A few weeks back PeteR made a YouTube video in response to some faulty teaching by Dennis Prager on the subject of adultery.
Dennis Prager expounded the common cultural definition of adultery, which involves a married person having sexual relations with anyone other than his or her spouse. PeteR showed that this teaching is unbiblical, and that the actual definition of adultery involves a married (or betrothed) woman having relations with someone other than her husband. I thought PeteR did a great job explaining the truth.
Something about one of Prager's comments jumped out at me and I wanted to talk about it.
Prager seemed to say something like "God gave us the Ten Commandments so that society would function properly".
We know that God cares about the functionality of society, but that is absolutely not the foundation of the Ten Commandments.
The foundation of the Law is God Himself, and His Holiness.
Let's take a look at Exodus 19:3-6 (NKJV) right before the Commandments were given.
"3 And Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: 4 ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. 6 And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”
I see God saying "I, My, Me, and Mine," a lot.
Also see Exodus 20: 1-17 (NKJV) the section with the 10 Commandments.
"And God spoke all these words, saying:
2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
3 “You shall have no other gods before Me.
4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
7 “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.
8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.
12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.
13 “You shall not murder.
14 “You shall not commit adultery.
15 “You shall not steal.
16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”
The Law is first and foremost about God Himself! He is God alone! The whole Earth is His. Everything belongs to Him. He delivered the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. He is gave them the promised land. They belong to Him. They are His possession. He has claimed them!
Adultery does harm society. It does hurt children and destroy families, but that isn't the primary problem with it. The main issue with adultery is that it is an affront to God Himself.
God confirmed this when He addressed David's sin of adultery in 2nd Samuel 12:10 (NKJV)
"Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’
YOU HAVE DESPISED ME
That is the problem with adultery.
David knew this and admitted it in the confession of his sin.
"Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight—
That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge." Psalm 51:4 (NKJV)
Marriage reflects.the relationship between God and His people. God is the Husband. Israel and Judah are His wives. Jesus Christ is the Husband and the Church is His bride.
The violation of earthly marriage via adultery reflects the crime of idolatry.
The other Commandments are similar. God is our Father in Heaven. Failing to honor our earthly father and mother insults the Fatherhood of God.
Paul repeats this basic truth in Romans 1:18-23 (NKJV)
"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things."
YHWH is the Foundation of the Law. If we ask Him what is the basis of the Law, I think He answers something like "I AM".
The first word from the Mouth of God in the Ten Commandments is "I".
Prager and many church leaders are badly wrong about this.
Dennis Prager expounded the common cultural definition of adultery, which involves a married person having sexual relations with anyone other than his or her spouse. PeteR showed that this teaching is unbiblical, and that the actual definition of adultery involves a married (or betrothed) woman having relations with someone other than her husband. I thought PeteR did a great job explaining the truth.
Something about one of Prager's comments jumped out at me and I wanted to talk about it.
Prager seemed to say something like "God gave us the Ten Commandments so that society would function properly".
We know that God cares about the functionality of society, but that is absolutely not the foundation of the Ten Commandments.
The foundation of the Law is God Himself, and His Holiness.
Let's take a look at Exodus 19:3-6 (NKJV) right before the Commandments were given.
"3 And Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: 4 ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. 6 And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”
I see God saying "I, My, Me, and Mine," a lot.
Also see Exodus 20: 1-17 (NKJV) the section with the 10 Commandments.
"And God spoke all these words, saying:
2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
3 “You shall have no other gods before Me.
4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
7 “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.
8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.
12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.
13 “You shall not murder.
14 “You shall not commit adultery.
15 “You shall not steal.
16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”
The Law is first and foremost about God Himself! He is God alone! The whole Earth is His. Everything belongs to Him. He delivered the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. He is gave them the promised land. They belong to Him. They are His possession. He has claimed them!
Adultery does harm society. It does hurt children and destroy families, but that isn't the primary problem with it. The main issue with adultery is that it is an affront to God Himself.
God confirmed this when He addressed David's sin of adultery in 2nd Samuel 12:10 (NKJV)
"Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’
YOU HAVE DESPISED ME
That is the problem with adultery.
David knew this and admitted it in the confession of his sin.
"Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight—
That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge." Psalm 51:4 (NKJV)
Marriage reflects.the relationship between God and His people. God is the Husband. Israel and Judah are His wives. Jesus Christ is the Husband and the Church is His bride.
The violation of earthly marriage via adultery reflects the crime of idolatry.
The other Commandments are similar. God is our Father in Heaven. Failing to honor our earthly father and mother insults the Fatherhood of God.
Paul repeats this basic truth in Romans 1:18-23 (NKJV)
"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things."
YHWH is the Foundation of the Law. If we ask Him what is the basis of the Law, I think He answers something like "I AM".
The first word from the Mouth of God in the Ten Commandments is "I".
Prager and many church leaders are badly wrong about this.
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