8/4/11

The seventh commandment: Do not commit adultery.

³ For the lips of the adulterous woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil; ⁴ but in the end she is bitter as gall, sharp as a double-edged sword. ⁵ Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to the grave. ⁶ She gives no thought to the way of life; her paths wander aimlessly, but she does not know it.
⁷ Now then, my sons, listen to me; do not turn aside from what I say. ⁸ Keep to a path far from her,
do not go near the door of her house, ⁹ lest you lose your honor to others and your dignity to one who is cruel, ¹⁰ lest strangers feast on your wealth and your toil enrich the house of another.
¹⁵ Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well. ¹⁶ Should your springs overflow in the streets, your streams of water in the public squares? ¹⁷ Let them be yours alone,
never to be shared with strangers. ¹⁸ May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth. ¹⁹ A loving doe, a graceful deer— may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be intoxicated with her love. ²⁰ Why, my son, be intoxicated with another man’s wife? Why embrace the bosom of a wayward woman? ²¹ For your ways are in full view of the LORD, and he examines all your paths.  (Proverbs 5:3-21)

⁵ “It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law,” Jesus replied. ⁶ “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’ ⁷ ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, ⁸ and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. ⁹ Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
¹⁰ When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this. ¹¹ He answered, “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. ¹² And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.”

(Rembrandt- 1644- Jesus and Adulterous Woman)

Thoughts: The scripture gives us reasons for not committing adultery. 
1) Adultery appears sweet but ends up bitter (Prov. 5:4)
2) Adultery is the way to spiritual death (and sometimes physical death) - (Prov. 5:5)
3) Adultery lacks purpose and fulfillment (Prov. 5:6)
4) Adultery causes us to lose honor and dignity (Prov. 5:9)
5) Adultery costs something economically (Prov. 5:10)
6) Adultery shows lack of contentment (Prov. 5:15)
7) Adultery takes what is private and makes it public (Prov. 5:16,17)
8) Adultery keeps us from rejoicing and finding satisfaction with our spouse (Prov. 5:18,19)
9) Adultery is like intoxication (that we may regret later) (Prov. 5:20)
10) Adultery is not a secret that can be kept from the Lord who sees all (Prov. 5:21)
Jesus adds that in marriage the two become one flesh- and should not be separated.  Jesus held a very high view of marriage.  In just the last two years in America the majority of couples (for the first time in western civilization) live together before (or instead of) marrying.  Statistics say those who do so are three times more likely to get divorced (perhaps because of a low view of marriage).  Yet, still over 90% of Americans have hoped to be married.  Our feelings and actions do not match our ideals and common sense.  In other words, we need to repent of our adultery and come back.  The grace of God allows us to be forgiven, but that does not mean we should be forgiven in order to sin again.

Prayer: May I have grace, O God, to be pure in my relationships with others.

John Calvin Abridged: Since marriage is blessed by the Lord, couples should not pollute such a union with incontrollable lust.  Let them not admit anything at all that is unworthy of the honorableness and temperance of marrage into their relationship.  We should likewise avoid enticing dress, obscene gestures and foul speech.  All vices of this sort are like blemishes that stain the purity of chastity. (Inst. II.8.44)