Jó 31

Jó 31:1

Poole comments: Whatsoever mine eyes desired; whatsoever was grateful to my senses, or my heart desired. He ascribes desire to the eyes, because the sight of the eyes is the usual and powerful incentive of desires Mt 5:28+ but I say to you, that everyone who looks on a woman to lust for her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.29 "And if your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out, and throw it from you; for it is better for you that one of the parts of your body perish, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.30 "And if your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off, and throw it from you; for it is better for you that one of the parts of your body perish, than for your whole body to go into hell. TASSELS: CORDS OF BLUE In Jehovah's exhortation regarding tassels in Numbers 15, there is a powerful principle that relates to where we focus our eyes, our attention - The LORD also spoke to Moses, saying, 38 “Speak to the sons of Israel, and tell them that they shall make for themselves tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and that they shall put on the tassel of each corner a cord of blue. 39 “And it shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the LORD, so as to do them and not follow after your own heart and your own eyes (Note juxtaposition of our heart and our eyes! Be careful what you look at!), after which you played the harlot (KJV = "go a whoring"! Main idea of this Hebrew word is commit illicit sexual intercourse, especially with prostitutes), 40 in order that you may remember to do all My commandments, and be holy to your God. 41 “I am the LORD your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt to be your God; I am the LORD your God.” (Nu 15:37-41) COMMENT: The Israelites were to add tassels to their garments as a reminder to obey the commandments of God and to live holy lives before Him, and as a reminder of God's deliverance from the bondage of Egypt. According to Jewish tradition, there were eight threads and five knots in each tassel, suggesting the number thirteen. The numerical value of the Hebrew word for tassels, sisit, is 600. In this way they were reminded of the 613 laws of the Hebrew legal code. This passage is the origin of the Jewish tallit (Heb.) or prayer shawl (cf. Deut. 22:12). HOW TO TRAP AN ERMINE - The ermine is a little animal that is used to make fur coats, because they have a coat that is snow white. Trappers find the ermine's hole (home) knowing he would run there to hide. The hunters would smear something vile, dirty, defiling around the entrance of his hole. As the dogs drove the ermine to his hole to get away, the snow white animal would see the filth and, realize it would have to defile its coat in order to enter his hole. So rather than defile itself, the ermine refused to enter and instead would turn around and face the dogs, in effect giving its life, rather than suffering defilement! Does holiness and moral purity mean that much to you? If not, you are destined to succumb to moral temptation, because you are half-hearted. Enabled by the Holy Spirit, you must determine to remain morally pure, to be holy as He is holy (1Pe 1:14, 15, 16+) And remember, the Spirit of the Living God does business with those that mean business. Don't get trapped! ADULTERY I. ITS NATURE. It is a vice opposed to chastity, and may be committed-- 1. In the heart (Mat 5:28); and therefore (1)look not oh yourselves as innocent because not actual idolaters. (2) Repent of unchaste thoughts. (3) Labour against them. 2. In the act. II. its greatness as a sin. 1. It is frequently forbidden. 2. It is destructive to self and others. 3. It is the occasion of many sins. 4. It is a punishment as well as a sin (Pro 22:14; Rom 1:24). 5. It consumes a man’s estate (Pro 5:10; Pro 6:26; Job 31:12). 6. The body also (Pro 5:11). 7. It defiles the body (1Co 6:18). 8. It darkens a man’s judgment and understanding Hos 4:11). 9. It destroys the whole soul (Pro 6:32). 10. It brings irreparable is grace (Pro 6:33). 11. Ordinarily it is punished in this life (Num 25:6; 1Co 10:8). 12. Certainly in the life to come (Heb 13:4; 1Co 6:9-10). III. Its prevention. 1. Avoid the occasions. (1) Idleness (Eze 16:49; 2Sa 11:2); (2) Bad company (Pr 7:25); (3) All other sins (Pr 1:25). 2. Make a covenant with thine eyes (Job 31:1). 3. Watch over thy thoughts (Mal 2:16), 4. Keep in with God (Pro 22:14). 5. Delight in the Word of God (Pr 2:10-16). 6. Be much in prayer and meditation (Ps 119:37). (Bishop Beveridge.) The Scriptures require spiritual leaders to be a " One woman man." (1 Timothy 3:2). Here are a few suggestions that may prove helpful: EYES — Remember the song, " I Only Have Eyes for You" ? We must determine to only " look" at our wives. Lustful gazes are acts of adultery. (Matthew 5:29; Job 31:1) C. S. Lewis said, " If you look at ham and eggs with lust, you already have committed breakfast." EARS — How easily we can be sexually stimulated by what we hear. Proverbs cautions us, " For the lips of an adulteress drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil." (Proverbs 5:3) LIPS — A man committed to his wife does not flatter other women: " Whoever flatters his neighbor is spreading a net for his feet." (Proverbs 29:5) HANDS — Paul admonishes us to " Treat… younger women as sisters, with absolute purity." (1 Timothy 5:2). The manner in which we relate physically to our sisters should serve as a guideline in our association with other women. FEET — We can easily identify with the statement, " I can resist anything but temptation." Perhaps that's why the Scriptures warn us to " Flee youthful lusts… " (2 Timothy 2:22a) David stood and looked at naked Bathsheba and ended up committing adultery and murder. By contrast, Joseph fled Potifer's seductive wife and remained pure. (2 Samuel 11; Genesis 39) MIND — It is only by the renewing of the mind that we can expect to live a pure life: " Let God re-mold your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good… " (Romans 12:2b – Philips Translation) God's Word is central to the renewal process. QUESTION: Are you allowing anything into your mind that is making the renewal process unnecessarily difficult? HEART — Wise old Solomon cautioned us, " Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." (Proverbs 4:23) Thus, emotional involvement with a person of the opposite sex is often an early step in the process that culminates in the act of adultery. QUESTION: Does your present attitude and pattern of behavior indicate a deep resolve to remain a " ONE WOMAN MAN" ? Good Vision - John Butler “I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid.” (Job 31:1) JOB is telling his three friends about a special covenant which he had made. From this verse we note the sanctity in the covenant, the sight in the covenant, the seriousness of the covenant, and the strength from the covenant. Sanctity in the covenant. “I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid.” This covenant was to keep Job pure morally. Such a covenant is so commendable. Men often set goals for their life, but few of the goals ever involve moral purity. Some set goals for making money or for some sports achievement. Job’s goal, as stated in his covenant, was to be pure morally. Sight in the covenant. “With mine eyes.” Job recognized that the eye gate is where the great portion of sin enters our life. We seem to have forgotten that fact, for few people do much to keep their eyes from beholding the unsanctified. TV and videos are greatly polluting people through the eye gate. Hollywood pollutes through the eye gate. And the check-out counters of many stores have their dirty magazines all lined up to pollute their customers through the eye gate. Guard your eyes. More evil enters your life through your eye gate than any other gate. Seriousness of the covenant. “I made a covenant.” Making a covenant is serious business. It shows the dedication of Job to be pure. If you do not get earnest about purity, you will not succeed in being pure. So many folk never take seriously this matter of living holy. Evil is earnest; and if we are going to defeat evil, we will have to be earnest in opposing it. Strength from the covenant. “Why then should I think upon a maid?” The thought in this last sentence in the verse is that the covenant gives strength to overcome temptation. And we need strength to overcome this temptation, for it is a very strong temptation. Do all that you can to protect yourself from being seduced by temptation to be immoral. We can never be too strong for this matter of temptation to immorality. Keep yourself strong spirituality or sin will overcome you. EYE TROUBLE I have made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I gaze at a virgin? JOB 31:1 Men, this may not be an easy thing to admit with your wife sitting right next to you. But let’s be honest—you’ll likely relate to the story I’m about to tell. I was seated in a car with another Christian leader—a good friend of mine. We were both away from home, without our wives, waiting for a colleague who had just gone inside a store. And as we sat there, a woman walked by who was, well, drop-dead gorgeous. I caught sight of her as she entered the store, and then turned back to our conversation. When she walked by again, by God’s grace (or the fear of my own reputation being spoiled), I summoned up enough self-control to look away. But I did notice my friend’s eyes lingering as she walked on to her car. Knowing we were both fighting the same battle, I casually said, “Hey, you can look at her once, you can look at her twice, but if you look at her that long …” We laughed. We knew. Guys, there’s nothing wrong with appreciating a woman’s beauty. But we all know in an instant when we’ve reached that point where we’re no longer simply noticing her but have begun enjoying her and letting our minds become a playground of lustful thoughts. That’s when Fred Stoeker, coauthor of Every Man’s Battle, says we must heed the covenant of Job 31:1. With the same impulsive quickness that makes us pull our hands back from a hot stove, we must discipline ourselves to “bounce” our eyes away from her. Yes, it’s every man’s battle, all right. But it’s a battle we can win. DISCUSS Husbands, help your wives understand that this admission of struggle is not caused by being unsatisfied with her. It’s a struggle with temptation, lust, sin—a struggle with yourself. PRAY Wives, pray for your husbands in this area. Each of you should ask God for help with any deep areas of sin and temptation, especially those that can come between the two of you. Trust Him for the strength to be obedient. (Dennis Rainey) Job 31:1 New Testament Morality or Old? It is commonly said that Jesus expanded or deepened the morality of the Old Testament. One example from the Sermon on the Mount is “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Mt 5:27–28). But how can that understanding of Jesus’ statement be accurate, given Job’s claim in Job 31:1? Note that Jesus did not in fact contrast what he said with what the Old Testament taught. If one carefully notes the language of Matthew 5, it contrasts what “you have heard” with what Jesus said. Since our Lord is the author of the Old Testament as well as the New, it can hardly be appropriate to see the two in opposition to each other, unless we assume that God can contradict himself. Instead, what is being contrasted is the oral tradition of the Jewish community of that day with the written and personal revelation of Jesus Christ. Thus, for example, Matthew 5:43 says that conventional wisdom dictated, “Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” Nowhere in the Old Testament can one find a verse supporting the second half of that bit of advice. This confirms that the opposition Jesus set up was between what passed for truth in the public mind (some of that being correct and some of it being plain wrong) and what God wants us to know and do. But what of Job’s claim? Some contend, with a great deal of persuasive evidence, that he lived during the patriarchal age. But could a man living between 2000 and 1750 B.C. have made as high an ethical statement as Job makes here? Job clearly was concerned about more than external behaviors. He offered daily sacrifices on behalf of all his children, for he feared that they might have sinned inwardly (Job 1:5). Here, then, was a man who thought about his own internal intentions and those of others. Can we be all that surprised to learn that he had decided to shun not only all acts of adultery but also the wrong desires that form in the eye and the heart? Desires arising from greed, deceit and lust were taboo in this man’s life. Coveting a woman was just as much a sin as the act of adultery itself. Both the desire and the act were culpable before God and renounced by this Old Testament man who “feared God and shunned evil” (Job 1:1, 8; 2:3). The point made in Job 31:1 is repeated in Job 31:9–12. There Job once again denies that he has been guilty of adultery; he has committed no sinful acts and has in fact restrained all the drives that could lead to such acts. He rejected all inducements to adultery. The obligation Job laid on his eyes is consistent with warnings in other wisdom literature in which “the eye” is seen as the source of evil impulses (Prov 6:17; 10:10; 30:17). The eye also is viewed as the seat of pride (Prov 30:13) and, in the Apocryphal wisdom books, as the source of sexual desire (Sirach 9:8; 26:9). Job’s claim to have made a covenant with his eyes and a determination not to look upon or turn his thoughts toward an unmarried girl or another man’s wife corresponds well with Ben Sirach’s teaching (Sirach 9:5). Moreover, Job 31:3–4 makes it clear that he expected divine retribution if he failed, and that he would have to answer to God, not society, for any lapses in morality. His covenant was no manifestation of moral heroism on his part, but a decision that was in accord with the Word of God. In fact, according to Job 31:4, Job realized that God saw everything; all of a person’s ways were open before the Lord. Again, this concept of God’s awareness of all a person does and thinks is echoed in other wisdom teaching (for example, Ps 33:13–15; 69:5; 94:11; 119:168; 139; Prov 5:21). On these points there is very little difference between the moral expectations of the New Testament and those of the Old. The teaching of our Lord through Job’s book and the teaching of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount are harmonious. See also comment on MATTHEW 5:28. (Hard Sayings of the Bible) There is no time of day or night, No place on land or sea That God, whose eye is never dim, Does not see you and me. –DJD To know that God sees usv brings both conviction and comfort. COVENANT WITH MY EYES - Our friend is a computer “techie.” One night when our family was at his house, I noticed a verse taped to his monitor: “I have made a covenant with my eyes” (Job 31:1). Evidently, he understood the potential danger of spending hours alone in front of a computer with easy access to indecent images. Our friend’s “reminder verse” is a quote from Job, and it continues, “Why then should I look upon a young woman?” Like many of us, Job had promised himself to stay free of lust. Reflecting on that oath, he said, “Does [God] not see my ways, and count all my steps?” (Job 31:4, cp Pr 15:3-note, 1Pe 1:17-note). The Bible assures us that God does (Heb 4:13-note), and that we are accountable to Him. This is why believers must “abstain from sexual immorality” (1Th. 4:3-note). While some want to debate the boundaries of morality, the Bible says, “Whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Mt 5:28-note). When lustful thoughts assail your mind To play with immorality, Remember that God’s will for you Is holiness and purity. —Sper A look that lingers can lead to lust. Our thoughts are shaped by what we see, And thoughts affect our soul; So if we'd profit from TV, We must be in control. —DJD The Bible is the best TV (INTERNET) guide. ANTHEM: Strategies for Fighting Lust ANTHEM: Strategies for Fighting Lust November 5, 2001 by John Piper See List of Sermons and Articles on Sexual Purity by Dr Piper Lust is Like Drunkenness - Youtube audio by John Piper I have in mind men and women. For men it’s obvious. The need for warfare against the bombardment of visual temptation to fixate on sexual images is urgent. For women it is less obvious, but just as great if we broaden the scope of temptation to food or figure or relational fantasies. When I say “lust” I mean the realm of thought, imagination, and desire that leads to sexual misconduct. So here is one set of strategies in the war against wrong desires. I put it in the form of an acronym, A N T H E M. A – AVOID as much as is possible and reasonable the sights and situations that arouse unfitting desire. I say “possible and reasonable” because some exposure to temptation is inevitable. And I say “unfitting desire” because not all desires for sex, food, and family are bad. We know when they are unfitting and unhelpful and on their way to becoming enslaving. We know our weaknesses and what triggers them. “Avoiding” is a Biblical strategy. “Flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness” (2 Timothy 2:22). “Make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires” (Romans 13:14). N – Say NO to every lustful thought within five seconds. And say it with the authority of Jesus Christ. “In the name of Jesus, NO!” You don’t have much more than five seconds. Give it more unopposed time than that, and it will lodge itself with such force as to be almost immovable. Say it out loud if you dare. Be tough and warlike. As John Owen said, “Be killing sin or it will be killing you.” Strike fast and strike hard. “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). Editorial Comment: While I certainly agree with Dr Piper, be careful not to fall into the trap of reversing the order of Galatians 5:16-note! Our priority at sunrise until sunset should be to obey the command to "Walk by the Spirit," realizing that even our ability to obey is the result of God's Spirit giving us the desire [the "want to"] and the power [Php 2:13NLT]! ONLY THEN, enabled and empowered by the Holy Spirit can we truly say "NO!" To say "NO" in our own power will put us under the law and the flesh actually rises up under the law - Romans 7:5. And don't become frustrated if you fail. God's Word does not fail. Run back to Galatians 5:16 asking God to give you the desire and the power to obey. Then you will NOT fulfill the desires of the flesh! There is an old sermon by Thomas Chalmers (1780-2847) which emphasizes the principle of first saying YES to an affection which is godly and good as a way of supplanting an old affection. I like the way they introduce Chalmer's sermon - "Let us reject moralism, and flee to the Gospel, which is our only hope in life and death." - see this classic sermon - The Explusive Power of a New Affection. T – TURN the mind forcefully toward Christ as a superior satisfaction. Saying “no” will not suffice. You must move from defense to offense. Fight fire with fire. Attack the promises of sin with the promises of Christ. The Bible calls lusts “deceitful desires” (Ephesians 4:22). They lie. They promise more than they can deliver. The Bible calls them “passions of your former ignorance” (1Peter 1:14). Only fools yield. “All at once he follows her, as an ox goes to the slaughter” (Proverbs 7:22). Deceit is defeated by truth. Ignorance is defeated by knowledge. It must be glorious truth and beautiful knowledge. This is why I wrote Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ. We must stock our minds with the superior promises and pleasures of Jesus. Then we must turn to them immediately after saying, “NO!” H – HOLD the promise and the pleasure of Christ firmly in your mind until it pushes the other images out. “Fix your eyes on Jesus” (Hebrews 12:2). Here is where many fail. They give in too soon. They say, “I tried to push it out, and it didn’t work.” I ask, “How long did you try?” How hard did you exert your mind? The mind is a muscle. You can flex it with vehemence. Take the kingdom violently (Matthew 11:12). Be brutal. Hold the promise of Christ before your eyes. Hold it. Hold it! Don’t let it go! Keep holding it! How long? As long as it takes. Fight! For Christ’s sake, fight till you win! If an electric garage door were about to crush your child you would hold it up with all your might and holler for help, and hold it and hold it and hold it and hold it. E – ENJOY a superior satisfaction. Cultivate the capacities for pleasure in Christ. One reason lust reigns in so many is that Christ has so little appeal. We default to deceit because we have little delight in Christ. Don’t say, “That’s just not me.” What steps have you taken to waken affection for Jesus? Have you fought for joy? Don’t be fatalistic. You were created to treasure Christ with all your heart — more than you treasure sex or sugar. If you have little taste for Jesus, competing pleasures will triumph. Plead with God for the satisfaction you don’t have: “Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days” (Psalm 90:14). Then look, look, look at the most magnificent Person in the universe until you see him the way he is. M – MOVE into a useful activity away from idleness and other vulnerable behaviors. Lust grows fast in the garden of leisure. Find a good work to do, and do it with all your might. “Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord” (Romans 12:11). “Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58). Abound in work. Get up and do something. Sweep a room. Hammer a nail. Write a letter. Fix a faucet. And do it for Jesus’s sake. You were made to manage and create. Christ died to make you “zealous for good works” (Titus 2:14). Displace deceitful lusts with a passion for good deeds. Fighting at your side, Pastor John