Week 19: Sexual Immorality

The reading for this week:

Sunday (Epistles): 2 Corinthians 6-8
Monday (The Law): Exodus 21-24
Tuesday (History): 2 Samuel 10-14
Wednesday (Psalms): Psalms 54-56
Thursday (Poetry): Job 37-38
Friday (Prophecy): Jeremiah 32-36
Saturday (Gospels): Luke 1-2

There is a lot to gather from the History part of the reading this week. The stories of David & Bathsheba as well as Amnon & Tamar are both very strong examples of what sexual immorality looks like and the pain that it causes.

David was "browsing" one day and let his eyes rest on a beautiful woman bathing in his sight (unbeknownst to her). Knowing who she was (a married woman) after inquiring of her, he sent for her, slept with her and they conceived. Through a series of bad choices, David ends up murdering Bathsheba's husband.

Amnon (David's son) fell in love with his half-sister Tamar. She was unmarried and chose to save herself for marriage (as the Law commands). Amnon faked an illness and requested of David that Tamar come to him and care for him. Tamar obeyed the king and cared for her brother. Having her all to himself, Amnon forced himself sexually upon Tamar, and despite her pleas and reasoning (even offering herself in marriage!) to stop, he raped her.

Scripture: 2 Samuel 13:15-16 "Then Amnon hated her with intense hatred. In fact, he hated her more than he had loved her. Amnon said to her "Get up and get out!" "No!" she said to him. "Sending me away would be a greater wrong than what you have already done to me."

Observation: There are just so many things wrong with this situation (and the Bathsheba situation) that it would be impossible to break down in this forum. But the focus today is on the selfishness that is sexual immorality. Both David and Amnon had a strong desire to do the wrong thing, and their wants for immediate gratification took full precedence over common sense and justice. David used his power and influence to woo Bathsheba. Amnon used deception, his familial connections and physical strength to take Tamar's innocence. Having been caught in their sins, both men resort to more vile behavior. The immediate 180 degree turn from love to hate really reflects the hearts of all who seek sexual gratification and then throw away the other person after the physical act is completed.

Application: "How dangerous is one look?" Our eyes can be deceived by what we think we know, and in many cases wanting is much more passionate and fun than having. When we look, we are only taking into consideration a very small part of a very big picture. Everyone has a story- we all have dreams, pain, experiences, hopes and more- the essence of who we are. Using people in such a narrow minded and intimate fashion for selfish purposes means short term (but false) gains for us- and intense pain for those we have used. Whether we view an image on the internet or engage in a full blown affair, the core purpose is selfish- and it can very well lead to extreme results such as the ones in these two stories.

Prayer: Father we ask for the wisdom to see your Creation as you designed it to be. What the eyes see is great as it all has been created by You, but what may be in our hearts can distort that beauty. We ask for the strength to fight the temptation of immediate gratification and the discernment to see the path we are on with regards to our actions. May the Spirit guide us back to the path that leads to You. Amen.

This week is a little more heavy than usual, but the weight of these stories as they pertain to the struggles of people today hopefully helps you as it helps me.

Have a great week and God Bless!

-Mike