Now, just what are we
supposed to remember about Lot's wife? She and another
woman in the Bible are going to give us the ultimate
examples of conformity and transformation.
First, let's read Mrs. Lot's
biography in (Gen. 19:26). Now there is quite a
legacy...but why? Let's go back to the beginning and look
at what Lot's wife possessed:
A. A wealthy husband
- (Gen. 13:10-11)
[1]. Lot
took the better part of the land and left the rest to
Abraham. Sounds like a bad deal for Abraham, but
remember, Sarah didn't end up a white pillar in the
wilderness!
[2]. Journeyed east which is the cursed
direction in your Bible. (This isn't looking
good!)
B. An influential
husband - (Gen. 19:1)
[1]. Sat at
the gate, a place devoted to judgment.
[2]. Had a "place in the community" and calls
the Sodomites "brethren."
C. A beautiful home
and fine clothing -
This is an assumption, but
because of Lot's standing in the community, it is
probably an accurate one, especially given her reluctance
to leave.
D. A God who cared
about her and her welfare - (Gen. 19:16)
Had to led by the hand out
of Sodom.
E. A relative
(Abraham) who honored God and was remembered by Him -
(Gen. 19:22).
Destruction was withheld
until Lot's family was at a safe distance.
So, with all these
advantages, what went wrong in the life of Lot's wife?
What went on in her heart and mind to lead her to such a
pitiful end?
How about
these observations? Do we possess any of
them?
A. Conformed
character
[1]. She
was content to live in a city filled with debauchery
and was, in fact, reluctant to leave it. (Ref.
19:16)
[2]. If she ever had any character, it had by
this time taken on the shape of those around her. (I
Cor. 15:33) reminds us that "evil communications
corrupt good manners." And boy, were hers
corrupted!
B. Conformed moral
values passed on to her daughters
[1].
Willing to let them live in Sodom
[2]. The actions of these daughters in (Gen.
19:35-36) and of their father in (19:8) shows the
level of depravity to which this family had sunk.
[3]. Moral values are hereditary. Your
children learn from watching you.
C. Conformed affinity
to that world
[1]. The
lure of this city overrode her ability to reason in a
logical way.
[2]. This conformity created the reluctance to
leave.
[3]. It prevented her from pointing her body
and mind in the right direction.
D. Conformed
reasoning
[1]. She
failed to see the impending doom and had to be pulled
from Sodom.
[2]. She apparently had taken on the reasoning
of the residents of the doomed city: "God doesn't mean
what He says." "A loving God would never send such
destruction on someone."
[3]. God gave the simple warning. Take it or
ignore it. "Be ye not conformed to this world."
And so her legacy of
conformity to us is the vision of a mineral block on the
plain and Jesus' chilling words in (Lk. 17:32)....
"Remember Lot's wife.
(Rom. 12:2b) - ..."but be ye
transformed by the renewing of your mind that ye may
prove what is that good, and perfect, and acceptable will
of God."
The story of Esther is a
familiar one... an orphan girl raised by her cousin
Mordecai in Persia. When she is shown favor by King
Ahasuerus as a "replacement wife," she is instructed by
Mordecai to not divulge her Jewish "roots."
Her beauty and grace win the
attention of the king, and she receives the crown and the
role of queen. Unbeknownst to her, she will soon be put
in a position of great jeopardy.
An evil man, Haman, who is
an enemy of the Jews still in Persia devises a plan
whereby he can trick the king into annihilating all of
them. It falls to Esther to step forward, be transformed
and save her people. As a matter of fact, let's compare
her circumstances to those of Mrs. Lot:
A. A wealthy husband;
after he was the king! He didn't just sit at the gate as
Lot did; he owned the gate.
B. An influential
husband - Reigned over 127 provinces - (Est.
1:3-4)
C. A beautiful home
and fine clothing - (Est. 1:5-7)
D. A God who cared
about her and her welfare God is not mentioned in this
book of the Bible but His overriding influence, care and
concern for His people are abundantly apparent as the
story unfolds.
E. A relative who
honored God and remembered by Him. Mordecai refused to
bow to Haman, (Est. 3:2-4) saving such reverence for
God.
Esther's thinking underwent
a great transformation as she implemented a plan to
thwart the evil schemes of Haman. (Est. 4:14)
The words of Mordecai
obviously had a profound effect on her for she was
changed from:
[1]. An
unknown orphan living an obscure life to a beloved
queen in a magnificent palace.
[2]. A Jew in secret to a Jew bravely
proclaiming her lineage.
[3]. A woman indulged with every luxury to one
willing to risk her own life for what she knew was
right.
Esther did save her people,
but only after she recognized and assumed her part in
God's plan.
OR:
Am I striving to be like
Esther:
[1].
Changing my desire for "self-preservation" to one of
sacrifice for God's plan?
{a}. "that good,
and acceptable, and perfect will of God."
[2]. Willing to
be used in any situation in which I find
myself?
{a}. Let's face
it... about the only thing that will be in danger
of dying if you stand up for the Lord Jesus Christ
is your prideful spirit.
Remember, God tells us we
will be changed by the renewing of our minds.
He does not say the renewing
of your emotions;
He does not say the renewing
of your heart;
He does not say the renewing
of your attitude.
You must employ some logic
and intellect in determining what the will of God is, and
the only way to discover that is by faithfully studying
His Word and spending time with the Author.
Conforming is easy...
ultimately, all you have to do is stand back and act like
a block! Transform your mind to be like the mind of
Christ, and you will act like royalty. It's just a little
tougher.
