No Unfaithfulness - Part III
(Ex 20:14)

You shall not commit adultery.

(most Scriptures NASB - many paraphrased)

Moral Concerns

 

Of course, the commandment of God's Law has to do with far more than actions. As always, God reaches down into the morals. He looks again to the heart, and it is what He finds there that concerns Him. It is the adulterous heart that grieves Him, for He seeks the exact opposite in His people. Let's consider the opposite of what is prohibited here, so that we can see what is commanded.

Faithfulness

  

Faithfulness speaks of trustworthiness, of loyalty. The Hebrew term 'aman speaks of one who supports and confirms, one who nourishes. It speaks of the pillar that supports the door. It speaks of one who trusts and believes. The Greek pistos also points to belief, and confiding trust, as well as one who is reliable, who carries out his duties.

Consider that this word describes both God and man. Let's take a few that speak to us particularly of God's nature:

Supporting, confirming
He is ever supporting us, confirming us as we seek to follow after Him. In our times of failure, He does not berate us for our stupidity, He comes to our aid, He lifts us up and commends us for trying our best, He encourages us to keep going.
Nourishing
What better to nourish us than the very Bread of Life?

Now, let's look at a few that describe our relationship to Him:

Trustworthiness, loyalty
God seeks those He can trust with His own good name. He entrusts His reputation among men to us.
Reliability
It's not enough to hear His command. He requires that we act on what we hear. The reliable workman doesn't need to be constantly watched and reminded of his duties, he's on it as soon as the word is given.
Trust, belief
If we don't trust Him, we won't obey Him. We won't be certain that His commands to us are for our good. If we don't believe Him, we won't much care what He commands.
Supporting Pillar
This is most exciting, given the focus of our church of late. God is looking for those who will be the pillars that support the door! He has opened the door, and He's trusting in us to believe what He has done, to reliably do what he has told us to, so that the door will be held open! What an awesome privilege!
 

Purity

  

Free from adulteration, free from sinister motives and foreign ideas. Greek katharos: free from corrupt desire, free from anything that corrupts, free of everything false; genuine, blameless, innocent.

This is the uncompromised state. This is what we're being called to. Remove everything that is foreign to the kingdom of God! Any idea, any thought, any desire that does not align itself with God's revealed will must be done away with. God seeks a pure bride, free of all falsity, innocent and blameless.

 

The Dangers and Damage of Broken Morals

  

The story of David and Bathsheba is an oft used example of adultery. Indeed, the betrayal aspect of the problem shows over and over again in that story. First and foremost, there is - of course - Uriah, her husband. Here was a warrior faithful to David and to Israel. He was willing to deny himself because his sense of duty and propriety demanded he not take pleasure when others were in battle.

2 Sa 11:8 Then David said to Uriah, "Go down to your house, and wash your feet." And Uriah went out of the king's house, and a present from the king was sent out after him.

2 Sa 11:11 And Uriah said to David, "The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in temporary shelters, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field. Shall I then go to my house to eat and to drink and to lie with my wife? By your life and the life of your soul, I will not do this thing."

David placed him in what appeared to be a position of trust, carrying an important message to the front lines. In fact, David had caused him to carry his own death sentence to battle with him.

2 Sa 11:14-17
14 Now it came about in the morning that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah. 15 And he had written in the letter, saying, "Place Uriah in the front line of the fiercest battle and withdraw from him, so that he may be struck down and die." 16 So it was as Joab kept watch on the city, that he put Uriah at the place where he knew there were valiant men. 17 And the men of the city went out and fought against Joab, and some of the people among David's servants fell; and Uriah the Hittite also died.

But then, there's Ahithophel, Bathsheba's grandfather. Ahithophel had been David's counselor, a trusted advisor. But the treachery involving his granddaughter was apparently too much for him, and he in turn betrayed David, becoming an advisor to Absalom as he tried to wrest the kingdom from his father.

2 Sa 15:12 And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counselor, from his city Giloh, while he was offering the sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong, for the people increased continually with Absalom.

2 Sa 15:31 Now someone told David, saying, "Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom." And David said, "O LORD, I pray, make the counsel of Ahithophel foolishness."

2 Sa 16:15 Then Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel, entered Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him.

2 Sa 16:23 And the advice of Ahithophel, which he gave in those days, was as if one inquired of the word of God; so was all the advice of Ahithophel regarded by both David and Absalom.

And such things remain the fruit of adultery. Trust is shattered, relationships often torn beyond repair. This is God's concern for His people, for the injuries accrue to the participants, too, and not just the 'victims.' Indeed, as this example shows, even those who are neither victims nor participants will often be injured as a result of this lapse of morals.

2 Sa 17:23 Now when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his donkey and arose and went to his home, to his city, and set his house in order, and strangled himself; thus he died and was buried in the grave of his father.

Look around the nation today. We are seeing the fallout. As we noted a few weeks ago, we are now faced with a generation that trusts nobody and nothing. The moral failure of the parents has led to a disregard for morality in general. Those who have broken trust will find it harder to trust others, for we all tend to judge by the standard of our own lives and experiences. Thank God that we're seeing a turnaround! Thank God that we're seeing a generation arising that knows there's got to be something more, and having knocked, God is answering.

God desires us to be committed and true to Him and to Him alone. He is a jealous God, and there is not room for another in this relationship. He longs for us to share in an intimate, completely open, completely trusting relationship with Him. He knows how hard it is for us to mend the breech once made. He is able to forgive completely. He is willing to forgive completely. We, on the other hand, have great difficulty forgiving ourselves. He has been faithful to us, yet we are so challenged to remain faithful to Him.

Whose Will Be Done?

 

This is the question. This is the question that determines whether we will be adulterers or virgin brides. We pray it all the time, "Thy will be done." And then we go off and do as we please. We decide our course and then, out of a misplaced sense of piety, we ask God to bless it. We've got it all backwards! Moses wouldn't move without the pillar of God leading the way. Do we dare to not follow his example!?! In all things, we should be pursuing God to learn what He desires. We should be in His Word constantly, to understand His directions, His nature, His declared purpose for us. When in doubt, wait. Hear what He will say.

Don't go off with half a word. Israel made that mistake. First, the spies came back and scared Israel away from the promise. Then, Jacob's words reminded them just Who had promised, and off Israel ran, not waiting to find out what the Promiser sought in that moment, charging to take the promise by force. But the time was wrong, God was not willing that they should gain the promise by that path, and many died in the attempt. Get the whole word.

Nu 14:6-9
6 And Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, of those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; 7 and they spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, saying, "The land which we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. 8 If the LORD is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land, and give it to us-- a land which flows with milk and honey. 9 Only do not rebel against the LORD; and do not fear the people of the land, for they shall be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them."

Nu 14:36-45
36 As for the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land and who returned and made all the congregation grumble against him by bringing out a bad report concerning the land, 37 even those men who brought out the very bad report of the land died by a plague before the LORD. 38 But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive out of those men who went to spy out the land.
39 And when Moses spoke these words to all the sons of Israel, the people mourned greatly. 40 In the morning, however, they rose up early and went up to the ridge of the hill country, saying, "Here we are; we have indeed sinned, but we will go up to the place which the LORD has promised." 41 But Moses said, "Why then are you transgressing the commandment of the LORD, when it will not succeed? 42 "Do not go up, lest you be struck down before your enemies, for the LORD is not among you. 43 For the Amalekites and the Canaanites will be there in front of you, and you will fall by the sword, inasmuch as you have turned back from following the LORD. And the LORD will not be with you." 44 But they went up heedlessly to the ridge of the hill country; neither the ark of the covenant of the LORD nor Moses left the camp. 45 Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down, and struck them and beat them down as far as Hormah.

Get the full counsel of God. Then move without hesitation. His will is done in heaven immediately and completely. If we would have His will done on earth in the same way, we must obey in the same way - immediately and completely.

Faithfulness and Purity in Worship

 

Even in our service to Him, we become unfaithful. How often does our worship turn on how we feel, rather than being about what He wants? How much of our service to God is truly about what He has asked for? How much of it is more a matter of what seems good to us?

God, help us to relearn Your ways, to relearn what You desire of us. For You have said that You long for obedience, rather than sacrifice; that You long for true worship, rather than lip service. Help us to seek out what You want, rather than asking Your approval of what we want. Help us, Lord, to be true to You in the face of all the world throws at us. Help us to keep our eyes on You, and not allow them to lead our thoughts astray. God, so much is placed where we cannot but look at it. Temptation is put before us everywhere we turn. Keep us strong in the face of this onslaught. Remain in us, Holy Spirit, that we can stand firm, and declare that God is true. Enable us, oh Father, to defy the lie.

From the Westminster Shorter Catechism:

 
  • The seventh commandment requires the preservation of our own and our neighbor's chastity, in heart, speech, and behavior.
  • The seventh commandment forbids all unchaste thoughts, words, and actions.

From Calvin's Institutes

 
We are to decry all immodesty and lustfulness, as all such tend towards fornication, which brands the body by its mark. Marriage is ordained of God so that our weakness of flesh can be satisfied without sin. Any extra-marital union is without His blessing and is sinful. Celibacy is not a requirement of God, and those who attempt to maintain it outside of His grace are actively working against His will. Where celibacy is given, it is a gift to the receiver, not a work of his own flesh. Even there, celibacy may be for a time only, in which case the solution of marriage ought to be pursued if lust begins to hold sway. Even in the union of marriage, modesty and honor should continue to rule. As God is ruling against lewdness here, He is also ruling against immodest display on our parts. Our attire and demeanor ought to be modest, and not such as would incite another to lust.

  

©2002 - Jeffrey A. Wilcox