ToOT: Marriage Sex Adultery Divorce

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

Genesis 2:18–25 ESV

Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” Now out of the ground the Lord God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.

When God created man, decreed that man needed companionship

We thus get God’s pic of marriage

It is good

It is understood in context of ministry and work

It is for procreation

It is NOT primarily for romance

Sex is the consummation of marriage

Gen 2.18-25

There is a process of separation and formation of a new communal unit

It is understood as a covenant - see also

Sin entered and corrupted

Genesis 3:16 ESV

To the woman he said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you.”

Gen 3.16

Genesis 6:1–7 ESV

When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose. Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.” The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown. The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.”

Gen 6.1-

Genesis 19:4–11 ESV

But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, all the people to the last man, surrounded the house. And they called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, that we may know them.” Lot went out to the men at the entrance, shut the door after him, and said, “I beg you, my brothers, do not act so wickedly. Behold, I have two daughters who have not known any man. Let me bring them out to you, and do to them as you please. Only do nothing to these men, for they have come under the shelter of my roof.” But they said, “Stand back!” And they said, “This fellow came to sojourn, and he has become the judge! Now we will deal worse with you than with them.” Then they pressed hard against the man Lot, and drew near to break the door down. But the men reached out their hands and brought Lot into the house with them and shut the door. And they struck with blindness the men who were at the entrance of the house, both small and great, so that they wore themselves out groping for the door.

Gen 19.4-

Concept of adultery is introduced

Job 31:1 ESV

“I have made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I gaze at a virgin?

Job

Job 31:9 ESV

“If my heart has been enticed toward a woman, and I have lain in wait at my neighbor’s door,

Job 31:11–12 ESV

For that would be a heinous crime; that would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges; for that would be a fire that consumes as far as Abaddon, and it would burn to the root all my increase.

Job

Job 31.

Job 31:9–12 ESV

“If my heart has been enticed toward a woman, and I have lain in wait at my neighbor’s door, then let my wife grind for another, and let others bow down on her. For that would be a heinous crime; that would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges; for that would be a fire that consumes as far as Abaddon, and it would burn to the root all my increase.

View of marriage in ANE

Productivity

Inheritance - Levirite marriage

Honour

Exodus

Mount Sinai formulation of nation - included sexual laws

Laws prohibiting certain forms of sex

Adultery -

Promiscuity

Prostitution

Homosexuality

Bestiality

Laws for pre-marital sex

Exodus 22:16–17 ESV

“If a man seduces a virgin who is not betrothed and lies with her, he shall give the bride-price for her and make her his wife. If her father utterly refuses to give her to him, he shall pay money equal to the bride-price for virgins.

Laws for divorce - see

If we understand the culture, we can see that the laws did offer a degree of protection for females

Importance of progeny and inheritance

Command to not marry foreigners - VERY NB

Deuteronomy 7:3–4 ESV

You shall not intermarry with them, giving your daughters to their sons or taking their daughters for your sons, for they would turn away your sons from following me, to serve other gods. Then the anger of the Lord would be kindled against you, and he would destroy you quickly.

Deut 7.3-4

Numbers 25:1–3 ESV

While Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to whore with the daughters of Moab. These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. So Israel yoked himself to Baal of Peor. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel.

Numbers 25.1

Numbers 31.15-16

Numbers 31.15-

Numbers 31:15–16 ESV

Moses said to them, “Have you let all the women live? Behold, these, on Balaam’s advice, caused the people of Israel to act treacherously against the Lord in the incident of Peor, and so the plague came among the congregation of the Lord.

Kingship

The beauty and delight in sex promoted - Song of Solomon

Their visual feast includes descriptions of both male and female bodies (; ; ), incorporating each of the five senses and culminating in an extended gaze on the woman’s nude figure from her feet to her head (Davidson, Flame, 582; ). The mention of her “navel” (שֹׁר‎, shor) in this sequential context may be “a euphemism for the female genitals” and the wine a reference to the moisture of sexual arousal (Davidson, Flame, 612). This gaze concludes with the Lover stating his intention to “take hold of” (אָחַז‎, achaz) the Beloved’s breasts (). The Song concludes comparing the power of this romantic bond to death, fire, and flood, and upholding its immeasurable value (). LEXHAM BIBLE DICTIONARY

Pictures of bad kings - denial of ;

David

Solomon

Ahaz - see

Ravi quote

Exile

Exile framed in terms of marriage relationship between Israel and God - and

Martial relationship

Adultery by Israel

Divorce by God

Yet God promises restoration

Isaiah 54:6–8 ESV

For the Lord has called you like a wife deserted and grieved in spirit, like a wife of youth when she is cast off, says your God. For a brief moment I deserted you, but with great compassion I will gather you. In overflowing anger for a moment I hid my face from you, but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,” says the Lord, your Redeemer.

Return

Upon return, still married to foreigners

Ezra 9:1–4 ESV

After these things had been done, the officials approached me and said, “The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands with their abominations, from the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. For they have taken some of their daughters to be wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy race has mixed itself with the peoples of the lands. And in this faithlessness the hand of the officials and chief men has been foremost.” As soon as I heard this, I tore my garment and my cloak and pulled hair from my head and beard and sat appalled. Then all who trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the faithlessness of the returned exiles, gathered around me while I sat appalled until the evening sacrifice.

Ezra

Still guilty of divorce

Malachi 2:13–16 ESV

And this second thing you do. You cover the Lord’s altar with tears, with weeping and groaning because he no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand. But you say, “Why does he not?” Because the Lord was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth. “For the man who does not love his wife but divorces her, says the Lord, the God of Israel, covers his garment with violence, says the Lord of hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be faithless.”

Mal 2.

Application

See that marriage and sex are glorious gifts given by God, and are good

Understand that marriage is not about sex and romance first - happy marriages come from living according to God’s purposes

Marriage points to God

Marriage conveys intimacy with God

Notice the seriousness of the relationship we have with God - it is covenantal

Acknowledge the vulnerabilities that sex provides for spiritual warfare

Seek healing in terms of sexual sins and hurts

Understand the divorce is not an option, so work on marriage continously

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