What other scriptures emphasize the seriousness of adultery and its consequences? The weight of Job’s declaration “ For that would be a heinous crime, an iniquity to be judged.” (Job 31:11) Job calls adultery “heinous,” a word used elsewhere for idolatry and murder. He sets the tone: this sin invites divine judgment. Echoes in the Law of Moses • Exodus 20:14 — “You shall not commit adultery.” • Deuteronomy 5:18 — The command is repeated as part of Israel’s covenant obligations. • Leviticus 20:10 — “If a man commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife, both the adulterer and the adulteress must surely be put to death.” Judgment falls on both parties, underscoring equal accountability. • Deuteronomy 22:22 — Civil penalties reinforce that adultery fractures the whole community, not just a marriage. Result: The Law treats adultery as a covenant-breaking offense deserving the severest earthly penalty and God’s direct wrath. Wisdom literature: graphic portraits of loss Proverbs gathers lived-out consequences into vivid pictures: • Proverbs 5:3-5 — “Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to Sheol.” • Proverbs 5:8-11 — Public disgrace, physical ruin, and financial depletion follow. • Proverbs 6:27-29 — “Can a man embrace fire and his clothes not be burned?” Sin’s pleasure is momentary; its burn is lasting. • Proverbs 6:32-35 — Rage, revenge, and lasting shame accompany exposure. • Proverbs 7:21-27 — The lure ends in “the chambers of death.” Result: Wisdom insists that adultery is self-destructive, leading to social shame, financial loss, bodily harm, and spiritual death. Prophets and historical narratives: living illustrations • 2 Samuel 12:10-14 — Nathan tells David, “The sword shall never depart from your house,” showing how one night of sin unleashed family violence, public humiliation, and the death of a child. • Malachi 2:14-16 — The prophet calls adultery “covering one’s garment with violence,” because it betrays a covenant made before God. • Hosea 4:13-14 — National unfaithfulness mirrors marital infidelity; both invite divine discipline. Result: Adultery is never private. In Scripture it destabilizes dynasties, provokes prophetic rebuke, and invites generational fallout. Jesus and the apostles: purity of heart and covenant • Matthew 5:27-28 — Jesus presses the command inward: lust equals heart-adultery. • Matthew 5:29-30 — Better to lose an eye or hand than “to be thrown into hell.” • Matthew 19:9; Mark 10:11-12 — Remarriage after unlawful divorce constitutes adultery. • Hebrews 13:4 — “Marriage must be honored among all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.” • 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 — Unrepentant adulterers “will not inherit the kingdom of God.” • Galatians 5:19-21; Revelation 21:8 — Adultery and sexual immorality appear in lists of sins that exclude from eternal life unless cleansed by Christ. Result: The New Testament heightens, not lessens, the standard. Adultery is eternally serious, and even covert lust requires repentance. Consequences Scripture highlights • Spiritual — separation from God, loss of inheritance (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). • Relational — shattered trust, marital dissolution, family chaos (Proverbs 6:34; 2 Samuel 12). • Social — public disgrace, legal penalties, community judgment (Leviticus 20:10). • Personal — lingering guilt, physical disease, financial loss (Proverbs 5:11). • Eternal — unrepentant adulterers face final judgment (Hebrews 13:4; Revelation 21:8). A sober, life-giving summary From Job’s grave assessment to Revelation’s final warning, Scripture consistently treats adultery as covenant betrayal that invites temporal ruin and eternal judgment. Yet the same passages imply hope: genuine repentance and faith bring cleansing (Psalm 51; 1 Corinthians 6:11). The seriousness of adultery magnifies the beauty of God-given marital fidelity and the power of Christ to restore what sin has broken. |
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