When you think of lust, what comes to mind? I am sure for many of us, we think of sexual desire. However, lust is not limited to sexual desire. Furthermore, not all lust is inherently bad. Sounds strange right? But let me explain.
First, let’s take a look at The Most High God using lust but not in a negative way.
Deuteronomy 12:15 KJV
Notwithstanding thou mayest kill and eat flesh in all thy gates, whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee: the unclean and the clean may eat thereof, as of the roebuck, and as of the hart.
Here we see God granting permission for us to slaughter any animal we desire according to the blessing HE blessed us with. Of course only in the law. And there is an article I wrote, “Kill & Eat Whatsoever Thy Soul Lusteth After” that further elaborates on this.
Deuteronomy 12:20 KJV
When the LORD thy God shall enlarge thy border, as he hath promised thee, and thou shalt say, I will eat flesh, because thy soul longeth to eat flesh; thou mayest eat flesh, whatsoever thy soul lusteth after.
We see the same point rephrased and reiterated. And notice in the passages, it is not deemed evil or wicked to desire to eat food, even meat.
Deuteronomy 14:26 KJV
And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the LORD thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household,
Again, we see another example. This one is also tied to tithes given to the Levites, fatherless and widows as well. But more on that later in another article.
Psalm 37:4 KJV
Delight thyself also in the Lord ; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
If you choose to desire to please The Most High sincerely and do his work, he will also be pleased to give you the things you desire… In due season.
From these three scriptures, we are able to understand that The Most High does allow us to lust after things to a degree. So what then is lust? Or what does it mean? Let’s look at a definition of lust using the Strongs Concordance and dictionary.com:
intense sexual desire or appetite.
uncontrolled or illicit sexual desire or appetite; lecherousness.
a passionate or overmastering desire or craving (usually followed by for): a lust for power.
ardent enthusiasm; zest; relish: an enviable lust for life.
Obsolete.
pleasure or delight.
desire; inclination; wish.
verb (used without object)
to have intense sexual desire.
to have a yearning or desire; have a strong or excessive craving (often followed by foror after).
Strong's Number
H183
Original Word
אוה
Transliterated Word
'âvâh
Phonetic Spelling
aw-vaw'
Parts of Speech
Verb
Strong's Definition
A primitive root; to wish for: - {covet} (greatly) {desire} be {desirous} {long} lust (after).
Lust, at its core means to desire. And just because you have a desire doesn’t mean it is bad. You may desire a house, car, clothes, or food. However, the key is to understand when that desire goes past what is reasonable or good and now you become covetous or lustful; you desire this thing greatly. It is an overmastering desire now. It is a consuming desire. So much so, that now you struggle to go a day without thinking about it. This desire has a strong hold on you and has hijacked and rewired your mind and spirit. Now your desire is in control. And you are leaving off of balance; you lack sound reasoning and judgment. It is now a God over you. And you are controlled by its beck and call. Yes, it definitely always applies to a sexual desire. However, it is not limited to a sexual desire. And just because sex is involved, does not mean it is unrighteously lustful. Let’s look at a couple of examples.
Genesis 29:17-18,20-21 KJVS
Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured. [18] And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter. [20] And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her. [21] And Jacob said unto Laban, Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in unto her.
Here we see that Jacob; beloved of God and one of the patriarchs of our nation, really loved Rachel. Through his desire towards her, he was willing to sacrifice years of his life to prove his loyalty and devotion to her, through her father. He did things in a noble and honorable way. And when that time was served, he, like many of us, desired to now have sexual relations with the woman he was betrothed or engaged to; his wife Rachel. None of this is wrong or bad from a righteous or wicked standpoint. Nor is this the way you have to do things. Just a way to do it.
Tobit 8:7 KJVA
And now, O Lord, I take not this my sister for lust but uprightly: therefore mercifully ordain that we may become aged together.
Tobit is another example. If you read the back story, and I strongly encourage you to read the short book. You will find that Tobias (Tobit’s son) didn’t know his soon to be wife, Sarah, personally. Their parents were aware of each other and knew each other though. Which gave both the parents and children faith in one another. But the choice to marry was still their choice. But the time between courtship and betrothal was not years, months or weeks. All of which was deduced to around hours or a day. However, after they consummated they had a marriage celebration for two weeks.
The way they executed was lawful but in this day and age it may not be expedient. It may not be wise, unless you also are marrying someone that you guys knew each other prior or your families at least knew each other prior. But even then, I wouldn’t marry unless I knew the person and family more personally. As some may have ulterior motives, like with King Saul. But more on that another time. So, as you can see. This is another example of what seems like a hasty marriage but not one that was unlawful. As God even provided an angel in the flesh to help them. But keep in mind the sincere desire was marriage. A lifelong commitment. Not a one night stand or I’m just in the moment.
Deuteronomy 21:10-13 KJVS
When thou goest forth to war against thine enemies, and the LORD thy God hath delivered them into thine hands, and thou hast taken them captive, [11] And seest among the captives a beautiful woman, and hast a desire unto her, that thou wouldest have her to thy wife; [12] Then thou shalt bring her home to thine house; and she shall shave her head, and pare her nails; [13] And she shall put the raiment of her captivity from off her, and shall remain in thine house, and bewail her father and her mother a full month: and after that thou shalt go in unto her, and be her husband, and she shall be thy wife.
Here we see another example on how The Most High instructed us to take on wives from other nations, if we were going to do so. Which presently, we wouldn’t practice for a number of reasons. But more on that another time. The key takeaway is that God didn’t have a problem if you saw a woman and you liked her for beauty. As long as you decided to take her on as a WIFE. So just because you think someone is physically attractive and you want to marry them, doesn’t mean that is bad. However, there are some things to keep in mind.
Sirach 25:21 KJVA
Stumble not at the beauty of a woman, and desire her not for pleasure.
Here the scriptures give us wisdom. Which some may find as a contradiction. However, it is a wise guideline. Don’t get so caught up on the beauty of someone and just focusing on the pleasurable things you can get or do. Why?
Sirach 25:23 KJVA
A wicked woman abateth the courage, maketh an heavy countenance and a wounded heart: a woman that will not comfort her husband in distress maketh weak hands and feeble knees.
If you read the scriptures preceding the passage and those that follow, you will learn that in context, it is teaching you things to do to avoid being with a wicked woman. And the problems you can face being with a wicked woman. Beauty is good but that is just the icing on the cake, not the cake itself. Even if she is outwardly attractive, her spirit may be monstrous. And the same applies vice versa. As a woman you don’t want to become so focused on the flesh, that you loose sight of the spirit.
1 Corinthians 10:23 KJV
All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.
Don’t be deceived. Lawful doesn’t mean wise. And what may be wise for one, may be foolish for another. As wisdom is not cookie cutter. It is case by case. The details matter and can change the counsel given under the circumstances. As well as the decision that should be made.
Proverbs 6:25-26 KJVS
Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids. [26] For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life.
Lust can be the very thing that can get you killed. In more ways than one. Marrying someone wicked can be a slow death. They drain you mentally, spiritually and can lead to you dying faster physically. Don’t get so caught up in the carnal, that you lose sight of the spiritual. You could lose your livelihood and your sanity messing around with the wrong person. And if they are an adulterer or adulteress they may be more inclined to rush things with you because they desire something pure. The unclean spirits in them desire to defile something clean and precious and find a bigger home. They’re looking for territory to conquer and you may be next on the campaign list. They’re hunting and you’re the prey.
Sirach 23:6 KJVA
Let not the greediness of the belly nor lust of the flesh take hold of me; and give not over me thy servant into an impudent mind.
You have to hope and pray that the spirit of lust does not overtake you. And now you are impudent; shameless and openly immodest. Lest instead of repentance, you start to justify your behavior and cleave to those who accept your behavior. Rather than correcting it and cleaving to those who want you to be better and do better. And once in that mindset, it becomes difficult for you to see where your faults lie. Because your lust has hijacked and rewired your mind and spirit.
History of Susanna
Susanna 1:7-14 KJVA
7 Now when the people departed away at noon, Susanna went into her husband’s garden to walk.
We find here a story about a righteous woman named Susanna. And the key here is that she was righteously married.
8 And the two elders saw her going in every day, and walking; so that their lust was inflamed toward her.
But these two elders saw her going in and out of the garden everyday. But they started to sexually lust after her. This was a problem because she was a married woman. And now they were not repenting but entertaining more and more thoughts of being with this married woman sexually. And plotting a way to do so.
9 And they perverted their own mind, and turned away their eyes, that they might not look unto heaven, nor remember just judgments.
They allowed themselves to be taken away so far with their lust, that they were unable to correct themselves. Their minds were overtaken. This is how it happens. You have a desire like an animal, a dog even and it grows overtime as you feed it. If it gets too big and you don’t pull the leash on it and choke it, or restrain it, it will begin pulling you. And now you have lost a significant level of control. So much so, that you enjoy being in your lust, it feels good. Those spirits have gotten so big, you take them as your own. You’re comfortable because they are comfortable. Now you feel like that oldies song, “If loving you is wrong, I don’t wanna be right.”
10 And albeit they both were wounded with her love, yet durst not one shew another his grief.
The crazy part is, that a part of you knows it’s wrong. Just like they did. Which is why you try to keep it in the dark. You fighting hard with those spirits and they winning.
11 For they were ashamed to declare their lust, that they desired to have to do with her.
The shame comes in because deep down you know you ain’t right and what the right thing to do is. Else you wouldn’t be ashamed. Thats that last bit of light in you trying to shine through but it’s getting suppressed by the gross amount of darkness around you.
12 Yet they watched diligently from day to day to see her.
You become diligent. Devoted, even to doing the wrong thing. You become, as the scriptures say in Jeremiah 4:22 “they are wise to do evil.” The sad thing is, is that your mind is programmed to FIND A WAY to commit your sin and justify it, rather than find a way to repent and get away from it.
13 And the one said to the other, Let us now go home: for it is dinner time.14 So when they were gone out, they parted the one from the other, and turning back again they came to the same place; and after that they had asked one another the cause, they acknowledged their lust: then appointed they a time both together, when they might find her alone.
You be faking the funk. You have all the right things to say in the midst of others but deep down you know what you are going to do. So you play the part and roll that you need to play in the moment to pacify those around you. You feel people out to see if they are likeminded. And you discern who is in a similar spirit to open up to. And may even seek their validation in how your way is good. So now you have a stamp of approval and feel even more justified in your actions. But for these two men. Who, to make matters worse were elders. Tried to conjure up lies to put Susanna between a rock and a hard place. Have sex with us (which would make her an adulteress) or we will accuse you of having sex with someone else. She had to choose the option that would keep her blameless in God’s eyes, even if she is condemned by men.
Susanna 1:56 KJVA
So he put him aside, and commanded to bring the other, and said unto him, O thou seed of Chanaan, and not of Juda, beauty hath deceived thee, and lust hath perverted thine heart.
This story had a good ending where righteousness won. The Most High raised up Daniel, as an older child even a teenager, as some may say, to speak up against this wickedness. And put a strong spirit of discernment on him to do so. But as he said, it was their strong spirit of lust that ultimately destroyed them. Which helps us to learn that you can’t hide from the Most High if you are moving wrong. But it becomes our own lust that pervert and destroy our minds.
Psalm 106:13-14 KJVS
They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel: [14] But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert.
Our people can loose sight of the bigger picture. Sometimes your lust becomes evident due to a lack of patience. God did all of these wondrous works yet, you’re obsessed about getting some meat. When if you were patient he could have happily provided. Just because you desire something and want it now doesn’t mean you will or even should receive it now. But through your strong desire you now lose patience and begin to complain and murmur. And through your complaining, you provoke The Most High to anger and tempt him to curse or punish you as a result.
Numbers 11:4 KJV
And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?
This is that history and when it happened. Firstly, you must understand that the other nations have an influence over you. Don’t get caught up in what they are doing or saying that you begin to align with their reasoning. That’s one reason why it made mention of the mixed multitude. The second, was that you had a mix of individuals who were adverse and those who were devoted to righteousness. And it can only be a matter of time, before one bad apple spoils the bunch. But if at the end of the day the agenda is pushed, now we have a big problem. Now many are complaining. This is all a product of lust.
Psalm 81:12 KJV
So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels.
If you stay in that spirit too long and God feels like every opportunity to try and help you has been in vain, he may finally take his hands of protection off of you and let you run wild and deal with you later. You go do what you are going to go do. Leave Satan to Satan’s devices.
John 8:44 KJV
Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
At this point you have to choose up. If you allow yourself to fall victim to the whiles of Satan, you become his child and he becomes your father. He is the one protecting and providing for you now. He is your counselor and you follow his counsel as a result.
1 Corinthians 10:6 KJV
Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
All of this was written for our example, so we learn what to do and what not to do. And what happens when we choose to or not to do these things.
Romans 6:12 KJVS
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
You don’t want sin to rule in your mind and spirit that now your lust is what’s running the show and calling the shots. Knowledge, understanding, and wisdom is in the back seat. Reasoning and logic is in the trunk. You’re just focused on how you can make work what you want to make work. You don’t want to be in this state. You being a child of God makes you a god. And the basic requirement of godhood is being a power. At the foundation of that power, is power over self.
Ephesians 4:27 KJVS
Neither give place to the devil.
You have to know you well enough to understand what is not good for you. What people, places, and or things, will get you caught up. And you have to know where those doors generally lead and have enough sense not to walk through them. As a matter of fact, don’t even open them! Keep them closed and locked. Heck, seal it up if you can. Don’t give Satan room to start building a spirit of lust in your temple.
Mark 4:19 KJV
And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
You have so many things in this world set against you. So many carnal things, that you can go a little too far to the left and be in jeopardy of falling away. It starts choking the word of righteousness in your spirit and that fruit, to where you become a barren wasteland. You start going further and further and further in the world. Until your life looks questionable as to if you were in the truth or not.
Romans 13:14 KJV
But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.
You have to put on the whole armor of God. You have to walk as Christ walked and follow his example. But first you must begin to think Christ like and reform your mind. This is how you will begin to resist your lusts.
Galatians 5:16 KJV
This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
The more you walk in the spirit; that is the Holy Spirit. The less you will walk in the flesh. You won’t need to worry about what if I fall off. Just stay on the path. You have to know you well enough to say that for the sake of my salvation I cannot hang out with these people as much, or anymore. For the sake of my salvation this social media app is no good for me. For the sake of my salvation I can’t listen to this genre of music because it puts me in this mood. And realizing that even if making these moves are difficult or even after the move is made things are difficult, I need to pray and fast and ask The Most High and Christ for their strength to do so.
Mark 9:29 KJV
And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.
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