29 So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife; Whoever touches her shall not go unpunished. … 32 Whoever commits adultery with a woman is lacking sense. He who would destroy himself does it. 33 Wounds and disgrace he will find. And his reproach will not be blotted out. (Proverbs 6:29, 32-33 NASB)
In 1850, Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote one of the 19th century’s most famous books. Set in colonial Puritan Boston from 1642 to 1649, the fictional story is about a young woman named Hester Prynne. In the story, the unmarried Hester conceives a daughter and refuses to reveal the father’s name. As a result she is forced by the city rulers to wear a red letter A on her clothes. Thus, the book is titled The Scarlet Letter. The A is for “A-DULTERER.”
Today, no American would expect or allow the government to put a label on any person exposing his or her moral failures. Most of us would agree that it not the government’s business to monitor people’s personal behavior. That being said, as Bible believing Christians, we dare not diminish the moral principles given in Scripture for individuals or society. That includes the Seventh Commandment: You shall not commit adultery.
As you may know, the King James Version of the Bible was published in 1611. That translation rendered the commandment simply and accurately as “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” However, in 1631, a reprint of the KJV was inadvertently released with one major mistake in the text: Thou shalt commit adultery! That’s right, the publisher left out the word “NOT” in Exodus 20:14 – the Seventh Commandment. Consequently, the version came to be known as “the Wicked Bible.” When the mistake was discovered all the copies that had been distributed (or as many as they could find) were quickly retrieved and burned. Some copies were spared and today are considered prize collector’s items.
Despite all that, in this installment of this ten part series on the Ten Commandments, we will examine the Seventh Commandment (the correctly written one). We will analyze the meaning of the term “adultery” and look at how we should interpret and apply this precept. But more importantly, we will look at how Jesus understood this law and see how He said it was relevant to His time and to ours.
I first read the Ten Commandments as a boy of about eight or nine years old. I understood most of them, but the seventh puzzled me. I asked my mother, “What is adultery?” Not wanting to tell me too much or deal in specifics (I was too young), she answered appropriately, “It’s when someone steals another person’s wife or husband.” That was an excellent and satisfying answer for a child, but as adults, we need to go a bit deeper.
The Hebrew word translated as “adultery” is Naaph. Simply put, adultery can be defined as the willful act of unfaithfulness to one’s lawful spouse, or engaging in sexual relations with the spouse of someone else. It may also be interpreted in a wider sense to refer to any form of extra-marital sexual relations. In the nation of Israel it was regarded as so serious an offense that the punishment was death for both the man and woman.
We will examine three significant points concerning the Biblical teaching on this sin, especially as Jesus applies it. First, let’s consider what He said is the real source of this transgression.
1. Adultery is an act that is conceived in one’s mind and heart.
Some of you are old enough to remember the U.S. presidential election of 1976. Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter ran against then incumbent Gerald Ford. One of the more unusual aspects of that campaign was when Carter was interviewed in Playboy magazine. In the course of the discussion, he confirmed that he was a Christian and Sunday School teacher. But Carter admitted that at times in his life, he had “committed adultery in his heart.” That response became fodder for jokes and skits on television. The truth is, most people in the media did not really get it. They simply did not comprehend what “committing adultery in the heart” meant.
Carter was, of course, referring to the mental sin of lust. One prominent Baptist seminary professor was asked by a reporter what exactly “lust” meant. He answered saying it was desiring to possess something or someone not rightfully yours. He remarked that lust could apply to anything, not just sex. So, the reporter asked, “Then why did Carter only talk about sex in the interview?” The professor replied, “Because its that kind of magazine.” (More about this in Commandment Ten, “You shall not covet….”)
Carter’s comments were reflective of Jesus’ statement in Matthew 5:27-28. In reply to a question about adultery he answered:
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY’; 28 but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
Jesus clearly asserted that adultery, and all external sinful behaviors for that matter, originate in the mind. When evil thoughts are allowed to conceive and grow in the imagination, they give birth to evil acts. Adultery is the offspring of lust in the heart. When someone allows his or her mind to linger on unclean thoughts, then all it takes is a lowered spiritual guard and the opportunity to act. Satan attacks when we least expect it. Therefore, we must guard our hearts and avoid all situations where our thoughts can drift where they should not go, or where sinful acts can occur. That is one reason why pornography is so bad. It poisons the mind, pollutes the heart, and stultifies the spirit. Its also why Christians should consciously not put themselves in potentially compromising circumstances. Recently Vice President Mike Pence stated that he makes it a personal policy never to be alone with any woman other than his wife. That is a good Christian policy.
So lust is the internal pilot light that can ignite into sexual sin. And when lust flames into actual moral failure (adultery, fornication, etc.) it can fully destroy one’s life and ruin one’s relationships; starting with God Himself.
2. Adultery distorts the relationship of man and God.
According to numerous Scriptures, one of God’s essential purposes for marriage is to portray an analogy for God’s people’s relationship to Him. In the Old Testament, this principle was illustrated in the prophet Hosea’s marriage to his repeatedly unfaithful wife Gomer. That tragic story dramatically portrayed God’s love and care for Israel despite its recurring failure to remain faithful to Him. In the New Testament, the metaphor of a bride is used in Jesus’ parables, and in the book of Revelation, for the church and Christ (Matthew 9:14-16; 25:1-13; Mark 2:18-20; Luke 5:34-36; John 28-30; Rev. 19-22).
This Biblical symbolism is a prime reason why marriage is so important, and adultery is so bad. Matrimony is intended to be a picture of our relationship with God and Christ. When marriage is distorted by sin, it desecrates the imagery for which God created it. This divine principle is also why marriage can only be between a man and a woman. Note how Genesis describes God’s creative design for mankind.
God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. (Gen. 1:27)
Likewise, the spiritual “one-flesh” experience is found only in the physical relationship of a man and woman. It is the basis by which Biblical marriage is defined.
For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. (Gen. 2:24).
Jesus Himself affirmed that definition.
4 And He (Jesus) answered and said, “Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female,5 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’? 6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.” (Matthew 19:4-6)
So did the Apostle Paul.
15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? May it never be! 16 Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her? For He says, “The two shall become one flesh.” 17 But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him. 18 Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. 19 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? 20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body. (1 Corinthians 6:15-20)
This principle is indicative of our relationship with God. Any attempt to redefine marriage as anything other than what God intended desecrates its divine and holy purpose. It is no accident that historically cults and false religions distort sexuality in many of their teachings and practices. In most ancient pagan religions, perverse sexual acts were intrinsic to their beliefs and rituals. The Old and New Testaments thoroughly condemn such beliefs and immoral acts as abominations (see Lev. 18; Deut. 29:16-18; 1 Kings 14:23-25; Jer. 13:26-27).
All that being said, we must not forget that our God is a God of forgiveness and restoration, even when it involves something as devastating as adultery.
3. Adultery is not the unforgivable sin.
Included in the eighth chapter of John’s Gospel is the classic story of a woman caught in the act of adultery. (Note: John 7:53-8:11 was probably not part of John’s original text, as most modern Bible versions acknowledge. Nonetheless, most evangelical Bible scholars agree that the story is a historically true account that was inserted into John’s Gospel and should be regarded as inspired Scripture. See: https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/ivp-nt/Jesus-Forgives-Woman-Taken)
1 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began to teach them. 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court, 4 they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?” 6 They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. 7 But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court. 10 Straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.” (John 8:1-11)
In the account, Jesus is approached by the Jewish Scribes and Pharisees at the Jerusalem temple where He was teaching. They brought with them a woman who they alleged was caught in the act of adultery and wanted to know what He thought they should do about her. It was obvious to the Lord that they were trying to trick Him. They reminded Jesus that the Law demanded the death penalty for adulterers (Lev. 20:10; Deut. 22:19-22). The Jewish leaders felt they had Jesus in a precarious spot legally. Actually, neither Jesus nor the Jewish leaders had the real authority to sentence anyone to death. Only the Roman magistrates had that power. So if Jesus agreed to her execution, it would mar His reputation among the people for love and forgiveness and get Him in trouble with the Romans. On the other hand, if He suggested mercy for the woman, they would accuse Him of not upholding the Law of Moses. They thought they had Him dead to rights!
But Jesus was not confounded! He simply hit the ball back in their court. The text says He quietly stooped down and wrote something in the sand. We are not told what it said, but Jesus calmly looked at the crowd and said, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” He then bent down and again wrote some more. As He did, the crowd slowly dispersed (note that the oldest men left first).
When all the accusers had gone Jesus then confronted the woman. He asked her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” Ironically, the only man there who would have had the moral right to condemn her, that is the sinless Jesus Himself, forgave her. Nonetheless, He commanded her to “sin no more.” We are not told what happened to her. Presumably she returned to her home and husband (if she had one) and sought to restore the broken marriage relationship.
By the way, those who claim that adultery in the biblical world was nothing more than the theft of a man’s property, that is his wife, are wrong. Both the man and woman who committed this sin were deemed guilty in the Law, as indicated by the fact that both were to be penalized.
Conclusion
“You shall not commit adultery.” That commandment is still as valid today as in the time of Moses. Adultery is a serious breach of trust. It carries dire consequences and is very difficult to reconcile. It is a violation of the faith against a person’s spouse and children who usually endure much pain and deep feelings of betrayal. But it is not an unforgivable sin. God can forgive anyone who has fallen into this satanic trap, just as He can forgive any sin we may commit. However, it requires sincere confession, repentance, and a desire to restore and make amends to those who have been wronged. Christ’s death on the cross covers them all!
Remember what King David wrote about his adultery after Nathan exposed his sin with Bathsheba.
1 Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness;
According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity
And cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I know my transgressions,
And my sin is ever before me.
4 Against You, You only, I have sinned
And done what is evil in Your sight,
So that You are justified when You speak
And blameless when You judge. (Psalm 51:1-4 Read all of Psalm 51)
© 2018 Tal Davis