Why Did Lot's Wife Become a Pillar of Salt?

Why did Lot's wife become a pillar of salt and why did Jesus tell us to remember her?

Genesis 19:24-26 (NIV) reveals your answer:

Then the LORD rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah - from the LORD out of the heavens. Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, including all those living in the cities - and also the vegetation in the land. But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt."
(Gen. 19:24-26 NIV)

She became a pillar of salt because she looked back at the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. The angels of God had previously instructed her not to do this (Gen. 19:17). She didn't just happen to glance back to see what was happening. The words "looked back" are translated from the Hebrew word nabat which means "to look intently." According to other Scripture, she didn't want to give up the sinful pleasure of these cities.

"Remember Lot's wife. Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it" (Luke 17:32-33 NKJV).

She didn't want to forsake the old life and go the new way of God. This relates to us today when we accept Jesus and are born again. We must make a decision to forsake our old sinful life, follow the Bible, and live according to it.

And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, "Whoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever will save his life shall lose it; but whoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it."
(Mark 8:34-35 KJV)