ADULTERY

ADULTERY — willful sexual intercourse with someone other than one’s husband or wife. Jesus expanded the meaning of adultery to include the cultivation of lust: “Whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matt. 5:28).

In the Ten Commandments God emphatically prohibited adultery when He said, “You shall not commit adultery” (Ex. 20:14). Under Mosaic Law, when a couple was caught in the act of adultery, both parties were to be killed, “If a man is found lying with a woman married to a husband, then both of them shall die—” (Deut. 22:22).

Adultery plays havoc with personal, domestic, and national happiness. A case in point is David’s affair with Bathsheba. Their adultery led to a cover-up, which was followed by the murder of Bathsheba’s husband (2 Samuel 11). Nathan the prophet later came to David, accusing him of his sin and declaring that because of it, violence would become commonplace in David’s household (2 Sam. 12:10). One disaster after another struck his family, including rape, murder, and revolt (2 Samuel 13–15).

Adultery reached epidemic proportions in Jeremiah’s time. The prophet repeatedly spoke out against this and other sins (Jer. 7:9; 23:10). The problem was so rampant that even the other prophets of Jerusalem were guilty of it (Jer. 23:14), and Jeremiah predicted God’s judgment on them (Jer. 23:15).

Occasionally, the marriage covenant was used as an analogy to describe God’s relationship to His people. When the people of Israel and Judah refused to obey Him, or when they practiced idolatry, the prophets accused them of spiritual adultery (Jer. 3:6–10).

The record of the woman taken in adultery—who, according to the law of Moses, should have been stoned to death—reveals the wisdom and grace of Jesus (John 8:3–9). He knew that her accusers were not without sin; and, therefore, they were being self-righteous when they condemned her. When Jesus said to her, “Go and sin no more” (John 8:11), He did not excuse her sin; He forgave her of it and warned against continuing in adultery.

The apostle Paul catalogued a series of sins that exclude a person from the kingdom of God. The sin of adultery was included in these lists (1 Cor. 6:9).