Yesterday, a dead branch; today the LORD compares Israel to an unfaithful wife. I find it most interesting that these two words seem almost interchangeable in Scripture: Idolatry and Adultery.
God blessed the people. He gave them life. He gave them beautiful gifts even as a husband would give to his beloved wife. Yet, the wife turned to others in a idolatrous relationships that God's refers to as adultery.
One of my favorite verses from the Old Testament is:
"For your Maker is your husband—
the Lord Almighty is his name—
the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth." (Isaiah 5:6 NIV)
Think about it, when we put anything before our Creator and Redeemer, be it things or people, including ourselves, we are committing idolatry, and we are being unfaithful to our Maker, who is our husband.
This can be applied to our relationship with others as well. Whenever, we decide that something else is more important than the people we have committed to share our lives with, we are not only committing idolatry with the thing that is more important than our spouses; we are committing adultery, as we are being unfaithful to the commitment that we made in Holy Matrimony.
Included in my explanation to confirmands on the commandment "You shall not commit adultery" and when I meet with couples preparing for marriage, I make every attempt to help them better understand that adultery is not just have a sexual liaison with another person. Adultery includes any time we put our commitment to our spouse behind our false idol; whether that false idol is a sports event, a night out with our friends, addictions, or maybe even our jobs.
Your creator is your husband. May God help us to love Him even as He loves us. May we always be faithful to the God of all the earth.
God's Peace - Pr. J.
P.S. It is so very sad that so many are missing out on the blessings of God, an abundant life lived in Christ, by their idolatrous relationships.
God blessed the people. He gave them life. He gave them beautiful gifts even as a husband would give to his beloved wife. Yet, the wife turned to others in a idolatrous relationships that God's refers to as adultery.
One of my favorite verses from the Old Testament is:
"For your Maker is your husband—
the Lord Almighty is his name—
the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth." (Isaiah 5:6 NIV)
Think about it, when we put anything before our Creator and Redeemer, be it things or people, including ourselves, we are committing idolatry, and we are being unfaithful to our Maker, who is our husband.
This can be applied to our relationship with others as well. Whenever, we decide that something else is more important than the people we have committed to share our lives with, we are not only committing idolatry with the thing that is more important than our spouses; we are committing adultery, as we are being unfaithful to the commitment that we made in Holy Matrimony.
Included in my explanation to confirmands on the commandment "You shall not commit adultery" and when I meet with couples preparing for marriage, I make every attempt to help them better understand that adultery is not just have a sexual liaison with another person. Adultery includes any time we put our commitment to our spouse behind our false idol; whether that false idol is a sports event, a night out with our friends, addictions, or maybe even our jobs.
Your creator is your husband. May God help us to love Him even as He loves us. May we always be faithful to the God of all the earth.
God's Peace - Pr. J.
P.S. It is so very sad that so many are missing out on the blessings of God, an abundant life lived in Christ, by their idolatrous relationships.
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