August 6

Aug 6 - Today from Proverbs 6 we look at verse 32
"But a man who commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself."

When a couple marries and they exchange vows, they enter into a covenant relationship. A covenant is a declaration of agreement, and is binding on the people who make the vows. When the covenant is made in the sight of authority, the people entering into that covenant are accountable to that authority. When two people marry, they essentially make this vow to each other in the presence of the civil authorities, and before God if it is a religious ceremony; "I give myself to you." And the two become one flesh.
That is powerful.
As powerful as the covenant is on the side of security, the power of betrayal is equally as powerful on the side of insecurity. There are many emotions tied up in an act of betrayal, they are born out of a deep wounding of the soul. Adultery is one of the worst forms of betrayal. In the act of adultery, one has not merely betrayed a friend. One has betrayed a relationship based on a sacred vow of fidelity. One who can so readily cast off such a deep covenant vow made before civil authorities and before God certainly lacks judgment. They have set destructive motions into force that may take years to overcome - if ever.
How powerful is the betrayal of the vows of the marriage covenant? So powerful that it is the analogy that God uses it when He is betrayed by His people Israel. At Mount Sinai God made a covenant with them. "I will be your God." (Ex. 20:2). "We will be your people." (Ex. 24:3). Yet even after entering the Promised Land with God leading and abiding in their midst, they never totally threw away their idols they brought from Egypt. (Joshua 24:14). Then, after living in the Promised Land for generations under the rule of Judges and Kings, the people of Israel expanded their idol worship to the gods of the Canaanites. God remained faithful to them, but they betrayed their vows from day one. When judgment finally came first upon the nation of Israel and then the nation of Judah, it was because the people broke their covenant vows with God and continually "committed adultery" with foreign gods. In Jeremiah 3:1 God makes this lament to His people Judah, "But you have lived as a prostitute with many lovers -". Further on in verse 8 He says, "I gave faithless Israel her certificate of divorce and sent her away because of all her adulteries. Yet I saw that her unfaithful sister Judah had no fear; she also went out and committed adultery." These are not the cold words of an 'Austere Judge'. They are the impassioned words of a broken-hearted, betrayed 'Husband'. When Israel was being continually unfaithful, God so wanted her to understand the pain of His betrayal that He had His prophet Hosea marry a prostitute, and then had Hosea actually prophetically live out the pain that God Himself was experiencing.
God created man to live in moral relationships; first with Himself, and then with his fellow man. Sin entered the world, and man became self-centered. Betrayal is born out of self-centeredness, and is a worst kind of sin. Sin brings death. The marriage covenant is one of the strongest covenants on earth. Performed before civil authorities and before God, two people say to each other, "I give myself to you."
We can broaden the scope of this meditation to another covenant - one made in blood. The blood of Jesus. At Gethsemane, and then at the cross, he surrendered His life and said, "I give myself to you." Then came a day when the Holy Spirit opened your eyes and you realized He meant you. When Jesus offered Himself to you, He offered you life through the forgiveness of sin that kept you out of relationship with the Father. You were astounded at such love, and such an offer - you humbled yourself and received His gift. When you did, you said, "I give myself to you." And two became one - you in Christ, and Christ in you. You now belong to Christ in a covenant relationship. He is faithful. How are you doing?
So loving and patient and faithful is He, that He has provided a regular opportunity for us to reflect and renew our vows. It is known as Holy Communion, where once again we remember His broken body and His shed blood - His total commitment to us. And where once again we confess our betrayals and repent of our wandering hearts and reaffirm our total commitment to Him.
He loves us - with an everlasting love. He is worthy!