But a man who commits adultery has no sense;
whoever does so destroys himself.
Summary: Adultery is a very personal crime. It is not so much a crime against the law as it is a crime against the heart. Today’s meditation gives us a peek into the heart of God.
Many places in Scripture describe Israel as an adulterous woman. Ezekiel 23 is one of the more direct passages. In it, God speaking through Ezekiel recounts the history of the two kingdoms known as Israel (the northern kingdoms) and Judah (the southern kingdom). God names these two kingdoms Oholah and Oholibah.
As I ponder this passage from Proverbs, I am reminded of Oholah and Oholibah. They describe Israel as a woman who has broken faith with her husband. Her husband happens to be God.
It gets a little complicated but the gist of the story is that God is a little sensitive about being betrayed. Maybe you can relate? Deuteronomy 4:24 says, “For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.”
He means it!
God is pretty clear about what he expects from his Creation. The first three commandments (Exodus 20: 1-17 & Deuteronomy 5: 6-21) say:
1. “I am the Lord your God… You shall have no other gods before me.” 2. Don’t be paying attention to anybody but me. (Jeff’s paraphrase) 3. Don’t dishonor my name. (Another of Jeff’s paraphrases)
Jesus summarized these commandments this way:
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” (Matthew 22: 37)
As I write this, I am sitting here more worried about finishing this post than I am about what God is thinking at this moment. How do you think he feels about that? Am I loving God with all my heart, soul, and mind at this moment?
It is hard to love.
It is hard to love God, and it is harder to love myself. Yet God loves us, myself included, enough to send his Son, Jesus, to live on earth for a time. During that time, Jesus was faithful to his Father in every way. He loved his Father in the same way he wants us to love God. By honoring his command that we love. Not mushy love, mind you. This is the real deal. This is love that is attentive, obedient, patient, kind… well, you can check out 1 Corinthians 13 for the complete list.
Mankind has never been faithful or kind to its Creator. Instead, we seem to take pride in expressing our contempt for the gift of life we have been given.
But I’m wandering. We were talking about adultery. If we consider that we belong to God, then if we have ever been hurt by someone who betrayed our love for them, we understand the pain God feels. Amazingly, our God, though jealous, is forgiving. His love knows no bounds.
Proverbs talks a lot about adultery. This passage says, “But a man who commits adultery has no sense; whoever does so destroys himself.” It is also true that a man who turns against his Maker has no sense. If he rejects God’s offer of love and redemption, then the same fate awaits him as the man who commits adultery.
Application: Love God above all else… 24/7.
Food for Thought: What does the word “sense” mean in this passage?
I looked up the Strong’s meaning for the word sense in Proverbs 6: 32 , and another word that could be used is understanding. That made “sense” to me 😊.
We are lacking sense or understanding of God’s standards when we commit adultery. And we lack understanding of the damage it can do to ourselves and others.
This is true for spiritual adultery too. If we wander from God and are lured by false, worldly lovers we do damage to ourselves and others. It shows that our love for God has failed. The lure of the world leads us away from God to a life that is fleeting and hollow. 1 John 2: 15 – 17.
“Do not love the world or anything in the world.” (1 John 2: 15)
Thank you, Rich. This is sooooo important and yet sooooo hard to do! Thank God that he has provided the redemption price for our shortcomings.
1 Corinthians 6:18 stands out in my mind when I read this proverb.
A –
Good morning! That is an excellent verse: “…whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body.“
03-19-2022, Proverbs 6:27-28, What does the word “sense” mean in this passage?
As believers we are encouraged, instructed to prayerfully approach the word of God and seek His help in understanding His truths, which have been written by the inspiration of His Holy Spirit to all mankind, . With this in mind, we should ask, are we reading words written by Solomon to his son? Or are we reading words given to Solomon by God for us as individuals as revelations of truth for our spiritual growth?
Being created as spiritual beings confined to physical bodies, I believe God is most probably speaking to our spirits for growth which will lead to our achieving a closer relationship with Him as we apply His teachings and gain greater control over our flesh which is against all God stands for.
Isaiah 66:2, 1 Corinthians 2:13, 2 Peter 1:20, Galatians 5:17-26
The following are some meanings listed for the word “sense.”
a. An intuitive or acquired perception or ability to estimate.
b. A capacity to appreciate or understand.
c. A vague feeling or presentiment, a sense of impending doom.
d. Recognition or perception either through the senses or through the intellect; consciousness.
e. Natural understanding or intelligence, especially in practical matters
f. The normal ability to think or reason soundly.
g. A meaning that is conveyed, as in speech or writing; signification
h. Intellectual interpretation, as of the significance of or the conclusions reached.
In my opinion, “ Has no sense” means the person is an idiot.
LOL!
So Ron… is that a bit of the Marine Corp shining through? 🙂
I guess my short answer does show a little Marine. Just felt normal.
I like your short answer