** This response is biblically sound, provides scripture references, answers the question directly and concisely, and has an appropriate tone. The hope of the gospel is shared and further resources that might be helpful are included. **
Question: How can Christians say, after God kills Lot’s wife for merely looking at the destruction of her home, that he is still an ALL loving & ALL merciful being?
Profile: Male, North America, 19–25
Answered by: Steven Herold, who has been a volunteer with us since February, 2009.
Answer: You are assuming that there was nothing wrong with Lot’s wife looking back at her home’s destruction in Sodom. But what longing in her heart made her look back in the first place? Did Lot’s wife long for her life and/or possessions amid the sin and evil of Sodom? We do not know, for only God knows what is in a person’s heart (Acts 15:8). However, from the passage of scripture that records this event, we do know that one of the angels of the Lord told Lot and his family to flee Sodom for their lives and to not look back (Genesis 19:17). Given this, Lot’s wife was disobedient to the instructions that God had given them, and she suffered the consequence for her disobedience (Genesis 19:24-26).
So yes, God is all-loving and all-merciful. You seem to be overlooking the fact that God instructed His angels to deliver Lot and his family from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. We must remember that God is also all-just. There is a penalty that God has justly assigned to all who choose sin (disobedience to God’s order and will for their lives). That penalty is death (Genesis 2:16-17). We must also remember that God in His love and mercy has provided for us, the Way to be delivered from the sin and death we deserve (Romans 3:23, 6:23; John 3:16; John 14:6).
For more thoughts on the action of Lot’s wife please see the GotQuestions answer given in the link below:
