Feb 1

“...his own wife….her own husband.” 1 Corinthians 7:2

The necessity to keep marital relations within marriage, are clearly expressed in these verses. Mankind has abused the God-given right and gift of sexual expression, by taking it outside of the boundaries of biblical marriage. In doing so, man has created a culture and an alternate belief, which is opposed to and in contradiction to God. This has opened the floodgates to much sin, disease, heartache, emotional and mental illness and a host of associated abuses of fellow human beings. This destructive behaviour is the direct result of ignoring God’s principles and deriding His word. God intends for the beauty, closeness and commitment of the marriage relationship to be kept between a man and his wife.  Sexual relationship outside of the bond of marriage are referred to in the Bible, by the general term of ‘fornication’- meaning ‘sexual impurity’, and should not be entered into by anyone who fears God and wants to please Him. It is of interest in this portion of scripture, that two very distinct words were used by the Holy Ghost in inspiration, for the Greek word translated ‘own’ in English. It is not unusual to find that God’s Word is gender-specific in certain teaching, and that God wants His people to remain faithful to the truth He reveals, in spite of personal or cultural preferences. When God said ‘his own wife’, the emphasis of the word used, expresses the meaning of ‘the wife he possesses and belongs to him’. The term ‘her own husband’, on the other hand, emphasises the idea that ‘he is the husband of whom she is a part, to whom she belongs’. The teaching here is in line with the biblical understanding of the dynamics of what adultery, (a specific aspect of sexual impurity) is taught to mean scripturally – relations by a man (married or single), with a married woman - a woman who ‘belongs to another man’ in marriage! The line upon line and precept upon precept building of truth in the Holy Scriptures, is a wonderful and powerful safeguard against false doctrine and misinterpretation. Praise the Lord for the accuracy and precision of his Word, and for the beauty and strength of His teaching.

http://www.pentecostalfamilychurch.com.au/devotion

Jan 24

“So I bought her to me…” Hosea 3:2

In yet another remarkable object lesson for the benefit of a backslidden and idolatrous Israel, God again directs the prophet to marry a wife. This woman too is compromised, this time by adulterous behaviour and as such is under penalty of death and the dowry which is paid for her, is but the half the price of a servant! Yet he is to love her and see her restored rather than destroyed by her sin. In this powerful object lesson, is the story not only of Israel and God’s dealings with His people, but also a fitting simile of our lives before we knew the merciful Lord and Saviour of our souls! We, as that woman, had given ourselves over to all kinds of iniquity and idolatry. Following the ways of the world and adulterating our souls with the filth and degradation of sin, we, like dumb sheep going to the slaughter, were doomed to eternal damnation in retribution for our rebellion, disobedience and loose living. We rendered ourselves worthless and miserable, without hope or future, and became the inheritors of death. That was until the Lord in His inimitable love, reached out to us, and while we were yet sinners, in our darkest spiritual fog, Jesus died for us! He paid the price for our sins, but not merely what we were worth, for that was precious little, even less than the price of a servant! No! He paid the highest price – He yielded the one ingredient which alone could cleanse sin and make repair for it. He submitted the one substance which all of heaven and earth could not replace or equate in value – His precious, sinless blood! How blessed are we to have this loving Benefactor and gracious Saviour, who willingly condescended to reach down and lift us up from the depths and miry clay of sure death and destruction, to heavenly places with Him!

http://www.pentecostalfamilychurch.com.au/devotion