It’s a “not my will, but thine be done” morning: I’ll sing Psalm 31:1-3 in His Temple today.
My Shepherd met me in His green pastures and laid me down in Luke 17. The connection came as I pondered verse 32:
Luke 17:32 Remember Lot’s wife.
The Mind of the Spirit did not engage the spirit of my mind on the subject of Lot and his wife, but on the position of this statement in the passage.
He departed toward Jerusalem, and as He passed through Samaria and Galilee, He healed ten lepers (Luke 17:11-19). It appears the Pharisees witnessed all of this and boldly demanded of Him when the kingdom of God should appear (Luke 17:20-21). The Jews expected a glorious appearing of their Messiah in which He would, with force and power, take the world into His control, and force all nations to bow and confess He is LORD (Isaiah 45:23, “I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.”) But Jesus said this will be fulfilled at His return: Romans 14:11, “For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God”; Philippians 2:10, “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth”). Now, all men are commanded to repent and confess Jesus is LORD (Acts 17:30; Romans 10:9-13). But then, every man will be compelled to do so.
Therefore, Jesus explained to the Pharisees that the kingdom of God presented to them at His first coming would not come “with observation.” Instead, it would come invisibly, for it would be found “within them” (Luke 17:20-21).
He turned to His disciples and spoke to them of His Second coming, when the Kingdom would come with observation (Luke 17:22-37).
Along the still waters, I contemplated the two stories Jesus used to explain what “that day” — the day of His return — would look like. He used the story of Noah, when God shut the Ark, protecting Noah’s family, but condemning the world to judgment. And he used the story of Lot, saying, “But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and it destroyed them all” (Luke 17:29). In each case, there was the removal of the righteous, followed by the destruction of the wicked.
The position of the expression, “Remember Lot’s wife,” points very particularly at the removal of Lot from Sodom, where someone might “look back,” as did Mrs. Lot.
“In that day,” the day He removes the righteous and condemns the wicked in the way His angels removed Lot from Sodom, Jesus said, “He which shall be upon the house top, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not turn back” (Luke 17:31). Unless we understand the rapture event very differently from the way it is described in 1 Corinthians 15:51-58 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, Jesus is not describing the rapture in this passage.
He cautions us to “Remember Lot’s wife.” Lot’s wife was being escorted out of Sodom with Lot and his daughters. Mrs. Lot looked back and became a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:26). Jesus emphasized this element of the analogy He used to describe “that day.” There is no room in the rapture narrative for any believer to be in their natural body, look back in mid-flight, and turn into a pillar of salt.
What will happen, however, is when we return with the LORD to the Earth, and Jesus lands on Mt. Olivet, fulfilling Zechariah 14:4, the remnant of Israel will be hurried into the valley created by the prophesied earthquake. Some, like Lot’s wife, will “look back,” and will not go with her into the valley where Jesus provided a safe place to hide from the divine judgment that will fall upon the wicked in that day.
He is not describing the day He comes for the church; He is describing the day He comes for Israel. The rapture event occurs in the twinkling of an eye, and their bodies are raised incorruptible (1 Corinthians 15:52). Those alive will follow, immediately transformed into their glorified bodies, and gathered to meet Jesus in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17).
In the valley, kneeling in the shadow of His Cross, I worshipped in humble adoration, happily presenting my body to Him as my living sacrifice, my prayers as the sacrifice of incense, my thanks as the sacrifice of praise, giving thanks to His name, and dedicating my service to His glory. He warned me: you are already salt, for you, if the salt loses its savor, it will be cast into the street to be trampled by men (Matthew 5:13). He said the only way to avoid this is to heed the exhortation: “Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned? It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Luke 14:33-35). Selah!
Jesus spoke: “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23).
At the table, He anointed my head with His oil and filled my cup with His grace. Goodness and mercy followed as we went into the harvest.
Praying for revival! 🙏
Going live asap:
0 Comments