Saturday, April 12, 2008

CLARITY NOT CONFUSION

Introduction

God is not the author of confusion and disorder. This is the message of 1 Corinthians 14:33, "For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints." God’s presence is the essence of peace and order. When God created us, He instilled the law of distinction. Certain things are not to be mixed together but are to remain separate and distinct. Otherwise, confusion will reign supreme. Genesis 1:27 reads, "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them." God created male and female, which implies that they are to be kept distinct in all respects. Men are not to try and become women and women are not to become men. This is restated in Deuteronomy 22:5, "The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God." A woman is not only not to wear the clothing of a man but instruments of a trade and war. Also, this law prohibits a man wearing a woman’s garment. There is to be a distinction made between the sexes. To blur this differentiation will bring confusion.

Application

To properly understand the Bible, we need to use what is known as applied theology.

Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary defines "confusion" as, "1. In a general sense, a mixture of several things promiscuously; hence, disorder; irregularity...2. Tumult; want of order in society...3. A blending or confounding; indistinct combination; opposed to distinctness or perspicuity..." Each Scripture contains key words whereby the Holy Ghost is giving us the special sense of what is trying to be conveyed. An example is found in Leviticus 20:12, "And if a man lie with his daughter in law, both of them shall surely be put to death: they have wrought confusion; their blood shall be upon them." The distinctness of marriage here is being confused. There is an example of blurring marriage. A father is not to take advantage of his own son by lying carnally with his wife. This is want of decency and order. It is wicked and a perversion. She is to resist the advance. For her to accede is tantamount to blood guiltiness.

Her crying out against this wickedness is expressed in Deuteronomy 22:23-27, "If a damsel that is a virgin be betrothed unto an husband, and a man find her in the city, and lie with her; 24Then ye shall bring them both out unto the gate of that city, and ye shall stone them with stones that they die; the damsel, because she cried not, being in the city; and the man, because he hath humbled his neighbour’s wife: so thou shalt put away evil from among you. 25But if a man find a betrothed damsel in the field, and the man force her, and lie with her: then the man only that lay with her shalldie: 26But unto the damsel thou shalt do nothing; there is in the damsel no sin worthy of death: for as when a man riseth against his neighbour, and slayeth him, even so is this matter: 27For he found her in the field, and the betrothed damsel cried, and there was none to save her." There must be an attempt of resistance even if no one will hear it. Otherwise, it is to be presumed that she was a willing partner to the crime.

Tamar resisted her brother’s advances but he prevailed in 2 Samuel 13:11-16, "And when she had brought them unto him to eat, he took hold of her, and said unto her, Come lie with me, my sister. 12And she answered him, Nay, my brother, do not force me; for no such thing ought to be done in Israel: do not thou this folly. 13And I, whither shall I cause my shame to go? and as for thee, thou shalt be as one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, I pray thee, speak unto the king; for he will not withhold me from thee. 14Howbeit he would not hearken unto her voice: but, being stronger than she, forced her, and lay with her. 15Then Amnon hated her exceedingly; so that the hatred wherewith he hated her was greater than the love wherewith he had loved her. And Amnon said unto her, Arise, be gone. 16And she said unto him, There is no cause: this evil in sending me away is greater than the other that thou didst unto me. But he would not hearken unto her." Amnon took advantage of her. She did her best to resist but was unable to do so. When in a similar situation, the woman should try her best to not give in.

The sin of bestiality is the height of confusion as Leviticus 18:23 makes clear, "Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion." There is no law of distinction in operation in this great sin. Sin is confusion as stated in Jeremiah 3:25, "We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covereth us: for we have sinned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God." Sin is lawlessness, which is another word for disorder. Idolatry produces confusion between the true and living God and dead false gods in Isaiah 41:29, "Behold, they are all vanity; their works are nothing: their molten images are wind and confusion." It is a total waste to serve these gods of confusion.

Conclusion

As Christians, we are to honor lines of distinction. We are to follow the pattern established in the Bible for us. James 3:14-16 says this about confusion, "But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. 15This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 16For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work." This confusion is characterized by unrest, disharmony and rebellion. This is what sin always produces.

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