Deuteronomy 22:22: “If a man is found lying with a woman married to a husband, then both of them shall die—the man that lay with the woman, and the woman; so you shall put away the evil from Israel.”

March 9th, 2023 by Pastor Ed in devotional

We find this serious command embedded in what is considered by many to be a controversial chapter. Virtually every verse in Deuteronomy 22 would be denied and contested across most secular colleges in America, and even in many universities that call themselves Christian. Why do these particular subjects bring so much bitterness, even hatred, into the public arena?

We live in a sexually-charged society that is attempting to throw off any and all moral restraints. We shouldn’t be surprised that in the book The Day America Told The Truth, 90% of people asked, said they believed in God; however, the majority of those same people said they did not turn to the Bible or God to help them decide moral issues. In the Book of Judges, we find that the nation of Israel had fallen into the same moral quagmire. Israel had deteriorated to the point where “everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 17:6).

If we believe in the God of the Bible, then we must also believe that what God says has relevance to our everyday lives. Does God command us to be pure? Yes, and He declares that it is for our own good. This chapter is not controversial but rather quite practical. These commands are given to humanity to bring joy and satisfaction to the heart of every person. Sadly, many think God is trying to limit their fun. But this is simply untrue; God knows that any person who makes lust their god will be left a broken shell, groaning, “more, I need more.” Jesus told the woman at the well that if people drink of the water of sin they “will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst” (John 4:13–14). This is the answer to the thirst for satisfaction that drives every person on the planet.

“LORD, give to us again this day that Water of Life that we might take it to a thirsty world. Amen.”