Allegations of sexual assault are nothing new, for it is one of those problems that have plagued us from Genesis to Revelation. It has been bubbling up to the surface for centuries, but it seems as if it is now reaching a zenith, together with all of the other sins that are being witnessed daily.
The outpouring of The Holy Spirit will allow all of earth’s harvests to come to maturity, and this will include the good, the bad, and the ugly. Thus, if you see an astronomical rise in sexual allegations in the news, it signals to us that earth’s harvests are being ripened, ready for reaping, of which there would be good reapers, and the grim reapers.
There have been abuses, and sexual allegations in the clergy, where children and teenagers who were entrusted to the care of spiritual leaders have been permanently harmed by the grossest acts done to them, by those who were supposed to have been their guardians.
There have also been reports of sexual allegations, and abuses by politicians, and some very prominent people have become embroiled in the scandals. The tendency to sweep these matters under the rug and the practice of paying hush money to cover up one’s dirty secrets, contributes a lot to making the issue seem smaller than it really is.
Indeed, if you were to ask God about the truth in the matter, He will reveal that the problem is much more pervasive than most people know, and it is only as the day of final accounts draws near that the curtains will be pulled back, to reveal millions of skeletons, hiding in the closets of some presumably decent folk.
After the presumed suicide of Jeffrey Epstein, many persons wondered at his sudden demise, for it did seem strange to many, that he would suddenly end his life. And there are many unanswered questions that are yet to be unearthed, which pertain to his untimely death. But for the meantime, suffice it to say that dead men don’t tell tales.
Let us just say here that according to the scriptures, there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed. It might be hidden from parents, families, citizens and spouses, but one day, sooner or later, it will become exposed for all to see. Politicians may try to cover it up and investigators may shred all the evidence they can find, but the unadulterated files are still intact in God’s books of accounts.
And when Jesus finally discloses the truths in the matter, those persons who went to great lengths to bury their skeletons, will realize too late that the all-seeing eye of God was following them, in so much that the books of record in heaven will contain live footage of their words, and deeds, with all of those minute details, such as intentions. Let’s read:
Hebrews 4: 12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and He is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
1st Corinthians 4: 5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.
Luke 12: 2 For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.
3 Therefore whatsoever you have spoken in the darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which you have spoken in the ear, in the closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops
[ Great Controversy pp 486] Sins that have not been repented of and forsaken will not be pardoned, and blotted out of the books of record, but will stand to witness against the sinner in the day of God.
He may have committed his evil deeds in the light of day or in the darkness of night; but they were open and manifest before Him with whom we have to do. Angels of God witnessed each sin, and registered it in the unerring records.
Sin might be concealed, denied, covered up from father, mother, wife, children, and associates. None but the guilty actors may cherish the least suspicion of the wrong.
But it is laid bare before the intelligences of Heaven. The darkness of the darkest night, the secrecy of all deceptive arts, is not sufficient to veil one thought from the knowledge of the Eternal. God has an exact record of every unjust account and every unfair dealing.
He is not deceived by appearances of piety. He makes no mistakes in his estimation of character. Men may be deceived by those who are corrupt in heart, but God pierces all disguises, and reads the inner life.
The Bible study for today will be free of biases, and cultural or social prejudices for it will not favor men over women or vice versa. The Lord will give us the straight, unadulterated truth from His word, for the trumpet has to give a certain sound, for such a time as this.
Several issues that pertain to sexual allegations will be addressed, and as usual, God will call all men and women everywhere to repent, and turn away from sin. The first problem we will study is the issue of He said/ She said, where victims and perpetrators may square of in the context of allegation.
[1] The issue of He said/ She said. Let’s read:
Genesis 39:2 And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.
7 And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me.
In our day, mostly men have been found to be the perpetrators, but according to the Bible, women can also be instigators in fostering sexual misconduct. It takes a mind that is free from bias, to think things through objectively, and therefore, whenever there are allegations of sexual misconduct swirling on the airwaves, be very slow to jump to conclusions.
The problem with the issue of he said/ she said is that in very many cases, one’s word is pitted against another and folks often rush to judgement, without a knowledge of all the facts in the case. Whenever a man, or a woman comes forth with any allegation of sexual harassment, it is prudent to wait to hear both sides of the story.
In the case of Mrs. Potiphar, it would seem as if her allegation was valid, to persons who would be prone to give a woman of such standing, the benefit of the doubt. On the other hand, who would believe young Joseph, the newly minted slave, sold from a foreign country.
To some biased minds it would seem more plausible that the immigrant would have committed this act, but to discount Mrs. Potiphar as being the instigator would be too farfetched, because someone of her stature will most likely not do such a thing.
However, a person’s stature and political standing is not any guarantee that they would not do such and such, as the recent files have shown. Both men and women of stature are fallen human beings, just like everyone else, and therefore, to write off one as not being capable of indulging sexual harassment is to presume.
There is currently a slush fund in congress that has used taxpayer dollars to pay out millions in sexual misconduct and harassment cases, among other allegations. The names of the offenders are mostly kept secret, and it involves both men and women of some level of stature.
Reports are supposed to be made to the Office of Compliance, but according to the records, most of the victims and perpetrators often choose to remain anonymous. Thus, by a conservative guesstimate, there are probably many more skeletons to fall out from congress’ closet than many people realize.
This leads us to the second very important point:
[2] Persons have the right, and a moral obligation to refuse any inappropriate sexual advances, coming to you from either male or female.
Genesis 39:8 But he refused, and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master knows not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand;
9 There is none greater in this house than I; neither has he kept back anything from me but you because you are his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?
10 And it came to pass, as she spoke to Joseph, day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her.
There are sexual allegations, and misconducts which have occurred in the work place. Joseph did not put himself in a compromised position voluntarily, as is too often the case. He was only going to work, and minding his own business, when these unsolicited advances began to come from the most unlikely source.
Both male and female employees of a company may find themselves the targets of sexual harassment. It may come from a boss who wields authority, to hire and fire those who like Joseph, would not comply. It may come from fellow employees who have a crush on you for some reason.
And just like Joseph, the harassment might occur on a daily basis, to try and break your morale. Satan is a determined foe and if he sees you trying to do the right thing, he will often make matters much worse by persistent attacks. This applies to both male, and female workers, because the devil is no respecter of persons.
There is much commentary to be made concerning this singular statement: Joseph refused. Question: How did Joseph refuse? The answers are many and varied, and cover a wide spectrum of activities that can determine what the outcome will be.
Both men and women must avoid flirting with each other, and like Joseph, both males, and females are to carry about themselves in a manner that would not induce evil thoughts and desires in the opposite sex.
Joseph refused: Women are to dress themselves in such a manner so as not to destabilize men, and the dudes are to be decently clad at all times, and in all places. Just because you are heading to the beach, or to some wedding, doesn’t mean to say that you should let it all hang out.
Decorum and prudence will form a sort of bulwark against those intrusions which too often lead to a rendezvous. God is a Spirit, and thus, both sexes are to avoid inviting temptation, as far as possible. Let’s read:
[Testimonies Vol. 5 pp 595] Men who are doing God’s work, and who have Christ abiding in their hearts will not lower the standard of morality, but will ever seek to elevate it.
They will not find pleasure in the flattery of women or in being petted by them. Let men, both single and married, say: “Hands off! I will never give the least occasion that my good shall be evil spoken of.
My good name is capital of far more value to me than gold or silver. Let me preserve it untarnished. Allow no one to praise or flatter you, or to cling to your hand as if loath to let it go. Be afraid of every such demonstration.
Josph refused: This section is addressed to brother so and so, and sister so and so. Let’s read:
1st Thessalonians 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.
It does not have to be evil, it just has to look like if it’s evil, and if it appears to be so, both women and men must avoid it as far as possible. Joseph refused the first appearance of evil by not flirting with Mrs. Potiphar. It’s a fact that people have the tendency to draw conclusions, that’s just how folks are.
Thus, rather than have unfounded rumors swirling around in the New York Times, Joseph would carry himself with dignity and reserve, so as not to give the appearance of any approval to Mrs. Potiphar’s advances.
And therefore, if The Lord did not specifically send persons to a time and place, that could turn out to be satan’s enchanted ground, try to avoid going in the first place. Prevention is better than cure, thus, rather than tempt the devil to tempt you, persons are to use common sense and not place themselves in harms way, if it can be avoided.
For example, if brother so and so was to invite sister so and so up to his hotel room to do, let’s say, Bible study in the wee hours of the morning, even though we are not to judge anybody the very appearance of it does not make for a good look, nor would it smell right. Such a sight will certainly cause questions to start swirling around.
No one should suspect that foul play took place, but just the sight of sister so and so, coming out of the hotel room of brother so and so, at 3 am in the wee hours of the morning, would give the appearance of evil, even if they were indeed studying the Bible. We do not know.
And worse yet, if the wife of brother so and so just happened to pass by when sister so and so was now leaving the room at 3:00 am in the morning the wife of brother so and so would obviously have two valid questions to ask.
[1] Why did the Bible study have to take place in your private hotel room at 3:00 am in the wee hours of the morning? And [2] What was the topic about?
Again, if brother so and so is texting sister so and so all hours of the night, and into the wee hours of the morning, that is a sure sign to flee. You do not need Mom or Dad, or Elders or artificial intelligence to tell you do so, because, if you play with fire, you will get burned.
Joseph refused: If brother so and so, is texting sister so and so all hours of the night, and is sending her lewd images, and pictures of himself, don’t pray and ask God what to do. You already know what to do.
Cut off all interactions and conversations with such a person, and if he or she persists, then go ahead and report him or her to the relevant authorities. If you do not, then you will not have taken a proactive measure to stop things before they happened.
This leads us to the third, and a critically important point, because there are times when, after all you have done to avert trouble, he or she may go a step further and try to use force to cause you to buckle.
[3] Whenever sexual misconduct includes the use of force, try your best to adopt the Joseph mode, and run for your life, if you can. Let’s read:
Genesis 39:11 And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within.
12 And she caught him by his garment, saying, lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.
Joseph ran: If on your first date with some woman, or man, unwanted sexual advances are made, run as fast as you can, if you can, so that God will see that, at the very least, you tried your very best to avert potential trouble.
But to stay there with him or her, crying stop, with a look of glee on your face, would only add fuel to the fire, and the aggressor, whether male, or female will interpret that as a sign to continue their advances, for they will most likely conclude, that if they were to push just a little harder, he or she will break you.
God is a Spirit, and spiritual things will be spiritually discerned, and therefore, if Joseph, knowing that Mrs. Potiphar has a crush on him, were to go so far as to rent a hotel room and have Mrs. Potiphar over, just to hang out, the mere fact that both individuals used their freedom of choice to go there means that both of them are culpable to some degree.
And if either Joseph or Mrs. Potiphar afterward was to cry rape, both of them will be held to account, as far as God is concerned. Thus, the issue of personal responsibility now needs to be addressed from the Biblical perspective, because in our day, there is too often a dereliction of duty on the part of some folks.
There are a lot of sexual allegations swirling around nowadays, and it is quite possible that we are just looking at the tip of the iceberg, as it were. Where there is a known potential for sexual harassment or where assault has taken place, either by a male, or female, it is your positive duty to take the matter to the relevant authorities immediately.
It is understandable that doing so can be traumatic and embarrassing to the victim, however, it is best to never stay silent, for if you do, and twenty years later you bring an accusation of misconduct, it will be much more difficult to prove and substantiate.
There are many tools by which the victim of sexual abuse could say something. You could, and should report the incident to the relevant authorities, as soon as you can, because time is of the essence in cases of abuse. You can also tell a trusted friend, or family members, you can make notes in your diary, documenting the where, the when, and the how.
You can have a forensic exam done by which DNA evidence can be gathered by a hospital, or other specialized clinics which will do such work. You can preserve any samples of the assault such as hair, or clothing, so that the allegation can be verified, just like how Mrs. Potiphar kept Joseph’s clothing as the evidence of her supposed allegations.
Whatever you do, do not stay silent, nor should you hope that it is just an aberration that will somehow subside with the passage of time. Let the records show that you did make an effort to sound an alert, for that is what the word “Cried” means in the next passages. Let’s read:
Deuteronomy 22: 23 If a damsel that is a virgin be betrothed unto a husband, and a man finds her in the city, and lies with her;
24 Then ye shall bring them both out unto the gate of that city, and ye shall stone them with stones that they die; the damsel, because she cried not, being in the city; and the man, because he hath humbled his neighbor's wife: so, you shalt put away evil from among you.
25 But if a man finds a betrothed damsel in the field and the man forces her, and lies with her: then the man only that lay with her shall die.
26 But unto the damsel thou shalt do nothing; there is in the damsel no sin worthy of death: for as when a man rises against his neighbor, and slays him, even so is this matter.
27 For he found her in the field, and the betrothed damsel cried, and there was none to save her.
In our day, there are times when the damsel, either {male or female} might “Cry” but there is none to listen, or the authorities might not take his, or her allegations seriously. If this is the case, try taking the matter first to God, and then to other entities that may be more sympathetic to your complaint.
There are newspapers that would be willing to take up the investigations, as was the case with the first Epstein investigations. But whatever you do, never remain silent, for if you do, your credibility may be called into question, regrettably. This leads us to the fourth issue of allegations, whether they be true or false.
[4] Whenever allegations of sexual misconduct are made, wait to hear both sides of the story, before jumping to conclusions. Be very careful with male or female biases, that may tug at one’s heartstrings in one direction or another. Let’s read:
Genesis 39:13 And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and was fled forth,
14 That she called unto the men of her house, and spoke unto them, saying, See, he hath brought in a Hebrew unto us to mock us; he came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice.
15 And it came to pass, when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled, and got him out.
19 And it came to pass, when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spoke unto him, saying, after this manner did thy servant to me; that his wrath was kindled.
20 And Joseph's master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison.
There are always two sides to any story, and it’s very often the case that one will present their side with an air of self-justification. This isn’t always the case, but persons have to bear this fact in mind, when it comes to deciding, or figuring out what took place.
Apparently, Mr. Potiphar didn’t ask Joseph about his side of the story, and judgement was passed on the accused, without him having a fair shake. However, it seems as if, in his heart of hearts, Potiphar didn’t really believe his wife’s account, because if he was convinced, he would have had Joseph put to death.
In our day, whenever either male or female might bring a railing accusation against another, those in authority should hear the case objectively, without bias, political curry favors, and without feeling any sort of pressure to rule in favor of one or the other without just cause.
Too often, skeletons are buried at the request of persons in authority, and the “Damsel’s” cries may go unheeded. This leads us to our fifth and final point:
[5] Individuals who cover up sexual misconduct for others, because of some political, or ecclesiastical pressure. Let’s read:
Deuteronomy 16:18 Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the Lord thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes: and they shall judge the people with just judgment.
19 Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift blinds the eyes of the wise, and perverts the words of the righteous.
Deuteronomy 1:17 You shall not respect persons in judgment; but ye shall hear the small as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is God's: and the cause that is too hard for you, bring it unto me, and I will hear it.
In the case of David, those who brought Bathsheba to his house never said a word, and even after they knew for certain what had transpired, they covered it up, for they felt obligated to keep quiet to protect the king’s reputation from not only the scandal, but from the potential fallout, which could’ve included him being stoned to death.
There was also cover up on the part of Joab, who in obedience to David, killed an innocent man. It is not clear if Joab knew of David’s sin, because he was on the battle field at the time.
But the mere fact that he would kill Uriah without a just cause, and cover up the matter, means that he partook of the same spirit of coverup as those who hid the matter in David’s house. Let’s read:
2nd Samuel 11:14 And it came to pass in the morning that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.
15 And he wrote in the letter, saying, set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die.
16 And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men were.
17 And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell some of the people of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also.
When kings and queens are at fault for gross sexual misconduct, those who are under their jurisdiction should never feel as if they are obligated to sweep the matters under the rug, in order to retain favor with the monarch in question.
The reason for this is that if the issue is allowed to be dismissed without any adjudication, when similar violations in others surface, the hands of justice will be weakened, for there would be a just complaint of double standards.
When the news broke of David’s son Amnon’s sexual assault of Tamar the wheels of justice were found to be frozen, for how could David hold his son, Amnon accountable when he himself as king had previously assaulted Bathsheba? To many minds, that would be seen as a double standard.
Thus, for the sake of justice, and so that underlings may not feel emboldened to follow David’s lead, the Lord took the matter in hand personally, and He did what the human agents failed to do, by bringing the king to account.
This action on the part of God would have a twofold effect: [1] That He would show that no one is above the law, whether it be king, or peasant. And [2] That those who were under David’s jurisdiction would think twice before following his lead.
In other words, God’s mitigation of the issue would act as a serious deterrent to anyone contemplating acts of sexual misconduct, because if He were to let it slide, without saying, or doing something, there would be other potential sex offenders waiting in the wings, for their opportune moment to arrive. Let’s read:
2nd Samuel 12:7 And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus, saith the Lord God, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;
9 Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.
10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.
11 Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbor, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.
12 For thou did it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.
[Patriarchs & prophets pp 720] For the sake of Israel also there was a necessity for God to interpose. As time passed on, David’s sin toward Bathsheba became known, and suspicion was excited that he had planned the death of Uriah.
David’s sin misrepresented the character of God and cast reproach upon His name. It tended to lower the standard of godliness in Israel, to lessen in many minds the abhorrence of sin; while those who did not love and fear God were by it emboldened in transgression.
The guilty may attempt, as David had done, to conceal their crime from men; they may seek to bury the evil deed forever from human sight or knowledge; but “all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.” Hebrews 4:13. “There is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.”
Joab most likely will not be saved in God’s kingdom, because he cultivated the bad habit of doing David’s bidding, even when he knew that it was wrong. And in doing so Joab worshiped David instead of God, for worship consists of majority obedience and minority praise.
The way in which Joab died speaks volumes to a life that was devoted to a mere mortal man, and not to God, first and foremost. Like other altar boys, Joab would cover David’s tracks and he would pervert his judgement to curry favor with the king, for no other reason than to be in his good favors. Observe well his end, and may we all tack a different course for obvious reasons. Let’s read:
1st Kings 2: 28 Then tidings came to Joab: for Joab had turned after Adonijah, though he turned not after Absalom. And Joab fled unto the tabernacle of the Lord, and caught hold on the horns of the altar.
29 And it was told king Solomon that Joab was fled unto the tabernacle of the Lord; and, behold, he is by the altar. Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, Go, fall upon him.
31 And the king said unto him, do as he hath said, and fall upon him, and bury him; that thou mayest take away the innocent blood, which Joab shed, from me, and from the house of my father.
Individuals in our day who, like Joab might cover up sexual misconduct, or who may feel pressured to do so, in other to retain favor with this or that person, are in grave danger of being lost eternally, if there is not a change of heart and practice.
It calls upon us all to take a good, hard look at the following statement, in the context of the here and now, and on a personal and national level. Let’s read:
[Education pp 57] The greatest want of the world is the want of men, men who will not be bought or sold, men who in their inmost souls are true and honest, men who do not fear to call sin by its right name, men whose conscience is as true to duty as the needle to the pole, men who will stand for the right though the heavens fall.
We therefore end with a passage of Scripture that will help us to understand the grave nature of sin in all of its varied forms and we are reminded that God is now calling us all, on both a personal and national level to repent. Let’s read:
2nd Chronicles 7:13 If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people;
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
15 Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.
God Bless!