Bad Girls of the Bible- Chapter 3 Bible Study

Welcome back!

If you are new, thanks for stopping by!

Last week we talked about Potiphar's wife.

Today I am going to focus on Lot's wife.

Chapter 3: Lot's Wife

Today we meet another nameless woman of the Bible.

The crazy part is, not only is she nameless, but we also don't hear a sound from her.

In fact she is hardly mentioned in the story.

Until the end, when she looks back and is turned to a pillar of salt.

How tragic.

This story makes me think of an up and coming actress.

She gets her first part in a tv show and tells all her family to watch.

Then she calls after to see if everyone saw her.

"No, we didn't see you, when were you on" they all ask puzzled.

Only to find out she only walked through a scene as a waitress in the background.

A small role, no lines, just a visual.

Do you know women who are quiet?

Not just reserved, but those whose husbands make all the decisions.

The ones who you may wonder if they think for themselves?

I've known a few.

I worried about them.

Don't get me wrong I'm 100% for being submissive to your husband, but in our household we discuss things and my husband gets to make the final decision should we reach an impasse.

Here is Lot's wife...quiet, almost invisible.

Again don't get me wrong, read these verses and understand that there is a benefit to being quiet at times:

Job 6:24 Teach me and I will be quiet, show me where I have been wrong

Psalm 23:2-3 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.  He guides me along the right paths for his names sake.

Zephaniah 3:17 The LORD your God is with you, the mighty warrior who saves.  He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.

There is a time to be quiet and there is a time to speak out.

Honestly, with all that is going on around Lot's wife you would think she would speak out.

Seriously, at one point in this story her husband, HER OWN HUSBAND offers his betrothed daughters to the men hoard of men to have their way with in place of the strangers visiting him.

I am a mother.

Of a daughter.

If my husband were to offer her to a hoard of irate Sodomites you better believe I would have something to say.

But here we are and there she is, quiet as a mouse.

It seems obvious that there is something wrong with her.

We know that Lot and his family have grown to love the finer things in life.

Maybe Lot's wife has is distracted by Facebook or Angrybirds?

You get the point.

When they are told to flee not once but threes times they hesitate.

It means leaving behind all they have.

Their earthly possessions.

Do you struggle with this?

I'm guessing his wife struggled with this.

Matthew 6:19 Don't store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal.

We are all guilty of this.

Can you relate to how hard it must have been for Lot's family to leave it all?

Have you ever had to leave it all, even if only for a short period of time (i.e. evacuation)?

When I was a child we had to escape to our basement on 2 separate occasions due to tornadoes. 

One time the houses on either side of us were both hit, not a blade of grass was harmed in our yard.
On both occasions God protected us and our home.

The idea that we could have lost everything had our home been hit didn't really register to me as a child.

I'm sure my mother comprehended it.

I know she had grabbed photo albums and a few other items before rushing us all downstairs.

It's amazing how attached we become to worldly items.

I'm as guilty as they come.

I would probably want to grab my external hard drive if I was only able to grab one item.

It has all our photos.

Those mean so much to me.

In the hustle of 'fleeing' did Lot's wife turn back because she realized she forgot the family photos?
Or did she turn back because she was curious what the strange visitors were going to do to her town?
Hello original rubbernecker.
Guilty again!
I've been known to slow down when driving by an accident, turn my head to the window and try to catch a glimpse of what happened.
Haven't we all?

The book asks us if we think that she intentionally chose death over life.
I don't think she did.
I think we all make mistakes.
Sin is the death of us and we have all sinned and fallen short of His glory.
We have all 'died' momentarily to His desires for our lives.
Sometimes it is unintentional.
Most often it's avoidable.
But we've all turned around to see what 'fun' thing is going on behind us.
We have Jesus to thank for our not turning into pillars of salt of our own.
Could you imagine if every time people sinned they were instantly turned to pillars of salt?
A.) That would make for a creepy world to live in.
B.) I think we would all be pillars.
C.) If you managed to not become a pillar you would probably walk around in a constant state of fear because every where you looked you'd see people as pillars.
Fortunately, the whole turning people into giant sodium chloride statues only happens this one time in the Bible.
Do you intentionally choose death over life?
How can you make an honest change in your life that will help you not look back?
Do not worry about what would have been.
Do not worry about what you are missing out on.
Instead focus your eyes forward.
Keep your eyes on the prize.
He has laid a path for you and it all leads to treasures much finer than anything we can acquire here on earth.

What's the most important lesson you learned from the story of Lot's wife?
For me, it was learning that hearing "don't" doesn't mean we are missing out.  It can simply be the guidance that will lead to bigger and better.
Also, I learned that being a submissive wife doesn't mean you need to sit quietly in the corner.
Exodus 4:11 says, right after Moses calls himself tongue-tied, Then the LORD asked Moses, "Who makes a person's mouth?  Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see?  Is it not I, the LORD?  Now go!  I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say".
God gave us a voice for a reason.  If Lot's wife was unhappy with how her husband was offering up their daughters, but was unsure how to stop him, she should have prayed for him to guide her words.
He says he will.
Do not be a silent partner.
Allow God to be in your relationship and to guide all you say and do.

Take a moment and thank God for all you have been blessed with.

I hope you have enjoyed this time of study.

Please let me know if you would like to see something in particular in our discussions or if you have any questions.

I hope you have a Blessed Friday!