Remember Lot’s Wife
In the story of Lot and his family
fleeing from Sodom, we are given an interesting piece of information. As
they were fleeing, Lot’s wife stopped and looked back at Sodom, which
was in direct opposition to a command given in verse 17:
17 When they
had brought them outside, one said, “Escape for your life! Do not look
behind you, and do not stay anywhere in the surrounding area; escape
to the mountains, or you will be swept away.”
23 The sun had
risen over the earth when Lot came to Zoar. 24 Then the Lord rained
brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah from the Lord out of
heaven, 25 and He overthrew those cities, and all the surrounding area,
and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the
ground. 26 But Lot’s wife, from behind him, looked back, and she became a
pillar of salt. (Genesis 19:17, 23-26)
There has been a lot of
debate about the meaning of Lot’s wife’s actions. She deliberately
sinned by disobeying the angel’s command. What was so important? What
was she looking back for? Why did she stop? Although we cannot be 100%
sure, we know she probably was looking back to the place where she had
all her hopes and dreams. Lot’s wife had built her life in the city of
Sodom. Perhaps her family was there. Her friends were there. Could she
really leave all this behind and flee with two strangers into the
unknown?
Lot’s wife is brought to remembrance again in Luke 17, when Jesus talks about the coming of the Son of Man.
28 It
was the same as happened in the days of Lot: they were eating, they
were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were
planting, and they were building; 29 but on the day that Lot left Sodom,
it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 It
will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is
revealed. 31 On that day, the one who will be on the housetop, with
his goods in the house, must not go down to take them out; and likewise
the one in the field must not turn back. 32 Remember Lot’s
wife. (Luke 17:28-32)
Looking back is also spoken about by Jesus for those who are fit for the kingdom of God.
Luke 9:57-62
57 As
they were going on the road, someone said to Him, “I will follow You
wherever You go.” 58 And Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes and
the birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay
His head.” 59 And He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord,
permit me first to go and bury my father.” 60 But He said to him, “Allow
the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim
everywhere the kingdom of God.” 61 Another also said, “I will follow
You, Lord; but first permit me to say goodbye to those at my
home.” 62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the
plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Nachshon and heroic actions
Nachshon
was a prince of the tribe of Judah. He was the brother-in-law of Aaron,
the high priest. When everyone else hesitated, he jumped into the
swirling sea. He was Nachshon, the son of Aminadav.
Here is a portrait of the man whose quiet action left an indelible mark on our nation.
Family Origin
Nachshon
was a fifth-generation descendant of Judah, son of Jacob. (His father
was Aminadav, son of Ram, son of Chetzron, son of Peretz, son of Judah.)
(1 Chronicles 2:4-10)
Nachshon is also the father-in-law of
Rahab (the harlot from Jericho). Nachshon was through Boaz a direct
descendant of David. (Recall Boaz married Ruth. Ruth and Boaz had a son
Obed. Obed had Jesse. And Jesse had a son named David. (Ruth 4:20-22))
Nachson was exactly halfway in the direct line between Judah and King
David.
He appears for the first time in the Torah when Aaron
marries Nachson's sister: “Aaron took for a wife Elisheba, daughter of
Aminadav, sister of Nachshon.” (Exodus 6:23) The Torah generally records
names only when mentioning someone new, and the commentaries wonder why
Elisheba’s brother is mentioned here as well.
They suggest that
before marrying Elisheba, Aaron had inquired about Nachshon, his future
brother-in-law. We learn from Aaron that when searching for a wife, it
is important to vet her brothers. Fine, upstanding brothers indicate
that the sister will be a fitting life partner.
At the Splitting of the Sea
Seven
days after leaving Egypt, the Israelites found themselves trapped
between a raging sea and the vengeful Egyptian army.
Then God gave Moses a command that seemed impossible to fulfill: “Speak
to the people of Israel; they shall travel.” (Exodus 14:15)
The
order was given to go forward in verse 15. But who would make the
first move? At that moment, Nachshon’s devotion and bravery came to the
forefront. The Midrash and Talmud share the following account:
When
Israel stood facing the Sea of Reeds, and the command was given to move
forward, each of the tribes hesitated, saying, “We do not want to be
the first to jump into the sea.”
Nachshon saw what was happening—and jumped into the sea.
At
that moment Moses was standing and praying. G‑d said to him, “My
beloved ones are drowning in the stormy seas, and you are standing and
praying?”
Moses replied, “Master of the world, what am I to do?”
Said
God, “You lift your staff and spread your hand over the seas, which
will split, and Israel will come into the sea upon dry land.”
And so it was. Following Nachshon’s lead, the Israelites entered the sea and were saved.
Nachshon’s Reward
The Midrash enumerates the rewards that Nachshon’s brave deed earned him:
He was given the name Nachshon, since he jumped into the waves (nachshol) of the sea.
Five heroes of Israel were among his descendants: David, Daniel, hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.
The eternal kingdom of Israel was given to his tribe, Judah, and it follows that Messiah will be his descendant as well.
After
Moses completed the Tabernacle in the desert, the princes of the twelve
tribes of Israel offered special inaugural sacrifices and gifts. Even
though Judah was not the most senior of the tribes, Nachshon, prince of
Judah, was the first to bring his sacrifice. (Numbers 7:12) This may
have been a reward for his special deed of devotion.
Nachshon is speculated to have also been among the seventy elders upon whom Moses conferred his spirit. (Numbers 11:16-30)
A Symbol of Strength
Nachshon’s name has become synonymous with courage and the will to do the right thing, even when it’s not popular.
Inspired
by Nachshon, King David wrote in Psalms, “I have sunk in muddy depths,
and there is no place to stand; I have come into the deep water, and the
current has swept me away . . . Let not the current of water sweep me
away, nor the deep swallow me, and let the well not close its mouth over
me.” (Psalm 69:3, 16)
Lessons we can learn
One
of the lessons we can learn from Nachshon is that we must stay focused
on our life’s mission. Even if there is a seemingly impossible sea in
front of us, we must go forward. When we do everything which is in our
power—for Nachshon that was wading into a sea until it reached his
nostrils—only then did God intervene. When we have done everything we
think we can do, only then will God produce a miracle and show us a way
foward. If we sit on the banks of the sea crying out to God, the sea
will remain. Our enemy will creep closer and closer.
We may feel as
though there are only four options:
1. Throw ourselves into the sea.
2.
Surrender and return back to our former situation (for the Israelites
that would be returning back to Egypt and becoming slaves again…if the
Egyptians were nice. The Israelites who surrender would have most likely
faced the death penalty for fleeing.).
3. Take up arms and fight the
enemy.
4. Cry out to God, do everything possible and keep going forward
until the sea splits.
In Closing
We can
go a lot of places and think we are escaping from God. We can do a lot
of things, and think we are escaping from God. We can hold our tongue
and not do as God instructs us, and yet, God will make our lives
unbearable so that we have to do what he commands. Whether it is a fierce tempest which causes us to be tossed into the sea to be swallowed
up by a giant fish or having God’s word burn within us, there is no
place for us to flee. There is no one to fear except God. Even when we
are promised we will be persecuted, God is faithful to deliver us, even
if we must endure much suffering. If we fear God, then there is no one
else to fear.
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