TULIP GEMS

THE SEVENTH COMMANDMENT (Part 1)

 

"Thou shalt not commit adultery."  (Exodus 20:14)

 

"The purpose of the seventh commandment 'Thou shalt not commit adultery' is to protect marriage."  (R.J. Rushdoony)

 

FAMILY AND SOCIETY

 

Biblical law protects the family.  It does not tolerate adultery, because adultery threatens (and often destroys) the family.

 

Today’s humanistic law protects the autonomous individual.  It denies that adultery is a crime.  It claims that sex between two consenting adults is OK.  It sacrifices the family to the lusts of the sinful individual.

 

The family is the basic unit of any society.  Strong families are a sign of a strong nation.  Biblical law is designed to create strong families and thus a healthy society.  The central offense is to strike at the life of the family.

 

Thus, in the Ten Commandments, God places adultery on the same level as murder.  Adultery is an act of murder against the central social institution of any healthy culture.  Left unpunished, adultery can eventually destroy an entire society.

 

For a wife to commit adultery is to commit treason against her family.  It introduces an alien loyalty to the home.  It may also introduce an alien seed and/or disease.

 

For a husband to commit adultery is not only disloyalty and treason.  It also undermines his own authority with his wife and children.  He is a sneak and a liar.  His family cannot respect him.

 

FOUNDATION FOR MARRIAGE

 

An adulterer breaks his solemn wedding vow.  He tramples upon marriage itself, mocks both God and society, and tosses his vow into the trashcan.

 

Public witness to mutual consent and pledges of lifelong commitment to each other are a foundation for a stable marriage.  The Third Commandment focuses on making and keeping a pledge of loyalty (a promise) to God and to a spouse.

 

Marriage cannot depend on feelings of love and attraction alone.  It must depend on submission to the Law of God.  When submission to God is denied, every man serves only himself and seeks to exploit all others.

 

Men exploit women and women exploit men.  When a woman ages, she is abandoned.  When a man's income wanes, he is deserted -- if a better opportunity presents itself.  Hollywood is just one glaring example of these ugly facts.

 

SCOPE OF THE SEVENTH COMMANDMENT

 

Most people today give adultery a very limited meaning.  They believe that adultery only refers to an extra-marital affair in which at least one of the partners is married.  But the Seventh Commandment forbids more than just extra-marital sex.

 

"Thou shalt not commit adultery" forbids all sex outside the marriage bond.

 

Pre-marital sex as well as extra-marital sex is forbidden.  Homosexuality and lesbianism are also forbidden.  Why?  Biblical marriage is between one man and one woman.  God created them Adam and Eve (not Adam and Steve).

 

Incest, bestiality, prostitution, masturbation are all outside the marriage bond.  They are not done with a lawful spouse.  The New Testament forbids all non-marital sex and Christ forbids even thoughts leading to it (Matthew 5:28-29).

 

BIBLICAL MARRIAGE

 

Marriage was originally intended to be between one man and one woman.  The woman was designed to be a help “meet” (“fit”) for her husband.

 

“And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him ... Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”  (Genesis 2:18 & 24)

 

One way a woman can be a help to her husband it to submit to his authority in all things lawful.  “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.”  (Ephesians 5:22)  A wife need not obey unlawful commands.

 

A wife can also help her husband by being a virtuous woman (Proverbs 31).  One purpose of a godly marriage, according to Malachi 2:14-16, is to raise up godly seed (children).  Other reasons are to love one other and to avoid fornication.

 

“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it”  (Ephesians 5:25)    “That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children”   (Titus 2:4)

 

“Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband ... But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.”  (1 Corinthians 7:2 & 9)

 

 

 

The Seventh Commandment (Part 2)