Job said he made a covenant with his eyes not to look lustfully at a girl. Let’s look at the passage in the Amplified Version.
He said, I dictated a covenant (an agreement) to my eyes; how then could I look (lustfully) upon a girl?
For what portion should I have from God my (if I were lewd), and what heritage from the Almighty on high? Job 31:1-3
It looks like job is saying “ok. God, I could accept and understand my plight, if I were walking around lusting after all the young girls around town or if I was some lewd pervert, but you know I made a covenant not to sin against you with my eyes. So why did you let this to happen?
In Job 31: 9-12, he said, if he allowed his heart to be deceived and coveted his neighbor’s wife, he deserved to be punished.
He said, "If my heart has been deceived and I made a fool by a woman, or if I have (covetously) laid wait at my neighbors door (until his departure).
Then let my wife grind (meal, like a bondslave) for another, and let others bow down upon her.
For (adultery) is a heinous and chief crime, an iniquity (to demand action) by the judges and punishment. (Deuteronomy 22:22; John 8:5)
For (uncontrolled passion) is a fire which consumes to Abaddon (to destruction, ruin, and the place of final torment) (that fire once lighted would rage until all is consumed) and would burn to the root of all my (life’s increase)." Job 31:9-12
Forgiven but punished severely.
It appears Job was aware of what many Christians fail to remember when confronted with sexual sexually. That sinning sexually is a "heinous crime" before God and though he forgives, he also punishes.
They fail to look at Job's example because they look at David's example and say God forgave David He’ll forgive me too. Although God forgave David, they forget his life was never the same after he committed adultery with Bathsheba.
Although God put away his sin (blotted out the transgression) infant death, rape, incest, murder, betrayal and idolatry ate away the moral fibers that once held his family together.
Although sorry for his sin and truly repentant, God rendered judgment as noted II Samuel 12:13. The passage reads " And David said to Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said to David. The Lord also has put away your sin, you shall not die."
Take a look at what Adam Clarke says about 2 Samuel 12:13. "The Lord has put away your sin, you shall not die. Many have supposed that David’s sin was now actually pardoned, but this is perfectly erroneous. David, as an adulterer was condemned to death by the law of God, and he had according to that law passed sentence of death upon himself. God alone, whose law that was, could revoke that sentence, or dispense with its execution.
Therefore Nathan, who had charged the guilt upon his conscience, is authorized to give him the assurance that he should not die a temporal death for it; The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. God has transferred the legal punishment of this sin to the child; he shall die, you shall not die. And this is the very point on which the prophet gives him the most direct information. The child that is born unto you shall surely die-dying he shall die."
A brief look at David's family after he committed adultery.
After David committed adultery with Bathsheba, The rest of his life was filled with deep distress and adversity. His children, Amnon, Absalom, Adonijah, Tamar, and Solomon were unfortunate instruments in the fulfillment of Nathan’s prophesy. Amnon fell in love with his stepsister Tamar and raped her. Absalom took revenge and had his servants kill his brother Amnon. Solomon had Adonijah killed because he tried to usurp the throne. Amnon had sex with David's concubines in front of all Israel as he staked claim to David's throne.
How David's sin weakened his kingdom.
In the book of Psalms, we see that because of David’s trials people were mocking and laughing at him. His enemies enjoyed seeing him being tormented by one betrayal and trial after another, they desired to see the demise of his kingdom. David said of his enemies, They also opened their mouth wide against me, And said, "Aha, aha! Our eyes have seen it." Psalms 35:21 (NKJV)
You have made us a strife to our neighbors, And our enemies laugh among themselves. Psalms 80:6 (NKJV) Let them be confounded because of their shame, Who say to me, "Aha, aha!" Psalms 40:15 (NKJV)
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On his deathbed he was betrayed by Joab the commander of his army and Abiathar the priest, men who had been with him from the beginning they were with him as he wrestled the kingdom from Saul.
Fight for your family make a covenant with your eyes.
Beth Moore states in "When Godly People Do Ungodly Things"," that since believers weren’t going to him (Satan) to get pornography. He brought it (porn) to them via home delivery! The internet has allowed pastors and lay leaders who would never buy a pornographic magazine to now have the luxury of viewing pornography in the privacy of their own homes."
Yes, making a covenant with your eyes will keep you from breaking covenant with spouse.
Kay Arthur suggests in her book “Sex According to God." "Tell God that you’ll look away from anything that would seduce you sexually, anything that would cause you to lust, to desire what is not legitimate."
Scripture tells us whoever commits adultery lacks wisdom and understanding.
Proverbs 6:32 But whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks heart and understanding (moral principle and prudence) he who does it is destroying his own life.
Don’t willingly destroy your life, turn from sin and live! If you are committing adultery repent before God renders judgment against you. He gave David time to repent and has given you time to repent. However, if you fail to repent he will cast you on a bed of tribulation/affliction (Revelation 2:22). I've seen it happen, some have become physically sick and others experienced tribulation/extreme trouble with their families, particularly their children. Yet, others experienced both, sickness in their body and trouble with, from and upon their children.
Some will say that's Old Testament, Jesus did not condemn the woman caught in the act of adultery. He did not condemn her but told her to go and sin no more. Jesus healed a man who was paralyzed for 38 years, after He healed him He told him to stop sinning unless something worse happened to him. His condition was a result of sin. (John 5:5-14).
James told the sick to call for the elders to pray and if they were sick due to sin they would be forgiven and raised up. He also told them to confess their sin to one another so they could be healed. Meaning, if they wronged someone they should confess the wrong in order to be healed. Yes, faith is an element of healing but it is not the only element. (James 5:14-16).
My point is, adultery is a "heinous crime" before God and you must repent or you may end up in a very bad place. For He has said "Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not; And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations?" Jeremiah 7:9-10
God may not continue to allow you to sin and come to his house under the guise of grace for much longer. We certainly pray that He will grant you time to repent as I ask you today to, "Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." (Isaiah 55:6-7).
