IMMORALITY ON THE BORDER

Immorality on the Border
“Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell” (1 Cor. 10:8, NKJV).



The Rise and Fall of King Solomon
Samba Chiseya, Cape Town, South Africa
Introduction
Numbers 25; 1 Kings 1−10; 11:1−13

When Solomon began his reign, he acknowledged God’s power and great wisdom. when God came to Solomon and asked him what he wanted, he asked for one thing that no king before or after had asked of the Lord—wisdom. The Lord granted his request and blessed him further because he had asked God for the one thing that would bring glory and honor to Him. In this instance, we see Solomon humbling himself while acknowledging his desire to serve God and his inability to do so without God’s help.

He lost sight of the Living God who had given him all that he had.

For a while, Solomon did nothing without consulting God. People viewed him as generous and as an extraordinary ruler. The surrounding nations mar- veled at his success. They even came to him to learn why he was so successful; and at the beginning, he attributed it to the Lord of heaven. Thus, he was able to witness for God.

Solomon, however, became proud of his accomplishments and began to be- lieve that he alone was responsible for all that he accomplished and was there- fore worthy of much praise. This pride and belief in himself was his downfall. “In seeking to glorify himself before the world, he sold his honor and integrity. . . . The conscientious, considerate spirit that had marked his dealings with the people during the early part of his reign, was now changed. From the wisest and most merciful of rulers, he degenerated into a tyrant.”* He also married many women from other nations who did not worship yahweh. As a result, he lost sight of the Living God who had given him all that he had. How much like his ancestors he had become!

As you study this week’s lesson about the children of Israel’s infidelity, ask yourself if you are traveling the same route today. Are you abusing the very gifts that are meant to draw you closer to God? ____________
*Prophets and Kings, pp. 55, 56.



So Close but yet So Far
Solwazi Khumalo, Pretoria, South Africa
Logos
Numbers 25; 31; Deut. 21:10–14; 1 Cor. 10:1–14; Rev. 2:14

Charmed Into Disobedience by Strange Women (Numbers 25)
The army of Israel began to commit adultery with the daughters of Moab. The Midianitish women influenced the Hebrew men into worshiping Baal- peor. This kindled God’s anger against Israel. After being instructed by God, Moses told the judges of Israel to kill all the men that were joined to Baal-peor and to hang their heads under the sun so that His anger would be turned away. Twenty-four thousand deaths occurred as a result.

“We must be careful to weigh both the words and the deeds of those who claim to offer spiritual help.”

While the children of Israel were weeping at the door of the tabernacle, Zimri brought a Midianitish harlot into the camp in the sight of Moses and the rest of the congregation. Phinehas rose up from among the congregation and thrust a javelin through Zimri as well as the Midianitish harlot. Because Phine- has was zealous for his God, he received the covenant of peace. God’s wrath was thus turned away from the children of Israel.

The combination of sexual sin and idolatry that Numbers 25 opens with “was Balaam’s idea (see 31:16; revelation 2:14), the same Balaam who had just blessed Israel and who had appeared to be on their side. It is easy to see how the Israelites were misled, for Balaam seemed to say and do all the right things. . . . Not until Balaam had inflicted great damage on them did the Israelites realize that he was greedy, used sorcery, and was deeply involved in pagan religious practices. we must be careful to weigh both the words and the deeds of those who claim to offer spiritual help.”1

Midianites Defeated by Children of Israel (Numbers 31)
A thousand men were chosen from each of the 12 tribes of Israel to fight against the Midianites. The children of Israel killed all the Midianite men as well as five kings of Midian. They took captive all the women and children, along with all their cattle and flocks. They also destroyed their cities. Moses became angry with them because they had saved the same women who caused the children of Israel to worship Baal-peor. So he commanded that every male among the children and all the women who were not virgins were to be killed.

He also instructed the Israelites that if they killed a person or touched a body, they were to stay outside the camp for seven days and purify themselves on the third and the seventh day. They also had to purify all their raiment and all that was made of skins and goat hair, as well as anything made of leather and wood. Only then would they be clean and allowed to reenter the camp.

Today, such measures seem harsh and even barbaric. However, “when we discover sin in our lives, we must deal with it completely. when the Israelites later entered the Promised Land, it was their indifferent attitude to sin that eventually ruined them. Moses dealt with the sin promptly and completely. when God points out sin, move quickly to remove it from your life.”2

Don’t Let History Repeat Itself (1 Cor. 10:1–14)
The children of Israel were to take possession of the land that God promised Abraham centuries earlier. They were led by the mighty arm of God, and were therefore guaranteed success because God can never be defeated. Their part was to let God help them to be a holy people. However, their behavior and desires were self-defeating. Idolatry and adultery brought them down.
we are on the borders of the Promised Land of heaven. Therefore, let us learn from the mistakes that the children of Israel made so we won’t fall into the same traps.

REACT
1. what attitudes and motives caused the Israelites to take part in idol worship and sexual wrongdoing? How are these attitudes and motives present today both in the church and in society? what can we do about this presence?
2. what steps can we take to make sure we don’t make the same mistakes the Israelites made?
____________ 1. New International Version: Life Application Study Bible (wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House, 1997), p. 259. 2. Ibid., p. 267.



Stand Like the Brave
Teclah P. Khumalo, Pretoria, South Africa
Testimony
1 Cor. 10:11−13

“It was when the Israelites were in a condition of outward ease and security that they were led into sin. They failed to keep God ever before them, they neglected prayer and cherished a spirit of self-confidence. ease and self-indulgence left the

“It takes time to degrade those formed in the image of God to the brutal or the satanic.”

citadel of the soul unguarded, and debasing thoughts found entrance. It was the traitors within the walls that overthrew the strongholds of principle and betrayed Israel into the power of Satan. It is thus that Satan still seeks to compass the ruin of the soul. A long preparatory process, unknown to the world, goes on in the heart before the Christian commits open sin. The mind does not come down at once from purity and holiness to depravity, corruption, and crime. It takes time to de- grade those formed in the image of God to the brutal or the satanic. By beholding we become changed. By the indulgence of impure thoughts man can so educate his mind that sin which he once loathed will become pleasant to him.”1

“Israel’s sin at Beth-peor brought the judgments of God upon the nation, and though the same sins may not now be punished as speedily, they will as surely meet retribution. ‘If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy.’ 1 Corinthians 3:17. Nature has affixed terrible penalties to these crimes—penalties which, sooner or later, will be inflicted upon every transgressor. It is these sins more than any other that have caused the fearful degeneracy of our race, and the weight of disease and misery with which the world is cursed.”2

“we must be aided by the abiding influence of the Holy Spirit, which will attract the mind upward, and habituate it to dwell on pure and holy things. And we must give diligent study to the word of God.”3

REACT
your classmate confronts you with the idea that everyone seems to be engaging in premarital sex, so why should she/he behave differently? what would your advice be? ____________
1. Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 459.
2. Ibid., p. 461.
3. Ibid., p. 460.



By Beholding We Become Changed
Lucile Nonhlanhla Mlalazi, Cape Town, South Africa
Evidence
1 Cor. 10:8

The book of Numbers begins with the Lord’s commandment to number the Is- raelites according to their tribes in preparation for the occupation of Canaan. Some of the highlights of this book include the inspection of the Promised Land by the 12 spies; the rebellion of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram; Israel’s sexual immorality; and the fiery serpents. This week, we are focusing on Israel’s harlotry with the Moabites.

We are not always aware of the danger Satan sets before us.

Although the story of the Israelites’ sin at Shittim happened long ago, we can learn from their failures on the borders of the Promised Land, because we are on the borders of the heavenly Canaan. Satan unfortunately succeeded in hindering the Israelites from entering the Promised Land by enticing them to commit immoral sexual acts with the Moabites. Similarly, Adventists today face the danger of being lured into committing sins that might prevent them from entering heaven.

At the camp in Shittim, only the river Jordan lay between the Israelites and Canaan. The certainty of God’s presence was with them in the form of a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night. So why did they not have the faith to cross over?

1. They were living a life of “outward ease and security.”1 They “neglected prayer and cherished a spirit of self-confidence.”2

2. They formed close friendships with the surrounding people, which even- tually weakened their morality and caused them to fall.

The people of God are facing similar dangers today. Many of the signs pointing to our Lord’s soon return have been fulfilled and are being fulfilled. How much more do we need to study and to pray? we are not always aware of the danger Satan sets before us. Therefore, we can never trust ourselves (1 Cor. 10:12). Jesus, however, has promised safety to those who will watch and pray (Matt. 26:41). There will be a day when God will destroy sin and those who have clung to it. His love, however, will surround those who have accepted His gift of salvation. Let us pray, then, without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17).

REACT
what are ways the Bible gives us for resisting temptation? Phil. 4:8; Ps. 119:9, 11; James 4:7, 8.
____________ 1. Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 459. 2. Ibid.



Standing Amid Apostasy
Sincengani Mabhena Ncube, Pretoria, South Africa
How-to
Num. 25:1, 2; James 4:4

After a difficult journey across the desert, the children of Israel finally arrived at the border of the Promised Land. Very little was left to the imagination now. The view of the rolling plains and the captivating scent from a multitude of plant species should have inspired them to claim God’s Promised Land. Unfortunately, they al- lowed themselves to be taken in by the ever-scheming and calculating devil.

We, too, are prone to risk it all.

Like the Israelites, Satan also will tempt us to grumble, complain, and doubt the goodness of God. when everything that He has prepared for us is within sight, while we are at the borders of the heavenly Canaan, we, too, are prone to risk it all.

To make sure that we are counted among those who arrive safely in the heavenly Canaan, each of us needs to prayerfully keep up our defenses against the devil by putting on the whole armor of faith. Because of the subtle nature through which the devil weaves his evil web, it is essential that we remain alert. The following three steps will help us do just that.

Avoid being idle. There are times when we leave godly things and our minds become idle. This could be a result of the various allurements that the world flashes at us. Our senses become numb toward heavenly things. In Philippians 4:8, Paul encourages us to keep our minds on that which is virtuous.

Avoid evil. Sin surrounds us every day. However, we cannot use this as an excuse to be overpowered by it. In John 17:15, Jesus prayed for us to be kept from evil while in this world.
Take action against sin. As much as we try to stay away from sin, it can and will manifest itself among us. Once it does, we must as individuals and as a church do something about it. In John 8, Christ gave examples of how to gently but firmly deal with sin.

Sin is not merely doing something wrong. The motives and desires that cause us to sin are also evil. Christ offers to cleanse us from these evil motives and desires. David offered a prayer found in Psalm 51, asking God for re-creation.

REACT
The destruction of the Midianites was extensive and protracted. what is the significance of this for us?



Not Much Has Changed
Wilona Karimabadi, Ellicott City, Maryland, U.S.A.
Opinion
Jude 17−22

The Israelites had problems staying free of sexual immorality en route to the Promised Land. with each place, and with it new men and women, new customs, and new vices, the people of Israel couldn’t seem to help themselves. Though they lived thousands of years ago, are we all that different? Take a good look around you—religious leaders hauled off to jail for sexual abuse of minors; pastors confessing pornography addictions; church members secretly struggling with heinous sins. we are not immune.
We are not alone in our struggles to stay on the right track.

The book of Jude serves up interesting perspectives on fighting immorality with the grace of God. Back then, there were those who sought to pervert God’s grace by luring believers into thinking that they had license to sin because God had saved them. But it is because we are saved that immorality has no place in our lives. Our steady defense against the snares laid out for us by Satan is to surround ourselves with the armor of God. For believers, that concept isn’t anything new. However, do we take it seriously?

Jude17–22 says, “But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said to you, ‘In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.’ These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the cloth- ing stained by corrupted flesh” (NIV).

We are not alone in our struggles to stay on the right track. As the Israelites before us, we sin and fall short of Christ’s plan for us. Thankfully, redemption and direction are readily available for the taking.

REACT
1. Have there been recent scandals in Christian circles you know of that have completely shocked you? How have you reacted to them?
2. Aside from girding ourselves up with the armor of Christ, what else can we do to stay on a path of purity and morality?



On the Border Once Again
Sonia Huenergardt, Bishop, California, U.S.A.
Exploration
1 Cor. 10:6–11
CONCLUDE

The children of Israel sat poised on the edge of the Promised Land. For 40 years, they had been preparing for this moment, hungering for the fulfillment of this promise. In desperation, Satan lunged one last time and almost ripped the prize from their hands. The story of their spiritual seduction into immoral- ity and idolatry has been preserved to strengthen us who stand at the brink of eternity. with the heavenly Canaan in view, we can learn from the mistakes and weaknesses of the Hebrews and guard ourselves against the same temptations that are sure to come.

CONSIDER
• Checking out www.premaritalsex.info on the Internet and prayerfully consid- ering some of the “benefits of abstinence” and “strategies and guidelines” listed on this site. Make your own list of reasons why you choose to save yourself physically for the one you will marry.
• rewriting Numbers 25 in a modern-day setting. what might spiritual seduction and idolatry look like today?
• Having someone share with your class why they chose to stay pure until marriage and why they don’t regret that choice.
• writing a poem about your desire to honor God with your body and your spirit.
• Making a chart of immoral people who crossed Jesus’ path and how He treated them.
• Discussing the following statement with your Sabbath School class or Bible study group: “Sin is the illegitimate fulfillment of legitimate de- sires.” How does this concept relate to sexual immorality? How can we have a healthy attitude toward God’s gift of sex and still abhor perversions of it?

CONNECT
Dannah Gresh, And the Bride Wore White: The Seven Secrets to Sexual Purity; P. roger Hillerstrom, Intimate Deception: Escaping the Trap of Sexual Impurity; elizabeth elliott, Passion and Purity.

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