GETTING TOO PHYSICAL?

GENESIS AND PROVERBS ON SEXUAL BOUNDARIES

When a pagan king saw, Isaac 'fondling' his wife Rebecca through the window, he shot a question: "Why did you not tell me that Rebecca was your wife, Isaac? Why did you instead say that she was just your sister?" Stop. Listen. There is a moral in this narrative.

A truth for youth is hidden in this story found in Genesis 26:1-9. It is this: even a disbelieving king knew instinctively that only a husband and wife can fondle each other – not just any couple! Even a pagan king instinctively knew that you could fondle only your wife – not anyone else of the opposite sex. When this is the case, it is quite sorrowful to note young people who are church-regulars also being casual sex regulars. 

The Proverbs' penman's question to this generation of youth who have no qualms about exploring every inch of the body of the opposite sex is this straightforward: "Why embrace the breasts of another man's wife?" (Prov. 5:19). Just the previous verse in this passage makes out that the breasts of a young wife must be caressed only by her young husband (verse 18).

The problem with petting is this: you will want to get more and more intimate with the person of the opposite sex you are getting physical with. I haven't yet met a young man who told his girlfriend, "Girl, that kiss was awesome. However, from our next meeting onward we will just shake hands – okay!"

Even in the Bible I read about a young man who first "strolled" near a seductive woman's home; then he started to "smooch" her only to finally "sleep" with her (Prov. 7:8-23). Notice how he graduated from lesser forms of intimacy to greater forms. Our body is wired that way. The Bible calls him "a youth who lacked judgment" (Prov 7:7). And if we get physically intimate with the opposite sex, we too will earn that same name.  You don't want it – do you?

"If you cannot stop, don't start!" – that was a signboard  put up in a Brake Station. Relay that principle in the area of sexual intimacy and the message is crystal clear: if you want to stay a virgin and please the Lord, don't even start to be physically intimate with a person of the opposite sex! Be the Joseph who ran away from the woman who touched him the wrong way (Gen. 39:12).

Job recommended making a covenant