Rape

Supposed Safety in the City

Popular opinion today tends to assume that cities by nature offer a lower quality of life than do suburbs, small towns, or rural areas. In fact, some people have made getting out of the city a goal of their lives. But the Bible does not endorse the idea that cities are inherently evil, or that life is necessarily better away from the bright lights of the urban landscape.

Actually, Scripture seems to hold cities to a higher standard of justice and morality than rural areas. For example, the Old Testament Law held that if a woman was raped in the country, the man who raped her was liable for death (Deut. 22:25–27). But if a woman was raped in the city, she, too, was liable (Deut. 22:23–24).

The logic behind this seeming double standard was based on the assumption that a woman in the city must have consented to the sexual act, since she could have (and should have) called for help. In the city, with neighbors all around, such a call was expected to be heard and heeded. Thus the law of rape assumed that city neighbors were beneficial and responsive. They were to stand up for the laws of God.

Are you standing up for godly ways where you live and work? Are you a good and godly neighbor to people around you who call out for help, protection, and justice? Whether you live in a highly populated metropolitan area or a quiet little town, God wants you to fill that place with His presence. He wants you to do something about evil, not just walk away and let it destroy people whom He loves.

Unbridled Sexual Passion

Personal pleasure makes a good slave but a poor master. When our primary focus is on self-gratification, the results can be destructive, not only for us, but for everyone around us (Titus 3:3; James 4:1–4). Scripture makes it clear that living for our own pleasures is both unacceptable and unhealthy.

The outcome of Shechem (Gen. 34:2) illustrates this point. When young Shechem saw the beautiful girl Dinah, he allowed his lust to rule his behavior, and raped her. Like an animal, he let his hormones run his life, so sexual gratification became more important than Dinah's dignity as a person.

By contrast, Scripture challenges God's people to exercise control over their sexuality (1 Thess. 4:3–4). This often means delayed gratification, which is good because waiting helps to set things in perspective. As humans we are not just a bundle of physical urges that have to be satisfied. Granted, biological needs such as food, sex, and sleep are important. But when we allow these to run our lives, they tend to become vicious addictions that destroy us.

Two great poems in Scripture address the theme of love—the Song of Solomon and 1 Corinthians 13. In the Song of Solomon, the writer repeats three times the wise words, “Do not stir up nor awaken love until it pleases” (Song 2:7; 3:5; 8:4). The message seems to be: Wait!

Like a free-spirited horse, sexual passion can be powerful and beautiful, but to keep it from running away it needs to be fenced in by commitment, discipline, and service toward one's mate. Our sexuality is not our own; it is a gift from God to be treasured and used for His glory (1 Cor. 6:18–20).