Do Not Commit Adultery
It’s been raining for nearly 1 week straight and where others may abhor this, I could literally give each day a great big hug. Sure I guess at some point too much will not be good, but currently this is not the case; so, no use in focusing on what isn’t. Along with the rain we are receiving 25 to 30 degree temps and it’s no secret that I welcome this too. Ah to be married at this time of year, in this beautiful place YAHWEH has brought me to because this is definitely snuggle weather. Speaking of marriage, it just happens to tie in to the topic of this weeks devotional, the 7th commandment. Exodus 20:13, Do not commit adultery (CJB). Deuteronomy 5:17, You shall not commit adultery. (Israelite Samaritan)
What is adultery? Oxford Languages Dictionary defines it as: voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and a person who is not his or her spouse. What is interesting is that Strongs H5003 depicts the use of the word adultery as the above defined, but also to mean idolatrous worship. In any case, both are considered breaking the commandments. YAHWEH makes it clear, don’t do it; but for some, that’s not enough so let’s explore further. Regardless what the world believes, scripture shows that marriage is a covenant between a man and a woman. Genesis 2:24 Aadaam says: Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife and from them both shall be one flesh. (CJB) YESHUA further described this union in Matthew 19:4-6 So he answered and said, “Have you never read that at your beginning he made a man and a woman, 5: and he said, On account of this, a man will leave his father and his mother and cling to his wife, and the two will become one flesh? 6: If so, they are no more two, but they are one flesh. Therefore it is not fitting for man to separate what El (God) joined together. (Hebrew Gospels) The verses above describe the marriage covenant and adultery is when either spouse engages in relations of a sexual nature outside of that covenant. Mark 10:10-12 supports this and says, And they again asked him about this in the house, 11: and he answered them, Whosoever, and whosoever sends away his wife and takes another, commits adultery. 12: And if the wife divorces her husband, she commits adultery. (HB) Now, if we go back to the book of Matthew, we see that our Messiah YESHUA took it further focusing on our heart, and intentions as He stated in Matthew 5:27-28 Moreover YESHUA said to His talmidim, You yourselves have heard that the old Torah said, You must not commit adultery. 28: And I say to you that every man that looks at a woman and desires her in his heart, a he already performed adultery. (HB) Brothers and Sisters, adultery is a serious matter causing a lot of pain and anguish, but the world tends to take it lightly when it should not. Proverbs 7:26-27 says 26: For many are those she has struck down dead, numerous those she has killed. 27: Her house is the way to Sh’ol; it leads down to the halls of death. (CJB) These verses are of King Solomon describing to his sons the end results of an adulterous relationship, and he should know.
The world seems to have gotten away from understanding that the marriage covenant is a firm and binding commitment in the eyes of YAHWEH. He takes vows very seriously and it as well represents our covenant relationship with Him. The book of Hosea is a complete representation of the covenant relationship between the children of Israel and YAHWEH and it reads very much like a marriage where one, Israel, repeatedly commits adultery against our ELOHIM. Hosea 2:16-25 is a fascinating read displaying YAHWEH’S full heart for His children. Make sure you click the link to read these verses; actually, do yourself a favor and read the entire book if you have not. In Hosea chapter 2, we see that even though the children of Israel were unfaithful, YAHWEH has always been and still is faithful and committed to Israel all the way from the time He promised Abraham that he would father many nations. Genesis 17:5-7 Your name will no longer be Avram [exalted father], but your name will be Avraham [father of many], because I have made you the father of many nations. 6: I will cause you to be very fruitful. I will make nations of you, kings will descend from you. 7: I am establishing my covenant between me and you, along with your descendants after you, generation after generation, as an everlasting covenant, to be ELOHIM for you and for your descendants after you. (CJB) Hosea chapter 2 verses 1-15 describes in detail the adulterous behavior of Israel but then in verses 15-25 YAHWEH shows His deep, infinite love and mercy for them, He wants them back and it is an exquisite display of love. Here’s a bit of an example. Hosea 2:16-17 But now I am going to woo her —I will bring her out to the desert and I will speak to her heart. 17: I will give her her vineyards from there and the Akhor Valley as a gateway to hope. She will respond there as she did when young, as she did when she came up from Egypt. 18: On that day,” says YAHWEH“you will call me Ishi [My Husband]. (CJB) This is an absolutely captivating verse. YAHWEH, the greatest poet of all; how could we want to worship any other but Him? So, do you see now the connection there between Israel and YAHWEH, man and wife? As my brother in the faith always says; “It’s truly beautiful!”
Moreover, there is another part to adultery people tend to sweep under the rug. Unfortunately if we shema (hear and obey)as commanded, what is swept under the rug becomes an elephant in the room, of that rug. If we are in covenant with YAHWEH walking the narrow path, Romans 7:2-3 can not be ignored. 2: For example, a married woman is bound by Torah to her husband while he is alive; but if the husband dies, she is released from the part of the Torah that deals with husbands. 3: Therefore, while the husband is alive, she will be called an adulteress if she marries another man; but if the husband dies, she is free from that part of the Torah; so that if she marries another man, she is not an adulteress. (CJB) This type of adultery is not discussed very often. It’s a difficult condition of the law to accept because so many people divorce and remarry when their spouses are still alive.. It is believed that this is OK in the eyes of YAHWEH when it is not. Just because the world is freely engaging in it does not mean it is an accepted practice of our Father in Heaven. It is not acceptable to our Father YAHWEH and at one point I thought to myself “well the whole world can’t be going to hell”, quite the opposite; yes they can. last week I was on a popular app reviewing comments related to a topic on divorce. Someone quoted verses I think from Deuteronomy 24 regarding divorce, but then another replied to this verse in full confidence, “We have evolved since that rule was written” 🤨 and this was the general consensus of over 3000 comments with only a sprinkling of us quoting scripture.
YAHWEH hates divorce. Malachi 2:15-16 And hasn’t he made [them] one [flesh] in order to have spiritual blood-relatives? For what the one [flesh] seeks is a seed from EL. Therefore, take heed to your spirit, and don’t break faith with the wife of your youth. 16: For I hate divorce, says YAHWEH the ELOHIM of Isra’el, “and him who covers his clothing with violence,” says YAHWEH-Tzva’ot. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and don’t break faith (CJB). You see, it’s adultery because even though there are exceptions where YAHWEH permitted divorce, the couple is still married spiritually. Refraining from going outside of the marriage covenant is the physical evidence of commitment to the covenant, while the vows are the spiritual component. People make bad decisions when they marry, it’s a fact, but even in a case of the worst decision made when choosing a marriage partner, someone for example, physically abusive; YAHWEH allows a way to depart from the abuse. However, the covenant remains until the death of one and if remarriage occurs prior to this, it is adultery.
To conclude, out of the list of transgressions I have committed over my lifetime, I have been able to escape adding a failed marriage to that list. There were so many negative examples of marriage in my life I was afraid of it, and the pain from worldly relationships increased my fear of living a life with an unfaithful, unloving man. I had never adopted the ideology of the feminist agenda and always desired a husband; but even in my brokenness, I knew I wanted a husband who loves YAHWEH as much as I do or more. As His will would have it, YAHWEH has shown himself a husband to me in many ways. After I straightened up my act and became faithful to Him just as He always has been to me, I was able to see it clearly. 2 Corinthians 11:2 says: For I am jealous for you with the ELOHIM’S kind of jealousy; since I promised to present you as a pure virgin in marriage to your one husband, the Messiah. (CJB). Anyone who is in a marriage relationship, I pray you married your best friend and find it a joy. When YAHWEH-YESHUA is deeply embedded within, it is a blessed union and you are a mighty couple of YAHWEH; together as one, a strong peg in the tent of this world. Cherish it and work for our Father YAHWEH together, He is the goal. Anyone living in my shoes now, cling to YAHWEH-YESHUA and stay on this narrow path of purity. He will continue to love and support you and will teach you how to love your future husband or wife the way that He wants you to love them, and not as the world loves. Allowing YAHWEH to lead you in these ways will guarantee, “until death do you part.”
Shalom & Berekah!
Just a few supporting verses:
Do not commit adultery (CJB)
-Exodus 20:13
You shall not commit adultery. (Iraelite Samaritan)
-Deuteronomy 5:17
Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife and from them both shall be one flesh.
-Genesis 2:24 (CJB)
So he answered and said, “Have you never read that at your beginning he made a man and a woman, 5: and he said, On account of this, a man will leave his father and his mother and cling to his wife, and the two will become one flesh? 6: If so, they are no more two, but they are one flesh. Therefore it is not fitting for man to separate what El (God) joined together. (Hebrew Gospels)
-Matthew 19:4-6
Only, I say to you that every man who divorces his wife –if he does not do it on account of her adultery – and takes another,
performs adultery.”
-Matthew 19:9
And they again asked him about this in the house, 11: and he answered them, Whosoever, and whosoever sends away his wife and takes another, commits adultery. 12: And if the wife divorces her husband, she commits adultery. (HB)
-Mark 10:10-12
Moreover YESHUA said to His talmidim, You yourselves have heard that the old Torah said, You must not commit adultery. 28: And I say to you that every man that looks at a woman and desires her in his heart, a he already performed adultery. (HB)
-Matthew 5:27-28
For many are those she has struck down dead, numerous those she has killed. 27: Her house is the way to Sh’ol; it leads down to the halls of death. (CJB)
-Proverbs 7:26-27
-Proverbs 6:20-35 (CJB)
-Proverbs 7:1-27 (CJB)
Your name will no longer be Avram [exalted father], but your name will be Avraham [father of many], because I have made you the father of many nations. 6: I will cause you to be very fruitful. I will make nations of you, kings will descend from you. 7: I am establishing my covenant between me and you, along with your descendants after you, generation after generation, as an everlasting covenant, to be ELOHIM for you and for your descendants after you. (CJB)
-Genesis 17:5-7
But now I am going to woo her —I will bring her out to the desert and I will speak to her heart. 17: I will give her her vineyards from there and the Akhor Valley as a gateway to hope. She will respond there as she did when young, as she did when she came up from Egypt. 18: On that day,” says YAHWEH“you will call me Ishi [My Husband]. (CJB)
-Hosea 2:16-17
For example, a married woman is bound by Torah to her husband while he is alive; but if the husband dies, she is released from the part of the Torah that deals with husbands. 3: Therefore, while the husband is alive, she will be called an adulteress if she marries another man; but if the husband dies, she is free from that part of the Torah; so that if she marries another man, she is not an adulteress. (CJB)
-Romans 7:2-3
And hasn’t he made [them] one [flesh] in order to have spiritual blood-relatives? For what the one [flesh] seeks is a seed from EL. Therefore, take heed to your spirit, and don’t break faith with the wife of your youth. 16: For I hate divorce, says YAHWEH the ELOHIM of Isra’el, “and him who covers his clothing with violence,” says YAHWEH-Tzva’ot. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and don’t break faith (CJB).
-Malachi 2:15-16
You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife (CJB)
Exodus 20:17
Marriage is honorable in every respect; and, in particular, sex within marriage is pure. But God will indeed punish fornicators and adulterers. (CJB)
-Hebrews 13:4
Every man who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and a man who marries a woman divorced by her husband commits adultery. (CJB)
-Luke 16:18
Rather, each person is being tempted whenever he is being dragged off and enticed by the bait of his own desire. 15: Then, having conceived, the desire gives birth to sin; and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death. (CJB)
-James 1:14-15
For I am jealous for you with ELOHIM’s kind of jealousy; since I promised to present you as a pure virgin in marriage to your one husband, the Messiah. (CJB)
-2 Corinthians 11:2