Introduction
Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. 1 Corinthians 6:18
Sexual perversion has been there since the Bible time. The few bible stories that we restate below are indicative of the depraved nature of the fallen man. The Bible gives us ample guide regarding sexual integrity.
Joseph resists the advances of a seductive woman (Genesis 39)
Joseph was one of the twelve children of Jacob. He was sold to Egyptian slave merchants. He eventually found himself in house of Potiphar, a chief of staff to the Egyptian Pharaoh. His master did not treat him as slave because he found favour in his sight. Potiphar’s wife keyed into this likeness but for an unholy reason. Potiphar’s wife tried to get Joseph to come to bed with her multiple times, but Joseph denied her.
“My master has put me in charge,” he told her. “Now he doesn’t have to worry about anything in the house. He trusts me to take care of everything he owns. No one in this house is in a higher position than I am. My master hasn’t held anything back from me, except you. You are his wife. So how could I do an evil thing like that? How could I sin against God?” Gen. 39:8,9
Although his refusal landed him in the prison, Joseph left his master’s house with a clear conscience that he did not offend God. He knew the long run implication of sleeping with another man’s wife. Little wonder that at the end of the whole drama, he triumphed, he became the most powerful individual in Pharaoh’s cabinet. The lesson from this story is that we should always resist the devil and he will flee from us. James 4:7.
Idleness, David and the sin of adultery
David, a military general and king, had sent his chief of army staff, Joab, to go to war and conquer enemy nations, but he stayed behind in the nation’s capital city, Jerusalem. 2 Sam. 11. It was at this moment of idleness that he saw from his balcony a woman the Bible described as beautiful (Bathsheba) having her bath. The woman was the wife of one of the King’s field soldiers (Uriah). David could not resist the woman’s beauty, having seen the nakedness. She called for the woman and had illicit sex with her. David wanted to cover up his sins, when he recalled Uriah and requested him to go back home. He had hoped that Uriah will perform his conjugal duty with his wife. Uriah refused to go home and he returned to the battlefield. But having known the implication of what has happened and the possibility of Bathsheba being pregnant, he asked that Uriah be put in the fiercest area of the battle ground. Thus, Uriah died in battle, leaving the King with no choice but to inherit Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba. The sin circle was now complete: David’s illicit sex with a subordinate’s wife; he arranged the killing of the woman’s husband; David eventually took Uriah’s widow in as one of his wives.
You cannot hide anything from God. Unknown to David, God has revealed the secret to Prophet Nathan, who told a parable to David that explained David’s grievous sins. David admitted that he had sinned against God. Nathan reminded David of God’s power to forgive sins. The popular Psalm 51 was written by David as a demonstration of a repentant heart.
Sexual sin among David’s children
It was the proverbial case of like father like son. Another example of sexual assault in the Bible is the story of Tamar and Amnon, children of King David, found in 2 Samuel 13.
In the account, Amnon who was the half-sister Tamar loathed to have canal knowledge of her. Some of his friends helped Amnon to scheme a plot that would allow Amnon to take advantage of her. The plot succeeded and Amnon raped his half-sister, against her personal wishes and desire. A “family war” ensued in the camp of David.
Tamar’s blood-brother Absalom caught wind of what happened, but did nothing immediately. Two years later, Absalom took revenge, ordering Amnon to be killed. Connect these stories. Rape incident eventually led to murder case in the same family of the King!
Samson and the prostitute
Samson was a strong man. He was a child of promise but he could not control his sexual urge. In Judges 16: 1-3, the Bible records how Samson travelled to Gaza, spends half the night with a prostitute. What was he doing with a prostitute in dead of the night? Should a prostitute be his companion? The conclusion we can reach is that he had sexual relationship with that prostitute. His marriage to Delilah, a daughter of the Philistines, is also a proof of Samson’s weakness with women of easy virtues.
A Call to take a Decision
Beloved, have you entered into personal relationship with Jesus Christ by accepting Him as your Lord and Saviour? If you have not, you need to do so without delay. Inviting and accepting Jesus Christ into your life is the beginning of a glorious and eternally rewarding relationship with God, your Creator. It is a decision you can never regret as you walk with Him faithfully and consistently for the rest of your life. Surrender your life to Jesus Christ today by acknowledging that you are a sinner. God sent Jesus Christ to die for you and as you confess your sins to Him, He will forgive you so that you will not have to be punished for the same. Ask Jesus Christ to cleanse your heart with His precious blood, deliver you from sin and Satan and empower you by the Holy Spirit to henceforth live above sin and live totally for God. You can write and share your testimony via [email protected]