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Our approach to this study will be to consider the progressively revealed truths of God about sex and marriage, beginning in the Old Testament, and then going to the New Testament. He had to mature in Egypt away from his family. Third, we must beware of that teaching (either by direct statement or by inference, or by silence) which holds that any and every sexual pleasure can be enjoyed by a married couple behind closed doors. What is it that makes sexual purity so important to the New Testament saint, who is not an Israelite, but a member of the church, the body of Christ? 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? Their numbers threatened the new Pharaoh. While depriving a partner tempts them, fulfilling a partner does not necessarily keep them from sexual sin. 19:12-13, 23-24). Our Lord teaches us here that divorce causes adultery. God was faithful to his promise that Abrahams descendants would number the stars in the sky (Genesis 26:4). Genesis 31:38-40 This twenty years have I been with thee; thy ewes and thy she goats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flock have I not eaten, Philippians 4:11,12 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content, Exodus 4:20-25 And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt: and Moses took the rod of God in his hand, Exodus 18:2-6 Then Jethro, Moses' father in law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her back, . When I had fed them to the full, They committed adultery And trooped to the harlots house. "You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the . The assumption here is that the divorce is obtained in order to marry another, or that it will ultimately result in marriage to another. If you owned a Mercedes Benz, would you loan it to a neighbor to go hunting in, or to haul firewood? The forbidden fruit was forbidden, not because of any evil characteristic of the fruit itself, but because God sanctified or set it apart. Deuteronomy 22When a man accuses his wife of not being a virgin at the time they were married, the parents can show her (blood-stained) garment as proof of her purity. And if your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out, and throw it from you; for it is better for you that one of the parts of your body perish, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. Time will not permit further exploration, but take note of how often unity (e.g. God not only created man and woman, He also created the institution of marriage. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. In chapter 38, Judah engaged in sexual union with his daughter-in-law, whom he thought to be a Canaanite cult prostitute (38:14-23). I find it interesting that the fruit of this tree of knowledge of good and evil was good, like everything else God created (cf. Not only did his master not give him authority over his wife, he could not have done so. Furthermore, He may even appear to be lenient on those guilty of immorality. All rights reserved. Exodus 22:16-17 "If a man seduces a virgin who is not betrothed and lies with her, he shall give the bride price for her and make her his wife. For the land has become defiled, therefore I have visited its punishment upon it, so the land has spewed out its inhabitants. To remove either is a drastic action (as, for example, one would do in the case of cancer). Moses knew he had a big job because Israel was no longer just one family. (3) While David enjoyed sexual intimacy with Bathsheba, even though forbidden, Uriah refused such pleasure, even when legitimate and encouraged by the king. For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh. When God had created a mate for all of His other creatures, He looked upon Adam in his solitude and said, It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him (Gen. 2:18). Dr. Smith primarily teaches language arts. There were many things that Israel had to learn during this process. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org, Now Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Paddan-aram to take to himself a wife from there, and that when he blessed him he charged him, saying, You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan,. I believe that there are several ways in which marriage is sanctified: Unity. Exodus 22:16-17A man who seduces a virgin must marry her or pay the price of a virgins dowry. It is also significant that He taught divorce causes adultery, except in the case where the divorce was based upon previous adultery. It is significant that our Lord began by talking about adultery, but that He almost immediately came to the subject of divorce. The dubious distinction for the most well-known case of adultery would have to go to David, who sinned by committing adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah: Then it happened in the spring, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel, and they destroyed the sons of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. I did something which would make you cringe. The union of husband and wife is one of the unique elements of marriage. Later, God commanded Moses to take a census of all the Israelite men over 20 years old, which amounted to six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty. (Numbers 1:46). As a matter of fact, my differences with John over the proper use of a wood chisel have a great deal to do with the commandment, You shall not commit adultery. The principle underlying this commandment is that of the sanctity of marriage. First, since the sanctity of sex reflects its value, its beauty, its goodness, let us never think of sex as something dirty and defiling. The differences between holy and unholy, clean and unclean are crucial. and married, besides the wives that he had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham's son, the sister of Nebaioth. For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. He is a purist in that regardI am not. Exodus 2:10 And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. Second, we move from an Old Testament dispensation (centered around the nation Israel) to a New Testament dispensation (centered around a predominantly Gentile church). New American Standard Bible Chapter Parallel Exodus 21:10 (NAS) "If he takes to himself another woman, he may not reduce her food, her clothing, or her conjugal rights. He then immediately turns to our sanctification as it relates to our sexual conduct. 4:4), and holding the marriage bed in honor, keeping the marriage bed undefiled (Heb. In the Bible, this word is used for the departure of the people of Israel out of Egypt. Just as God placed the forbidden fruit in sight and within the reach of Adam and Eve, so the forbidden fruit of sexual immorality is visible and available. Bob was born and raised in a Christian home i More. Lots of exceptions to the rule. The nation Israel is kept apart from other nations by her time in Egypt, and in the plagues, the Israelites are distinguished from the Egyptians. This incident reveals several important truths: (1) Joseph knew he could not lie with this woman because she was the wife of another man. How many times have we heard that adultery breaks the marriage union, that is, that adultery (legitimately) causes divorce? Answer. The New Testament portrays a very similar picture. When we consider what does Exodus mean? we reach the books core message. To me, a wood chisel can be used for any number of things, including, if necessary, automobile engines. When we are willing to do whatever it takes to avoid a sin, we will likely take the steps necessary to avoid it. Judaism condemned adultery and sexual immorality, as can be seen from John chapter 8. Teenagers, culture is lying to you. Lev. (2) The sanctity of marriage. One of these particulars is that of marriage. I also believe that humans will not stop the plan of God. We must distinguish between truth and error, between good and evil, between holiness and unrighteousness. For this and other reasons, the Seventh Commandment is of vital importance, not only to a pagan world, but to a carnal and permissive church. The higher the vote, the further up an answer is. Leviticus 18Israel is to distinguish herself from practices of Egypt and Canaan by maintaining sexual purity (vss. After Joseph and his generation died, a new king arose over Egypt who was not familiar with Joseph (Exodus 1:6-8). The Bible speaks otherwise. The husband and wife become one. 6:15-20). We can cry out to God, and He will hear us. Her duty of marriage.--Rather, her right of cohabitation. 22-33), the important point to recognize here is that the relationship of a Christian husband and wife is to be a reflection of the relationship of Jesus Christ to His church. Thus, because Israel practiced the same sins as the Canaanites, who lived in the land before them, they were thrust forth from the land, just as their predecessors, and just as God had warned: Do not defile yourselves by any of these things; for by all these the nations which I am casting out before you have become defiled. It can dull the mind, like wine, making one insensitive to reality (Hos. The sanctity of sex in marriage clearly calls for the sanctity of sex before marriage. When God brought man and woman together as husband and wife, He commanded them to be fruitful and multiply (Gen. 1:27-28). There is no explanation for this name change, but the title "priest of Midian" accompanies both names, and he is called Moses' father-in-law, so it is safe to assume this was the same man. In order to do this, Christians must be holy, sanctified, just as God is holy (1 Peter 1:14-16). May God grant you the conviction to stand against the flood of cultural and peer pressure. and that we will not give our daughters to the peoples of the land or take their daughters for our sons. When we come to our last text, we come full circle: Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge (Heb. I think there is little evidence for this conclusion. 19:6). (3) The way to fully keep the Seventh Commandment is to view sexual sin as so serious (damning) that we are willing to take any measure required to prevent it. The Old Testament prophets take up the themes already developed in the Pentateuch. Men, what about that special car, or gun, or golf club? And it was said, WHOEVER DIVORCES HIS WIFE, LET HIM GIVE HER A CERTIFICATE OF DISMISSAL; but I say to you that every one who divorces his wife, except for the cause of unchastity, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery (Matt. God told Satan, Adam and Eve that the Savior of mankind would be the seed of the woman. To John, my Stanley chisel is a wood chisel, only to be used for chiseling wood. The apostle Paul has the most to say of the apostles on the subject of sexual purity. For whoever does any of these abominations, those persons who do so shall be cut off from among their people. Let those who have already divorced and remarried remember that divorce and immorality (as all other sins save unbelief) is not an unpardonable sin. Ex). Some died on the spot for murmuring and complaining about Moses (Numbers 16:33). 4:11-12). Ex). 11. We know that God is not a man that He should lie nor a son of man that He should change His mind (Numbers 23:19). 7:3-5). Then the LORD GOD said, It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him. And out of the ground the LORD GOD formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name. She is the author of the self-published novel GLORYTHE HAIR. 22-27). 0. who does sean marry in exodus. In later chapters Reuel is called Jethro. Sexual sin defiles the people (vss. Our culture does not value sex, it thinks of it as very common, so common that virtual strangers will share lifes most intimate treasure. Finally, we shall attempt to distill the biblical teaching into a few guiding and governing principles. (1) Jesus had come to bear the penalty for sinners, and thus He did not come to condemn anyone, but to offer salvation to all (cf. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate (Matt. Why should I pardon you? Sexual sins and their penalties are spelled out in detail (vss. 19:9). 2:19-22). Understanding marriage as a covenant which establishes between husband and wife a "partnership of the whole life" in which they "mutually hand over and accept each other" (see Code of Canon Law, c. 1055 and c. 1057) can greatly enrich our appreciation of this special union that is: (a) sacred in the plan of God; (b) permanent, faithful . I would further suggest that these four areas (there are probably others, too) provide the glue which holds a marriage together. from the nations concerning which the Lord had said to the sons of Israel, You shall not associate with them, nor shall they associate with you, for they will surely turn your heart away after their gods. Solomon held fast to these in love. Bible Answer: Marriage between people of different races occurs every day in spite of the conflicts that occur between nations and different interest groups. God did send Moses and protected him from all of the death decrees that the Pharoah had implemented to keep them down (Exodus 3-10). When we leave the gospels of the New Testament and come to the epistles, there is a change which we should recognize and appreciate. So now do not give your daughters to their sons nor take their daughters to your sons, and never seek their peace or their prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good things of the land and leave it as an inheritance to your sons forever.. It is against the backdrop of Israels history as described in Genesis that the Seventh Commandment is given to the Israelites: You shall not commit adultery (Exod. It is about friendship first and foremost. 's season finale. Why did you not go down to your house? And Uriah said to David, The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in temporary shelters, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field. God is God, and He can manage timelines as well. John 3:16-17). When we sanctify sex, it is because we value it highly, not because we disdain it as something of little worth. An exodus of people left the company means the same thing. Numbers 5A test is given to determine whether or not a wife has been unfaithful to her husband. If the Seventh Commandment teaches the sanctity of marriage, it also teaches the sanctity of sex, for it is only in marriage that the pleasure and product (children) are to be experienced. It's been a long road, but on . When Uriah came to him, David asked concerning the welfare of Joab and the people and the state of the war. Thus, it was not necessary for our Lord to dwell on the sinfulness of sexual immorality, since the Jews of His day agreed with Him on this point. Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? 20:14; Deut. I believe that the sexual union of Adam and Eve consummated their marital union, and thus there is implied here a sanctity of both the marriage and the sexual relationship of Adam and Eve. 5:27-32). First, I believe that a Christian has the right to divorce a spouse for adultery, but that this is never ones duty, and seldom ones highest calling. Intimacy. (6) Though David was of the chosen seed, Uriah was but a Hittite. A few months ago, I was talking on the phone to my friend, John Maurer. Thus, when a divorce is granted due to adultery, a later marriage on the part of the innocent (that is, not guilty of adultery) party is not viewed to be adulterous. The word fornication comes from the Greek term porneia (from which we . When the first sin was committed by partaking of the forbidden fruit God pronounced punishments which were appropriate to each party involved, as well as the consequences for all mankind. Can you guess what that was? John did not hesitate, even for a moment. Our sanctification cannot be expressed or realized apart from a radical change in our sexual conductthat is, a radical change in the way we conduct ourselves sexually, as contrasted with our former conduct and that of the pagan world around us. (1) The principle of sanctification. It was Gods will to use Joseph as a forerunner to prepare the children of Israel for what was next (Genesis 45:7-9). (2) Jesus was speaking to a Jewish audience, while most of the apostles addressed Gentiles. Prior to education, she worked in local and national television news for 13 years including positions as an overnight news anchor, reporter, and assignments editor at two local network affiliate stations. From what we have already learned in Genesis, it is apparent that the Israelites understood what adultery was and that it was sin. Adultery mocks the union of a man and his wife, and the God who joined them together. From the Old Testament perspective, adultery was a violation of the sanctity of marriage, which God established, and which the Law sought to maintain. The covenant which God made with Israel on Mt. Our culture is adamantly opposed to the sanctity of sex. Consider, for a moment, how that forbidden fruit (whatever it might have been) is similar to the forbidden fruit of illicit sex. Her restoration is described as a marriage between God and His bride. Those distinctions are spelled out in the Law, one of which is that of the maintenance of sexual and marital sanctity. For why should you, my son, be exhilarated with an adulteress, And embrace the bosom of a foreigner? They made their lives miserable with hard labor (Exodus 1). May God grant that we hold sex and marriage to be sacred, and may God enable each of us, by His grace and through His Spirit, to move ahead in the process of sanctification, to the praise of the glory of His grace. We need only look at men like David and Solomon, who had so many wives they couldnt keep up with them, but still sought after more (such as David sought Bathsheba). Exodus 20:1-26 ESV / 16 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful. NLT - 27 Moses told them, "This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Each of you, take your swords and go back and forth from one end of the camp to the other. The word Exodus came from the Latin exodos and was adopted as the books title when the Bible was translated into Latin. From the standpoint of our sin against God, attitudinal sins and action sins are both rebellion against God. Fornication is also applied symbolically in the Bible to the sins of idolatry and apostasy, or the abandoning of God. Joseph ended up in Egypt away from his family and did not understand until decades later when his brothers came to Egypt why all these events occurred (Genesis 50:20). I honestly believe that. but the scene where Cecilia says goodbye to Sean in Exodus literally broke me. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water. Our Lord says that this union of husband and wife must not be severed (Matt. Christianity.com is a member of the Salem Web Network of sites including: Copyright 2023, Christianity.com. He responded, Ill bet youve been using that Stanley wood chisel to scrape gaskets off of automobile engines again.. At other times, we are tempted to call clean what God has called unclean. One of the most important decisions the Christian can make is to rightly distinguish between the holy and the unholythe see what God has sanctified and what He has not. Exodus 22:16-17 "If a man seduces a virgin who is not betrothed and lies with her, he shall give the bride price for her and make her his wife. How Is Harry Potter a Literary Christ Figure? And the LORD GOD fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. Joseph suffered many things because of his brothers. In my opinion, the rampant sexual immorality of our day is not primarily the result of greater temptation, of increased sexual desire, of greater opportunity, or even of the availability of the pill and abortion. Why Did Pharaoh Tell Joseph to Enjoy the 'Fat of the Land'? Numbers 12:1 And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman. (3) Terms referring to adultery and sexual immorality are employed non-literally, referring to Israels infidelity to God. 29:20. In short, there has been both a leaving and a cleaving, a separation and a union. 34:7). The answer to the question is in Exodus 22:17 - the woman does NOT have to marry a . And, Paul says, it involves for Timothy the fleeing of youthful lusts, which surely include illicit sexual passions and conduct. When we thus honor marriage, we will see to it that the marriage bed, the blessing of sexual union, remains undefiled by sexual union outside of that marriage, which profanes.