Sodom and Gomorrah - Salt Causes Heart Disease

Genesis 19:23-26 The sun had risen over the earth when Lot came to Zoar. Then the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven, and He overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. But his wife, from behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.

Why is it when there is an accident on the side of the road that traffic slows almost to a stop, even though the accident is completely cleared from the traveled path? Because everyone wants to look back and see what has happened - I believe the official term is "rubber-necking".

I often wondered why Lot's wife was chastised so harshly for what I believed to be simple 'rubber-necking' - a whole city was being burned and she had to see it. But after studying the verse more closely - it seems that his wife was doing more than being a curious observer.

Lot's wife was not just looking, she was longing. Longing for the lifestyle that she was used to living - not one that was following God. God knew the desires of her heart when she turned to head back toward that city. He was very clear in His instructions to move on and not return.

I have several different aspects of my life that are not areas where God wants me to return. He has closed that door, and for good reason. If we are following God, if we are doing as He has planned, we have no need for that past way of life - no reason to return. Whether it's drinking or smoking or cursing or gluttony or lying - whatever it is - that sin nature that God so longs for us to stay away from, and has opened up a plan for us to follow - but we cannot look back with a longing for that old way of living.