THE BIBLE, SEX & THIS GENERATION: Monicque Sharman'S Book Reviewed   by Brian Alan Burhoe

A Book Review.

THE BIBLE, SEX, AND THIS GENERATION is a study of sexuality in Biblical and modern society, from a Christian point of view. From Adultery to the Wedding, this thought-provoking book is reviewed...

"Within the secular world, sex is often free and easy. Morality has sunken to the lowest of depths. Situations such as adultery, divorce and casual relationships are not only rife; they are socially acceptable.

"Christians may have escaped these ills to some degree. But still, they must face them as they seek to bring people to God. Situations that perhaps barely existed in the last generation are bombarding the church in its ministry." --from the Introduction of THE BIBLE, SEX, AND THIS GENERATION by Monicque Sharman.

Over the years, Monicque Sharman has authored many religious articles and successful websites. She is also involved in Christian counseling and is studying towards a theology degree.

Certainly, the presentation of sexuality in our society has radically changed in the past 60 years. In 1939, the producers of GONE WITH THE WIND had to fight the Hollywood censors to allow the word "d**n" in the movie. ("Frankly, my dear, I don't give a d**n!") Now, every word, every carnal situation is allowed on the Internet, music videos, books, magazines, television programming and the movies. Many parents aren't even aware that their children can freely download real "movie samples" portraying every sexual act. Nothing is forbidden -- although determined action by concerned parents and other citizens is at least keeping some control on the public display of child abuse and violent sexual assault. Thank God for that.

Monicque Sharman -- in THE BIBLE, SEX, AND THIS GENERATION: How God's Word Applies Today -- has explored this condition.

In Chapter 1, THE BEGINNING, she writes:

Although it was written thousands of years before His time as a man, when Jesus was asked about relations between married couples, He looked towards the first book of the Bible, Genesis. This book is sometimes called the 'foundational book,' and all the major doctrines of the Bible, from creation to salvation stem from it. Accordingly, we will also start to look at God's timeless teachings on the subject of sex there.

In the beginning, after God had made the first man, we read the following passage:

"So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman,' for she was taken out of man." For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame"

In Chapter 2, HOW GOD JOINS COUPLES IN MARRIAGE, she begins a detailed examination of the fundamental sexual union of Man and Woman:

Sex is what joins two people together, making them one. Accordingly, in Genesis we saw that when couples had sex, they did in fact live as married; they accepted the relationship that sex obligated them to keep. No church ceremonies or vows are recorded as starting marriages in the Bible. We see no marriage contracts being signed, and neither do we see that a wedding is a necessary facet to marriage. Marriage was simply started when a couple had sex, and accepted their status as lifelong companions, caring for, providing for and loving one another for life.

Regarding marriage, Jesus said: "...what God has joined together, let man not separate." Are some couples joined in marriage, yet not by God? Is it possible that some are joined together in another way?

Chapter 3, SEX IS COVENANT, she writes:

The concept of covenant is central to many Biblical doctrines where we often see people being 'bound' to God. In fact, the word 'covenant' itself means 'to bind.'

In a marriage covenant, sex is the blood sacrifice. But when I say this, I also wish to emphasize that it's not the blood that may come from the vagina as it is penetrated for the first time. The blood that is sacrificed when two people have sex is not just a little blood from the genital region! The blood sacrifice is made as the lives of two people experience an ending or death to their two single lives...People enter into the marriage covenant as they join their bodies sexually to another person, becoming 'one flesh' with that other person. Their single lives have died and been sacrificed to form a new life - married life - an ending of two separate persons, and the birth of a new oneness...

A wedding is the outward sign that marks this covenantal relationship that has begun. Sex is the blood sacrifice, initiator, and beginning of marriage. A couple is not married in God's eyes until they have had sex with each other. Even in modern times, a marriage is not said to be 'consummated' or completed until the couple have had sex.

In the marriage covenant, man is described as the 'stronger' party, whom, like God in the example above, passes between the flesh of the other to 'cut' the covenant. By being called the 'stronger' party, I only mean that the male has a greater responsibility in marriage as God has a greater responsibility than we do in our relationship with him.

God says that He hates divorce, and asks: "Did I not make you both one?" God says, "...let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth...." When a man has sex with a woman, he should never put her away and forget the fact that he has made a covenant with her - for this is dealing treacherously...

Chapter 4, RESPONSIBILITIES OF SEX, begins a thought-provoking study of fundamentals that are crucial to understanding today's situation:

So far, we've learnt that marriages begin with sex - that when a couple have sex God expects them to stay married for life. The Bible certainly does not teach that wedding ceremonies start marriages. In this chapter, we go back to the beginning of the Old Testament, starting half way through the book of Genesis to see how people lived this teaching.

The punishment for adultery was severe, and adultery was when a woman had sex with a second or subsequent living partner, or when a man had sex with someone else's wife. Adultery is only sex with a married woman, not a married man. Even in the New Testament, which we will look at in further chapters, this is the meaning of adultery (cf. 1 Cor 7:10-11, 39).

In Chapter 5, SEX WITH A MARRIED MAN, she writes:

King David did not immediately have his adulterous concubines killed, neither was Hosea's adulterous wife killed. Even Jesus did not condemn the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11). As I believe that David did the right thing in continuing to provide for the adulterous concubines, and giving them time to repent, we also should do the same. We need not focus on killing the adulterous people that we know, or view them as dead. Rather, what we can focus on is the forgiveness of God that can stop this adulterous cycle in its tracks. Our purpose as Christians is to bring others to a saving knowledge of Jesus, not to kill them for their sins, or give them up as hopeless and dead, rejecting them, telling them our love for them was conditional, and has now ended. Remember, this person has been a part of us (cf. 1 Cor 7:4). Although very difficult, I believe that God wishes us to continue loving our sinful partners as He does; praying that they realize that what they have done will eventually bring them true death, and praying that they come to know the forgiveness that God offers - if only they truly repent.

The other chapters explore the Biblical teachings and revalations of sexuality and give Sharman's expert ideas of how these apply to today...

Chapter 6 PORNEIA If sex makes a marriage, then what would the word 'porneia' (commonly known as 'fornication') mean? This chapter is extremely interesting as it proposes a meaning for the word 'porneia' that many would never have previously thought of.

Chapter 7 SEPARATION AND DIVORCE Biblically, are separation and divorce the same thing? And are they allowable?

Chapter 8 THE EXCEPTION CLAUSE Keeping the new meaning of the word 'porneia' in mind (chapter 6), how does this change our understanding of Matt 5:32 and 19:9? An explosively interesting chapter!

Chapter 9 REMARRIAGE What does the Bible teach us about remarriage and polygyny? Many people have their set ideas about these things, but do they know what the Bible really teaches?

Chapter 10 ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIPS If divorce and remarriage are unacceptable behaviors for christians, where then does that leave those people 'stuck' in abusive relationships? This chapter looks into the story of the marriage of Nabal and Abigail (1 Sam), and also at the abusive relationship between Israel and God.

Chapter 11 DEFACTO RELATIONSHIPS Are all people living in defacto relationships 'living in sin'? This chapter also includes some good reasons why christian couples should actually have a wedding.

Chapter 12 ANNULMENT Here Sharman looks at some historical applications of the Bible's teachings on sex, along with some information from the bible on vow making.

Chapter 13 THE HUSBAND OF ONE WIFE This chapter looks primarily at 1 Tim 3:2, 12 and Titus 1:6. Do these verses exclude men who have been divorced (and/or remarried) from the pastoral ministries?

Chapter 14 MARY AND JOSEPH Were they engaged or married before the birth of Jesus? Had they had sex with each other? Rather than going into details of the fatherhood of our Lord Jesus, in this chapter Sharman looks at divorce, engagements, and appropriate sexual behavior for the unmarried.

Chapter 15 HOMOSEXUALITY A great chapter explaining biblically why homosexuality is wrong. This chapter does more than many previous works on the subject of homosexuality, because it builds on the many new teachings that the book has already presented.

Chapter 16 FANTASY, MASTURBATION AND PORNOGRAPHY In a book about the biblical teachings on sexual relationships, a chapter on these subjects must inevitably be included. Sharman takes a sensitive look at these issues in the light of what we have learnt.

Chapter 17 THE WOMAN AT THE WELL Looking at stories such as the 'woman at the well' from the gospel of John, we see God's great love and forgiveness for those of us who have sinned sexually.

Chapter 18 THE WEDDING This chapter explains where weddings came from and why many think they are mandated by the Bible. It explains that sex itself is far more sacred than the ceremony originally designed to protect it.

Chapter 19 MARRY 'IN THE LORD' This chapter looks at some of our favorite biblical marriages - and how they survived despite odds similar to those many face today - especially in light of the teachings of this book!

Appendix WHAT SHOULD HAVE SHARI DONE? This appendix to chapter 2 asks what guidance a parent or adviser should give to a young person already engaging in sex...

THE BIBLE, SEX, AND THIS GENERATION: How God's Word Applies Today is available in eBook, Paperback and Hardcover.

To learn more about this book, see MEDIEVAL CHRISTIAN MYSTICISM & MODERN DREAM INTERPRETATION.

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About the Author

Brian Alan Burhoe is the author of many articles and short stories. His Home Page is ORNITHANTHROPUS Science Fantasy by B Alan Burhoe. Many of his animal-related articles can be found at PUPPY DOGS INFO. Or just do an Author Search at GoArticles!