Today
let us consider some illustrations related to abstinence (or lack of the same).
·
Samson.
Judges 14:1-4.
Samson was tricked by Delilah. What led up to it? To begin with Samson went to Timnath, in the
direction of the Philistine area. In
other words he failed to avoid tempting situations (Prin. #2). On other occasions he went in that same
direction to see His wife during wheat harvest (15:1), to Gaza where he found a
prostitute (16:1), and then when he “fell in love” with Delilah. Note that while Judges 16:4 says the
situation was “of the Lord,” in other words that God would use it, it was
nevertheless wrong to set his heart on a Philistine woman. Samson was a Nazarite.
Matthew Henry: That it was weakly
and foolishly done of him to set his affections upon a daughter of the
Philistines; the thing appeared very improper. Shall one that is not only an
Israelite, but a Nazarite, devoted to the Lord, covet to become one with a
worshipper of Dagon? Shall one marked for a patriot of his country march among
those that are its sworn enemies?
Further he “saw” her. He set his heart on her, not because she was
virtuous or wise or a good helper, but because he saw something in her face or
form that was agreeable.
Note that in 16:4 it says he “fell in love”
with her. He apparently used those words
with her as she acknowledges in 16:15.
It is clear that this is the common confusion between lust and
love. The world sees love as beginning
with physical attraction and later finding oneness of the soul and spirit. Amnon, David’s son, was like this (2 Sam.
13:1) he “loved” Tamar. His love led him
to take her by force and then, after raping her, to hate her (13:15). With both Samson and Amnon, what they thought
was good for themselves would cost them their lives. You can add David (with Bathsheba), Solomon,
Shechem, Judah and many others as illustrations of sexual immorality.
·
Joseph. Genesis
39. Joseph was apparently well-built and
handsome. But of greater value: he
accepted God’s plan and timing for his life (39:9). And we see that he lived by the three
principles of abstinence. He guarded his
heart in that he committed his life to “the dream.” Joseph’s earlier dreams revealed God’s will
for him as well as for his family. It
was the word of God for Joseph. This sustained him through hardships and kept
him from craving what the world offered.
While it is true he could not avoid occasional contact with Potiphar’s
wife we see that he avoided her as much as he could (v10). The Lord was with Joseph (v2-3) and he
recognized that sexual immorality was not God’s will. And we see that when the situation arose he
ran from the house. He fled
fornication. His running got him in
trouble with Potiphar but not with God.
It led to his rise to greatness and usefulness to God just as much as
the filthy lusts of Samson led to his downfall.
Abstinence form sexual immorality pleases
God. And it blesses the person who
practices it! What else are you looking
for?
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