Day 11: Job 29-31

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=job%2029-31&version=NIV


Job 31:1 “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl.”

I touched on this topic yesterday, but today, Job 31:1 is jumping out at me (that’s what I get for not studying ahead). Job made a covenant with his eyes to avoid lust – he is affirming his sexual purity. He recalled a contract that he made with himself to avoid sexual lust. In Hebrew, a covenant refers to a contract accompanied by signs, sacrifice, and a solemn oath. It’s a serious contract. It often includes blessings and curses and Job was so sure of his adherence to this contract that he was even willing to offer up his wife as a concubine to his neighbor if he had broken it. He is so confident that he was willing to take the curses that go along with the breaking of his covenant if he had in fact broken it. He knew in his heart that he had held to his contract and he wanted his day in court.

I want to focus on that covenant that Job made. Why did he need to make a covenant with his eyes? Matthew 5:28 says “Whoever looks upon a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery in his heart.” Lust begins with the eyes and is the gateway of immorality. To God it’s no different than adultery. You have already done it. For us singles – lust is the same as sex outside of the covenant of marriage.

The Bible commands us to flee from sexual immorality, (1 Corinthians 6:18), but with computers, TV, movies, advertising, dress styles, etc., pretty much in today’s world, that means you’d have to stick your head in the sand. The world we live in is full of temptations that plant seeds of lust in our hearts. Dietrich Bonhoeffer says “At the moment lust takes hold, God loses all reality”. Lust sets in and we forget about the reality that we are Christian and that the Holy Spirit in living inside of us. We lose the reality of who He is and who we are in Him. We forget that we are a royal priesthood, a holy nation (1 Peter 2:9). We forget that we are filled with the Holy Spirit and instead try to fill our voids with something else. This is why Job felt he needed to make a covenant with his eyes. Lust begins with the eyes and lust makes us forget the reality of God.

Have you made a covenant with yourself to remain pure? Make sure you include God in that covenant - remember yesterday’s verse – Romans 3:22, “This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe”. We cannot overcome sin of our own will power or stubbornness. God arms us with strength and makes our way perfect (Psalms 18:32).