And when it was morning, the angels pressed him, saying: Arise, take thy wife, and the two daughters that thou hast: lest thou also perish in the wickedness of the city.
וּכְמוֹ֙ הַשַּׁ֣חַר עָלָ֔ה וַיָּאִ֥יצוּ הַמַּלְאָכִ֖ים בְּל֣וֹט לֵאמֹ֑ר קוּם֩ קַ֨ח אֶֽת־אִשְׁתְּךָ֜ וְאֶת־שְׁתֵּ֤י בְנֹתֶ֙יךָ֙ הַנִּמְצָאֹ֔ת פֶּן־תִּסָּפֶ֖ה בַּעֲוֺ֥ן הָעִֽיר׃
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Do not hesitate, they urge; the moment of their ruin has arrived; rescue yourself, along with your wife and your two daughters. Yet those who refused to heed your counsel will soon meet their doom alongside the others. But do not linger, or you too may face destruction with the unrighteous.
Thus, he did not initiate his journey but was guided out, receiving the command not to turn back or tarry in that land, but rather to ascend to the mountain. This instruction is universally applicable! If you wish to pursue the path, do not cast your gaze backward, but instead look ahead. Fix your eyes on Christ, who beckons you with the call, Follow Me (Matt. 16:23), as He urged Peter to follow Him, so that Peter might truly behold Christ. Behind lies Sodom, overflowing with shamelessness; behind stands Gomorrah, rife with immorality, a place marked by unrighteousness. The apostle warns, "Touch not, taste not," for all these things lead to decay (Colossians 2:21-22). Therefore, flee from Sodom, and depart without hesitation!
Abandon the elemental matters of this world, so that you are not engulfed by the imminent peril! Do not hesitate in your escape, nor linger in this realm of iniquity! The one who did not look back has been delivered, while the one who turned her gaze back has not saved herself.
Let us urgently escape, as Lot did, from the sins of Sodom, which he dreaded even more than punishment. A truly righteous man, he distanced himself from the taint of evil by shutting his home to the Sodomites. While dwelling among them, he remained uninformed about their immoral actions, profoundly detesting their shamefulness. When he departed, he did not look back, unwilling to share in their way of life. Thus, it is clear that one who escapes like Lot is the individual who forsakes their wrongdoings, abandons the customs of their fellow countrymen, and focuses ahead, mentally grasping the lofty city, remaining there until the death of the High Priest who took upon Himself the sins of the world.
He did indeed die, yet He dies for all who are baptized into the death of Christ, so that we may be buried with Him, raised alongside Him, and walk in the freshness of His life. Your escape is commendable if your heart does not mirror the pursuits and thoughts of the wicked. Your escape is commendable if your gaze shuns the allure of wine, lest you fall into envy, ensnared by intoxication. Your escape is commendable if you avert your eyes from another’s spouse, allowing your words to hold onto the truth. Your escape is commendable if you do not respond to the foolish in their folly. Your escape is commendable if you steer clear of the path of the unwise, for those who follow poor guides go astray, but if you wish to run with purpose, keep your distance from their words.
As morning broke, the angels urged Lot to abandon all his belongings and flee for his life, assuring him that God would provide abundantly for his needs, as He never abandons those who serve Him faithfully. They insisted, saying, "Get up, take your wife and your two daughters, and leave quickly the city, or you will share in the fate of those who are lost" (Genesis 19:15). The angels took hold of Lot, his wife, and daughters, guiding them out of the city and warned, "Escape for your life! Do not look back or linger in the valley. Instead, flee to the mountains, lest you be swept away by the destruction of Sodom" (Genesis 19:17).
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS