A Would-be Tamar week 27, 2010

Is everything alright with you? “Why do you ask?” I dreamt yesterday you were crying and put dust on your head, at a point you tore the long sleeve gown you were wearing and wailed in grief; as though you lost someone. “Now that is funny. Last night I dreamt a man said I was beautiful, but called me Tamar. I have been asking God to explain it to me. The man looked evil.” Tamar...remember David’s daughter Tamar. And Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the long robe that she wore. And she laid her hand on her head and went away, crying aloud as she went 2Sa 13:19(ESV). Wait; is there any man making advances at you? “Oh, I wouldn’t call it making advances; Bro Steve says he finds me exciting and sent me a quote from Song of Solomon 4: 1-5 last week. He says I arouse everything in him. I really laughed when I read it. That brother is not serious at all!”
Song of Solomon, arouse everything… and the two of you are not married. I call that spiritualizing lust. Is he not the person you went to market for yesterday? “Yes, I learned he is ill and they said “Please go to your brother … and prepare some food for him" 2Sa 13:7(GW). Listen, don’t go. Once someone has expressed desire for you physically do not ever be alone with the person. She kept begging Joseph day after day, but he refused to do what she wanted or even to go near her Gen 39:10(CEV). It’s not enough to decide you won’t sin. “Attraction is no sin now, maybe he intends to propose and has not had the courage to do so. Visiting him might give the opportunity.” Ah, Joseph married the daughter of Potiphera the priest of On not the wife of Potipher. The only opportunity I see here is sin overpowering you both! But Amnon would not listen to what she said. He was stronger than she was, so he overpowered her and raped her 2Sa 13:14(CEV). Amnon thought he loved Tamar but refused to marry her and ended up pushing her away after defiling her.
“Don’t you dare suggest such about Steve; he’s too gentle a brother, besides I can handle myself very well.” Handle yourself very well! This won’t be rape: you’ll simply undress for him. You’ve no idea the power of sexual sin. God has warned you now. Why do you think God asked us to run as if in terror from sexual temptation? Keep on running away from sexual immorality. Any other sin that a person commits is outside his body, but the person who sins sexually sins against his own body 1Cor 6:18(ISV).
“So what do I do with the food?” Take your decision; it is the least of your concerns now. Abstain from every appearance of evil 1Th 5:22 (MKJV).