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or the updated version by one of the hottest groups on the planet
"Jolene" is the second #1 song on Billboard's Country Music Charts for Country music singer/songwriter/actress/
"Jolene" is ranked 217 on Rolling Stone Magazine's 2004 edition of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" list. The song was nominated for 2 Grammy Awards in 1974 (once for the single, and a 2nd time for a live recording) but did not win. 43 years later, however, Dolly partnered with the acapella group Pentatonix on the single, featured above, and won the Grammy for Best Country Duo/Group Performance in 2016.
Dolly has stated that she wrote "Jolene" on the same day that she wrote "I Will Always Love You", which peaked at #1 on the Country charts on 2 separate occasions in 1974 (Jolene album) and 1982 (The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas soundtrack... well, we are talkin' adultery today...).
Written as an ode to a rival for her husband's affection, "Jolene" is supposedly based on a bank teller who was flirting with Parton's husband, Carl Dean. As mentioned in the video, she is reluctant to perform the song often live, due to the nature of its "hitting too close to home" lyrical content.
It seems that the current culture's attitude toward affairs such as described in "Jolene" has changed somewhat since 1974. In 1974, there seemed to be a stigma attached to those who desired to have physical relationships outside the boundaries of marriage. This stigma was not as strong as earlier generations, but it still existed. The casual "affair" was seen as taboo on many different levels and it was scandalous for those who were caught in the embrace of someone who was not their spouse. (Perhaps this attitude began to change around 1982?)
Why was this such a big deal? Why isn't it MORE of a big deal today? The answer lies at the base of a mountain, where over 2,000,000 folks are trembling at the sound of THE VOICE. (No they weren't watching reality tv...they were experiencing reality in a way we probably need to...)
Since The Notes has been navigating around these parts for a few weeks, we'll let you go back and read how we got here from previous Tuesday's Musical Notes, and yes, that was a plug for the archives...you got it, on the left!
We come to the 7th of the 10 commandments, do not commit adultery. What does that mean? Dictionary.com defines adultery as "voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and someone other than his or her lawful spouse". Why would God want to intervene in the bedroom lives of two consenting adults? The answer is simple, God's plan for sex never involved a multiplicity of people. Sorry, "hook-up" generation. You are wrong on this one.
I know, I know...your next question is... "What? Didn't Biblical patriarchs and great men of faith have multiple wives?" More on this in a bit, but first let's establish what God's plan was before we get into man's perversion of that plan.
Careful consideration of the Biblical text after the creation of Eve shows that she was Adam's only wife. There is no Biblical evidence to support the notion that Adam ever had physical relationships with any other woman than Eve. God's plan, in the beginning, was for 1 man and 1 woman to be sexual partners and companions for life.
Fast forward in Genesis to the 9th chapter and we find that mankind had gotten so evil that God had chosen to destroy His creation. How does this happen? How can man go from being described as "very good" in the creation account to being something so vile at the time of Noah that Creator God seeks his destruction? The answer is simple...since the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden mankind went further and further toward his own plan and further and further away from God's perfect, holy plan.
The story that continues from this passage of scripture is very familiar. (in fact, every major religion, and the history that supports that religion records a flood narrative) Noah, his wife, their sons, and their wives get in the ark and were saved from the destruction of the world by the global flood. Notice, 1 man...1 woman for life. Nowhere in the Biblical narrative do we find that Noah or his sons had more than the wives that they had upon leaving the ark. Once again, God's perfect, holy plan was put into place...but it did not stay that way.
Through all of the Old Testament, we see great men of faith who are outside of God's plan on this issue. Abraham decided his plan was better than God's and had a son outside of his marriage to Sarah. The results? Isaac's and Ishmael's descendants continued to battle throughout the Bible. This dissension continues in the Arab/Israeli conflict that is still prevalent today. David, the great King, and the apple of God's eye had Uriah, one of his own mighty men, killed so he could have an adulterous affair with Bathsheba, Uriah's wife. The result? David's family soon drifts into the definition of dysfunctionality. David's son, Solomon the "wise" king, had close to 1000 women as wives and concubines with which he had sexual relationships. The result? Solomon succumbed to the gods of his wives and Israel followed their kingly leadership eventually finding themselves back in captivity. Good men, bad plans.
So what are we to do? If these great men of the Bible fell short on this issue, how can we possibly resist? It seems that the New Testament brings about one more assertion that this intimate physical relationship should be restricted between 1 man and 1 woman. What does Jesus, the earthly manifestation of God, making Him an authority on the topic, have to say about adultery?
Just like He did earlier with the topic of murder in the Sermon on the Mount (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "License to Kill" (Gladys Knight)), Jesus takes the commandment on adultery and ramps it up. Jesus indicates that you have committed adultery with any woman if you look at her beauty beyond compare, her flaming locks of auburn hair, her ivory skin, and eyes of emerald green, and you sense a longing inside yourself for her. This desire of your heart to have physical relations with her is enough for you to have committed adultery. This means looking at pornography is adultery. This means engaging with a prostitute (told ya we'd get here!) is adultery, regardless if it is legal in your state (Hello! Any readers in Nevada?). This means making love in the green grass behind the stadium with a Brown Eyed Girl is adultery. (Unless of course, she is your wife, then its a decorum issue...) This means if you are married, over the top flirting (in person or in a chat room) with someone other than your spouse is adultery. (You really should flirt with your spouse as often as you did when you were dating. You'll gross out your kids, but you'll make your spouse feel very special!) A glance that lasts longer than it should (you KNOW what I mean) is adultery. Jesus says that any action that causes you to have even the thought of sex with someone other than your spouse is adultery.
Ladies, remember the culture of Jesus' time was male-dominated, but Jesus' teaching in this passage doesn't exclude you. Women are fast becoming the largest consumers of porn in western societies. The Bible principle against adultery in all its forms is applicable to ALL of those who are redeemed by Jesus.
Finally, we must address this topic...Jesus says; "Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries one who is divorced from a husband commits adultery." The Gospel of Jesus according to Dr. Luke, chapter 16, verse 18 NASB/AMP/KJV All we have to say to this is that adultery is sin. Sin can be forgiven. And forgiveness rests in the One who proclaimed this very statement.
Jesus point? Everyone is guilty! But there is a way of escape through Him. We can not defeat the sin in our lives by ourselves, we have to rely on His strength. To have His strength, we must work on becoming more like Jesus every day by reading His Word and applying That Word to our lives. We must join our lives with other believers for encouragement and accountability. Yes, this means we should be going to a church somewhere and be an active part of that church. (Find a small group for the ultimate in accountability!) We must shake off the habits and views of this world and take on those of Jesus. We must not listen to a culture that celebrates "hook-ups" and casual sex as the norm but listen to Holy Spirit as He guides us on the pathways of righteousness and helps us face the temptations in our world. We should make it a focus to live a life described by Paul as he addresses some of these things in a general way when he writes his letter to the church in Rome.
So we should be about doing the will of God. How is that done? We become transformed by our minds being renewed by Him. We prove what God's will is by doing the good, acceptable, perfect things of His nature. What is the physical manifestation of God's will? Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Goodness. Faithfulness. Gentleness. Self Control. These things sound good, acceptable, and perfect to me, how about you?
Though she may never be forgiven by Dolly, a woman like Jolene can find forgiveness through Jesus, how about you?
'Til Tuesday,
Serving HIM by Serving You,
randy
