In the Bible, immediately after the story about one son of Adam and Eve (Cain) violently killing another one of their sons (Abel), there are a few verses that tell us what happened to Cain’s decedents. There is a list of those that came from him, but in verse nineteen for some reason the list is interrupted to tell us that a guy named Lamech took two wives. The list of great-great grandchildren just stops as if to scream, “Oh! Let me tell you what this guy did!” Weird, right?   Let me take you back a couple chapters to when God creates Eve. God sees that it isn’t good for Adam to be by himself. He says that there was no good helper (Gen. 2:18). An interesting thing about that word “helper” is that almost every other time that word is used in the Bible, it’s about God. Yeah, that’s right. Helper in the Bible refers to the one that provides what you are lacking. So when God comes to help he has come to do what you could not do for yourself. He says that about Eve. Here is one that will make you more whole, more capable, more you than you can be by yourself. Without her you can’t produce life. Without her you can’t rule as you are supposed to. Without her you can’t worship like you should. At the end of this story Moses adds an interesting note. He says that they were both naked, but not ashamed (Gen. 2:25). Interesting, right? Man and woman created for each other, to worship God, ruling together, filling the earth with images of Him. Not ashamed of their nakedness. But then Lamech. This gift of husband and wife God had given as a good thing is suddenly not enough. He wants more. So he takes it. Sin perverts the gift into violence, control and possession. It is shameful.   One way to stop feeling bad (at least for a little while) about something you should be embarrassed about is to celebrate it, shout it from the roof tops. Popular culture does this all the time! “Oh, look how terrible we are! Isn’t it great!” God’s designs are flaunted. The gift of two becoming one, submitting to one another as a model of Christ’s love for His Church is turned into a sick, twisted, celebrated game of violence and possession. This is so far from the self giving beauty of the garden! My heart breaks for those that celebrate perversion, their sadness must be deep. I am saddened by the pain that submission to the thorns of temptation inflicts. Sin is dark and it destroys. This isn’t God keeping score so he can decide who His favorites are. This is about living wisely. Sin takes! It robs you of joy! Do not believe the lie of the devil that the God who gives richly (Gen. 2:16) is holding out on you (Gen. 3:1). You are not missing out on some twisted sadist’s fantasy. That is not something the great artist who formed you had in mind when He breathed life, intellect, and beauty into you. It isn’t what will make you happy. The momentary titillation of forbidden sin is quickly replaced by real damage to joy and marriage brought by the abuse of the rich gift of our sexuality.