We all know the story of Sodom and Gomorrah found in Genesis 18 and 19. It was a city saturated with sin, a city where not more than ten righteous people could be found. Genesis 18:20 and 32 NIV
God instructed Lot and his wife directly, through his angels, to flee for their lives, to not look back and to not stop anywhere on the plain.
Genesis 19:17 NIV
As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!”
God was greatly merciful towards them by sparing their lives. The angels even grasped all their hands when Lot hesitated and led them safely out of the city. In addition, their request to flee to a nearly city rather than the mountains was granted at the last minute. So there is no lack of God’s mercy and grace when they hesitated and had last minute requests on His instructions.
Genesis 19:16 NIV
When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the Lord was merciful to them.
Genesis 19:18-22 NIV
[18] But Lot said to them, “No, my lords, please! [19] Your servant has found favor in your eyes, and you have shown great kindness to me in sparing my life. But I can’t flee to the mountains; this disaster will overtake me, and I’ll die. [20] Look, here is a town near enough to run to, and it is small. Let me flee to it—it is very small, isn’t it? Then my life will be spared.” [21] He said to him, “Very well, I will grant this request too; I will not overthrow the town you speak of. [22] But flee there quickly, because I cannot do anything until you reach it.” (That is why the town was called Zoar. )
However, in all God’s mercy Lot’s wife was still disobedient to a direct instruction from the Lord. She turned back, longing for the sinful pleasures of Sodom and Gomorrah which resulted in the end of her marriage through her own death because of her disobedience. One could think that she longed for her children when she looked back but the Bible clearly states that their two daughters were with them.
Genesis 19:26 NIV
But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.
Similiarly, God is merciful towards us as wives, when we question, when we hesitate to obey Him when we are enjoying the sinful pleasures of this world, He will take us by the hand and lead us out of sin if we let Him. But when we deliberately disobey His instructions we will be responsible and have to live with the dreadful consequences our marriages will suffer. We cannot blame anyone but our own disobedience.
@helperwife