Thursday, May 22, 2008

Dating

Let's start off with a question today. I have been puzzling through Amos 3:3, "do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so?" In the larger context I think this verse is just trying to be a 'duh' statement to emphasize the obviousness of God's judgement on Israel. In the more nitty gritty I am a little puzzled. You can certainly walk next to someone without their permission, though they may ignore you, so it's not a straight forward interpretation. I was googling the Bible on dating and this verse came up. I am interpreting it to mean that two people should not be spending time together without a specific purpose, but that doesn't fully sound right. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
On the topic of the actual subject, I am trying to study through what the bible says on dating, courting, pre-marriage actions, inter-gender relationships, etc. If anyone can suggest any verses on these topics that would be much appreciated. My google search did yield a lot on what type of person to associate with, and maybe even when to get married, but the actual process seems a little vague still. Again, any thoughts are welcome. Thanks.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well, it's a tough verse to use to explain dating since that is not the intent of the verse at all, but I can see the principle or idea behind using it.
I'm sure the thought behind "agree" is more than permission. It's more of an intentional, emotional agreement. Agreeing in heart and mind to walk together. To that extent, it's not a bad model to have for dating.

As far as getting additional biblical perspectives on it, I would suggest any of Joshua Harris's books. Or I have multiple audio and written messages on the topic that hopefully reflect the heart of God on the matter. Just ask and I'll send them to you.
Tim B.

Unknown said...

I gave a message on it at The Rock a few months ago.

http://www.rockisu.com/sermon/relationships-the-transition

In case you miss my main point, it is simply this: get a lot of advice and FOLLOW IT.

I also heartily recommend Joshua Harris's book. I'd read them in order though. Also, anything Tim has on the subject is likely golden.

Anonymous said...

Have you ever read John Meyer's little booklet thingy on this subject? It has a lot of good principles and corresponding verses. They were handing them out at Faithwalkers 2008 as "Rock Solid Relationships". It also has testimonies from real couples that have walked through the process and tried to apply those principles. Contact Summitview in Fort Collins, CO if you want a copy.