Unfaithfulness, to people

Unfaithfulness to one another breaks God’s commandments

Leviticus 19:18 NLT

“Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against a fellow Israelite, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.

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Unfaithfulness to promises made

Numbers 30:2 NLT

A man who makes a vow to the Lord or makes a pledge under oath must never break it. He must do exactly what he said he would do.

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Unfaithfulness in business

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Unfaithfulness to the marriage covenant

Malachi 2:14–15 NLT

You cry out, “Why doesn’t the Lord accept my worship?” I’ll tell you why! Because the Lord witnessed the vows you and your wife made when you were young. But you have been unfaithful to her, though she remained your faithful partner, the wife of your marriage vows. Didn’t the Lord make you one with your wife? In body and spirit you are his. And what does he want? Godly children from your union. So guard your heart; remain loyal to the wife of your youth.

The seriousness of marital unfaithfulness

Adultery in the OT punishable by death:

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Sexual unfaithfulness is given as a possible ground for divorce in the NT because it undermines the marriage bond:

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Examples of marital unfaithfulness

Judges 19:1–2 NLT

Now in those days Israel had no king. There was a man from the tribe of Levi living in a remote area of the hill country of Ephraim. One day he brought home a woman from Bethlehem in Judah to be his concubine. But she became angry with him and returned to her father’s home in Bethlehem. After about four months,

Hosea’s relationship with his faithless wife reflects God’s relationship with his idolatrous people:

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Unfaithfulness among family and friends

Micah 7:5–6 NLT

Don’t trust anyone— not your best friend or even your wife! For the son despises his father. The daughter defies her mother. The daughter-in-law defies her mother-in-law. Your enemies are right in your own household!

God’s people may face opposition from their families

Jeremiah 12:6 NLT

Even your brothers, members of your own family, have turned against you. They plot and raise complaints against you. Do not trust them, no matter how pleasantly they speak.

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Unfaithful friends cause great sorrow

Psalm 55:12–14 NLT

It is not an enemy who taunts me— I could bear that. It is not my foes who so arrogantly insult me— I could have hidden from them. Instead, it is you—my equal, my companion and close friend. What good fellowship we once enjoyed as we walked together to the house of God.

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Times of trouble may prove a friend unfaithful:

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Unfaithfulness to Jesus Christ during his earthly ministry

Jesus Christ deserted by his followers

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Jesus Christ betrayed by Judas

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Jesus Christ denied by Peter

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Unfaithfulness to God’s appointed leaders

The Israelites challenge their leaders

Exodus 16:3–8 NLT

“If only the Lord had killed us back in Egypt,” they moaned. “There we sat around pots filled with meat and ate all the bread we wanted. But now you have brought us into this wilderness to starve us all to death.” Then the Lord said to Moses, “Look, I’m going to rain down food from heaven for you. Each day the people can go out and pick up as much food as they need for that day. I will test them in this to see whether or not they will follow my instructions. On the sixth day they will gather food, and when they prepare it, there will be twice as much as usual.” So Moses and Aaron said to all the people of Israel, “By evening you will realize it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt. In the morning you will see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your complaints, which are against him, not against us. What have we done that you should complain about us?” Then Moses added, “The Lord will give you meat to eat in the evening and bread to satisfy you in the morning, for he has heard all your complaints against him. What have we done? Yes, your complaints are against the Lord, not against us.”

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Paul’s friends desert him

2 Timothy 1:15 NLT

As you know, everyone from the province of Asia has deserted me—even Phygelus and Hermogenes.

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Examples of treachery and betrayal

Samson betrayed by Delilah; Joab murders Abner; Ish-Bosheth assassinated by Recab and Baanah; David has Uriah killed in battle; Amasa killed by Joab; Jezebel’s treachery towards Naboth