Exodus 20:14 – THE BIG TEN # 8 – THE SANCTITY OF MARRIAGE
Exodus 20:14 – Thou shalt not commit adultery.
- What is the typical view of non-Christians about sex?
- What are the typical views of non-Christians about adultery?
- What are the typical views of non-Christians about divorce and remarriage?
- In what ways have some Christians started thinking and acting like non-Christians concerning sex, adultery, divorce, and remarriage.
- Why should Christians hold to the sanctity of marriage?
The Sixth Commandment forbids adultery. This simple command reminds us of the sanctity of marriage.
MARRIAGE ESTABLISHED
Genesis 2:18 – And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
Genesis 2:22-24 – And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
- The woman was given as a partner to man. What does partnership imply?
- Adam was impressed with God’s creation of woman. Why did God make men and women physically attractive to each other?
- What do the words “leaving” and “cleaving” imply?
ADULTERY EXCLUDED
Exodus 20:14 – Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Hebrews 13:4 – Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.
- Why is God opposed to adultery?
- What is God’s attitude towards sex before marriage?
- In what respects has sex become sport among many?
- How does sexual activity before marriage hurt a marriage?
DEFINITION (OF ADULTERY) EXPANDED
Job 31:1 – I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?
Malachi 2:15 – … Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.
Matthew 5:27-28 – Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
- What do making a “covenant with my eyes” and taking “heed to my spirit” have to do with adultery?
- What’s wrong with the statement “It’s okay to look, just don’t touch!”?
- What is wrong with watching or reading sexually suggestive or sexually explicit material?
- How is committing adultery in the heart sometimes the precursor to committing adultery in the flesh?
PERVERSION EXACERBATED
Leviticus 18:22 –Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.
Romans 1:26-27 – For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
FAITHFULNESS EMPHASIZED
Proverbs 5:18-21 – Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth. Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love. And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger? For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings.
1 Corinthians 7:3-5 – Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband. The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife. Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.
- What does Proverbs 5:18-21 teach us about faithfulness to our wives?
- What do both passages above teach us about sexual activity in marriage?
- How does giving, caring, and loving sexual activity in marriage help fight against divorce and remarriage?
PERMANENCE ENJOINED
Matthew 5:31-32 – It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
Matthew 19:3-9 – The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.
- What are Jesus’ teachings on divorce in these passages?
- Why do they seem severe today, especially to the unsaved person?
LOVE EXALTED
Ephesians 5:25 – Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Titus 2:4 – That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,
- What do these verses have to do with adultery, divorce, and remarriage?
- How does a husband’s love help keep his wife faithful?
- How does a wife’s love help keep her husband faithful?
- Why is it that sometimes people aren’t faithful to their loving mates?
- What should be our goal towards our wives?