Lesson No. 40 

Lesson No. 40 Seventh Commandment

"Thou shalt not commit adultery". (Exodus chapter 20: verse 14).51

Adultery is a violation of marital faith, infidelity, falsification, or alteration of the nature of something, but the most serious act that has generally brought serious consequences to humanity, in the specific case of adultery, has been the violation of marital faith. For the nature of the couple, as our eminent reference writer comments, is of indivisible union and mutual respect, so that when adultery is committed, this law is broken or profaned. God established marriage as a sacred bond between a man and a woman who must love and maintain mutual fidelity until death. In fact, the

Lord said: "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh". In the Creator's plans, the need for the couple as the main nucleus of creation and civilization was very clear. But adultery disrupts the stability of the family and even endangers the stability of the human race. That is why this commandment is so important. Infidelity causes bitterness and pain in the betrayed, distrust in children, and a terrible picture of sadness and deceit.

Love is one of the most passionate feelings of human beings, and by conducting a specific analysis regarding conjugal love, we find that it has very delicate characteristics, which can be easily affected. And the consequences are generally the most dangerous of all. One of these sentimental characteristics of conjugal love is known as jealousy. It does not tolerate any violation of the marital commitment or covenant, and when this occurs, it usually happens that the affected person is overwhelmed with jealousy to the point of losing mental balance, and in many cases, the most horrendous crimes of passion have been committed. Adultery or violation of marital faith has resulted in countless acts of homicide and suicide for humanity. Many cases are known where a person victimized by such betrayal has killed their spouse or taken their own life. Others have killed their children and their spouse and then committed suicide. In some cases, even people unrelated to the problem have been victims of the crime.

Adultery has also been the cause of many enmities, quarrels, and assaults. The forms in which this sin has brought misery and pain to humanity are varied and alarming. How many orphaned children, neglected by their parents, innocently enduring hard work, hunger, and need, without a parental home, without love or affection, without clothes or shoes! How many traumatized children due to the absence of their father or mother!

How many widowed women! How many disabled people! How many imprisoned! How much suffering and unhappiness has the sin of adultery brought! This is also one of the greatest crimes that can be committed on earth.

This is the fair reason why our God bequeathed such a commandment, saying: "You shall not commit adultery".

This divine precept, as stated by our distinguished writer,11 prohibits not only the practice of deeds, but also the secret intentions and emotions of the heart, as a radical means to avoid the possibility of execution. In this regard, let us consider the words of Jesus Christ according to the following biblical citation:

Matthew chapter 5: verses 27 and 28: “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: 28But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart”.51

It is frequently known of people who claim that their illicit passionate relationships have not resulted in any of the consequences mentioned here. But although this may seem true, we must keep in mind that such behavior has served as an example to others whose attitude has indeed achieved harmful outcomes. As a versed writer of Christian literature33 says in his commentary on this divine precept:

"Who said that no one gets hurt? The cost of adultery and promiscuity are synonymous with social disgrace. The real cost of sexual immorality is astronomical and has been paid by billions of human beings since time immemorial".

Therefore, the violation of this commandment will always be considered a negative attitude, whose reward is expressed in the following passage of the Holy Scriptures:

Hebrews chapter 13: verse 4: “Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge”.51