Avoiding Sexual Temptations

Avoiding Sexual Temptations - Assorted Proverbs

Turn with me if you would to the book of Proverbs, chapter 5. We have been going through the Old Testament together, and we are looking at the period of the unified kingdom: God brought the Jews as His chosen people into a land that he had prepared for them. He gave them a King after his own heart, David, son of Jesse. David’s son Solomon replaced him. David wrote many songs, which we have recorded in the book of the Psalms. We talked about some of them the last few weeks. Solomon also was an author, but of Proverbs - wise, pithy sayings of great insight. He wrote 1000 songs and 3000 proverbs. We are going to look at some of his writings today. Especially those dealing with SEX.

Sometimes we get the idea that things were so much different back in those OT days. David and Solomon just hung out at the palace, watching sheep, collecting tribute, and taking life easy. But the truth of both the Bible as well as confirmed by archaeology is that they lived in a VERY sexual society. The Canaanites, who lived all around them, basically worshiped sex. Intercourse with temple prostitutes was the way farmers would try to ensure a good harvest for their crops. Very graphic images were everywhere in the Canaanite culture. And in the midst of this oversexed society God placed his people to be a light and a witness.

The NT days were no better. The Roman and Greek societies both had a high emphasis on sex. Some of the Roman emperors were very notable for their blatant sexual orgies. Marriage meant very little. It was not a bond of commitment, but rather a legal bond. Sexual gratification was found outside of marriage more than in marriage. And as his salt and light, God placed the Christians teaching the first century world to live by a very different standard, to value women, to be faithful, to be chaste and pure, to live for God over living for lust.

Then we come to our day, and we realize it is no different. We live in a sexual society. In fact everywhere you turn, except for the church, you will find those talking about sex. But as the church we have often felt ashamed or embarrassed and failed to address our sexuality. The truth is that our sexuality is one of the most powerful driving forces in our lives and in our society, and God has much to say about it. We need to talk about it, and we don’t need to be ashamed.

When we think back to Genesis, we see God creating man in chapter 1. Verse 26 tells us Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God is the one who created our sexuality. And it was no mistake. One teacher I enjoy, Dan Allendar, says when we think about how men and women are created, God must either be a sadistic madman or an incredible genius. We all know about the differences.

Two weeks ago I was at a men’s retreat, and Stu Weber compared men and women with the analogy of a haircut. One woman comes up to another woman and says, “Did you get a new haircut, it looks so good on you.” Do you really think so, I mean, you don’t think it makes my face out of proportion do you? Are you kidding, I just wish I had half the face you do. And that color, it just blends so well with your personality. Well, I really don’t want to seem ostentatious or showy, but I felt it was time for a change. I’m glad you noticed. Are you kidding, I think it is just what you needed ---- and so the conversation goes on for half an hour. MEN on the other hand, can have the same conversation in only two words: Haircut? Yep!

When it comes to sex, it is well known that there are major differences between men and women. And I don’t just mean physically. One analogy that has often been used is the crockpot and the microwave. And those two cooking devices haunt us all sexually day after day after day.

But to get back to the main point, God in his GENIUS planned us male and female. And in verse 31, God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. God created sex, and he gave it to us for several purposes: For procreation, for pleasure, and for bonding. But when man fell and sin entered this new world, sex became abused in many ways.