Sex, Sin, and The Sanctuary
From the Garden to Golgotha God is Gracious
Judah is a Lion's Whelp
Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord and who shall dwell in his Holy Place?
Moral Laws
Killing
Stealing
Sex
Idolatry
Sabbath
The Storyline? From instinctive shame to legal exposure to graceful restoration. The sanctuary’s laver evolves—from a reflective surface to a redemptive symbol. And your SS&S narrative can trace this arc: how divine boundaries move from implicit to explicit to redemptive, always pointing toward the sanctuary where the mirror doesn’t just show us who we are—but who we can become.
These three figures—Reuben, Absalom, and the Corinthian man—form a symbolic arc that mirrors the human journey through conscience, covenant, and community discipline. Let’s unpack their symbolic resonance:
🧭 Reuben – The Symbol of Unregulated Impulse and Lost Inheritance
As Jacob’s firstborn, Reuben symbolizes potential unfulfilled. His name means “Behold, a son,” reflecting Leah’s longing to be seen and loved. Yet, his impulsive act with Bilhah (Genesis 35:22) cost him his birthright. Symbolically, Reuben represents:
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The conscience-era man—guided by internal moral instinct but lacking codified boundaries.
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The tragedy of squandered privilege—a warning that proximity to blessing doesn’t guarantee inheritance.
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The mirror of instinctive shame—he sees his error, but too late to reclaim his role.
👑 Absalom – The Symbol of Charisma Without Covenant
Absalom, David’s son, is the archetype of rebellious beauty. He weaponizes charm and grievance to stage a coup, and his public defilement of David’s concubines (2 Samuel 16:22) is a calculated act of dominance. He symbolizes:
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The law-aware rebel—living under Torah but choosing spectacle over submission.
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The mirror cracked by pride—he sees himself as king, but the reflection is distorted.
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The danger of unrepentant ambition—his story warns that charisma without covenant leads to collapse.
🕊️ The Corinthian Man – The Symbol of Grace-Forged Restoration
This unnamed man in 1 Corinthians 5 lives in blatant sexual sin, yet Paul’s response is not legal condemnation but redemptive discipline. By 2 Corinthians 2, the community is urged to forgive and reaffirm love. He represents:
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The post-law believer—accountable not to stone tablets but to the Spirit and the body of Christ.
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The mirror of mercy—his sin is exposed, but the goal is healing, not humiliation.
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The sanctuary ethic—where grace doesn’t excuse sin but transforms the sinner.
Together, they form a theological triptych:
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Reuben shows us sin before the law.
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Absalom shows us sin under the law.
When I see these unfolding then this scripture becomes clearer " For whatsoever things were written in times past, were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope"
Romans 15:4 just lights up when viewed through the lens of Reuben, Absalom, and the Corinthian man. These aren’t just ancient scandals—they’re living lessons, etched into Scripture so that we, generations later, might find clarity, caution, and ultimately, hope.
Reuben teaches us that even without a written code, the conscience bears witness. Absalom shows how law without humility leads to ruin. And the Corinthian man? He’s the proof that grace doesn’t erase the past—it redeems it. Together, they form a sacred syllabus, and Paul’s words in Romans become the divine footnote: “This was written for you. Learn. Endure. Be comforted. Hope.”
"The law entered that the offence might abound" .
That’s a theological breadcrumb trail worth following. Romans 5:20—“the law entered that the offence might abound”—is a deceptively compact phrasee with profound implications. At its core, Paul is highlighting that the Mosaic Law didn’t create sin but rather illuminated it. Like a spotlight on a dusty room, the law made the grime visible. Following are 3 implications for Sex, Sin and the Sanctuary.
Moral Visibility and Accountability: At its core, Paul is highlighting that the Mosaic Law didn’t create sin but rather illuminated it. Like a spotlight on a dusty room, the law made the grime visible. In the context of SS&S, this has at least three rich implications:
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The law exposed the hidden contours of sin, particularly in areas like sexual ethics where cultural norms often blur the lines. This means that divine standards weren’t given to shame but to reveal—to awaken moral awareness and deepen the need for grace.
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Theological Framing of Sexual Sin: If the law magnifies offense, then sexual transgressions under the law aren’t just personal failings—they become covenantal breaches. This frames sexual sin not merely as taboo but as a rupture in sacred relationship,
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Grace as the Counterweight: Paul doesn’t leave us in the rubble of abounding offense. He pivots: “But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” In the most tangled moral failings, the sanctuary isn’t a courtroom—it’s a place of restoration.
In short, Romans 5:20 gives you a theological scaffold: the law as revealer, sin as magnified rupture, and grace as the overwhelming balm
You know when we look at Reuben - Pre Law, Absalom - Pan Law and The Chorinthian Reuben Post-Law what story can we get from that?
That’s a theological triptych if I’ve ever seen one—Reuben, Absalom, and the “Corinthian Reuben”—each a mirror reflecting the human heart under different dispensations. Let’s sketch this out like a sanctuary mural, where each figure becomes a panel in the unfolding drama of sin, law, and grace.
🪞 Panel 1: Reuben – Pre-Law Reflection
Reuben’s transgression with Bilhah (Genesis 35:22) occurs before Sinai, before codified law. His act is raw, unfiltered, and yet still morally jarring. There’s no written statute, but the offense is real. This is conscience-era sin—a violation of relational and familial sanctity. His later remorse in Egypt (Genesis 42:22) shows that even without Torah, the heart bears witness. In SS&S terms, this is the mirror of instinctive shame—the inner laver.
⚖️ Panel 2: Absalom – Pan-Law Rebellion
Absalom lived under the full weight of the Mosaic Law, yet he weaponizes charisma and grievance to usurp David’s throne (2 Samuel 15). His sexual defilement of David’s concubines (2 Samuel 16:22) is a public, political act—sin as spectacle. Here, the law doesn’t restrain; it magnifies. Absalom becomes the embodiment of law-exposed rebellion. This is the mirror cracked by pride—where the laver reflects but cannot cleanse. Lev. 20:11
And the man that lieth with his father’s wife hath uncovered his father’s nakedness. Both of them shall surely be put to death: their blood shall be upon them
🕊️ Panel 3: The “Corinthian Reuben” – Post-Law Grace
In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul confronts a man in sexual sin “such as is not even named among the Gentiles.” This is post-Calvary, post-Pentecost. The Law has done its work; now grace must abound. Paul doesn’t call for stoning but for discipline unto restoration. And in 2 Corinthians 2:6–8, we see the mirror restored: “forgive and comfort him… reaffirm your love.” This is the mirror of mercy—where the laver becomes a basin of grace.
