children who end up living the church because there was hypocrisy in their home… People having just a mask of religion wearing it in public, but having a different private life, denying what they claim to believe … God forbid…
Noah is the example of those who have seen what is coming, and made serious preparations… However, they will be some others, like Lot. They have made compromise after compromise with the world. And these compromises put them in a position when they witnessing is no longer effective. Do you remember what the Bible says in Genesis 19:14? When Lot told his sons-in law to get out of the city, do you know what they thought about Lot’s serious warning? They thought that he was joking.
“And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law”
You know, you can’t live in Sodom and expect results when you tell people to get out of Sodom, isn’t that right? The same way, when we are living in sin, we cannot expect to tell others to stop sinning and they to actually do it.
Now, is interesting to look in this story of Lot and to observe how Lot’s family was affected by his poor choices and compromises. At the very end Lot awoke, realizing the situation that he is in, and the Bible says that Lot, by the mercy of God, was led out of that city. And Lot of saved so as by fire.
They will be people that who, step by step, were putting themselves in dangerous position, and they might be saved. But I want to make this as clear as possible: what will be cost involved? All their means lost, all that they accumulated for this very life, lost, and what is more tragically, at the expenses of their families. Some or all their love ones lost… All gone…
ILL. I’m amazed when I read about these people that were swindled by that investor banker, Bernard Maddoff. Famous celebrities, head of sates, high ranking officials, charities, universities,… invested their money and overnight their lifetime savings gone, vanished in a Ponzi scam. People invested because they believed in the system, they were convinced that this way they can save their assets, and have some extra interest…
Friends, I believe that they will be people that they have hoping to save up for some pleasures, for some ambitions, for some security – to have more because the times are uncertain, for some peaceful life in this world, people who invested themselves here, everything here… And their selfish ambitions, and all these earthly plans will crumble, will vanish, when Jesus comes…
But is not my purpose today to talk simply about Lot and Noah. Let’s focus again on verse 32 of Luke chapter 17. Please, let’s underline these three words right here, so full of meaning – Jesus said: “remember Lot’s wife”. Three words only. But so full of meaning…
I studied this Scripture, I prayed about, seeking an answer: why did Jesus told the disciples to remember Lot’s wife? You know, this chapter, Luke 17, is designed to worn the believers about the conditions prior to the second coming. Why then in this context Jesus didn’t say “remember Noah”? Or “remember Lot”?... Why Jesus choose the wife of Lot?
1. The first thing I’ve noticed is that this verse is written in a unique fashion. Do you notice that Luke 17:32 does not give us the NAME of Lot’s wife? Do you notice that? Now, by the way she did have a name – Jewish scholars are sure that her name was Ildeth (Edith in English). So Lot’s wife did have a name. Why didn’t Jesus say “remember Ildeth”? Surely Jesus knew her name.
But the way Jesus rephrases this warning gives us the first reason why He told us to remember Lot’s wife. When Jesus told the disciples about Lot’s wife, He said it in such a way that we always connect Lot, with the fate of his wife.
You see, if Jesus said “remember Ildeth”, over time, over centuries, we may lose sight, we may forget about Lot and the influence that he had on his wife. But the reason why Jesus said “remember Lot’s wife” is because Lot have something to do with what happened to his wife. This afternoon, if you have time, you may read the chapter in the book “Patriarchs and Prophets” that describes the destruction of Sodom, and the entire 19 chapter from Genesis. It’s something very important there that will help us understand the story, better.
Do you remember the angels coming to Lot’s home? They said “Lot, God is going to destroy the city, get you up out of the city into a safe place. And as the angels told Lot “get out, get out quickly”, Bible said that Lot… read please, “he lingered” (verse 16). Lot lingered…
ILL. Now perhaps you can remember what happened when hurricane Katrina came to ravage the South… They were warnings given for the residents to evacuate as fast is possible… because a powerful hurricane is coming. They saw that huge storm on the Weather Channel satellite, a category 4 hurricane. And long lines of cars trying to get out of there…But they were also reporters interviewing people decided to don’t leave. Their cars in garage, and they were watching TV… Why would someone linger in the face of destruction? Why?
You have to consider that Lot not always lived in Sodom. When Abraham and Lot first split, the Bible says that Lot pitched his (what?) tent toward Sodom. Genesis 13:12. Please, don’t miss that; it says that Lot pitched his tent… toward Sodom. It wasn’t’ even in Sodom, it was just in that direction… But by the time we reach Genesis 19, the Bible says that Lot had a house in Sodom.
You know how this happened. He pitched his tent in the beginning, and as the chapter progress, he came closer, and closer, and by the time of this story in chapter 19, he is having a house inside.
If we modernize the story, we might say that Lot bought a nice two stories home in a nice subdivision of Sodom, maybe his children attending the public school of Sodom, maybe Lot have a business bank account and some commercial properties as investment opportunities in Sodom. Lot was a wealthy man. And I imagine when Lot saw everything that he had, a nice home, nice cars, prosperity in business, all of the themes that this life can offer, when the angels said “Lot, get out quickly, God will destroy the city”, the Bible says that Lot lingered.
And you know something friends? Sister White tells us that his wife SAW that… When Lot ligered, she was watching him closely!
“If Lot himself had manifested no hesitancy to obey the angels’ warning, but had earnestly fled toward the mountains, without one word of pleading or remonstrance, his wife also would have made her escape. The influence of his example would have saved her from the sin that sealed her doom. But his hesitancy and delay caused her to lightly regard the divine warning.” PP 161
We are told that that this hesitation made her to look back… You see friends, when Jesus said “remember Lot’s wife” Jesus was reminding us that Lot’s influence was part of the reason for the faith and the ultimate destiny of his wife. Lots’ wife is a reminder of the power of influence that every one of us has on those around us.
All of us influence somebody; from the very smallest child to the elderly grown up… Every single person is influencing somebody else. And the question is not “are you influencing somebody?”, because it’s obvious, but the question is “are you influencing them to be saved, or to be lost?
As I watch my daughter growing up, I’m amazed and even scared of the influence that I have on her. So many times I watched her doing things that she learned by watching me and my wife…
Everybody influences somebody. Everybody is helping somebody to be saved, or to be lost… The question we have to ask ourselves, again, is what kind of influence?...Remember Lot’s wife said Jesus, connecting the fate of Lot to the fate of his wife.
2. A second point. Let’s look again in Luke 17 and read the statement in its context: Verse 31 In that day – let’s pause for a moment. What day is Jesus talking about? When Jesus will return… “In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back”.
In that day, at the second coming, the heaven will be rolled down like a scroll, it says that the earth will shake and the mountains moved away, island sucked down in the ocean, they will be destruction as never seen before…And having this picture of total end time disaster, who then, in the right mind, will be interested in their stuff?
And immediately after v.31, Jesus says “Remember” who?... We can see better now why Lot’s wife turned back. Why? Because of a five letters word: STUFF. What a powerful warning regarding the end time, we got from Jesus, here in Luke 17… Do we live in a materialistic world or not? Sure, look around: people being obsessed with money and having more stuff. And you don’t have to be reach to be trapped in materialism. Just to think that more stuff we will make as happy – what a deception!...
ILL. You know, stuff will grow on you. I visted with one of my friends, Pastor Adams, a family in Rockford IL: a nice house, but they never throw away the thinks they don’t need it… They rented a storage and put old furniture and old mowers, and old heavy TV’s… The yard packed with several old boats and probability 6 broken cars and all kind of things that you may thing about… Pastor Adams aked them about, and they said: You never know when you need something… Inviting them to the church – Oh we are busy organizing the stuff… Working all week long to have money to buy stuff and keep the stuff in a rented storage; and during the week-end, organizing the stuff. This is their life. They sleep in a corner of their living, on a couch, the rest of the house being jam-packed…
I have the same tendency… I’m buying books, I have hundreds of books, and almost nowhere to put them all, source of some little disagreement with my wife. But don’t take me wrong, it’ not a sin to possess things, it’s not the stuff, but the love of stuff - that is dangerous… Loving the stuff more than we love Jesus, spending time on stuff, instead of being busy to spread the 3 angels’ message, instead of having a healthy relationship with our family and with our church family… Yes, Jesus warning is not for Missis Lot, it’s for Mister Lot as well… For both…
3. Now the third and last point to consider with me this morning… Where was Lot’s wife when she became a pillar of salt? Now, growing up I saw our Sabbath School quarterly – a chart with 13 pictures, one for each week. And I remember the picture of Lot and his wife: in the background the city burning, while Lot, his wife and the daughters are hurrying away from the city, while Lot’s wife was turning into salt…
But you know, when we read the Bible more closely, we discover that this not the way it happened. The Bible says that Lot and his family, his wife included, they reached the city of Zoar (Gen19:23) … So from the safety of this place, the Bible says that Lot’s wife looked back.
Why do I restate this to you? Did Lot’s wife obey the commandment of God to leave the city of Sodom? Did she obey, yes or no? She did. It’s a lesson here that is very important for all of us. You see, Lot’s wife she obeyed on the outside. She did what God said, she left the city. But it was just a matter of time before the inside of her heart was revealed. Because although she left Sodom, where was her heart? It was still there…Which is why she long, she long for the stuff and the things she left behind, the things she was not happy without. And she turned back…
Lot’s wife is a reminder to us that although we may comply with what God had said, compliance and conversion is not the same thing. All of us are here this Sabbath, today, we have obeyed what God said “Remember the 7th day and keep it holy”…But just because we are here it does not mean that we are really keeping the Sabbath. Because keeping the Sabbath is not just rest for the physical work we are doing during the week, but it is a rest from the works of the flesh, it is ceasing from sin that God wants us to experience. And is the joy of Salvation trough Jesus… We can be here today, in the Sabbath, but the heart can be far away, not in communion with God and enjoying His presence… God is not satisfied with just an outside obedience; He wants conversion of the heart also…
When we do Evangelism, we come across with people who knows that the Seventh day is the Sabbath. We come across with people who understand that God’s remnant have a special diet as God’s restoration plan… You see, many people recognize what is truth, but so many of them are not converted to what is truth.
CALL. Remember Lot’s wife – is an warning from Jesus and a reminder to us: that is not just external compliance with what God commanded. It’s about allowing God Spirit to convert and change us, outside and inside as well… And this is may call this morning, and my prayer…
Remember Lot’s wife, all of you, all of us who are Jesus’ wife, Jesus’ bride in typology, the church. Focus on Jesus (expand idea)… May Lord bless each and everyone… Amin.
(PS. Thank you Emanuel for your ideea)
