When one enters into a sexual union, Paul reasons, one enters into marital union. 5:1-14). The KJV Study Bible, Barbour Publishing, 2011, California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. In fact, it wasnt bad, in and of itself. Exodus 21:11 If, however, he does not provide her with these three things, she is free to . When we consider what does Exodus mean? we reach the books core theme. There were many things that Israel had to learn during this process. (1) The principle of sanctification. In the Book of 1 Corinthians he focuses on illicit sexual union and its relationship to the believers union with Christ: Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers, OT Law: Exodus 2:21 Moses was content to dwell (Exo. It's been a long road, but on . To me, a wood chisel can be used for any number of things, including, if necessary, automobile engines. God is not a fan of bondage or suffering. 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? 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. Throughout the Bible, God sets certain things apart; He restricts their use; He sanctifies them. The answer to the question is in Exodus 22:17 - the woman does NOT have to marry a . He responded, Ill bet youve been using that Stanley wood chisel to scrape gaskets off of automobile engines again.. His indignation at discovering his daughter-in-law was pregnant out of wedlock (not knowing yet it was by him), reveals that sexual immorality was clearly condemned (cf. 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. Israels sexual conduct set them apart from the Egyptians and the Canaanites. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. There are other instances of sexual immorality in Genesis, but let us turn our attention to the bright light of Josephs character, in contrast to that of his close relatives.43 Joseph was a young man, with all of the sexual desires of any other healthy male. Should your springs be dispersed abroad, Streams of water in the streets? He did not permit man to use it. This may be a matter of personal conviction, over which there is some disagreement, but marriage does not make every sexual practice holy. 2:16-22). It is little wonder, then, that God has so much to teach man about sanctification in the Bible. The epidemic of sexual immorality is, I believe, the result of a failure to understand or appreciate the sanctity of sex and of marriage. The husband and wife become one. 4:4), and holding the marriage bed in honor, keeping the marriage bed undefiled (Heb. This union involved the husbands leaving of his parents42 and cleaving to his wife. She has one stepson, Greg. 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. The word exodus literally means "the road out". For He says, the two will become one flesh. But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him. Not to mention, the Israelites were a faithful people who believed in God. How tragic it is to see young people seduced (philosophically and physically), so that they will share that most treasured gift with those who cannot even be named or numbered. 44 In saying that sexual pleasure in marriage is one of Gods safeguards against immorality, I am not saying that the husband or wife who gives freely of themselves in a sexual way thereby guarantees the sexual purity of their partner. As we established, Exodus means to leave or depart. 29:20. To remove either is a drastic action (as, for example, one would do in the case of cancer). And it came about when he came near to Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, See now, I know that you are a beautiful woman; and it will come about when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, This is his wife; and they will kill me, but they will let you live. The consequences of either guilt or innocence are spelled out (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. After Joseph died, the children of Israel were numerous, a great nation. One of these particulars is that of marriage. We must even distinguish between what is personally permissible and what is personally beneficial (1 Cor. Exodus 20:1-26 ESV / 16 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful. 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. Moses -- a great Israelite leader, prophet and lawgiver, Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular, To show willingness, be pleased, determine, undertake (to do anything), Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct, To sit down, to dwell, to remain, to settle, to marry, Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular, Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular, Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular. Virginity is thus looked upon as a stigma, from which one should rid oneself as quickly as possible. 25:1-9). The difference between John and me in this instance is that John believes everything should be used for the purpose it was made. 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. also 1 Tim. The New Testament portrays a very similar picture. This is what we shall seek to learn from the writings of the apostles in the New Testament. Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a harlot is one body with her? There are two specific applications which I would suggest emerge from the observation of these unique areas in which marriage is sanctified, unique. We sanctify sex because we value it highly, as a good gift from the hand of a gracious God. Moreover, you shall not follow the customs of the nation which I shall drive out before you, for they did all these things, and therefore I have abhorred them. God delivered Israel, but many things had to be worked out of them. What Is the Meaning of Psalm 91 and Why Is it Popular? Because of its significance and the power behind it, we use it gingerly. Finally, we will attempt to discover how these principles apply to our daily Christian walk. (4) Adultery is a violation of the union of marriage. There is a saying that success is when preparation meets opportunity. At this time, the children of Israel were fruitful, increased abundantly, became exceedingly mighty, and there were people everywhere. Women, why do keep your silver in a special place, bringing it out only for special occasions? They become one in spirit, and sexually they become one in physical union. Then David said to Uriah, Go down to your house, and wash your feet. And Uriah went out of the kings house, and a present from the king was sent out after him. 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. Exodus 2:10 And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. This was now accomplished. 19:6). 4:11-12). The University of Memphis alumnae has been in education for about 20 years after receiving the call to teach. Our Lord says that this union of husband and wife must not be severed (Matt. Finally, we shall attempt to distill the biblical teaching into a few guiding and governing principles. Amongst the most surprising revelations would be the following: 1. Can you guess what that was? John did not hesitate, even for a moment. Many are crying out to God, and He hears them. 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. When we sanctify sex, it is because we value it highly, not because we disdain it as something of little worth. If He spoke it, He will make it good (Numbers 23:19). 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. Second, in order to avoid the evils of sex, we need to minimize our exposure to those things which only stimulate lustful thoughts and sexual temptations. Exodus 2:10 And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. But David stayed at Jerusalem. Spiritual adultery has also become rampant, and is condemned. (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. Sanctification, therefore, was the first test which God gave mankind, and it was this test which man failed. We must remember that those who teach and lead are held to higher accountability (James 3:1). Some of this may be cultural, but I think the primary reason is that in those days especially (and in other cultures still today) the woman is under the authority of her parents, and her parents authority over her is simply transferred to her husband. Think about this carefully, for it is of the greatest importance. Let your fountain be blessed, And rejoice in the wife of your youth. This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man. For this cause a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and they shall become one flesh (Gen. 2:18-24). 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 . It did not look bad, it did not taste bad. We can cry out to God, and He will hear us. Fornication is a term used in the Bible for any sexual misconduct or impure sexual activity that occurs outside of the bounds of a marriage covenant. Sexual sins and their penalties are spelled out in detail (vss. If her father utterly refuses to give her to him, he shall pay money equal to the bride price for virgins." If the passages don't mean that a woman has to marry her rapist, then what do they mean? Then his father and his mother said to him, Is there no woman among the daughters of your relatives, or among all our people, that you go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines? But Samson said to his father, Get her for me, for she looks good to me.. Her restoration is described as a marriage between God and His bride. We must distinguish between truth and error, between good and evil, between holiness and unrighteousness. As for a man or a woman, if there is a medium or a spiritist among them, they shall surely be put to death; they shall be stoned with stones, their bloodguiltiness is upon them (Lev. Sexual sin has very serious theological implications. We must begin by taking the Bible literally, and thus we acknowledge that any act of adultery must be avoided. 5:28-32). You may wonder what wood chisels have to do with the Seventh Commandment. 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. Published by at February 16, 2022. 6-18), as well as illicit intercourse (vss. The word Exodus came from the Latin exodos and was adopted as the book's title when the Bible was translated into Latin. Marriage's original intent was so that man would not be alone . After Joseph and his generation died, a new king arose over Egypt who was not familiar with Joseph (Exodus 1:6-8). 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. Q. Just as God had clearly forbidden the partaking of the forbidden fruit in the garden, so He has clearly forbidden the fruit of sexual impurity. 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). (4) While Uriah was willing to lay down his life for the king and the nation, David was willing to take Uriahs life to save his own reputation and to satisfy his own sexual desires. Our Lord is teaching us that we must, unlike our culture, take sexual sin most seriously. Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? As I see it, the issue in Exodus 21 is two-fold, involving not only marriage, but slavery. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Sometimes, people feel ready to make the big exodus from study to leadership, but they have not been released into ministry yet. Now when they told David, saying, Uriah did not go down to his house, David said to Uriah, Have you not come from a journey? Those distinctions are spelled out in the Law, one of which is that of the maintenance of sexual and marital sanctity. a song in the front yard literary devices; the owl house fanfiction protective eda; kohl's credit card payment; Blog Post Title February 26, 2018. 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, and that Jacob had obeyed his father and his mother and had gone to Paddan-aram. The covenant which God made with Israel on Mt. While I have cited only a portion of this important paragraph (vss. Deuteronomy 7:4. But this does not take the Law far enough, as our Lord must continually point out to His listeners, and to His literalistic opponents, the scribes and Pharisees. Just as no man can have two masters, neither can one have two unionsone with Christ, and another with a harlot. Smith lives and resides in Memphis, Tennessee. 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. Woe to you, O Jerusalem! 19:4-6a). 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. Abraham, and his seed, is set apart from the rest of mankind, and through Him Messiah will come and will bring blessing and salvation to all nations. I did something which would make you cringe. Mount Sinai, from which God spoke to Moses and the Israelites, was sanctified, set apart. [ESV] The ESV here provides a textual note on before, saying "or besides ." And indeed, many translations use that phrasing. It chronicles the story of their deliverance from four hundred years of bondage and how God sent Moses as an instrument of deliverance. 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. Furthermore, He may even appear to be lenient on those guilty of immorality. (3) While David enjoyed sexual intimacy with Bathsheba, even though forbidden, Uriah refused such pleasure, even when legitimate and encouraged by the king. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders (Matt. And, Paul says, it involves for Timothy the fleeing of youthful lusts, which surely include illicit sexual passions and conduct. Why should I pardon you? 4:1-5). 34:7). michigan state coaching staff; Exodus 21:9 And if he chooses her for his son, he must deal with her as with a daughter. Thus, one should be careful not to think or say that since adultery is a sin against a marriage, it has also, de facto, terminated the marriage. 2. Gen. 39:9; 2 Sam. 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). Sanctification involves setting something apart for a special use. In order to do this, Christians must be holy, sanctified, just as God is holy (1 Peter 1:14-16). To understand Johns response, you have to understand John. Some have attempted to show that the sin committed in the Garden of Eden was a sexual sin. Sexual purity begins with highly esteeming that which God has givenmarriage, and the one whom God has givenour mate. who does sean marry in exodus. Just a few verses away from the Abrahamic covenant in Genesis 12:1-3, Abram places the seed in jeopardy, at least from a human perspective: Now there was a famine in the land; so Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land. One can build up the other in those intimate areas of ones heart and life, but one can also do great damage in the intimate areas as well. Now when evening came David arose from his bed and walked around on the roof of the kings house, and from the roof he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful in appearance. We can be disgruntled about what is happening with our pastor or whoever our leader is. This union is violated and defiled by adultery. and I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live. For the land has become defiled, therefore I have visited its punishment upon it, so the land has spewed out its inhabitants. . Judaism condemned adultery and sexual immorality, as can be seen from John chapter 8. Consider, for a moment, how that forbidden fruit (whatever it might have been) is similar to the forbidden fruit of illicit sex. 42 One may wonder why only the husband is to leave his father and mother, and not the wife. Joseph suffered many things because of his brothers. Lev. How long will you remain unclean? (Jer. Verse Concepts . (2) Jesus was speaking to a Jewish audience, while most of the apostles addressed Gentiles. In other words, what is it that makes a marriage distinct, unique, sanctified? Robert L. (Bob)Deffinbaugh graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with his Th.M. How Is Harry Potter a Literary Christ Figure? Marriage, by Gods decree, is sanctified, it is a relationship that is set apart and restricted. First, since the sanctity of sex reflects its value, its beauty, its goodness, let us never think of sex as something dirty and defiling. 8-10). 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). (2) Sexual impurity defiles both the persons involved and the land. Shall I not punish these people, declares the LORD, And on a nation such as this Shall I not avenge Myself? (Jer. 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. 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. The first is that the sanctity of marriage not only demands that we not defile the union in any way, including adultery, but that we actively seek to enhance the marriage. Ed, Issue 46, Winter 2023. Pauls words in 1 Corinthians chapter 6 go much farther, showing the implications of a Christians sexual union with a harlot. Reproduction. I know you all will understand my book hangover and all the emotions swirling through me after finishing it. So David sent and inquired about the woman. 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. . Most Americans seem to think that human sexuality is to be used in the same way I use my Stanley chiselthe more uses to which it can be put, the better. Grietje Commelin. I honestly don't think I'll ever be the same. He warned us . In these verses the sin of David is contrasted against the backdrop of the devotion and discipline of Uriah. 5:22-33). 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. 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. I started reading the series three days ago and devoured it! and married, besides the wives that he had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham's son, the sister of Nebaioth. Just what is it that distinguishes a mans relationship with his wife from other relationships? 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. And all the congregation blessed the LORD God of their fathers, and bowed down their heads, and worshipped the LORD, and the king. It is also significant that He taught divorce causes adultery, except in the case where the divorce was based upon previous adultery. For a Christian to engage in sexual intercourse with a harlot puts two unions in conflict: his union with Christ and his union with a harlot. Let us work at growth in each of these areas. 20 And David said to all the congregation, Now bless the LORD your God. Moses knew he had a big job because Israel was no longer just one family. The relationship between a husband and his wife is a union. If you havent read it yet, I highly recommend it. May it never be! 6:15-20). Your sons have forsaken Me And sworn by those who are not gods. 15:19). The exodus of Israel was not easy, and it took time, but it was a God kind of job. How many times have we heard that adultery breaks the marriage union, that is, that adultery (legitimately) causes divorce?
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