Moses - Part 42 “Thou shalt not commit adultery” part 2
Notes
Transcript
Intro
Intro
Recap part # 1:
14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Adultery: one who breaks the marriage covenant
We began by considering the wedding vows:
for better or worse
for richer or poorer
in sickness and in health
to love and cherish
till death do us part
We saw the new testament command in Matthew 19, where Jesus referred to the old testament command in Deuteronomy 24 as well...
One of the conclusions we came to was:
“Just because mankind does something, does not mean God approves of it.”
The Bible says that God hates the putting away of each other in marriage...
Where we stopped: “We need to guard and protect ourselves from temptation of the flesh”
Remember:
1 Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it:
Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.
Today some very practical, livable stuff:
We need to guard and protect ourselves from temptation of the flesh…
a.) The Secrecy of Adultery
13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper:
But whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.
2 For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.
24 Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord.
3 The eyes of the Lord are in every place,
Beholding the evil and the good.
19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
The secrecy of Achan taking and hiding the Babylonish garment brought judgement and death on a nation
The secrecy of David and Bathsheba lead to the death of a child
The secrecy of Ananias and Sapphira lead to their own deaths
Why is it that affairs and these sins are always done in secret?
You don’t want anyone to know! Why?
Because it is generally accepted, even among the unsaved, that adultery is morally unacceptable...
Pew Research did a study across 25 countries and “Married people having an affair” ranked among the top (77% agreed) as morally unacceptable…
It beat out:
Marijuana use
viewing pornography
Gambling
Having an abortion
Homosexuality
Drinking alcohol
**We can conclude that the moral law written on the heart of man agrees that adultery is wrong...
(Similar to murder) - everyone thinks that is wrong
That’s because a moral law maker wrote the moral law on the heart of man to be able to make that simple determination…
**Since everything about adultery is secretive, it’s even more important to make everything open to our spouses (no secrets)
Helpful guidelines:
Strive for a Biblical relationship with your spouse (fulfill each other’s oxygen level needs)
Don’t look back, look forward (imagine what life would be like married to someone else in your past or present; don’t look up past girlfriends or old crushes on Facebook)
Keep your life an open book to your spouse (accountability software, always access to phone)
Don’t leave any temptation doors open (like Joseph, RUN! - don’t allow your flesh a millimeter of room ever)
Remember when we studied “thou shalt not kill”:
There were exemptions to the commandment (killing animals, self-defense, justifiable war and capital punishment)
However, with this commandment, there are NO exemptions…
Just like with “thou shalt not kill”…
It wasn’t only killing with your hands, but killing with hatred in your heart…
We’ll find God steps this up as well and takes it further than we want too…
When God designed:
Mankind… they were holy until they exercised unholiness
The church… it was a holy creation
Marriage… it is a holy union
But adultery causes a holy union to become unholy…
Back to the sermon on the mount:
27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: 28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. 29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. 30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. 31 It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: 32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
20 My son, keep thy father’s commandment,
And forsake not the law of thy mother:
21 Bind them continually upon thine heart,
And tie them about thy neck.
22 When thou goest, it shall lead thee;
When thou sleepest, it shall keep thee;
And when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.
23 For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light;
And reproofs of instruction are the way of life:
24 To keep thee from the evil woman,
From the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.
25 Lust not after her beauty in thine heart;
Neither let her take thee with her eyelids.
26 For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread:
And the adulteress will hunt for the precious life.
27 Can a man take fire in his bosom,
And his clothes not be burned?
28 Can one go upon hot coals,
And his feet not be burned?
29 So he that goeth in to his neighbour’s wife;
Whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.
30 Men do not despise a thief, if he steal
To satisfy his soul when he is hungry;
31 But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold;
He shall give all the substance of his house.
32 But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding:
He that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.
33 A wound and dishonour shall he get;
And his reproach shall not be wiped away.
34 For jealousy is the rage of a man:
Therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.
35 He will not regard any ransom;
Neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.
How to stay away from the strange woman:
Keep your Bible close (Vs. 23)
Turn your eyes (Vs. 25)
Wake up to the real-world major implications of failure in this area (Vs. 26-29)
Jesus teaches to not commit adultery with our bodies or our eyes…
I want to conclude by thinking about our relationship with Christ as well…
God likened Israel’s idolatry to adultery toward Him…
We are the bride of Christ and we MUST be faithful at all times to our Savior…
Aren’t you thankful there is forgiveness from a gracious God for every sin we could ever commit or think of?
