Pierced Ears

God Loves People With Pierced Ears

Sometimes, we sing a song in which we ask God to take us to His door and pierce our ear. We finish by telling Him that we never want to be a free man. What could this possibly mean? It is imperative that we “sing with the spirit and the understanding” (1 Cor. 14:15), but what is your understanding about what you are saying when you ask God to pierce your ear?

Is your ear pierced?

Is your ear pierced?

The background of this song is found in Exodus chapter twenty-one. The Jews were allowed to purchase another Jew as a slave, but after seven years, he had to be released from his servitude. However, during those seven years, the master of that slave could have been so kind and benevolent that the slave would not want to leave his master. His life as a slave was so much better than what it was before he was bought—he simply did not want to leave.

Thus the Lord said, “If the servant plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free.’”  The servant was then to be brought before the judges of the city and taken to the door and “his master shall pierce his ear with an awl, and he shall serve him forever.” Slavery can involve tortious service with an evil master, but when one has a kind, compassionate master, his life is totally different. He gladly becomes a slave because he loves his master.

Jesus is our kind, benevolent and compassionate master. That is why Paul often described himself as a bondservant of the Lord. That is why Paul described the choice we must make as either choosing the bondage of sin with all its attendant evil or to willingly give our all to our Master (Rom. 6:16-23). That is also why we sing together asking Him to pierce our ears—we want to serve Him forever.

As a preschool child, I learned a song in Bible class which gave the same kind of message to me. “I washed my hands this morning, so very clean and bright; and lent them up to Jesus to work for Him till night.” Before I was old enough to attend school, I sang this song promising Him that I would work for Him. (Google this song to hear children as young as two singing this life-changing song). Now, as an adult, I sing another song which even more vividly describes the devotion we must all have to our Master. I now ask Him to take me to His door and to “pierce my ear.”

The question each of us should consider is, “Have we stood before His door?” “ Pierced ears ” proclaim total surrender to the Master. Our time, our energy, our money, our lives and all we have belongs to Him. So, why not take time today to read those verses in Exodus 21, then meditate how they apply to your live. Then, stand before the mirror of His word and see if your ears have been pierced.

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Part 6 – Same Sex Hate Speech

Human Judgment or Divine Judgment

To many homosexuals, any opposition to a same-sex lifestyle simply HAS to mean that that person has a biased fear of or hatred for homosexual people.  In fact, should a person make the claim that homosexuality is a sin, that person will generally be accused of using “ hate speech. ”  But is that really true?  Now friends, all because someone may be opposed to the same-sex lifestyle does not necessitate that that person hates someone who may be involved in it.  Those who do not understand this concept confuse speaking out against sin with hating the sinner.

Is it hate speech to criticize homosexuality?

Is it hate speech to criticize homosexuality?

According to the Bible, while it is true that God loves the sinner (Jn. 3:16; Rom. 5:6-8); it is equally true that God hates sin (cf. Zech. 8:17; Prov. 6:16-19). Additionally, while it is true that the Lord will “judge” (eternally condemn or save) in the last day (2 Cor. 5:10; Jn. 5:28-29), it is equally true that God has already passed judgment against sin. Various biblical commandments are a witness to this fact: such as, “You shall not murder,” “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not steal” (Exod. 20:13-15; cf. Matt. 5:21-30), etc.  Commanding us not to murder, commit adultery or steal necessarily implies that to do them is to sin.

Now with that said, the same God who already passed judgment against sin commands the Christian to not only oppose sin, but also to expose it for what it is. “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them” (Eph. 5:11).  Additionally, while we are to love all men – yes, even the sinner (cf. Matt. 5:43-48), God calls upon the Christian to hate sin (just as He hates sin). “Abhor what is evil” (Rom. 12:9); “Abstain from every form of evil” (1 Thess. 5:22).  Now friends, to abhor and abstain from evil involves judging.  But mind you, such judgment must be according to the will of God, not the will of man.  Jesus never said, “Do not judge” (period).  He said, “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment” (Jn. 7:24).  You see, the Christian has to judge life matters.  When Paul said, “Test all things; hold fast to what is good.  Abstain from every form of evil” (1 Thess. 5:21-22), the idea is that we must judge all things by what the Bible says about them. Based on the evidence of Scripture, we are either to hold fast to something (if it is proven acceptable to God), or we must abstain from it (if it is proven to be unacceptable to God).  Plain and simple.

The question is where does homosexuality fit in all this?  As we already discovered (in previous articles), both the Old Testament (Lev. 18:22; 20:13) and the New Testament (Rom. 1:26-27; 1 Cor. 6:9-10) regard homosexuality as a sin.  If, therefore, God regards homosexuality as a sin, then He has already passed judgment against it.  Since God hates all sin, how could homosexuality be approved by God? Ephesians 5:10 tells us to “prove what is acceptable to the Lord.” In light of the fact that nowhere in Scripture is homosexuality spoken of with divine approval, then the only conclusion is that God is not for it, He is against it.

Now I realize that this topic is controversial in our day and time (and so I speak the truth in love, Eph. 4:15), but please understand that the truth never changes. “Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven” (Ps. 119:89).  God’s desire is to save all men (1 Tim.2:1-4), for He loves them so (this is the purpose for which Christ died – Jn. 3:16).  Yet God also reveals that if the sinner refuses to repent they will perish eternally (Lk. 13:3, 5). “Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men” (2 Cor. 5:11). Friends, this is not hate speech, this is love speech! “‘Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?’ says the Lord GOD, ‘and not that he should turn from his ways and live?’” (Ezek. 18:23). “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent” (Rev. 3:19).

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Part 5 – Same Sex in Sodom

The Example of Sodom and Gomorrah

Perhaps the most well-known Bible story used by some in an attempt to show God’s disapproval of homosexuality is the account of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (in Genesis 19).  But not everyone agrees that that account is condemning homosexuality.  For example, I recently read of one person’s opinion on the matter, and they evidently concluded that “other biblical references to Sodom say violation of Judaism’s strict hospitality codes, among other offenses, caused the city’s destruction by God, not same sex offenses.”  Could such a conclusion be true?

Sodom and Gomorrah are tied to homosexuality.

Sodom and Gomorrah are tied to homosexuality.

The Bible student should immediately be able to see some holes in that argument: (1) those “strict hospitality codes” of Judaism (inferring the Law of Moses) did not come into existence until about 400 years after Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by God; (2) the Law of Moses was only given to the Israelites (the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah, who predated Israel, were not Israelites); and (3) while it is true that Sodom and Gomorrah were known for various kinds of wickedness (Ezek. 16:48-50), Jude reveals that the primary reason for the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah was sexual perversion: “having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh” (Jude 7). The expression “gone after strange flesh” is comparable to what Paul said was “against nature” (Rom. 1:26-27, which he defined as “men with men” and women with women).

Also consider Genesis 19:5, which says, “And they called to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight?  Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally” (Gen. 19:5).  To “know” in this sense means to have sexual relations with (compare to Gen. 4:1; Matt. 1:25).  Simply put, the men of Sodom desired to have sexual relations with the men staying in Lot’s house.

Considering that in previous articles (in this series) we have already discovered that both the Old Testament (Lev. 18:22; 20:13) and the New Testament (Rom. 1:26-27; 1 Cor. 6:9-10) regard homosexuality as a sin, this article may seem a little redundant.  However, because there is often an interest in the story of Sodom (especially with regard to the topic of homosexuality) I felt it worthwhile to discuss.  I sincerely hope that this effort helps you in your quest to find God’s answer to the question, “Is homosexuality really a sin”?

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Part 4: The Homosexual and the N.T.

New Testament Teaching

We’ve already established (in the previous article in this series) that the Law of Moses condemned homosexuality (Lev. 18:22; 20:13), but what about the New Testament?  Is there any leniency under the Law of Christ?

What does the New Testament say about the homosexual?

What does the New Testament say about the homosexual?

Those in favor of homosexual relations (who know the difference between the Law of Moses and the Law of Christ) might argue that we are no longer under the Law of Moses, therefore, any command against homosexuality from that Law is not applicable today.  It is true that we are no longer under the Law of Moses (Matt. 5:17-18; Lk. 24:44; Eph. 2:15; Col. 2:14-17; 2 Cor. 3:1-18; etc.), rather, we are under Christ’s law (1 Cor. 9:21), however, such an argument overlooks two important facts: (1) that those things written in the Old Testament are examples for the New Testament age, and (2) the New Testament also denounces homosexuality.

Regarding the Old Testament Paul said, “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning,…” (Rom. 15:4). “Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition,…” (1 Cor. 10:11).  (Also read 1 Cor.10:5-8).  With specific reference to our topic, Jude says, “as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire” (Jude 7). Additionally, Peter said, “and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly” (2 Pet. 2:6).

In addition to these warnings, consider what Paul said in Romans 1:26-27: “For this reason God gave them up to vile passions.  For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature.  Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.” 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 says, “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?  Do not be deceived.  Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.”

Let the Scriptural evidence show that in both the Old Testament and in the New Testament (the entire Bible) homosexuality is regarded as sin.  Paul said, “Test all things; hold fast what is good.  Abstain from every form of evil” (1 Thess. 5:21-22).  In this series of articles we have put homosexuality to the test (running it through the filter of God’s word).  What we find is that nowhere in Scripture does the Bible speak approvingly of homosexuality (rather, it has been denounced with every consideration of it); thus it does not fall into the “hold fast what is good” category.  Friends, the only category left for it to fall into is the one referencing “evil” – which we are to “abstain from.”

Considering these biblical facts, is there no hope for the homosexual?  Of course there is hope!  As with all sin, those guilty of it must repent of their sins and obey the Lord (Acts 3:19).  All who are willing to do so shall be saved.  Paul indicated that some of the Corinthian Christians were previously homosexual (among other things – 1 Cor. 6:9-11), saying, “And such were some of you.  But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.” Friends, let us thank God for His abundant mercy and unwavering love (Lam. 3:22-24; Ezek. 18:
21-23, 30-32; 2 Pet. 3:9).

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Part 3 – Homosexuality and the Law

The Law of Moses

Did the Law of Moses (in the Old Testament) actually condemn homosexuality as some say?  Let us consider a couple of passages that might help us to find that answer.  Leviticus 18:22 says, “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman.  It is an abomination.”  20:13 says, “If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination.  They shall surely be put to death.  Their blood shall be upon them.”  It sure sounds like it was condemned under that law, doesn’t it?

What Does the Law of Moses say about Homosexuality?

What Does the Law of Moses say about Homosexuality?

To “lie with” (in the sense of these two passages) means to have sexual relations with (compare to Genesis 39:7-14).  Theorizers who attempt to justify homosexuality from the Scriptures tell us that these two passages (Lev. 18:22; 20:13) are merely in reference to abusive sexual encounters between those of the same-sex (specifically homosexual rape, or, abusive cultic practices).  They insist that the law was only given to prohibit the kind of activity that the heathen nations around them practiced, but that it “says nothing pertaining to the issue we are faced with today—that of loving and committed homosexual relationships.”

It is true that the Law of Moses laid down prohibitions that specifically countered the practices of the nations around them (Lev 18:24-30; cf. 1 Tim 1:8-10), yet neither passage (Lev. 18:22; 20:13) mention anything about cultic practices or homosexual rape. They specifically, clearly, and simply state that a man is not to have sexual relations with another man such as he would with a woman.  Both passages state that “It is an abomination.”  (Please notice that Leviticus 18:22 implies that “lying with a woman” is the natural act, designed by God Himself – Gen. 2:24; Matt. 19:4-5).

Under the Israelite Law of Moses, homosexuality, adultery, incest, bestiality (etc.) were all punishable by death (according to Lev. 20:10-16).  If Leviticus 20:13 refers to “homosexual rape,” then the adultery, incest, and bestiality also had to be rape (for they share the same context).  The truth is, however, that rape is not considered in this passage; but sexual immorality is.  Notice too that if Leviticus 20:13 refers to “homosexual rape,” why is the victim being put to death?  (Such a view is inconsistent with Deuteronomy 22:25-27 which states that the innocent victim of rape shall not be put to death). Clearly then, both Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 are not talking about homosexual rape, but about mutual homosexual relations.

Friends, it is clear that the Law of Moses did in fact condemn homosexuality.  But is there any other divine law in the Bible that approves of it?  Let us continue to study this issue to find out.  Please look for future articles in this series as we will examine some other points of interest, including what the New Testament says regarding homosexuality.

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