He is a purist in that regardI am not. By your life and the life of your soul, I will not do this thing. Then David said to Uriah, Stay here today also, and tomorrow I will let you go. So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next. If we have accepted the principle of sanctification in general, we must then see it in the particulars of our Christian experience. The book of Exodus not only tells some of the Bibles most famous events, but the word means something that sums up the books entire message. The man, on the other hand, is under his parents authority as a child, but when he leaves them he terminates that chain of command and establishes a new chain of command, being the head of his wife and the family which may follow. He had promised Abraham that his descendants would become a great nation (Genesis 17). Now flee from youthful lusts, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart (2 Tim. Thus, in the gospels we see how our Lord pressed beyond the actual act of adultery to the attitudinal sins of adultery: You have heard that it was said, YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY; but I say to you, that every one who looks on a woman to lust for her has committed adultery with her already in his heart. May it never be! He feared that Israel would unite with Egypts enemies (Exodus 1:9). Let us conclude by seeking to isolate the principles which underlie and govern sexual purity, and then some of the practical outworkings of these principles. God created Eve and brought her to Adam for fellowship, to be his helper and his companion. The third chapter of the Book of Genesis is significant to our study as well. One of these particulars is that of marriage. Our Lord says that this union of husband and wife must not be severed (Matt. Their numbers threatened the new Pharaoh. New American Standard Bible Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. Most Americans seem to think that human sexuality is to be used in the same way I use my Stanley chiselthe more uses to which it can be put, the better. Nevertheless, the rest of the Pentateuch (the Pentateuch is the five books of the Old Testament, written by Moses) provides us with a great deal of detail concerning sexual sins, and the various forms of punishment required by each. (6) Though David was of the chosen seed, Uriah was but a Hittite. 19:6). This is not one of the high points in Abrams life. The dubious distinction for the most well-known case of adultery would have to go to David, who sinned by committing adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah: Then it happened in the spring, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel, and they destroyed the sons of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. Marriage, by Gods decree, is sanctified, it is a relationship that is set apart and restricted. Christianity.com is a member of the Salem Web Network of sites including: Copyright 2023, Christianity.com. So the LORD GOD caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh at the place. It is against the backdrop of Israels history as described in Genesis that the Seventh Commandment is given to the Israelites: You shall not commit adultery (Exod. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. from the nations concerning which the Lord had said to the sons of Israel, You shall not associate with them, nor shall they associate with you, for they will surely turn your heart away after their gods. Solomon held fast to these in love. He does not necessarily teach that attitudinal sins are as bad as action sins. Later, God commanded Moses to take a census of all the Israelite men over 20 years old, which amounted to six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty. (Numbers 1:46). Thus Jesus majored on those sins which were more subtle, and which were more characteristic of the religious leadership of Israel. Reproduction. Now, he tells Abram that the blessings He will give him and all the nations will come through his seed. 19-23). Our culture does not value sex, it thinks of it as very common, so common that virtual strangers will share lifes most intimate treasure. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. We sanctify sex because we value it highly, as a good gift from the hand of a gracious God. The assumption here is that the divorce is obtained in order to marry another, or that it will ultimately result in marriage to another. In chapter 38, Judah engaged in sexual union with his daughter-in-law, whom he thought to be a Canaanite cult prostitute (38:14-23). While the seduction of a virgin entails either marriage to the virgin or the payment of her dowry price to the father, sexual union with a married woman is punishable by death. Please say that you are my sister so that it may go well with me because of you, and that I may live on account of you (Gen. 12:10-13). 13:4) implies that not every sexual practice of the pagan world is permissible or beneficial for the Christian. Does God prohibit people of different races from marrying When one enters into a sexual union, Paul reasons, one enters into marital union. Fornication is also applied symbolically in the Bible to the sins of idolatry and apostasy, or the abandoning of God. 20. The Sanctity of Marriage (Exodus 20:14) | Bible.org Closely related to the union of a husband and his wife is the intimacy which they experience in marriage. I also believe that humans will not stop the plan of God. (1) Jesus had come to bear the penalty for sinners, and thus He did not come to condemn anyone, but to offer salvation to all (cf. Community answers are sorted based on votes. The text says: Then the LORD God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.". Spiritual adultery has also become rampant, and is condemned. I started reading the series three days ago and devoured it! And I will destroy her vines and fig trees, Of which she said, These are my wages Which my lovers have given me. And I will make them a forest, And the beasts of the field will devour them (Hos. Sin entered the human race and human history, and the consequences are evident all about us. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? 34:7). 1 Cor. The children of Israel did all work in the field as well. 5:27-32). In later chapters Reuel is called Jethro. Sanctification is then stressed, so that Israel must not practice the immorality of the Canaanites before them, lest they too be thrust from the land (vss. She is the author of the self-published novel GLORYTHE HAIR. Who was Moses' wife? Did Moses have more than one wife? | GotQuestions.org It chronicles the story of their deliverance from four hundred years of bondage and how God sent Moses as an instrument of deliverance. Sinai was a further means of sanctifying His people, to be a priestly nation: You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians and how I bore you on eagles wings, and brought you to Myself. But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. Shaun and Lea exchanged their first kiss in a Season 3 episode of The Good Doctor. Will God forgive me for losing hope and the will to live? v. 24). Physical intimacy is the most obvious, but there is also a spiritual and emotional intimacy. Grietje Commelin. If someone were to say there was a mass exodus across state lines, it is safe to assume that many people crossed the state lines. The important thing to note here is that God also promised salvation through the seed of the woman in the midst of the curse pronounced on Satan: And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you will bruise him on the heel (Gen. 3:15). Let those who think this is an occasion or an excuse for sin read Romans chapter 6 very carefully. (4) The immediate results of Josephs actions were painful, but the ultimate outcome was the blessing of God. Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Get a first look at Shaun and Lea's wedding on - EW.com I would suggest that the categories of unity, intimacy, reproduction, and fellowship are four specific benchmarks of the quality of our marriages, and thus four specific areas for concentrated effort. This union is set apart, it is to be distinct from the previous relationship of parent and child. If one were so serious as to be willing to pluck out an eye or cut off a hand then that persons attitude is what it should be with regard to adultery. In my opinion, the rampant sexual immorality of our day is not primarily the result of greater temptation, of increased sexual desire, of greater opportunity, or even of the availability of the pill and abortion. Some people did not enter the promised land that God had promised to give them because of their disobedience. Num. Uncovering the nakedness of a relative is prohibited (vss. For they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods; then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you and He will quickly destroy you. Taken as a whole, I believe that the above passages convey several vitally important truths, which we must pause to underscore: (1) Adultery is a more serious sexual sin because it is a violation of a marriage. Drink water from your own cistern, And fresh water from your own well. Sanctification was, for example, the first great test which man failed in the Garden of Eden. And, Paul says, it involves for Timothy the fleeing of youthful lusts, which surely include illicit sexual passions and conduct. Shall I not punish these people, declares the LORD, And on a nation such as this Shall I not avenge Myself? (Jer. And if your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out, and throw it from you; for it is better for you that one of the parts of your body perish, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. shall we again break Your commandments and intermarry with the peoples who commit these abominations? I honestly don't think I'll ever be the same. In conclusion, let me suggest three additional ways in which the sanctity of sex is to be applied in a practical way. This incident reveals several important truths: (1) Joseph knew he could not lie with this woman because she was the wife of another man. One can build up the other in those intimate areas of ones heart and life, but one can also do great damage in the intimate areas as well. Smith lives and resides in Memphis, Tennessee. (2) The sanctity of marriage. When our Lord commented on this text He said, Consequently they are no more two, but one flesh. Leviticus 20Israel is not to play the harlot by consulting mediums or spiritists, but they are to consecrate themselves to the God of Israel, who sanctifies them (vss. This union involved the husband's leaving of his parents 42 and cleaving to his wife. He warned us . If her father utterly refuses to give her to him, he shall pay money equal to the bride price for virgins." If the passages don't mean that a woman has to marry her rapist, then what do they mean? The New Testament portrays a very similar picture. Does Marriage Matter to God? Yes! | Sean McDowell (1) The principle of sanctification. (Prov. So now do not give your daughters to their sons nor take their daughters to your sons, and never seek their peace or their prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good things of the land and leave it as an inheritance to your sons forever.. First, since the sanctity of sex reflects its value, its beauty, its goodness, let us never think of sex as something dirty and defiling. When we are willing to do whatever it takes to avoid a sin, we will likely take the steps necessary to avoid it. Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers, OT Law: Exodus 2:21 Moses was content to dwell (Exo. (2) Jesus was speaking to a Jewish audience, while most of the apostles addressed Gentiles. Watch yourself that you make no covenant with the inhabitants of the land into which you are going, or it will become a snare in your midst. What Is the Meaning of Psalm 91 and Why Is it Popular? You may wonder what wood chisels have to do with the Seventh Commandment. We sanctify those things to which we attach great value. Our culture believes that the obtaining of a certificate of divorce legitimizes adultery. 20:6). A few months ago, I was talking on the phone to my friend, John Maurer. Pharaoh's daughter (Exodus) - Wikipedia How Is Harry Potter a Literary Christ Figure? In both cases, the forbidden fruit is forbidden. (3) The sanctity of sex. And one said, Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite? And David sent messengers and took her, and when she came to him, he lay with her; and when she had purified herself from her uncleanness, she returned to her house. Harlotry, wine, and new wine take away the understanding. James 1:13-15). The sexual immorality of Israel has defiled the people and the land, and necessitates their expulsion from the land. Why Did Pharaoh Tell Joseph to Enjoy the 'Fat of the Land'? The exodus of Israel was not easy, and it took time, but it was a God kind of job. They were well-fed lusty horses, Each one neighing after his neighbors wife. How long will you remain unclean? (Jer. Lev. Our approach to this study will be to consider the progressively revealed truths of God about sex and marriage, beginning in the Old Testament, and then going to the New Testament. Second, we move from an Old Testament dispensation (centered around the nation Israel) to a New Testament dispensation (centered around a predominantly Gentile church). The inference is quite clear: since sexual union joins a man and woman in marriage, adultery violates that union. Let your fountain be blessed, And rejoice in the wife of your youth. Does Deuteronomy 22:28-29 and Exodus 22:16-17 command a rape - reddit Numbers 5A test is given to determine whether or not a wife has been unfaithful to her husband. Can you guess what that was? John did not hesitate, even for a moment. Just as God gave life to all of His creatures in Genesis chapter 1, now in chapter 2 He gives a woman to Adam as his wife. As a matter of fact, my differences with John over the proper use of a wood chisel have a great deal to do with the commandment, You shall not commit adultery. The principle underlying this commandment is that of the sanctity of marriage. Because of its significance and the power behind it, we use it gingerly. I find it interesting that the fruit of this tree of knowledge of good and evil was good, like everything else God created (cf. Israels sexual conduct set them apart from the Egyptians and the Canaanites. Finally, we will attempt to discover how these principles apply to our daily Christian walk. Do Shaun and Lea Get Married on 'The Good Doctor'? Will - Distractify In other words, what is it that makes a marriage distinct, unique, sanctified? 22-27). The covenant which God made with Israel on Mt. The Old Testament prophets take up the themes already developed in the Pentateuch. At times we are tempted to think that what God has called clean is really unclean (as was the case with Peter; cf. And do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. Adultery mocks the union of a man and his wife, and the God who joined them together. In both cases, the forbidden fruit is available. 10-21). Exodus 20:1-26 ESV / 16 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful. The sanctity of marriage is indicated by the statement in Genesis 2:24, that a man must leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife. And it was said, WHOEVER DIVORCES HIS WIFE, LET HIM GIVE HER A CERTIFICATE OF DISMISSAL; but I say to you that every one who divorces his wife, except for the cause of unchastity, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery (Matt. Exodus 34:16 - and you might take some of his daughters for your sons, and his daughters might play the harlot with their gods and cause your sons also to play the harlot with their gods. Teenagers, culture is lying to you. The couple finally ties the knot and it's sure to be a wedding to remember. What Does the Bible Say about Interracial Marriage? - Crosswalk.com There are many things and situations where people make an exodus. As fans of the show will remember, they lost their unborn . In Genesis chapter 12 further revelation about mans salvation is given as the benefits brought about by human (and ultimately divine) seed: And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you; And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. He instructed his people to cast every male child born into the river (Exodus 1:22). According to Matthew 19:9, if one divorces and marries another (except for the divorce based on the immorality of the other partner) that person commits adultery. and I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live. What is the exodus? What does this event teach us about God I will also put an end to all her gaiety, Her feasts, her new moons, her Sabbaths, And all her festal assemblies. The Bible is full of Israelite men marrying foreign women. (2) While David enjoys all the luxuries of the palace, Uriah refused to enjoy them, even when urged on him. Exodus 2:21 - Bible Hub For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh. We can see, then, that throughout the Bible, the enjoyment of sex is restricted to marriage, and to that which is consistent with our position and calling in Christ. John 3:16-17). (1) Jesus teaches here that it is not enough to keep the Law in its letter, but must also keep it in spirit. I do not think that it is correct to conclude that adultery terminates a marriage, any more than it is correct to conclude that sin terminates our salvation. The Israelites themselves were set apart from the Egyptians and from all other nations. Now when they told David, saying, Uriah did not go down to his house, David said to Uriah, Have you not come from a journey? (5) Though David had many wives, he was willing to take the one wife that Uriah possessed. The word exodus literally means "the road out". At other times, we are tempted to call clean what God has called unclean. One of the most important decisions the Christian can make is to rightly distinguish between the holy and the unholythe see what God has sanctified and what He has not. Flee immorality. First, I believe that a Christian has the right to divorce a spouse for adultery, but that this is never ones duty, and seldom ones highest calling. The union of husband and wife is one of the unique elements of marriage. I believe that there are several ways in which marriage is sanctified: Unity. In Exodus 20:3, we read: You shall have no other gods before me. The opposite is true. (3) Terms referring to adultery and sexual immorality are employed non-literally, referring to Israels infidelity to God. God told Satan, Adam and Eve that the Savior of mankind would be the seed of the woman. Yes, Marriage Matters to God. Lots of exceptions to the rule. The forbidden fruit was not forbidden because is was intrinsically bad. Remember that God made it, and that all He made was good. They were oppressive to the Israelites and made them create bricks. Does Deuteronomy 22:28-29 command a rape victim to marry her rapist Third, we must beware of that teaching (either by direct statement or by inference, or by silence) which holds that any and every sexual pleasure can be enjoyed by a married couple behind closed doors. What Does Exodus Mean? - Christianity.com When God brought man and woman together as husband and wife, He commanded them to be fruitful and multiply (Gen. 1:27-28). Here, the church is the bride of Christ, with the responsibility of exemplifying the relationship of Christ to His church (Eph. Pauls words in 1 Corinthians chapter 6 go much farther, showing the implications of a Christians sexual union with a harlot. Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a harlot is one body with her? Let the husband fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband. Consider, for a moment, how that forbidden fruit (whatever it might have been) is similar to the forbidden fruit of illicit sex. Categories . If you owned a Mercedes Benz, would you loan it to a neighbor to go hunting in, or to haul firewood? The differences between holy and unholy, clean and unclean are crucial. Marriage, in Josephs understanding, was an exclusive relationship. Abraham, and his seed, is set apart from the rest of mankind, and through Him Messiah will come and will bring blessing and salvation to all nations. Our Lord is teaching us that we must, unlike our culture, take sexual sin most seriously. Just a few verses away from the Abrahamic covenant in Genesis 12:1-3, Abram places the seed in jeopardy, at least from a human perspective: Now there was a famine in the land; so Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land. Since marriage matters to God, it should matter to believers too. At His second coming He will bring judgment to the wicked. So thank you to whoever it was that posted about the last book being released and brought the series to my attention. What Does the Bible Say About Exodus? - OpenBible.info Just as no man can have two masters, neither can one have two unionsone with Christ, and another with a harlot. While illicit sexual union is a sin, those unions which violate a marriage are taken more seriously. Moreover, you shall not follow the customs of the nation which I shall drive out before you, for they did all these things, and therefore I have abhorred them. 19:12-13, 23-24). Intimacy. 19:4-6a). The Hebrew midwives feared God and would not do what the king of Egypt asked. God delivered Israel, but many things had to be worked out of them. The Scriptures frankly tell us that sexual sin can be the source of other sins. In chapter 35, Ruben lay with one of his fathers concubines (35:22). God has here joined a man and a woman so that they have become a unity. The word Exodus came from the Latin exodos and was adopted as the book's title when the Bible was translated into Latin. and that we will not give our daughters to the peoples of the land or take their daughters for our sons. Neither man nor beast was allowed to draw too near to it (Exod. . Understanding marriage as a covenant which establishes between husband and wife a "partnership of the whole life" in which they "mutually hand over and accept each other" (see Code of Canon Law, c. 1055 and c. 1057) can greatly enrich our appreciation of this special union that is: (a) sacred in the plan of God; (b) permanent, faithful . We must start by praying for them, seeking what God will do. Exodus 21:11 If, however, he does not provide her with these three things, she is free to . God not only created man and woman, He also created the institution of marriage. The Real Housewives of Atlanta The Bachelor Sister Wives 90 Day Fiance Wife Swap The Amazing Race Australia Married at First Sight The Real Housewives of Dallas My 600-lb Life Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. To me, my Stanley wood chisel is a very fine instrument for scraping old gasket material off an automobile engine. There are several reasons for the difference in the emphasis of our Lord from that of the Old Testament, which condemned adultery and demanded the death penalty. We can cry out to God, and He will hear us. For they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods; then the anger of the. Not to mention, the Israelites were a faithful people who believed in God. Prepare yourself. And if you right hand makes you stumble, cut it off, and throw it from you; for it is better for you that one of the parts of your body perish, than for your whole body to go into hell. We must distinguish between truth and error, between good and evil, between holiness and unrighteousness. 11. The University of Memphis alumnae has been in education for about 20 years after receiving the call to teach.