He joined the first man and the first woman together in marriage. At this time, the children of Israel were fruitful, increased abundantly, became exceedingly mighty, and there were people everywhere. The apostle Paul has the most to say of the apostles on the subject of sexual purity. Pagan religion often intermingled sexual immorality with its worship. We therefore would expect to find some very specific revelation on the subject of adultery and sexual sin in the epistles. It means a lot of people quit and left. Exodus is not used casually. God is not a fan of bondage or suffering. You are therefore to keep all My statutes and all My ordinances and do them, so that the land to which I am bringing you to live will not spew you out. How then could I do this great evil, and sin against God? And it came about as she spoke to Joseph day after day, that he did not listen to her to lie beside her, or be with her (Gen. 39:7-10). God has here joined a man and a woman so that they have become a unity. While illicit sexual union is a sin, those unions which violate a marriage are taken more seriously. Second, if we want the world to understand God's faithful love, we need to . The foundation for the sanctity of marriage and sex is laid early in the Book of Genesis, where we read of the first marriage. Stop depriving one another, except by agreement for a time that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and come together again lest Satan tempt you because of your lack of self-control (1 Cor. Every daughter who comes into possession of an inheritance of any tribe of the sons of Israel shall be wife to one of the family of the tribe of her father, so that the sons of Israel each may possess the inheritance of his fathers. Christianity.com is a member of the Salem Web Network of sites including: Copyright 2023, Christianity.com. 1 Corinthians 7:1-6 Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. 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. May God grant you the conviction to stand against the flood of cultural and peer pressure. This union involved the husband's leaving of his parents 42 and cleaving to his wife. You may wonder what wood chisels have to do with the Seventh Commandment. We sanctify those things to which we attach great value. Exodus 21:9 And if he chooses her for his son, he must deal with her as with a daughter. I also believe that humans will not stop the plan of God. 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. If the Seventh Commandment teaches the sanctity of marriage, it also teaches the sanctity of sex, for it is only in marriage that the pleasure and product (children) are to be experienced. Eph. 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. We would thus expect him to wage war on the marital union, for it is through marital union that the seed will be preserved and the promised seed will come. Our culture is adamantly opposed to the sanctity of sex. The sanctity of sex in marriage clearly calls for the sanctity of sex before marriage. It is very important for me to be precise in what I say here. 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. The Israelites themselves were set apart from the Egyptians and from all other nations. When we leave the gospels of the New Testament and come to the epistles, there is a change which we should recognize and appreciate. Can you guess what that was? John did not hesitate, even for a moment. For whoever does any of these abominations, those persons who do so shall be cut off from among their people. who does sean marry in exodusmichigan high school wrestling team rankings 2022. mosquito in french canadian; who does sean marry in exodus . Marriage with the Midianites was allowed . It is crucial to study the book of Genesis to understand Exodus. Let them be yours alone, And not for strangers with you. Since marriage matters to God, it should matter to believers too. They become one in spirit, and sexually they become one in physical union. Not only did his master not give him authority over his wife, he could not have done so. Thus, whatever one does, he does in union with Christ. But it is also referred to regularly in later Bible books. But David stayed at Jerusalem. However, the plan of the Lord prevails. The Mohar.The funds, called mohar, are so important that this clause is called ikkar ketubahthe basic part of the ketubah, or simply the ketubah. It chronicles the story of their deliverance from four hundred years of bondage and how God sent Moses as an instrument of deliverance. His indignation at discovering his daughter-in-law was pregnant out of wedlock (not knowing yet it was by him), reveals that sexual immorality was clearly condemned (cf. When we are willing to do whatever it takes to avoid a sin, we will likely take the steps necessary to avoid it. Thus, one should be careful not to think or say that since adultery is a sin against a marriage, it has also, de facto, terminated the marriage. Thus, it was not necessary for our Lord to dwell on the sinfulness of sexual immorality, since the Jews of His day agreed with Him on this point. Why did you not go down to your house? And Uriah said to David, The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in temporary shelters, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field. Would You not be angry with us to the point of destruction, until there is no remnant nor any who escape? shall we again break Your commandments and intermarry with the peoples who commit these abominations? There is a saying that success is when preparation meets opportunity. There were many things that Israel had to learn during this process. As I see it, the issue in Exodus 21 is two-fold, involving not only marriage, but slavery. 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. The forbidden fruit was forbidden, not because of any evil characteristic of the fruit itself, but because God sanctified or set it apart. (4) The immediate results of Josephs actions were painful, but the ultimate outcome was the blessing of God. Abrams request was for Sarai to lie, representing herself as an eligible bride, and thus potentially putting her in another mans bed in order to save his life. If we misrepresent God's design for marriage, then we distort His means of revealing His love for the church. Deuteronomy 22When a man accuses his wife of not being a virgin at the time they were married, the parents can show her (blood-stained) garment as proof of her purity. The exodus of Israel was not easy, and it took time, but it was a God kind of job. In the Book of 1 Corinthians he focuses on illicit sexual union and its relationship to the believers union with Christ: Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? When one enters into a sexual union, Paul reasons, one enters into marital union. 6-8). For starters, we need to get the nature of marriage right. Any books with similarly powerful stories that you can suggest. Her duty of marriage.--Rather, her right of cohabitation. 11. He joined the first man and the first woman together in marriage. It is also significant that He taught divorce causes adultery, except in the case where the divorce was based upon previous adultery. The Egyptians worshipped gods created by their ancestors, but the Israelites kept their faith. 20:14; Deut. Such could be the conclusion one would reach from a reading of John chapter 4, where Jesus spoke to the immoral woman at the well, or of John chapter 8, where Jesus refused to cast stones at the woman caught in the very act of adultery. I believe that there are several ways in which marriage is sanctified: Unity. This incident reveals several important truths: (1) Joseph knew he could not lie with this woman because she was the wife of another man. Exodus 2:10 And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. He who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, because we are members of His body. If we have accepted the principle of sanctification in general, we must then see it in the particulars of our Christian experience. And the woman conceived; and she sent and told David, and said, I am pregnant. Then David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite. So Joab sent Uriah to David. When Uriah came to him, David asked concerning the welfare of Joab and the people and the state of the war. 22-27). 8-10). Bob was born and raised in a Christian home i More. The Christian life therefore involves making many distinctions and then living them out. I would suggest that the four things which set a marriage apart from other relationships are the very four things which distinguish a Christians relationship with his Lord and with His body, the church. I know you all will understand my book hangover and all the emotions swirling through me after finishing it. He is found, and brought up by Pharaoh's daughter; He flees into Midian, and marries Zipporah. 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. Mount Sinai, from which God spoke to Moses and the Israelites, was sanctified, set apart. You are therefore to make a distinction between the clean animal and the unclean, and between the unclean bird and the clean; and you shall not make yourselves detestable by animal or by bird or by anything that creeps on the ground, which I have separated for you as unclean. 5:15-20). This sexual union consummates and symbolizes the union of marriage. The third chapter of the Book of Genesis is significant to our study as well. Consider, for a moment, how that forbidden fruit (whatever it might have been) is similar to the forbidden fruit of illicit sex. The inference is quite clear: since sexual union joins a man and woman in marriage, adultery violates that union. Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, The Lord knows those who are His, and, Let everyone who names the name of the Lord abstain from wickedness. Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor. "You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the . (4) Adultery is a violation of the union of marriage. When Moses was born (Exodus 2), he escaped this fate and became an instrument God used to deliver the children of Israel. 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. Yes, Marriage Matters to God. 44 In saying that sexual pleasure in marriage is one of Gods safeguards against immorality, I am not saying that the husband or wife who gives freely of themselves in a sexual way thereby guarantees the sexual purity of their partner. Here, Davids immorality led to the additional sin of murder. 's season finale. When one comes to faith in Christ, when he is born again, that person becomes one with Christ. So Esau saw that the daughters of Canaan displeased his father Isaac;read more.and Esau went to Ishmael, and married, besides the wives that he had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abrahams son, the sister of Nebaioth. And all the congregation blessed the LORD God of their fathers, and bowed down their heads, and worshipped the LORD, and the king. He has also set this unity apart, distinguishing it from the previous parental-child entity. 4:11-12). He is a purist in that regardI am not. The answer to the question is in Exodus 22:17 - the woman does NOT have to marry a . God not only created man and woman, He also created the institution of marriage. God is faithful. Sanctification is therefore one of the great, governing and guiding principles of the Word of God. I will also put an end to all her gaiety, Her feasts, her new moons, her Sabbaths, And all her festal assemblies. Answer. 1 Cor. Time will not permit further exploration, but take note of how often unity (e.g. Some of this may be cultural, but I think the primary reason is that in those days especially (and in other cultures still today) the woman is under the authority of her parents, and her parents authority over her is simply transferred to her husband. Community answers are sorted based on votes. But do not let immorality or any impurity or greed even be named among you, as is proper among saints; and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. The New Testament portrays a very similar picture. 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. Second, in order to avoid the evils of sex, we need to minimize our exposure to those things which only stimulate lustful thoughts and sexual temptations. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. While I have cited only a portion of this important paragraph (vss. In 2 Timothy chapter 2 Pauls instruction is more general, but still very much to the point of sexual morality. 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. His brothers gave him an unplanned exodus simply because his father adored him (Genesis 37:3-4). (2) We can see by Josephs words that adultery was not only wrong, but that he understood it to be sin. Dr. Smith primarily teaches language arts. In both cases, the forbidden fruit is very desirable. Finally, sexual purity is vitally important to the Christian life because it is directly related to ones sanctification: For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you. In the Bible, this word is used for the departure of the people of Israel out of Egypt. The husband and wife become one. We must even distinguish between what is personally permissible and what is personally beneficial (1 Cor. Now, he tells Abram that the blessings He will give him and all the nations will come through his seed. It is God who brought Adam and Eve together as husband and wife. Prov. From the Old Testament perspective, adultery was a violation of the sanctity of marriage, which God established, and which the Law sought to maintain. She is the author of the self-published novel GLORYTHE HAIR. God is God, and He can manage timelines as well. 4:1-5). The reason seems to be solely because God has sanctified the marriage and the sexual sin has profaned it. Marriage is defined in Scripture as a covenant before God, joining a man and a woman together for their lives ( Genesis 2:24 ). Sin entered the human race and human history, and the consequences are evident all about us. Furthermore, there must be a distinction drawn between what is personally permissible and what is detrimental to others (cf. Verse Concepts . "You shall have no other gods before me. Sexual sin has very serious theological implications. 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. From the standpoint of the harm done to men, action sins are more serious. As for your adulteries and your lustful neighings, The lewdness of your prostitution On the hills in the field, I have seen your abominations. The king of Egypt was still determined to kill the male children. Kill everyone - even your brothers, friends, and neighbors.". There is no explanation for this name change, but the title "priest of Midian" accompanies both names, and he is called Moses' father-in-law, so it is safe to assume this was the same man. Finally, we shall attempt to distill the biblical teaching into a few guiding and governing principles. 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. Just as no man can have two masters, neither can one have two unionsone with Christ, and another with a harlot. Most importantly, we must get in the Word of God and ask for Gods help. . (Prov. When we thus honor marriage, we will see to it that the marriage bed, the blessing of sexual union, remains undefiled by sexual union outside of that marriage, which profanes. 6:15-20). 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. 5:7-9). Sexual sin is also related to religious apostasy (cf. New American Standard Bible Chapter Parallel Exodus 21:10 (NAS) "If he takes to himself another woman, he may not reduce her food, her clothing, or her conjugal rights. Furthermore, the one who divorces their spouse also causes them to commit adultery, since a remarriage is assumed. 42 One may wonder why only the husband is to leave his father and mother, and not the wife. The couple finally ties the knot and it's sure to be a wedding to remember. And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed (Gen. 12:2-3). For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh. Specifically, I am referring to what Paul has written in the Book of Ephesians, which especially relates to sexual impurity: Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you, and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. 3, 24-30). Note these points of contrast: (1) Uriahs military devotion in the front lines of battle is contrasted with Davids complacency, who never even makes it to the battle. The Bible seems to teach that this union is not severed by anything but death, anything including divorce. Virginity is thus looked upon as a stigma, from which one should rid oneself as quickly as possible. 2:16-22). Jesus did not have nearly as much to say about adultery and sexual immorality as did the apostles. He had promised Abraham that his descendants would become a great nation (Genesis 17). But Uriah slept at the door of the kings house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house. And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another commits adultery (Matt. We sanctify sex because we value it highly, as a good gift from the hand of a gracious God. 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. 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. Sexual sins and their penalties are spelled out in detail (vss. They were well-fed lusty horses, Each one neighing after his neighbors wife. Uncovering the nakedness of a relative is prohibited (vss. Lots of exceptions to the rule. Just what is it that distinguishes a mans relationship with his wife from other relationships? In both the New and Old Testaments we are urged to let the pleasure and enjoyment of sex within marriage serve as a godly defense against sexual immorality:44. Sanctification involves setting something apart for a special use. 30 Verses to Reflect on in the Book of Hebrews. Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, but love from the Lord is its completion. 6-18), as well as illicit intercourse (vss. This is a point which the prophets of the Old Testament will take up and greatly expand upon in later times. As we established, Exodus means to leave or depart. Hands and eyes are involved as precipitating causes of immorality, however. The Scriptures frankly tell us that sexual sin can be the source of other sins. Moses -- a great Israelite leader, prophet and lawgiver, Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular, To show willingness, be pleased, determine, undertake (to do anything), Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct, To sit down, to dwell, to remain, to settle, to marry, Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular, Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular, Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular. The consequences of guilt or innocence are spelled out (vss. But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. Now David called him, and he ate and drank before him, and he made him drunk; and in the evening he went out to lie on his bed with his lords servants, but he did not go down to his house (2 Samuel 11:1-13). The nation Israel is kept apart from other nations by her time in Egypt, and in the plagues, the Israelites are distinguished from the Egyptians. First, we move from a Jewish to a Gentile culture. The same could be asked about your best china, or that very special dress (maybe even your wedding dress). If her father utterly refuses to give her to him, he shall pay money equal to the bride price for virgins." . Harlotry, wine, and new wine take away the understanding. Israel remained in the wilderness for forty years. Marriage's original intent was so that man would not be alone . From what we have already learned in Genesis, it is apparent that the Israelites understood what adultery was and that it was sin. Thus Jesus majored on those sins which were more subtle, and which were more characteristic of the religious leadership of Israel. One of the most important lessons was deliverance would only come from God. In chapter 35, Ruben lay with one of his fathers concubines (35:22). Shaun ( Freddie Highmore) and Lea ( Paige Spara) started out as neighbors. For this reason it says, Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you (Eph. I would further suggest that these four areas (there are probably others, too) provide the glue which holds a marriage together. 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. 10-21). Sexual sin defiles the people (vss. Numbers 5A test is given to determine whether or not a wife has been unfaithful to her husband. The sin of adultery is dealt with so severely because it is a violation of the sanctity of the marriage which God has ordained and set apart. God was faithful to his promise that Abrahams descendants would number the stars in the sky (Genesis 26:4). Exodos means leave, and the book of Exodus tells how the nation of Israel left Egypt. It is little wonder, then, that God has so much to teach man about sanctification in the Bible. Will God forgive me for losing hope and the will to live? 34:7). The relationship between a husband and his wife is a union. Those of you that have read it, are you reeling also in the aftermath? Having said this, let us note that eyes and hands are very precious body members. If you have been following global events, the people of Ukraine are making an exodus because the Russians have invaded their country. NLT - 27 Moses told them, "This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Each of you, take your swords and go back and forth from one end of the camp to the other. Flee immorality. There is usually a large number of people making an exodus. (5) Divorce causes adultery. . Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. Thus, because Israel practiced the same sins as the Canaanites, who lived in the land before them, they were thrust forth from the land, just as their predecessors, and just as God had warned: Do not defile yourselves by any of these things; for by all these the nations which I am casting out before you have become defiled. 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 . God did send Moses and protected him from all of the death decrees that the Pharoah had implemented to keep them down (Exodus 3-10). 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. As a loving hind and a graceful doe, Let her breasts satisfy you at all times; Be exhilarated always with her love. He had to mature in Egypt away from his family. Does the Bible Mention What to Give Up for Lent? Marriage, in Josephs understanding, was an exclusive relationship. For the land has become defiled, therefore I have visited its punishment upon it, so the land has spewed out its inhabitants. The KJV Study Bible, Barbour Publishing, 2011, California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. The union of husband and wife is one of the unique elements of marriage. Fornication is also applied symbolically in the Bible to the sins of idolatry and apostasy, or the abandoning of God. The word exodus is significant because it means departure. Israel was tired of being in bondage. He equates sexual union with marital union. This is what we shall seek to learn from the writings of the apostles in the New Testament. Some have attempted to show that the sin committed in the Garden of Eden was a sexual sin. Here, the church is the bride of Christ, with the responsibility of exemplifying the relationship of Christ to His church (Eph. 51:4) and New, adultery is, first and foremost, a sin against God. In effect, Abram was not only endangering the promises of God and the purity of his wife, but he was paving the way for men to unknowingly commit adultery with his wife. He warned us . Prior to education, she worked in local and national television news for 13 years including positions as an overnight news anchor, reporter, and assignments editor at two local network affiliate stations. The difference between John and myself over the use of a wood chisel is also a matter of sanctification. Spiritual adultery has also become rampant, and is condemned. 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. 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. When God had created a mate for all of His other creatures, He looked upon Adam in his solitude and said, It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him (Gen. 2:18). "If a man who has married a slave wife takes another wife for himself, he must not neglect the rights of the first wife to food, clothing, and sexual intimacy. Sanctification, therefore, was the first test which God gave mankind, and it was this test which man failed. This is not one of the high points in Abrams life. 7:3-5). Some scholars estimate that if we factored in those groups and other factors, there would have been as many as 3 million Israelites exiting Egypt. Thus, when a divorce is granted due to adultery, a later marriage on the part of the innocent (that is, not guilty of adultery) party is not viewed to be adulterous. To John, a wood chisel is to be sanctifiedset apart for use only on wood. So, too, the pleasures of sexual sin are prominently proclaimed, but the price for immorality is exceedingly high (cf. 18:24-30). (5) Though David had many wives, he was willing to take the one wife that Uriah possessed. Her restoration is described as a marriage between God and His bride. When we come to our last text, we come full circle: Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge (Heb. The forbidden fruit was not forbidden because is was intrinsically bad. When we sanctify sex, it is because we value it highly, not because we disdain it as something of little worth.