by erika haveman
For quite some time, now, I would dare to suggest that the world, and many a Christian as well, has believed the lie that they are defined by their sexuality. Self control seeking to honour the Lord has been replaced by “sex control” which seeks to honour oneself. As a result God is painted as a Being who doesn’t care about His own standards of holiness.
When it comes to sexuality we cannot lay aside what the Bible says or the stories that we can learn from. The book of Judges can be especially insightful as we study God’s standards for not just sexuality, but also our lives.
Israel was left in a good place at the end of Joshua – settling in the Promised Land. But God had given them standards (as a holy, just, loving, faithful God does). He told them in Deuteronomy 7:1-4 that when they would enter the land promised to them they were to devote all people groups to complete destruction. You could get caught up on this but I beg you to remember that God hates evil – and He is the One who defined good and evil.
“Now the angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bochim. And he said, “I brought you up from Egypt and brought you into the land that I swore to give to your fathers. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you, and you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall break down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed my voice. What is this you have done? So now I say, I will not drive them out before you, but they shall become thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you.” – Judges 2:1-3
This is a heartbreaking verse. I never read, “What is this you have done?” in an angry, condemning voice because imagine that you create something. It’s beautiful and brings your heart joy and you have an unspeakable excitement that cannot be contained. Stop for a minute and think of that something. Maybe it’s a painting or a delicious meal you’ve slaved over or a dress you’ve sewn. Think of something.
Then imagine someone takes that something and breaks it. Snaps it in two. Spits on it. Then laughs in your face about it all.
That would hurt your feelings right? You might want to get even. You might want to yell and scream and punch and kick. God didn’t do that when mankind took creation and considered it not good enough. As a result God gave them boundaries and asked His created beings (mankind) to honour them, warning them that if mankind didn’t honour the boundaries then there would be consequences.
We see some of those consequences in Judges. We see God’s broken heart, His hope drained but not entirely lost because He always had a plan for mankind. We see God in the book of Judges send His Spirit onto and into men and women in order to keep moving His plans onward. Despite the brokenness and the disobedience God still cares – if He didn’t Judges wouldn’t be a book in the Bible. In fact, if God didn’t care then Jesus wouldn’t have bothered to enter our mess at all.
Judges also offers stories of sexual brokenness. From Samson to the crimes of Gibeah we suffer no lack. Samson in particular I want us to consider. If we are called to stay faithful because God is faithful then how did Samson do? Probably as good as the rest of us – but we see that just because Samson failed doesn’t mean that God failed. Samson didn’t stay faithful and his demise was brought on by a lust for the pleasures of the world and an arrogance to believe that he was immune from consequence. He didn’t exhibit self control but he exhibited “sex control.” The Spirit of the Lord had come upon Samson (Judges 13:25) and then left him after he stopped caring about God’s boundaries for his life (Judges 16:21).
Just like Samson the Spirit of the Lord has come upon you and lives inside of you (Galatians 4:6-7). Just like Samson there are things in your life that will dare to distract you and build an arrogance in you to make you disregard God’s healthy boundaries and expectations for your life (Romans 3:23-24). Just like Samson there will be the temptation to chase the pleasures of this world over the desire to acquire self control (1 Cor. 10:8-9).
Whatever the sin that tempts you most, you must name it. You need to name the lie that you’re believing that says “you need this more than you need God.” Name the lie and pick up the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17) because you cannot combat a lie without a weapon.
God is faithful to His word, and even to the end with Samson God was faithful to grant Samson his final request: “Let me die with the Philistines,” (Judges 16:30). At the end of it all Samson knew to whom he belonged and was ready to accept the consequences for his disobedience, but God was faithful to use Samson to also avenge the Israelites and destroy 3,000 Philistines. I don’t think God asks you to die, but what is the sacrifice you need to make? Just like Samson (and all the other Judges) God set you aside for a purpose – what are you letting get in the way? Where are you not submitting to the need for self control?
the rambling missionary 