Anytime you hear the word exodus, it causes you to notice. 19:6). In a divine vision, God said to Peter, What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy (Acts 10:15). Here, the church is the bride of Christ, with the responsibility of exemplifying the relationship of Christ to His church (Eph. We can be disgruntled about what is happening with our pastor or whoever our leader is. The Bible speaks otherwise. Indeed, in verse 16 Paul makes a statement of monumental importance. There is usually a large number of people making an exodus. michigan state coaching staff; (1) Jesus teaches here that it is not enough to keep the Law in its letter, but must also keep it in spirit. Our culture does not value sex, it thinks of it as very common, so common that virtual strangers will share lifes most intimate treasure. 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, . The foundation for the sanctity of marriage and sex is laid early in the Book of Genesis, where we read of the first marriage. 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. 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. Virginity is thus looked upon as a stigma, from which one should rid oneself as quickly as possible. There are two specific applications which I would suggest emerge from the observation of these unique areas in which marriage is sanctified, unique. We know, of course, that the Lord Jesus was not born of the union of Mary and Joseph, but by a supernatural conception brought about by the Holy Spirit. There are many Christians in Ukraine. When we are willing to do whatever it takes to avoid a sin, we will likely take the steps necessary to avoid it. God increased the midwives and gave them houses (Exodus 1:16-21). Here, Davids immorality led to the additional sin of murder. Finally, sexual purity is vitally important to the Christian life because it is directly related to ones sanctification: For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you. Leviticus 18Israel is to distinguish herself from practices of Egypt and Canaan by maintaining sexual purity (vss. Please say that you are my sister so that it may go well with me because of you, and that I may live on account of you (Gen. 12:10-13). (5) Though David had many wives, he was willing to take the one wife that Uriah possessed. Bob is a pastor/teacher and elder at Community Bible Chapel in Richardson, Texas, and has contributed many of his Bible study series for use by the Foundation. The Real Housewives of Atlanta The Bachelor Sister Wives 90 Day Fiance Wife Swap The Amazing Race Australia Married at First Sight The Real Housewives of Dallas My 600-lb Life Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. At His second coming He will bring judgment to the wicked. (3) The Jewish religious leaders felt smugly self-righteous because they did not practice this form of sin, but they were guilty of other, more subtle, sins, which were more socially acceptable. (4) Adultery is a violation of the union of marriage. Just as no man can have two masters, neither can one have two unionsone with Christ, and another with a harlot. In these verses the sin of David is contrasted against the backdrop of the devotion and discipline of Uriah. It chronicles the story of their deliverance from four hundred years of bondage and how God sent Moses as an instrument of deliverance. Exodus 21:11 If, however, he does not provide her with these three things, she is free to . But if they marry one of the sons of the other tribes of the sons of Israel, their inheritance will be withdrawn from the inheritance of our fathers and will be added to the inheritance of the tribe to which they belong; thus it will be withdrawn from our allotted inheritance. Away from his family, perhaps never again to return to his own people, how easy it would have been for him to succumb to the advances of his masters wife: And it came about after these events that his masters wife looked with desire at Joseph, and she said, Lie with me. But he refused and said to his masters wife, Behold, with me around, my master does not concern himself with anything in the house, and he has put all that he owns in my charge. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water. 19:12-13, 23-24). The dictionary highlights this when it points out the Biblical origin of the word (Merriam-Websters.com, 2022). And one said, Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite? And David sent messengers and took her, and when she came to him, he lay with her; and when she had purified herself from her uncleanness, she returned to her house. As fans of the show will remember, they lost their unborn . We will discover in our lesson that marriage and sex were also sanctified by God. My people consult their wooden idol, and the diviners wand informs them; For a spirit of harlotry has led them astray, And they have played the harlot, departing from their God (Hos. Should your springs be dispersed abroad, Streams of water in the streets? Specifically, I am referring to what Paul has written in the Book of Ephesians, which especially relates to sexual impurity: Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you, and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. But Uriah slept at the door of the kings house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house. Our culture believes that the obtaining of a certificate of divorce legitimizes adultery. As a loving hind and a graceful doe, Let her breasts satisfy you at all times; Be exhilarated always with her love. And, Paul says, it involves for Timothy the fleeing of youthful lusts, which surely include illicit sexual passions and conduct. When we sanctify sex, it is because we value it highly, not because we disdain it as something of little worth. In both cases, partaking of the forbidden fruit brings disastrous results. The Bible seems to teach that this union is not severed by anything but death, anything including divorce. This is not one of the high points in Abrams life. . Stop depriving one another, except by agreement for a time that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and come together again lest Satan tempt you because of your lack of self-control (1 Cor. This is a point which the prophets of the Old Testament will take up and greatly expand upon in later times. Those distinctions are spelled out in the Law, one of which is that of the maintenance of sexual and marital sanctity. 30 Verses to Reflect on in the Book of Hebrews. We all restrict the use of (we sanctify) those things which we most highly prize. Thus you are to be holy to Me, for I the LORD am holy; and I have set you apart from the peoples to be Mine. 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. Satan can be expected to attack the sanctity of marriage in order to wage war on the seed.. There are several reasons for the difference in the emphasis of our Lord from that of the Old Testament, which condemned adultery and demanded the death penalty. Lev. Our Lord teaches us here that divorce causes adultery. It was Gods will to use Joseph as a forerunner to prepare the children of Israel for what was next (Genesis 45:7-9). To understand Johns response, you have to understand John. I would suggest that the categories of unity, intimacy, reproduction, and fellowship are four specific benchmarks of the quality of our marriages, and thus four specific areas for concentrated effort. In both the New and Old Testaments we are urged to let the pleasure and enjoyment of sex within marriage serve as a godly defense against sexual immorality:44. The covenant which God made with Israel on Mt. The sanctity of sex in marriage clearly calls for the sanctity of sex before marriage. God is faithful. We sanctify sex because we value it highly, as a good gift from the hand of a gracious God. So the LORD GOD caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh at the place. in 1971. Since marriage matters to God, it should matter to believers too. 6:12). Every daughter who comes into possession of an inheritance of any tribe of the sons of Israel shall be wife to one of the family of the tribe of her father, so that the sons of Israel each may possess the inheritance of his fathers. For they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods; then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you and He will quickly destroy you. 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. By your life and the life of your soul, I will not do this thing. Then David said to Uriah, Stay here today also, and tomorrow I will let you go. So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next. Furthermore, you shall not intermarry with them; you shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor shall you take their daughters for your sons. 4:11-12). We must even distinguish between what is personally permissible and what is personally beneficial (1 Cor. Ed, Issue 46, Winter 2023. 2:16-22). Sexual sins and their penalties are spelled out in detail (vss. It Is So Painful to Care: How Do I Conquer Apathy? For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders (Matt. For why should you, my son, be exhilarated with an adulteress, And embrace the bosom of a foreigner? Some scholars estimate that if we factored in those groups and other factors, there would have been as many as 3 million Israelites exiting Egypt. The Christian life therefore involves making many distinctions and then living them out. And the woman conceived; and she sent and told David, and said, I am pregnant. Then David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite. So Joab sent Uriah to David. Sometimes, people feel ready to make the big exodus from study to leadership, but they have not been released into ministry yet. 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). Satan, to save his skin, would begin to understand that he must begin to wage war on the seed of the woman. Smith lives and resides in Memphis, Tennessee. Based on the Hebrew Bible, intermarriage was quite frequent in early Israelite society. Gen. 1:11-12, 31). Thus you are to keep My charge, that you do not practice any of the abominable customs which have been practiced before you, so as not to defile yourselves with them; I am the LORD your GOD (Lev. 20:22-27). The important thing to note here is that God also promised salvation through the seed of the woman in the midst of the curse pronounced on Satan: And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you will bruise him on the heel (Gen. 3:15). 43 In Genesis chapter 34, Dinah is apparently forcibly raped by Shechem, a deed to which Jacobs sons violently reacted as an abomination (cf. 2:19-22). Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. 25:1-9). Exodus. (1) The principle of sanctification. Our Lord says that this union of husband and wife must not be severed (Matt. Why Did Pharaoh Tell Joseph to Enjoy the 'Fat of the Land'? Here we come to one of the very crucial implications of the sanctity of sex. Second, we move from an Old Testament dispensation (centered around the nation Israel) to a New Testament dispensation (centered around a predominantly Gentile church). 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. Uncovering the nakedness of a relative is prohibited (vss. Closely related to the union of a husband and his wife is the intimacy which they experience in marriage. May it never be! This union is set apart, it is to be distinct from the previous relationship of parent and child. The Bible is full of Israelite men marrying foreign women. Note these points of contrast: (1) Uriahs military devotion in the front lines of battle is contrasted with Davids complacency, who never even makes it to the battle. 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. Our culture protests that Christians disdain and demean sex, that we have little appreciation for it. Shaun and Lea exchanged their first kiss in a Season 3 episode of The Good Doctor. 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. So Esau saw that the daughters of Canaan displeased his father Isaac; and Esau went to Ishmael, and married, besides the wives that he had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abrahams son, the sister of Nebaioth. Exodus 32:27. For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh. 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. And the man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him. (2) Jesus was speaking to a Jewish audience, while most of the apostles addressed Gentiles. New Century Version Chapter Parallel What I would say is this; if the slave viewed his marriage as sacred, and held it in high regard, then a provision to sustain his marriage is set forth here in this text: the slave can renounce his "freedom" and remain a slave to his master, and in so . At times we are tempted to think that what God has called clean is really unclean (as was the case with Peter; cf. [ESV] The ESV here provides a textual note on before, saying "or besides ." And indeed, many translations use that phrasing. 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. But as for you, you are to keep My statutes and My judgments, and shall not do any of these abominations, neither the native, nor the alien who sojourns among you (for the men of the land who have been before you have done all these abominations, and the land has become defiled); so that the land may not spew you out, should you defile it, as it has spewed out the nation which has been before you. The couple finally ties the knot and it's sure to be a wedding to remember. Exodus 20:1-26 ESV / 16 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful. Now David called him, and he ate and drank before him, and he made him drunk; and in the evening he went out to lie on his bed with his lords servants, but he did not go down to his house (2 Samuel 11:1-13). 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. To me, a wood chisel can be used for any number of things, including, if necessary, automobile engines. What Is the Significance of Not the Letter but of the Spirit? (4) The immediate results of Josephs actions were painful, but the ultimate outcome was the blessing of God. And the LORD GOD fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. Numbers 5A test is given to determine whether or not a wife has been unfaithful to her husband. (3) While David enjoyed sexual intimacy with Bathsheba, even though forbidden, Uriah refused such pleasure, even when legitimate and encouraged by the king. He is a purist in that regardI am not. How then could I do this great evil, and sin against God? And it came about as she spoke to Joseph day after day, that he did not listen to her to lie beside her, or be with her (Gen. 39:7-10). In other words, what is it that makes a marriage distinct, unique, sanctified? We would thus expect him to wage war on the marital union, for it is through marital union that the seed will be preserved and the promised seed will come. This may be a matter of personal conviction, over which there is some disagreement, but marriage does not make every sexual practice holy. In the Bible, this word is used for the departure of the people of Israel out of Egypt. As we established, Exodus means to leave or depart. If you owned a Mercedes Benz, would you loan it to a neighbor to go hunting in, or to haul firewood? To John, my Stanley chisel is a wood chisel, only to be used for chiseling wood. Reproduction. Sexual sin defiles the people (vss. What does Exodus mean today? For the land has become defiled, therefore I have visited its punishment upon it, so the land has spewed out its inhabitants. When Uriah came to him, David asked concerning the welfare of Joab and the people and the state of the war. God not only created man and woman, He also created the institution of marriage. Shaun ( Freddie Highmore) and Lea ( Paige Spara) started out as neighbors. Exodus 2:10 And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. Christianity.com is a member of the Salem Web Network of sites including: Copyright 2023, Christianity.com. Marriage is defined in Scripture as a covenant before God, joining a man and a woman together for their lives ( Genesis 2:24 ). He responded, Ill bet youve been using that Stanley wood chisel to scrape gaskets off of automobile engines again.. 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 believe that there are several ways in which marriage is sanctified: Unity. When I had fed them to the full, They committed adultery And trooped to the harlots house. Bob was born and raised in a Christian home i More. The forbidden fruit was not forbidden because is was intrinsically bad. 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. Grietje Commelin. Consider, for a moment, how that forbidden fruit (whatever it might have been) is similar to the forbidden fruit of illicit sex. The Gentiles were more like the Canaanites of Old Testament timesthey were distinctly pagan in their sexual conduct and values. Let those who have already divorced and remarried remember that divorce and immorality (as all other sins save unbelief) is not an unpardonable sin. In fact, it wasnt bad, in and of itself. He has also set this unity apart, distinguishing it from the previous parental-child entity. Sanctification involves purity, the absence of what is unclean. One of the most important lessons was deliverance would only come from God. 1 Corinthians 7:1-6 Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. Yes, Marriage Matters to God. . Flee immorality. Can you guess what that was? John did not hesitate, even for a moment. 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. 13:4) implies that not every sexual practice of the pagan world is permissible or beneficial for the Christian. When we consider what does Exodus mean? we reach the books core theme. 7:3-5). Mount Sinai, from which God spoke to Moses and the Israelites, was sanctified, set apart. Therefore, if a man cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work. (NIV) Exodus 22:16-17, which seems to be a restating of the same law, sheds some light on this passage: 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. Uriah was a Canaanite, but a godly one, while David, the Israelite, acted like a heathen. The word exodus literally means "the road out". 42 One may wonder why only the husband is to leave his father and mother, and not the wife. Let those who would consider divorce an option carefully ponder the implications of their actions in accordance with our Lords words here. I would further suggest that these four areas (there are probably others, too) provide the glue which holds a marriage together. These three texts provide us with the essence of our Lords teaching on adultery and sexual immorality. Having said this, let us note that eyes and hands are very precious body members. She is the author of the self-published novel GLORYTHE HAIR. All rights reserved. The Old Testament prophets take up the themes already developed in the Pentateuch. Sexual purity begins with highly esteeming that which God has givenmarriage, and the one whom God has givenour mate. Would You not be angry with us to the point of destruction, until there is no remnant nor any who escape? They become one in spirit, and sexually they become one in physical union. It is very important for me to be precise in what I say here. but the scene where Cecilia says goodbye to Sean in Exodus literally broke me. Sexual sin is also related to religious apostasy (cf. If He spoke it, He will make it good (Numbers 23:19). Fellowship. Kill everyone - even your brothers, friends, and neighbors.". The children of Israel did all work in the field as well. Answer. I did something which would make you cringe. (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. 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). Nevertheless, the rest of the Pentateuch (the Pentateuch is the five books of the Old Testament, written by Moses) provides us with a great deal of detail concerning sexual sins, and the various forms of punishment required by each. The differences between holy and unholy, clean and unclean are crucial. And do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. Lots of exceptions to the rule. First, we move from a Jewish to a Gentile culture. 4:11-12). Exodus 21:10 (MSG) If he marries another woman, she retains all her full rights to meals, clothing, and marital relations. (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. In Exodus 20:3, we read: You shall have no other gods before me. 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). How many times have we heard that adultery breaks the marriage union, that is, that adultery (legitimately) causes divorce? 8-10). (2) Jesus thus teaches here that attitudinal sins precede sins of action (cf. 11. Furthermore, there must be a distinction drawn between what is personally permissible and what is detrimental to others (cf. You are therefore to make a distinction between the clean animal and the unclean, and between the unclean bird and the clean; and you shall not make yourselves detestable by animal or by bird or by anything that creeps on the ground, which I have separated for you as unclean. I honestly believe that. The answer to the question is in Exodus 22:17 - the woman does NOT have to marry a . Second, if we want the world to understand God's faithful love, we need to .
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