Honoring Marriage | Exodus 20:14

This week we will be exploring the seventh commandment in Exodus 20:14, Honoring Marriage.
Just like the sixth commandment, the seventh commandment is just two words in Hebrew.
Lo tin'aph (Hebrew)
Two words. Six consonants. And volumes of meaning!
Marriage is sacred in God's eyes. 
God designed marriage. It is His idea. He officiated at the first wedding in human history. He created Adam and Eve to be in intimate union together. He purposed that human life would only come from this bond. He made marriage the foundational relationship for all of human society...and He protected sexual union within that exclusive, lifelong marriage covenant.
It is a beautiful design. 
And sin has attacked it, corrupted it, and violated it in so many ways.
It is no coincidence that a society that has rejected God has also desecrated the sanctity of life, the sanctity of marriage, and the sanctity of sexual union.
The seventh commandment prohibits adultery, the breaking of the covenant of marriage through sexual immorality. 
This one command speaks to our current culture in numerous ways. 
Pornography. Homosexuality. The "hook up" culture. Fornication. Adultery. No-fault divorce. Sexual abuse. And a whole host of other sins. 
It is no wonder that people do not want God or the Bible in our culture. This command hits us in the areas of our deepest wants, wounds, lusts, and longings for autonomous freedom. 
The reason this command is so impactful is because the marriage covenant, and the sexual union designed within this covenant, are so beautiful and powerful. 
We will examine the sanctity and beauty of God's design this Sunday and remind ourselves of how important it is to honor and protect marriage, sex, and the family. 
May God captivate our hearts, purify our minds, and strengthen our will to pursue His holiness in our daily lives!