By Pastor Bruce K. Oyen
This article is a simple study of the seventh commandment.
All Biblical quotations are from the ESV (English Standard Version), unless otherwise noted.
Where this command is found, and what it says.
The seventh commandment is found in Exodus 20:14, and in Deuteronomy 5:18. The command says: "You shall not commit adultery." This is a short, to-the-point prohibition of this sin.
All Biblical quotations are from the ESV (English Standard Version), unless otherwise noted.
Where this command is found, and what it says.
The seventh commandment is found in Exodus 20:14, and in Deuteronomy 5:18. The command says: "You shall not commit adultery." This is a short, to-the-point prohibition of this sin.
But what is adultery?
The answer is not as easily answered as the questions, "What is murder?," and "What is theft?" Is adultery sexual intercourse between two persons, neither of whom is married to anyone? Or, is it sexual intercourse between two persons who are not married to one another, but who, perhaps, are married to someone else?
The Keil And Delitzsch commentary on Ex. 20:17 says adultery "signifies the sexual intercourse of a husband with the wife of another, or of a wife with the husband of another." This means both persons are married.
The Net Bible footnote on Ex. 20:17 says: "This is a sin against the marriage of a fellow citizen --- it destroys the home. The Law distinguished between adultery (which had a death penalty) and sexual contact with a young woman (which carried a monetary fine and usually marriage if the father was willing.) So it distinguished fornication and adultery. Both were sins, but the significance of each was different. In the ancient world this sin is often referred to as 'the great sin.' "
A well-known Biblical example of adultery.
One of the most well-known examples of adultery in the Bible is the one spoken of in 2 Samuel 11. In that chapter, we read of two married persons, King David and Bathsheba, having committed this sin. Though both were guilty of "the great sin," it seems David's sin was the greater of the two for at least two reasons: 1) He no doubt used his authority as king to make this affair happen. Perhaps Bathsheba felt she could not deny the king's advances. Though this does not excuse her sin of adultery, we can understand the awkward circumstance she, a woman of the average citizenry, found herself in. Kings then and now have great power. 2) Another reason David's sin was the greater of the two was the fact that he had known remarkable blessings from God throughout his life. Besides being made king of Israel by God's choice, he had known the privileges of spiritual intimacy with God. He was the one who, in his youth, had faced the giant soldier, Goliath, in the name of the LORD and had obtained victory over him. He was the one who had written the beloved twenty-third Psalm. He was the one whom God had looked upon as a man after God's own heart, we read in 1 Samuel 13:14. Therefore, when David committed this sin with Bathsheba, he fell from a spiritual mountain top into a deep valley, full oof darkness and guilt.
What we can learn from King David.
David's fall can teach us some important lessons: 1) If a man so blessed as was David can fall so low, it can happen to any one of us. Therefore we must be on our guard not to stray from the Lord. 2) Men are drawn into sexual sin when they see scantily dressed and provocatively dressed women. David saw Bathsheba taking a bath. She might not have been aware of the fact that she could be seen from David's rooftop. But David wanted what he saw, and used his authority as king to get it --- to get her. 3) Men need to protect themselves from sexual temptations, and resist them, and women need to avoid being a source of those temptations.
Advice from the Book of Proverbs on this subject.
Proverbs 5 has good counsel on this subject. Though it warns men about immoral women, it works both ways. Women and girls need to protect themselves against immoral men, of which there are many. Proverbs 5:12 - 14 says this of the regret that comes to the person who ignores the warnings against sexual sins. In the end, that person says: "How I hated discipline, and my heart despised reproof! I did not listen to the voice of my teachers or incline my ears to my instructors. I am at the brink of utter ruin in the assembled congregation." Proverbs 5:20 - 23 says: "Why should you be intoxicated my son, with a forbidden woman and embrace the bosom of an adulteress? For a man's ways are before the eyes of the LORD, and he ponders all his paths. The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him, and he is held fast in the cords of his sin. He dies for lack of discipline, and because of his great folly he is led astray."
Proverbs 6 has several statements about this subject. Consider verses 32 - 35, which say: "He who commits adultery lacks sense; he who does it destroys himself. He will get wounds and dishonor, and his disgrace will not be wiped away. For jealousy makes a man furious, and he will not spare when he takes revenge. He will accept no compensation; he will refuse though you multiply gifts."
Why does someone become an adulterer?
What is the cause of this sin? In Matthew 15:19 Jesus Christ answers the question. He said this: "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander." In other words, the blame rests on the shoulders of the one who commits adultery. It can't be blamed on someone else. For example, David could not excuse his wicked behavior because Bathsheba could be seen while taking a bath. We can't excuse wrong behavior on anyone or on anything but ourselves. We do what we do because we want to do it. It all starts in our thoughts, and if left unchecked, goes from thought to action. Jesus spoke of our thoughts when he said this: "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart." Though his point was that adulterous thoughts are sinful, and not just adulterous acts, it is still true that it starts in the heart and mind. For further Biblical confirmation of the fact that sin starts in the heart and mind and, if allowed to do so, turns into action, read the important words about temptation in James 1:13 - 15.
More Biblical statements about the serious nature of sexual sins.
1 Corinthians 6:9 - 11 says: "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived, neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."
Galatians 5:19 - 21 lists several sins and calls them "works of the flesh." The King James Version says one of those sins is adultery. And what is the result of living and dying as an adulterer? Verse 21 tells us: "I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God."
1 Thessalonians 4:1 - 8 warns Christians about sexual immorality, and says: "....the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you.".
Hebrews 13:4 also emphasizes the seriousness of sexual sins. It says: "Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous."
God will forgive those who repent of sexual sins.
The verses in 1 Corinthians 6, Galatians 5, and Hebrews 13 give the bad news for adulterers. But how grateful we should be that Christ died for all sins, including adultery, and offers full forgiveness to anyone who sincerely turns from that sin to him, and believes in him as Savior. Thank God for what we read in Romans 10:13: "For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
Biblical churches must confront sexually immoral members and attendees.
The seriousness of sexual sins is seen in the fact that the Bible says Bible-believing churches should confront their members and Christian attendees who are guilty of them. Here is what 1 Corinthians 5:9 - 12 says: "I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people --- not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler --- not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. Purge the evil person from among you." Can it get any plainer than this, that churches have a moral duty to confront sexually immoral Christians who regularly attend their services?
But this confrontation needs to be done with the right attitude, and Galatians 6:1 tells us what it is. The verse says: "Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted."
The answer is not as easily answered as the questions, "What is murder?," and "What is theft?" Is adultery sexual intercourse between two persons, neither of whom is married to anyone? Or, is it sexual intercourse between two persons who are not married to one another, but who, perhaps, are married to someone else?
The Keil And Delitzsch commentary on Ex. 20:17 says adultery "signifies the sexual intercourse of a husband with the wife of another, or of a wife with the husband of another." This means both persons are married.
The Net Bible footnote on Ex. 20:17 says: "This is a sin against the marriage of a fellow citizen --- it destroys the home. The Law distinguished between adultery (which had a death penalty) and sexual contact with a young woman (which carried a monetary fine and usually marriage if the father was willing.) So it distinguished fornication and adultery. Both were sins, but the significance of each was different. In the ancient world this sin is often referred to as 'the great sin.' "
A well-known Biblical example of adultery.
One of the most well-known examples of adultery in the Bible is the one spoken of in 2 Samuel 11. In that chapter, we read of two married persons, King David and Bathsheba, having committed this sin. Though both were guilty of "the great sin," it seems David's sin was the greater of the two for at least two reasons: 1) He no doubt used his authority as king to make this affair happen. Perhaps Bathsheba felt she could not deny the king's advances. Though this does not excuse her sin of adultery, we can understand the awkward circumstance she, a woman of the average citizenry, found herself in. Kings then and now have great power. 2) Another reason David's sin was the greater of the two was the fact that he had known remarkable blessings from God throughout his life. Besides being made king of Israel by God's choice, he had known the privileges of spiritual intimacy with God. He was the one who, in his youth, had faced the giant soldier, Goliath, in the name of the LORD and had obtained victory over him. He was the one who had written the beloved twenty-third Psalm. He was the one whom God had looked upon as a man after God's own heart, we read in 1 Samuel 13:14. Therefore, when David committed this sin with Bathsheba, he fell from a spiritual mountain top into a deep valley, full oof darkness and guilt.
What we can learn from King David.
David's fall can teach us some important lessons: 1) If a man so blessed as was David can fall so low, it can happen to any one of us. Therefore we must be on our guard not to stray from the Lord. 2) Men are drawn into sexual sin when they see scantily dressed and provocatively dressed women. David saw Bathsheba taking a bath. She might not have been aware of the fact that she could be seen from David's rooftop. But David wanted what he saw, and used his authority as king to get it --- to get her. 3) Men need to protect themselves from sexual temptations, and resist them, and women need to avoid being a source of those temptations.
Advice from the Book of Proverbs on this subject.
Proverbs 5 has good counsel on this subject. Though it warns men about immoral women, it works both ways. Women and girls need to protect themselves against immoral men, of which there are many. Proverbs 5:12 - 14 says this of the regret that comes to the person who ignores the warnings against sexual sins. In the end, that person says: "How I hated discipline, and my heart despised reproof! I did not listen to the voice of my teachers or incline my ears to my instructors. I am at the brink of utter ruin in the assembled congregation." Proverbs 5:20 - 23 says: "Why should you be intoxicated my son, with a forbidden woman and embrace the bosom of an adulteress? For a man's ways are before the eyes of the LORD, and he ponders all his paths. The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him, and he is held fast in the cords of his sin. He dies for lack of discipline, and because of his great folly he is led astray."
Proverbs 6 has several statements about this subject. Consider verses 32 - 35, which say: "He who commits adultery lacks sense; he who does it destroys himself. He will get wounds and dishonor, and his disgrace will not be wiped away. For jealousy makes a man furious, and he will not spare when he takes revenge. He will accept no compensation; he will refuse though you multiply gifts."
Why does someone become an adulterer?
What is the cause of this sin? In Matthew 15:19 Jesus Christ answers the question. He said this: "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander." In other words, the blame rests on the shoulders of the one who commits adultery. It can't be blamed on someone else. For example, David could not excuse his wicked behavior because Bathsheba could be seen while taking a bath. We can't excuse wrong behavior on anyone or on anything but ourselves. We do what we do because we want to do it. It all starts in our thoughts, and if left unchecked, goes from thought to action. Jesus spoke of our thoughts when he said this: "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart." Though his point was that adulterous thoughts are sinful, and not just adulterous acts, it is still true that it starts in the heart and mind. For further Biblical confirmation of the fact that sin starts in the heart and mind and, if allowed to do so, turns into action, read the important words about temptation in James 1:13 - 15.
More Biblical statements about the serious nature of sexual sins.
1 Corinthians 6:9 - 11 says: "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived, neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."
Galatians 5:19 - 21 lists several sins and calls them "works of the flesh." The King James Version says one of those sins is adultery. And what is the result of living and dying as an adulterer? Verse 21 tells us: "I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God."
1 Thessalonians 4:1 - 8 warns Christians about sexual immorality, and says: "....the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you.".
Hebrews 13:4 also emphasizes the seriousness of sexual sins. It says: "Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous."
God will forgive those who repent of sexual sins.
The verses in 1 Corinthians 6, Galatians 5, and Hebrews 13 give the bad news for adulterers. But how grateful we should be that Christ died for all sins, including adultery, and offers full forgiveness to anyone who sincerely turns from that sin to him, and believes in him as Savior. Thank God for what we read in Romans 10:13: "For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
Biblical churches must confront sexually immoral members and attendees.
The seriousness of sexual sins is seen in the fact that the Bible says Bible-believing churches should confront their members and Christian attendees who are guilty of them. Here is what 1 Corinthians 5:9 - 12 says: "I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people --- not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler --- not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. Purge the evil person from among you." Can it get any plainer than this, that churches have a moral duty to confront sexually immoral Christians who regularly attend their services?
But this confrontation needs to be done with the right attitude, and Galatians 6:1 tells us what it is. The verse says: "Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted."
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