ADULTERY IS MORE THAN YOU THINK

Exodus 20:14 reads, "You shall not commit adultery." (NKJV).

He was probably the most powerful man in the nation when she caught his eye. His position was enough for her to open her mind to perhaps any idea he may have had. As a result of their acts together she became pregnant. Fear of public disgrace fueled many attempts to cover their affair up at the highest levels. The woman's husband was ignorant of what was happening; he had been away at the war front. They tried to manipulate things so it would look as if he was the proud father of the child she was carrying, but his blind loyalty to his commander and chief and his fellow shouldiers still on the battle lines kept him from falling into their plot. That left only one alternative, the husband's life would need to be sacrificed to cover their tracks. After the husband's tragic and heroic death, the powerful man took the woman to be his bride. Howver, their secret did not remain as such. The fallout from their affair farther reaching consequences than anyone imagined. No - this isn't the plot of the latest romance novel, or the front page story of a supermarket tabloid. You won't find the story on General Hospital or Days of Our Lives. It is a brief synopsis of II Samuel 11, the story of King David, Bathsheba, and Uriah the Hittite.

Adultery in the Bible is a sin (of course). It is a sin against the spouce. Malachi calls it, "Breaking Faith", the breaking of the pledge of absolute faithfullness that is made by both parties in the marriage ceremony. It is a sin against God. Afterwards David would confess, "I have sinned against the Lord". Matthew 19:4 to 6 read, " And He answered and said to them, "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning `made them male and female,' and said, `For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.'(NKJV). It is a sin against all mankind. This may be hard to see,but consider Jeremiah 23:10, "For the land is full of adulterers; for because of a curse the land mourns. The pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up. Their course of life is evil, and their might is not right." (NKJV). He also says in verse 14, " Also I have seen a horrible thing in the prophets of Jerusalem: they commit adultery and walk in lies; they also strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns back from his wickedness. All of them are like Sodom to Me, and her inhabitants like Gomorrah." (NKJV). Adultery plays into the hands of the adversary and makes holes in the foundation of society.

Adultery has also served as an illustration of God's relationship to His people. The book of Hosea begins with these words in versses 1 and 2, "The word of the Lord that came to Hosea the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel. When the Lord began to speak by Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea: "Go, take yourself a wife of harlotry and children of harlotry, for the land has committed great harlotry by departing from the Lord." (NKJV). God is portrayed as the loving and forgiving husband to the the harlot Israel. Hosea 3:1 reads, " Then the Lord said to me, "Go again, love a woman who is loved by a lover and is committing adultery, just like the love of the Lord for the children of Israel, who look to other gods and love the raisin cakes of the pagans." (NKJV). Irsrael was unfaithful, just as many of us are, but God will forgive and will then restore the relationship. However, left unrepented of, God has no choice but to punsih it. Revelation 22:12 to 15 read, ""And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.'' Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie." (NKJV).

How prevalent is this sin? Secular polling reports 2/3 of men, and 1/2 of women have committed thisact. Howver, another poll results in %70 of men, and %72 of women involved. Christians are not immune; Christianity Today polled its readers and found %23 reported extra-marital affairs. It has seemingly become so commom place it is no longer seen as a deviant behavior. This desensitization has led to falacies like the idea it will bring back the "spark" into a dull marriage. In truth %65 of marriages where it is reported end. Adultery has been glamorized. Movies such as "The English Patient", "Bridges of Madison County", and"ThePrince of Tides" all feature it and were all award winners.

How to prevent it. I Corinthians 7:3 to 5 read, "Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control." (NKJV). The bottom line is that the husband and wife have to respond, in many different ways, to oneanother. They need toset a priority of meeting one another's needs,andno one elses.

Dr. O.