Adultery, The Desecration of a Nation
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Intro; Tonight we come to the Seventh Command given by God to the nation of Israel. Though this is listed as #7, I believe this command to be probably the most important in the commands dealing with our horizontal relationships. This command affects more than just a marriage, but the family which also affects the whole of society.
14 “You shall not commit adultery.
Humans are sexual beings! Scientists tell us that our sex drive is virtually equal to our will to live. This is not a bad thing. We are this way because God has made us this way. He designed man with a sexual desire. When God made man, His first command to mankind was for them to multiply. Now, we all know how human reproduction is carried out. Therefore, we find that God has made man a sexual being. However, our sexuality has been corrupted by sin! God’s plan is for the sexual relationship to be between and husband and his wife only. Any other form of sexual expression, outside of that marital relationship, is sinful!
Carr, A. (2015). The Destructive Power of Adultery (Exodus 20:14). In The Sermon Notebook: Old Testament (p. 485). Alan Carr.
Adultery or adulterate means to voluntarily debase, to corrupt oneself sexually, to make oneself impure sexually, to have sex outside of marriage.
Scripture teaches that a person becomes sexually impure in at least three ways:
A person has sex with someone other than his or her spouse. This is what is commonly called adultery.
A person has sex before marriage. This is called fornication. Fornication refers to any sexual immorality, either before marriage or after marriage.
A person fantasizes and lusts after a person other than his or her spouse, allows his mind and heart to be set upon another person.
Now when this command was given to Israel, it was already understood how serious breaking this command was. God had destroyed the earth and all living creatures and a big part of the problem was the wickedness of sexual immorality [Gen. 6:1-5]
Jesus even labeled His culture as adulterous
Mark 8:38 (NKJV)
38 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”
Statistics;
50% of all men say they have committed adultery
2/3 of all married men will commit adultery before the age of 40
41% of married women also say they are guilty of adultery
Christianity Today did a random sampling of 1000 subscribers and questioned them on the matter of Adultery. 45% said they had acted inappropriately and 23% said they had committed adultery.
1/5 of youth lose their virginity before the age of 13.
[Billy Graham survey] 40% of youth in Bible believing, evangelical churches were sexually active. 60% of single adults in these churches were not only sexually active, but over half reported to having multiple partners.
It can all be traced back to a lack of morality and standards at home! When children see their parents living immoral lives, it sends the message that sexual immorality is good and acceptable.
1. Adultery starts as a Temptation;
1. Adultery starts as a Temptation;
Temptation begins in the mind. The most intimate sexual organ a person has is the mind. An affair starts in the mind long before it ends up in a bed. Behind every sinful tragedy, there is a process of wicked thinking.
* The mind is a garden that is cultivated to produce the harvest that we desire.
* The mind is a workshop where the important decisions of life and eternity are made.
* The mind is an armory where we forge the weapons for our victory or for our destruction.
* The mind is a battlefield where all the decisive battles of life are won or lost.
The battle over sexual purity or defeat takes place in the mind.
Mattoon, R. (2007). Treasures from Exodus (Vol. 2, p. 191). Rod Mattoon.
14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.
15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.
Turn to 2 Sam. 11 as we look at the Temptation of Adultery
[v.1] Temptations usually start when one is in the wrong place. David was to be on the battle field with his men
[v.2] Temptation gets a foothold in our lives when we become spiritually lazy and lack in guarding our hearts and minds.
[v.3] Temptation can blind one from truth and destroy relationships.
Bathsheba was a married woman so she was off limits
Eliam her father may have been one of Davids “mighty 30 warriors” [2 Sam. 23:34], or more than likely he was a Levite, the sixth son of Obed-edom, a doorkeeper in the tabernacle of God in David’s lifetime [1 Chron. 26:5].
Uriah the Hittite was the husband of Bathsheba but also one of David’s elite group of warriors known as “the Thirty”. He was on the battlefield fighting for his king, loyal to his call.
4. [v.4-5] When temptation turns to sin, the cost is far more than the temporary satisfaction one may have recieved.
David’s lust for women affected his son Solomon and grandson Reheboam. David’s adulterous night of pleasure with Bathsheba became a nightmare of pain. God judged David and his house. His sin set a precedent for his family that affected them for years.
* His baby died.
* Tamar was raped by her half brother Amnon.
* Amnon was killed by his son Absalom.
* Absalom was separated from David for three years and conspired against him. He eventually was killed in his revolt.
2. Adultery starts in the Heart;
2. Adultery starts in the Heart;
Adultery is committed in the heart long before the act is committed. Always keep in mind that God’s law is spiritual; therefore His law deals with the thoughts and intents of the mind and heart.
Matthew 5:27–28 (NKJV)
27 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’
28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
Adultery, remember, is to voluntarily debase, to corrupt oneself sexually, to make oneself impure sexually, to have sex outside of marriage. This type of corruption is called “immorality”.
1. Immorality/adultery is caused by corrupt or lack of moral standards.
Some people have never been taught nor are they aware that sex outside of marriage is wrong in the sight of God.
9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites,
10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.
11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
2. Immorality/adultery is caused by liberal moral standards.
These people either ignore or deny God’s commandment, choosing to live as they wish.
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.
Liberalism … is unfaithfulness; it is spiritual adultery towards the divine Bridegroom.
Francis Schaeffer
3. Immorality/adultery is caused by the need for companionship, attention, or the need for appreciation or fulfillment.
Because we are sexual beings, many people reach out to others because of these very basic needs. This is especially true during marriage when a husband or wife fails to meet these needs in his or her spouse.
1 Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.
2 Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.
3 Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband.
4 The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.
5 Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
4. Immorality/adultery is caused by anger, hostility, or the seeking of revenge.
A host of behaviors can anger a person and arouse him to commit adultery, such things as coldness, indifference, neglect, selfishness. Sexuality is emotional and if those emotions are neglected due to anger then a person will act out in vengeance or getting back at their spouse.
26 “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath,
27 nor give place to the devil.
4 Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.
In pre-marital, marriage counseling and even for our graduates, I always give out a few books that I’ve found to be good and a biblical approach to sexuality and how to keep oneself pure from adultery/sexual immorality. [Show books]
3. How to avoid Adultery;
3. How to avoid Adultery;
1. Avoid second looks. If you can stop the first look, that is great but never take the second look. Someone has said, we cannot keep the birds from flying over our heads, but we can prevent them from roosting there.
1 “I have made a covenant with my eyes; Why then should I look upon a young woman?
2. Flee temptation. Run before the second look, thought or urge.
18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.
3. Avoid immoral talk. Engaging in immoral talk will put immoral thoughts in your heart and mind.
3 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints;
4 neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.
4. Never touch unclean things. Keep yourself from unclean situations, TV, internet pornography, facebook, tech sites.
17 Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.”
18 “I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”
5. Don’t let sin control your body. We are in a battle daily for our spiritual lives.
11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.
13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.
6. Renew your mind. Start fresh in the Lord every morning.
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.
7. Live a crucified life. Sacrifice, sold out to God
20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Close;
We’ve talked a lot about adultery, of how it destroys a marriage, a family and a nation. But of all the reasons for not committing adultery this is the greatest!
9 There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”
If you are saved, you will want to please the Lord and nothing displeases Him more than to see His children committing adultery, spiritually and physically. We should be more like Joseph and think of God before ourselves!