That's Taboo

²taboo

 noun

plural taboos also tabus

Definition of TABOO

1

: a prohibition against touching, saying, or doing something for fear of immediate harm from a supernatural force

2

: a prohibition imposed by social custom or as a protective measure

3

: belief in taboos

When our focus shifts from serving others and doing our service for Jesus, we run aground. Remember how Jesus pointed out what was most important? Hint. Loving God and loving people. Another hint. Serving God through serving people: our purpose in life. Sure we can do our own thing and serve ourselves. What a waste and it will leave us empty.

Jesus had the talent, connections and all the intellect available. Yet, He served His family as the oldest son, making a living as a carpenter. He had all of the creative power of the universe at His fingertips. WOW! And still He hung out with the roughneck fishermen and taught them the ways of His Father.

 "Gordon! Wake up and get off your own agenda!" I think.

Serve Jesus by laying down self. Lay down your dreams and hopes. Put away everything that blocks your view of Jesus. Clean out those eye. You need to see!

We easily get stuck on sandbars. We easily run into rocks that crush our hull. We nearly sink; all of this because we have our eyes off Jesus. To be on course, we have to stay alert. There really is a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. I know, I'VE BEEN CHEWED ON. 

His teeth are sharp! Though his tools are few, they are skillfully honed. His tools are old; they are as old as Creation itself. Our adversary has seduction down to a science. Lust, pride, greed and a host of other evils are in his hand. On the top of this list is lust and pride; they get men into more trouble than just about all the others combine (opinion of course.) Proverbs says that Hell is filled with men of renown. Why? That woman looked too good to pass up. They could keep their zipper up and they lost their soul. 

King David, Israels' pride fell into the same trap over and over. Lust ensnare him as the beautiful woman came by. To justify and legalize the mans action polygamy came into being. In a justified polygamy filled the ancient world and still exist today. Then it was even acceptable and expected by the standards of the day. A man marrying many women was a sign of wealth. It was that prideful notch in their belt, "I got her!"

Polygamy is hated by most most modern cultures (though that seems to be changing as other "sexually freedoms" march forward in our society. And those same types of legal arguments that allow same sex marriage, will prevail in over throwing monogamy--if the church lets it.) Yes, polygamy was the norm of the day. Everybody that had enough money had more than one wife. I mean, "everybody's doing it!" Even the greatest fathers of the faith had more than one wife. Isn't that the right way?

No! Fortunately Jesus straightened everybody out. God Created us male and female. And the two shall become one flesh. Jesus made that clear. Jesus pointed out that they were messing marriage up. We still are!

Yep polygamy, to the core, is based on mans' lust problem. It was the popular way of doing marriage and most of those choosing that path lost their soul or at least destroyed their own family. One extra woman was never enough and it was always one wife too many.

King Solomon, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, penned a few words about Hell. Hell was being filled with the souls' of lofty men that fell prey to the immoral woman. I'm sure the same could be said about the immoral man too. And what! Why was this happening generation after generation? Why do men and women fall prey to the obvious? Why? It's those same old tricks of Satan. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life.

There is one King David, who is a famous example of one who walked off the path of righteousness and almost perished. His escapades of sin destroyed him. And while after wards he received a new heart and a was restored, his relationships still suffered greatly. While he sewed a little sex act in private, he reaped the whirlwind of public humiliation in front of the whole nation of Israel. David's' son Absalom, took Davids' hareem up onto the rooftop of the place and had sex with them, all within public view.

David felt the fangs of our adversary the Lucifer. The perfect trap was set. And, it could have been set anywhere. The trap only require one thing to work. It required David to skip work. Instead of doing what kings of his day did in the Spring, David decided to stay home from the war. Let's see kill someone in war or hang out at home? I mean who likes all that blood shed anyway. So, for whatever reason, David stayed home.

IN Jerusalem David wandered about his huge beautiful mansion: all alone. Well that was except for his many wives and kids and guards etc.. They must have been elsewhere that day--I hope! Now, David being bored looked out over his city Jerusalem: the City of David. Not far away something caught his eye. Like a magnet his eyes took a double take. He saw Bathsheba.

Perhaps even at this point David could have closed his eyes and turned away. I mean, it was only the first glance. It was only temptation at that point. We all have temptations. We all have to fight and avoid something. It was just Davids' thoughts wouldn't let him go. Obsession set in. David's' heart grew to covet what he did not have. "My wives don't look that good!" I can hear David think.

As the moth is drawn to the flame, as a tick is draw to a dog, as a bluegill is drawn to the worm, David was drawn to Bathsheba. With his thoughts were consumed by her beauty; he sought her out. As a king is privy to all a the knowledge of their country. So David knew who to see to find out who that beauty was. He found out quickly. She was the wife of a foreign national who was loyal to the point of gladly serving the king in his military. She was also a one of Davids councilors and cabinet members granddaughter. She was a friends granddaughter. That's taboo!

Knowing all of this, David still called for her. The rest is history and it repeats itself every day. Multitudes do the same thing everyday. It's just without all of the spectacle a royal scandal.

So who was it that prompted Bathsheba to bath in the kings view? Who do you think? We know who. It is that serpent of old that still taunts men and women into sexual sin through lust.

Why do we want what we don't have? I don't know, but when your "wants" get out of control, covetousness sets in. Lust and pride go hand in hand and desires what they don't have. What most people don't realize is that when you get what you want more than anything in life: it still doesn't fulfill our souls.

LORD, be our greatest desire. I pray that You would keep our desires in check. Lead us not toward temptation, but away. Trump our desire! You sought us Lord! Lead us away from the traps that lay in our paths. Be our flashlight! Light each step of the way. For Your servants are prone to stumble and wallow until you pick them up. Preserve us Lord, for we hide Your word in our hearts. Lead our repentance. Help us see Your grace!

"For I am afraid that when I come I won’t like what I find, and you won’t like my response. I am afraid that I will find quarreling, jealousy, anger, selfishness, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorderly behavior. Yes, I am afraid that when I come again, God will humble me in your presence. And I will be grieved because many of you have not given up your old sins. You have not repented of your impurity, sexual immorality, and eagerness for lustful pleasure." 2 Corinthians 12:20-21 NLT