Do not commit adultery

Review: The last few weeks we talked about:

1. The Ten Commandments. God gave the Ten Commandments.
2. You shall have no other gods before me. Joshua challenges the people to chose,
but for him and his household they would serve God.
3. Do not make idols in any form, nor shall you worship or sever them. The
Israelites made a golden calf to worship.
4. Do not misuse or dishonor the name of God. The seven son’s of Sceva, the chief
priest.
5. Keep one day of the week as a holy day to honor God. The manna provided by
God.
6. Honor your father and mother. Two stories: 1) the sons of the prophet Samuel –
an example of children who do not honor their father; and 2) Joseph honors his
father, Jacob, when he brought him to Egypt and by honoring his father’s request to
be buried in Canaan.
7. Do not murder. Two stories: 1) Cain murders his brother, Able; and 2) Jesus takes
the command not to murder and teaches his followers that they are not to even hate
someone.

Review:

Let's review the two stories from last week. These stories address the command found in
the sixth of the Ten Commandments: do not murder. The first is a story of Cain and Able. It
demonstrates God’s response to murder. The second story is from the time of Jesus and
demonstrates how Jesus takes the command not to murder and teaches his followers that
they are not to even hate someone.

Let’s review by retelling these two stories as a group. We want to retell them as faithfully as
we can to the story from the Bible. We do not want to add to them or leave out anything
important. Who will get us started?

God spoke the Ten Commandments to Moses:

1. There is only one God; you shall have no other gods.
2. Do not make idols in any form, nor shall you worship or sever them.
3. Do not misuse or dishonor the name of God.
4. Keep one day of the week as a holy day to honor God.
5. Honor your father and mother.
6. Do not murder.
7. Do not commit adultery.
8. Do not steal.
9. Do not lie.
10. Do not covet other people or their things.

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Background:

The seventh of the Ten Commandments is: “Do not commit adultery.” There are two
stories. The first is an event that occurs during the time that David is king over Israel. The
second event occurs during the time Jesus is teaching his disciples and other followers in
what has become known as the Sermon of the Mount.

Do not commit adultery: First Story

David and Bathsheba – 2 Samuel 11

David, King of the Israelites, did not go out with his army in the spring. Instead, he stayed in
the palace.

One evening David got up and went for a walk of the roof of the palace. He saw a beautiful
woman bathing. He sent someone to find out who she was. The word came back that she
was Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah.

He sent for her and slept with her. She went back home. She became pregnant from their
encounter and sent word to David that she was pregnant.

David wanted to cover up his sin, so he sent for Uriah. When Uriah came, he refused to go
home and sleep with his wife while his men were away at war. David invited Uriah to the
palace and got him drunk, but he still did not go home and sleep with his wife.

So David sent him back to the battle with a letter to the commander, Joab. The letter
instructed Joab to put Uriah out front where the fiercest fighting would be and then
withdraw so that he will be killed. Joab obeyed and Uriah and some of his men died in the
battle.

Joab sent word to David with a full account of the battle. After Bathsheba had mourned the
death of her husband, David sent for her and she became his wife and bore him a son.

The Bible says, “But the thing David had done displeased the Lord.”

This is the story from the Bible.

Do not commit adultery: Second Story

Matthew 5:27-30

Jesus is teaching his disciples and his other followers who had gathered on the
mountainside. He begins this part by reminding them of something that they all would have
known from the Ten Commandments in the Old Testament.

He said; “You've been told do not commit adultery. But I tell you that anyone who looks at a
woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

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This concludes this story from the Bible.

Other stories:

 The penalty for adultery – Leviticus 20:10

 David’s prayer of repentance after he committed adultery with Bathsheba - Psalm
51
 Warning to stay away from an adulterous woman – Proverbs 5
 Warning against adultery – Proverbs 6:20-35

Retelling the story

Let’s review these stories by retelling them as a group. We want to retell them as faithfully
as we can to the stories from the Bible. We do not want to add to them or leave out
anything important. Who will get us started?

Questions:

The questions and discussion about the Ten Commandments should be focused beyond the
events that tell the story of how God gave them to Moses and address the fact that they
were given by God for his people to follow. A foundation should be laid for obedience to the
commandments.

These two events are from very different times. David and Bathsheba is an event that
occurs during the time David was king over all Israel. The second story is from the time of
Jesus and demonstrates how Jesus takes the command not to commit adultery and teaches
his followers that they are not to even look at a woman lystfully. The questions should
address our attitude, as well as our actions.

What is the seventh of the Ten Commandments?

Do not commit adultery.

How did David meet Bathsheba?

He saw her from his roof and sent for her

Did David know she was married when he sent for her?
Yes

What did David do to try to cover up when he found out that she was pregnant?
He sent for her husband so he would sleep with her and everyone would assume
that the baby was Uriah’s.

What did David do in the end?

He had Uriah killed

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What does Jesus teach about adultery?

Memory verses

Let’s review the memory verses, Matthew 22:37-39

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your
soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And
the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

Deuteronomy 6:5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and
with all your strength.