Resisting Sexual Dysfunction

©December 13, 2009 Asher Intrater

I am struck by the amount of sexual "dysfunction" in our forefathers as described in the Bible.

• Abraham and Isaac both gave their wives to Philistine men, describing them as their sisters.
• Sarah, Rachel and Leah all gave their handmaidens to their husbands to sleep with them in order to bear children through them, and the men agreed.
• Lot's daughters made their father drunk and then became pregnant through him.
• Jacob was caught between the jealousy of his two wives, who were sisters.
• Revuen slept with his father's concubine, thus disqualifying himself from the rights of the firstborn.
• Onan was the first recorded case of masturbation.
• Judah visited prostitutes, even though he was heir of the Messiah's seed.

Space would not allow to even survey the sexual sins of Samson, David, Amnon, Absalom and so on.

Joseph was the first man recorded who made a clear effort to overcome such temptation, resisting the flirting of Potiphar's wife. She then accused him falsely, which ended up in his being thrown into prison. Yet God rewarded Joseph's purity and he later became the head of the nation of Egypt and the leader of the people of Israel.

We must prefer to be like Joseph and resist the temptations of our generation, even if it means social rejection and spiritual attack. As Potiphar's wife tried to seduce him daily (Genesis 39:10), so is modern society inundated with sexual temptation and perversion on a daily basis. So are we called to deny ourselves and take up our cross daily (Luke 9:23).

If these sexual dysfunctions could attack even our forefathers in the faith, how much should we understand the universal nature of sexual temptation that is common to all men (I Corinthians 10:13)! This is not an excuse to commit sin, but an exhortation to resist it. Let us take their examples as motivation to be overcomers by the Spirit of Holiness and in the name of Yeshua (Jesus).