God's View of Sexuality!
Reflections:
In today’s teaching in Deuteronomy we see the severe punishment for Marriage Violations and sexual immorality. At first glance the punishment seems severe for the crime. It is helpful in processing what this means to understand the culture influences of the day, and also the big picture in what God was doing to set apart Israel as a people for Himself. This would not only be a testimony to the nations, but also the genetic line through which the Messiah would come.
Another important point we see is that some of these laws were to protect women, especially those in the country, who might not have a voice if they were being taken advantage of. One of the ways the bible speaks counter culturally is the rights it gives women in a highly patriarchal society. Notice when both men and women are involved in sexually immorality, they are both punished in the same way. The bottom line is that sexual integrity matters to God, and God gave one avenue for sexual relations to be pursued in the context of marriage between and man and woman.
In the New Testament, Paul picks up on many of these themes in 1 Corinthians 6-7, where he instructs the Church at Corinth, that has been involved in sexual immorality, to flee from sexual immorality, for the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Unlike the gnostic teaching which said the body was bad, so therefore do whatever you want, Paul said Jesus came to redeem us mind, soul, body and spirit. Our bodies have been redeemed as evidenced by Jesus’ bodily resurrection, therefore honor God with the way you treat your bodies.
As we look to apply this today it has much application in the way we teach our young people about the gift of sexuality. As you know society bombards our kids that sex is okay, and if feels good do it! The Church needs to be strong in its teaching to the next generation of God’s commands regarding the use of our bodies. Think of the untold harm and damage done with all the unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, and brokenness in both human relationships and our relationship with God in relation to this topic. Do you think God might be saying something to us today? Do you think??
Psalm 83:13-18
13 Make them like tumbleweed, my God,
like chaff before the wind.
14 As fire consumes the forest
or a flame sets the mountains ablaze,
15 so pursue them with your tempest
and terrify them with your storm.
16 Cover their faces with shame, Lord,
so that they will seek your name.
17 May they ever be ashamed and dismayed;
may they perish in disgrace.
18 Let them know that you, whose name is the Lord —
that you alone are the Most High over all the earth.
Deuteronomy 22
Marriage Violations
13 If a man takes a wife and, after sleeping with her , dislikes her 14 and slanders her and gives her a bad name, saying, “I married this woman, but when I approached her, I did not find proof of her virginity,” 15 then the young woman’s father and mother shall bring to the town elders at the gate proof that she was a virgin. 16 Her father will say to the elders, “I gave my daughter in marriage to this man, but he dislikes her. 17 Now he has slandered her and said, ‘I did not find your daughter to be a virgin.’ But here is the proof of my daughter’s virginity.” Then her parents shall display the cloth before the elders of the town, 18 and the elders shall take the man and punish him. 19 They shall fine him a hundred shekels of silver and give them to the young woman’s father, because this man has given an Israelite virgin a bad name. She shall continue to be his wife; he must not divorce her as long as he lives.20 If, however, the charge is true and no proof of the young woman’s virginity can be found, 21 she shall be brought to the door of her father’s house and there the men of her town shall stone her to death. She has done an outrageous thing in Israel by being promiscuous while still in her father’s house. You must purge the evil from among you. 22 If a man is found sleeping with another man’s wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die. You must purge the evil from Israel.23 If a man happens to meet in a town a virgin pledged to be married and he sleeps with her, 24 you shall take both of them to the gate of that town and stone them to death—the young woman because she was in a town and did not scream for help, and the man because he violated another man’s wife. You must purge the evil from among you. 25 But if out in the country a man happens to meet a young woman pledged to be married and rapes her, only the man who has done this shall die. 26 Do nothing to the woman; she has committed no sin deserving death. This case is like that of someone who attacks and murders a neighbor, 27 for the man found the young woman out in the country, and though the betrothed woman screamed, there was no one to rescue her. 28 If a man happens to meet a virgin who is not pledged to be married and rapes her and they are discovered, 29 he shall pay her father fifty shekels of silver. He must marry the young woman, for he has violated her. He can never divorce her as long as he lives. 30 A man is not to marry his father’s wife; he must not dishonor his father’s bed.
Luke 8:40-56
Jesus Raises a Dead Girl and Heals a Sick Woman
40 Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him. 41 Then a man named Jairus, a synagogue leader, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come to his house 42 because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying. As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. 43 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. 44 She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. 45 “Who touched me?” Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.” 46 But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.” 47 Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. 48 Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”49 While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” he said. “Don’t bother the teacher anymore. 50 Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.”51 When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John and James, and the child’s father and mother. 52 Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her. “Stop wailing,” Jesus said. “She is not dead but asleep.” 53 They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. 54 But he took her by the hand and said, “My child, get up!” 55 Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat. 56 Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.
You shall not set your desire on your neighbor’s house or anything that belongs to your neighbor. Deuteronomy 5:21 (NIV)
Put to death, therefore, whatever in you is earthly: evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry). Colossians 3:5
Lord, sometimes the most important relationships with our neighbors can be spoiled by envy and greed. Help us keep to ourselves what we desire and give us control over that evil. We ask for escape from idolatry. In Jesus’ name. Amen
In today’s teaching in Deuteronomy we see the severe punishment for Marriage Violations and sexual immorality. At first glance the punishment seems severe for the crime. It is helpful in processing what this means to understand the culture influences of the day, and also the big picture in what God was doing to set apart Israel as a people for Himself. This would not only be a testimony to the nations, but also the genetic line through which the Messiah would come.
Another important point we see is that some of these laws were to protect women, especially those in the country, who might not have a voice if they were being taken advantage of. One of the ways the bible speaks counter culturally is the rights it gives women in a highly patriarchal society. Notice when both men and women are involved in sexually immorality, they are both punished in the same way. The bottom line is that sexual integrity matters to God, and God gave one avenue for sexual relations to be pursued in the context of marriage between and man and woman.
In the New Testament, Paul picks up on many of these themes in 1 Corinthians 6-7, where he instructs the Church at Corinth, that has been involved in sexual immorality, to flee from sexual immorality, for the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Unlike the gnostic teaching which said the body was bad, so therefore do whatever you want, Paul said Jesus came to redeem us mind, soul, body and spirit. Our bodies have been redeemed as evidenced by Jesus’ bodily resurrection, therefore honor God with the way you treat your bodies.
As we look to apply this today it has much application in the way we teach our young people about the gift of sexuality. As you know society bombards our kids that sex is okay, and if feels good do it! The Church needs to be strong in its teaching to the next generation of God’s commands regarding the use of our bodies. Think of the untold harm and damage done with all the unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, and brokenness in both human relationships and our relationship with God in relation to this topic. Do you think God might be saying something to us today? Do you think??
Psalm 83:13-18
13 Make them like tumbleweed, my God,
like chaff before the wind.
14 As fire consumes the forest
or a flame sets the mountains ablaze,
15 so pursue them with your tempest
and terrify them with your storm.
16 Cover their faces with shame, Lord,
so that they will seek your name.
17 May they ever be ashamed and dismayed;
may they perish in disgrace.
18 Let them know that you, whose name is the Lord —
that you alone are the Most High over all the earth.
Deuteronomy 22
Marriage Violations
13 If a man takes a wife and, after sleeping with her , dislikes her 14 and slanders her and gives her a bad name, saying, “I married this woman, but when I approached her, I did not find proof of her virginity,” 15 then the young woman’s father and mother shall bring to the town elders at the gate proof that she was a virgin. 16 Her father will say to the elders, “I gave my daughter in marriage to this man, but he dislikes her. 17 Now he has slandered her and said, ‘I did not find your daughter to be a virgin.’ But here is the proof of my daughter’s virginity.” Then her parents shall display the cloth before the elders of the town, 18 and the elders shall take the man and punish him. 19 They shall fine him a hundred shekels of silver and give them to the young woman’s father, because this man has given an Israelite virgin a bad name. She shall continue to be his wife; he must not divorce her as long as he lives.20 If, however, the charge is true and no proof of the young woman’s virginity can be found, 21 she shall be brought to the door of her father’s house and there the men of her town shall stone her to death. She has done an outrageous thing in Israel by being promiscuous while still in her father’s house. You must purge the evil from among you. 22 If a man is found sleeping with another man’s wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die. You must purge the evil from Israel.23 If a man happens to meet in a town a virgin pledged to be married and he sleeps with her, 24 you shall take both of them to the gate of that town and stone them to death—the young woman because she was in a town and did not scream for help, and the man because he violated another man’s wife. You must purge the evil from among you. 25 But if out in the country a man happens to meet a young woman pledged to be married and rapes her, only the man who has done this shall die. 26 Do nothing to the woman; she has committed no sin deserving death. This case is like that of someone who attacks and murders a neighbor, 27 for the man found the young woman out in the country, and though the betrothed woman screamed, there was no one to rescue her. 28 If a man happens to meet a virgin who is not pledged to be married and rapes her and they are discovered, 29 he shall pay her father fifty shekels of silver. He must marry the young woman, for he has violated her. He can never divorce her as long as he lives. 30 A man is not to marry his father’s wife; he must not dishonor his father’s bed.
Luke 8:40-56
Jesus Raises a Dead Girl and Heals a Sick Woman
40 Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him. 41 Then a man named Jairus, a synagogue leader, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come to his house 42 because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying. As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. 43 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. 44 She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. 45 “Who touched me?” Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.” 46 But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.” 47 Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. 48 Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”49 While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” he said. “Don’t bother the teacher anymore. 50 Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.”51 When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John and James, and the child’s father and mother. 52 Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her. “Stop wailing,” Jesus said. “She is not dead but asleep.” 53 They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. 54 But he took her by the hand and said, “My child, get up!” 55 Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat. 56 Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.
You shall not set your desire on your neighbor’s house or anything that belongs to your neighbor. Deuteronomy 5:21 (NIV)
Put to death, therefore, whatever in you is earthly: evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry). Colossians 3:5
Lord, sometimes the most important relationships with our neighbors can be spoiled by envy and greed. Help us keep to ourselves what we desire and give us control over that evil. We ask for escape from idolatry. In Jesus’ name. Amen
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