The Importance of the Seventh Commandment
The Seventh Commandment protects the marriage covenant, and King David’s fall shows how one moment of complacency can lead to adultery, deception, and murder. Here’s why God takes faithfulness so seriously.
The seventh commandment is "You shall not commit adultery"— Exodus 20:14
Marriage is a sacred lifelong commitment between one man and one woman (Genesis 2:24). Genesis 2:24 establishes the foundational blueprint for marriage in the Bible. In Matthew 19:6, Jesus also references marriage by stating:
“So there are not two, but one. God has joined the two together, so no one should separate them.”
Adultery is having voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and someone who is not their current spouse. When someone commits adultery, they break the covenant they made to their spouse and to God. Having an affair breaks the foundational trust in a marriage relationship.
What does the Bible say about this sexual sin? In the Old Testament, if a man commits adultery like with a neighbor’s wife, both the man and the woman are guilty of adultery and must be put to death (Leviticus 20:10).
There are serious consequences in breaking this commandment. There is evidence in it by King David’s mistake. He committed adultery with a married woman – Bathsheba. He made the wrong decision and remained in Jerusalem while his army went to war. He did not use his best judgment by staying. His choice to stay behind in Jerusalem while his army went to war (2 Samuel 11:1) is viewed in the biblical tradition as a critical failure of complacency, neglect of duty, and pride.
It was the time when kings go off to war. As the leader and commander-in-chief of Israel, David's proper place was leading his troops in the field; however, he instead delegated the hard work to Joab while he stayed behind. His progression of his abuse of power that led to his affair with Bathsheba, then deception, and finally murder is all described in 2 Samuel 11–12.
Marriage is a holy institution that really needs to be honored and obeyed because marriage reflects the relationship between Christ and His church. To learn more about marriage and how God views it, read the devotional: “Marriage, an institution Created by God”.
Prayer of the day:
Dear heavenly Father,
Thank you for Your commandments. They are there to help us live a life from sinful situations. We need help from the Holy Spirit to remember each of them. They are Your laws that are there to help us live out our responsibilities towards You. They also teach us how to address human relationships, ethics, and how people should treat one another. We need to practice the commandments each day.
In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen!