p. 8 | Graves of Lust

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · May 6, 1913

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 40, No. 18.

“Graves of Lust”

IN the journeyings of the children of Israel from Egypt to Canaan they lusted for flesh. See Numbers 11. As an outworking result many were slain, and the place was called Kibroth-hattaavah (pronounced, Kib-roth-hat-ta’-a-vah), meaning “graves of lust.” Num. 11:34, margin. The name was not a pleasant reminder to Israel; but it would ever serve to recall to them their sin, and thus lead them to humility.

“Graves of lust” is a very suggestive term. It may have a double meaning. It may mean to us, as to the children of Israel, that those who are therein buried were so wedded to their unholy lusts that they yielded all to them, and were destroyed, because every faculty and power of being was by these unlawful lusts debased and corrupted. A man himself becomes evil in such a case, and fitted only for destruction. The lesson to learn from such an example is to take warning betimes. “Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.” 1 Cor. 10:6.

“Graves of lust” may become to us a better term. It is true that the carnal heart, the unregenerate old man, “is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts” (Eph. 4:22), that “the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh” (Gal. 5:17); but it is also true that we may “through the Spirit” “mortify the deeds of the body” (Rom. 8:13); for “they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts” (Gal. 5:24). Lusts have been crucified, or put to death; it is only the proper thing to do, to bury them forever. “Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4), as obedient children, not fashioning ourselves according to the former lusts in our ignorance, but following the Holy One, of whose Spirit we are partakers (1 Peter 1:14-16).

Thus baptism becomes to every truly converted man the grave of his unlawful lusts. They are buried there forever. And when the strong desire (for lust is overstrong, or unlawful, desire) for anything contrary to God’s holy will or the great Exemplar, asserts itself, by the power of God’s Spirit, through the grace of His gospel, we can there conquer, and bury the lust ere it bears fruitage in deeds. Such graves would then be tokens of God’s wondrous love and power. Let us be sure that our Kibroth-hattaavah cover not ourselves as children of lust, but our lusts alone.