The whole story for me sent my mind racing to Luke 9:62...No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
excellent =]
consider what Lot did in the beginning of the chapter.
He urged the angels not to stay overnight in the square and argued with them against their will untill they agreed to come shelter in his house.
Is this what he did with every stranger who entered town? the men of the city were fed up with him already - "he acts as our judge" - what was he doing at the gate watching when they arrived?
If Lot - righteous Lot, vexed by what he saw going on - was daily sitting at the gate trying to warn people away and/or save them from a terrible fate by hiding them in his house, then this was his 'plough' - saving people. protecting strangers and foreigners.
And if he was doing this, it was a dangerous business in the politics of the town. no doubt he made waves. that's evident from what happened that night: the whole city knew just where to go and assembled a violent mob.
Do we doubt his family was aware of this? that those who remained in his house took part and were complicit?
so if the work of Lot and his household was a kind of 'underground railroad' trying to save people from a horrible fate at the hands of the men of the city, and if Lot's wife indeed was willing to give up her life for one last chance to convince her children to flee, is she 'turning away from the plough' when she does this or she going on with her convictions to her last breath?
And what is Lot doing?
he gives a ridiculous excuse about being too scared to go to the mountains. that makes zero sense. the hand of God is protecting him personally - how stupid is he? does he really think God can't lead him to the mountains as God commands him? that God can't keep him safely when God just miraculously took him from the city?
But what ends up happening because of his arguing? Zoar is spared! just like Lot and his immediate family in his house was spared because Abraham pled for him.
so Lot tries and succeeds in saving Zoar.
his wife tries but fails to save her daughters and sons.
neither took their hand from the plow.
both are saved, being led away by the hand of an angel, spared the destruction of the wicked.
this is a commentary on the end times, for the Jews at the time of Jacob's trouble. that's the context when Christ says to remember her. those who are willing to risk their lives to preach the gospel to the Jews will be pillars, will be called salt. they will spare entire towns because of their intercession with God.
even if they lose their lives for Christ's sake, by doing so they will find true life. in contrast those who at that time lie and betray one another to save their own lives, or who try to amass or keep wealth and possessions as some. kind of security in that day, will lose true life.
That's my take.
