Adulterous Relationships

Who was the “they” that destroyed themselves by their evil deeds in this verse? Why, none other than God’s beloved people, Isreal. The very ones He had raised from obscurity, saved from the Egyptians, fed in the desert, and promised a land flowing with milk and honey. He literally promised them everything with the simple condition that they love and serve Him.

But they could not do it. Rather than keep their eyes on the Lord, they looked around at the neighboring nations and wanted what they saw. They wanted freedom when in captivity. In freedom, they wanted the provisions they had enjoyed in captivity. They wanted a king as the other nations had, and they wanted the idols other nations made from perishable stone and wood.

We like to think, given the same circumstances, we would choose differently. Given the opportunity, we would serve God, not idols. We would actually deserve the blessings of the Lord.

Well, we would be wrong. 

Today’s believer are playing the same song, different verse. The psalmist tells us that the love of idols was adultery in the Lord’s sight. When that psalm was written, the punishment for adultery was death for both parties. God does not take lightly the violation of the wedding vows. Nor does he take lightly the violation of his relationship to us when we worship other gods. 

Adultery is a violation of the holy covenant of marriage. In God’s eyes, marriage binds two people together into one flesh for life. Adultery literally rips that one flesh apart, without regard to the welfare or condition of the parties. It defiles the sacred relationship God created for the procreation of holy offspring and the preservation of society. Until 1974 adultery remained illegal under Texas statute. And while societal opinion and state law have been complicit in normalizing adultery, God has not changed his mind or his consequences for the activity — either in our marriages or our relationship to him. 

Do you think you are innocent? The definition of an idol is “anything people give all their time, money, or focus to, as if it were more important than anything else.” Think about your day today. How long were you out of bed before you looked at your phone, turned on the TV or radio, or perused the internet? How long was it before you began to read scripture or prayer? In other words, which was your priority? For that matter, if your phone rings while you are reading scripture or praying, what do you do? Look to see who it is to decide if they are more important than God, or not even look and just answer it? How much time will you spend talking, scrolling, or playing games on your phone today, compared to the amount of time you spend in praise and prayer? 

Phones, TVs, the internet, and social media are not inherently bad things. But, how we use them can be.  And, now having concluded my preaching to the choir, perhaps it is time to get off my computer, put aside my phone, and contemplate whether my use of electronics has reached the level of an adulterous affair. I think I feel the need for some repenting.

Lord, help us to be more aware of the ways our actions are perceived by you. Do not let us grow complacent or confused by the difference in your command and society’s attitude toward them. Hey us to live holy lives, set apart for your purposes. Amen