Bible Study

Title: A Covenant With Your Eyes
Date: Sep 29, 2005
Topic(s): Sex/Sexuality
Scripture: Matthew 5:28, Job 31:1, Proverbs 23:7

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A few years ago a soft drink commercial showed a group of young ladies crowded around an upper window in an office building watching a handsome, shirtless construction worker take a break and enjoy a cool drink. Maybe you have felt eyes staring as you strolled down the street or made your way to a table in a restaurant. And, let's be honest, maybe you've done your share of staring too.

The common term for this is "ogling." The younger generation calls it "scoping out." But what does the Bible call it?

What Does God Say?

Jesus says in Matthew 5:28, "But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (NKJV).

• What does Jesus call "ogling"?
• Why do you think Jesus seems to take such an extreme stand? List at least two reasons.
• In your opinion, is this primarily a "male-gender" sin? Why or why not?

The Old Testament character Job knew the danger of ogling. In Job 31:1, he declares, "I have made a covenant with my eyes; why then should I look upon a young woman?" (NKJV).

• What does the word "covenant" mean? (If you're not sure, look it up in a dictionary.)
• What age group would you guess Job might be a part of?
• Is age a factor in this sin?

My Thoughts

If you're a female, share how ogling makes you feel. If you're a male, indicate how you think this makes a woman feel and then ask your wife or, if you're not married, another woman how accurately your thoughts reflect their feelings.

My Part

The eyes are an important key to a pure heart. What comes in through the eyes typically is lodged in our minds and becomes a part of our thought life. The writer of Proverbs says, "For as he thinks in his heart, so is he" (Proverbs 23:7, NKJV). Write a covenant that will guide you in the way that you look at someone of the opposite sex. List at least two specific steps that will keep you from the sin of ogling. Set a date to implement the covenant you created.

Additional Scripture to read: 1 John 2:16, James 1:14-15, Proverbs 4:25

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