“Do not commit adultery.”
-Exodus 20:14
We’ve now arrived at what could be considered one of the more controversial if not the nitroglycerine of all commandments.
That’s how explosive this 7th Word of God can be.
Throughout the ages to the present day, this command to “not commit adultery” has never failed to provoke much fierce debate and misunderstanding.
There have been heated arguments concerning the true Biblical definition of adultery, what actions exactly constitute adultery, is divorce or remarriage adultery, did Yeshua do away with the death penalty for adultery and so on ad infinitum ad nauseum.
Well, the first thing that needs to be pointed out is that by definition adultery can ONLY be understood within the God-ordained institution of marriage.
Outside of marriage, the concept of adultery is meaningless.
When most of think of marriage, I think we have a tendency to view it as merely a physical or sexual matter.
Or in American society, marriage becomes a financial or legally binding agreement between two people that can have serious repercussions (especially for the man) if the relationship goes south.
Now there is certainly a physical aspect to marriage as God has ordained this institution for the propagation of the human race.
However, Biblically speaking, more than the physical aspect, marriage is much more about the spiritual union that a husband and wife enter into with each other.
Notice that the Bible often speaks of the relationship between the church and Yeshua in marriage terms.
This is NOT an analogy.
It is very real and should give us serious pause for reflection to really consider what the essence of marriage is from the Lord’s perspective.
Just as earthly marriage is a man and a woman becoming one flesh or coming into union with each other both physically and spiritually, salvation is our becoming ONE in union with Yeshua.
We’re told in the future there is going to be a glorious feast known as “The Marriage Feast of the Lamb”.
This will be a joyous celebration whereby all believers (the church) will enter into a formal marriage with Yeshua.
What this tells us is that although we may be followers or disciples of Yeshua, we have not yet entered into a fully complete marriage-like union with Him.
Our union with Yeshua will be fully consummated at the end of this present age.
I have a feeling this idea might be bothering some of you who are reading this right now.
What do you mean I’m not yet fully 100% in union with Him?
The day I was born again, I became ONE with Christ!!!
This sounds like a bunch of double talk!!!
How can we be kinda married but kinda not married?!
Well, it’s true.
At the moment, we are currently in a state of betrothal to Yeshua.
Actually, this would have made perfect sense to the Hebrews in Yeshua’s day.
Just as we first have an engagement to be married in our day, so it was back then.
However, there is one fundamental difference between our modern betrothal and a Hebrew betrothal that took place back in the Bible days.
Back then, a betrothal was a much, much more serious matter.
If a Hebrew man and woman were betrothed to each other, they were treated as if they were married.
During the betrothal process, a legal marriage contract, known as a KETUBAH in Hebrew, was drawn up.
In fact, an engaged Hebrew couple could not become UN-engaged without a formal legal divorce decree being issued!
Here’s the thing.
In the Biblical Hebrew culture, unfaithfulness during the betrothal period was considered adultery!
Once the betrothal process was completed, even the woman’s property belonged to her fiancee.
All that was left for the marriage to be 100% completed was the sexual consummation which took place AFTER the ceremonial wedding feast.
So what is the takeaway here?
We who are currently in a state of betrothal to Yeshua should realize how serious this matter is.
During our earthly time of betrothal, understand that it is forbidden for us to enter into unions whether spiritual or otherwise that could put us into a state of adultery to Yeshua in the Lord’s eyes.
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