God's Laws: Ten Commandments
Planted by the Rivers of Water also teaches the importance of keeping the moral law. Jesus reaffirmed the importance of the Ten Commandments when He consolidated them to two that encompass all. The first five of the ten deal with our relationship with God and our parents who act as His representative.
The second five of the ten deal with our relationships with our family, friends, even strangers; Jesus called them "neighbors."
Mark 12:29-31
And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. KJV
The Ten Commandments Simplified:
No other gods.
No idolatry.
No profaning God’s name.
No Sabbath breaking.
No disrespecting parents.
No murder.
No adultery.
No stealing.
No slander.
No coveting.
When God created the world He wove into its fabric many of His laws, which must be upheld. The law of gravity is one, the law of sowing and reaping is another, etc. Breaking these laws brings consequences.
Christ, in speaking to His disciples about the subject of prayer, instructed them to ask the Lord to deliver them from temptation. He knew and understood the power and influence, and the seduction and deception of the devil.
Christians are called by God to live holy lives; to maintain the moral law. In Planted by the Rivers of Water, Rachel’s husband is faced with the temptation to indulge in an adulterous affair with an office colleague. He gives in to that temptation and his affair eventually leads him to betray his wife and abandon his faith. In doing so he incurs some very grievous consequences, but he is not the only one to suffer for his transgression. Rachel, her daughters, their families, the church, and most especially Christ, suffer as well.
There are many verses of Scripture that deal with marriage and infidelity. The following from Proverbs is especially profound.
Proverbs 5:18-23
Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.
Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love.
And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?
For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord , and he pondereth all his goings.
His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.
He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray. KJV
Paul eventually realizes his mistake and endeavors to regain Rachel's love. Unfortunately, he is forced to live with his regrets: This is one of the consequences of his adultery. To find out about the others, you must read the story.
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