The book of Proverbs gives us insights into so many different areas of life. The book gives us instruction on how to live our lives for God. Here is a proverb that gives us insight about the cost of adultery:
Proverbs 6:30-31 (ESV)
People do not despise a thief if he steals
to satisfy his appetite when he is hungry,
but if he is caught, he will pay sevenfold;
he will give all the goods of his house.
It is not typically good to compare one sin with another. Sin is sin in God's eyes. Wrong anger and murder do not have a separate distinction in God's lexicon of what is holy and what is not. With that said, we all do it. We all think a lier is bad, but certainly better than a thief. Even our criminal justice system distinguishes betweens crimes of one degree or another. So, Solomon takes liberty in this passage to do the same. He has been telling us how bad adultery is in our lives and in our communities. He is telling us that when adultery comes, the person committing adultery must pay. He now switches their attention away from an adulterer and, properly, compares it with the thief. The comparison is not that one sin is greater or less than the other (like we do), but rather that when a thief steals to feed his family, or himself, we can at least understand it. However, he STILL must pay "sevenfold" (the number seven in the Bible is the number of perfection or completeness). He is telling us that since the thief must pay and give us "all the substance" of his house to pay back what he steals, how much more the adulterer. One sin, in our eyes, may not be as bad as they other. But, both require complete payment and produce utter ruin in your life. You may steal and not get caught. You may commit adultery not get caught. But whether the world or community catch you isn't the issue. God knows and He will require complete payment. You will pay ... fully ... sevenfold ...completely. Folly costs all you have. The only salvation is the redemption in Christ. He paid the price ... fully ... sevenfold ... completely.
People do not despise a thief if he steals
to satisfy his appetite when he is hungry,
but if he is caught, he will pay sevenfold;
he will give all the goods of his house.
It is not typically good to compare one sin with another. Sin is sin in God's eyes. Wrong anger and murder do not have a separate distinction in God's lexicon of what is holy and what is not. With that said, we all do it. We all think a lier is bad, but certainly better than a thief. Even our criminal justice system distinguishes betweens crimes of one degree or another. So, Solomon takes liberty in this passage to do the same. He has been telling us how bad adultery is in our lives and in our communities. He is telling us that when adultery comes, the person committing adultery must pay. He now switches their attention away from an adulterer and, properly, compares it with the thief. The comparison is not that one sin is greater or less than the other (like we do), but rather that when a thief steals to feed his family, or himself, we can at least understand it. However, he STILL must pay "sevenfold" (the number seven in the Bible is the number of perfection or completeness). He is telling us that since the thief must pay and give us "all the substance" of his house to pay back what he steals, how much more the adulterer. One sin, in our eyes, may not be as bad as they other. But, both require complete payment and produce utter ruin in your life. You may steal and not get caught. You may commit adultery not get caught. But whether the world or community catch you isn't the issue. God knows and He will require complete payment. You will pay ... fully ... sevenfold ...completely. Folly costs all you have. The only salvation is the redemption in Christ. He paid the price ... fully ... sevenfold ... completely.
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