To properly understand case law, one needs to recognize which of the Ten Commandments it falls under. In other words, the Ten Commandments are summary law, whereas case law is the summary law applied to specific examples. No matter what laws man may seek to legislate, the bottom line is that we are solely judged by God’s law. This is His world and He governs it. This is why it is important to study and obey His law, so that we do not commit sin against Him. Romans 13:8-10 is a summing of up the purpose of the law, "Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. 9For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 10Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law." The Amplified Bible renders Romans 13:10 as, "Love does no wrong to one’s neighbor (it never hurts anybody). Therefore love meets all the requirements and is the fulfilling of the Law." One who follows the law of God allows the proper authorities to carry out a sentence against a law breaker. In other words, he himself does not commit sinful acts against his neighbor. Love can only be defined through the law. In the same manner, hatred can also be defined as those who rebel and break the law of God. This is what Exodus 20:5-6 explains, "Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; 6And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments." Love toward God is keeping and obeying His commandments. Anything else is hatred.
Application
To properly understand the Bible, we need to use what is known as applied theology.
Leviticus 20:14 reads, "And if a man take a wife and her mother, it is wickedness: they shall be burnt with fire, both he and they; that there be no wickedness among you." Sinful man always wants to make up his own rules and laws. He does not see anything wrong with the above situation. To him, this is a good thing. God’s law has a prohibition against it. This, of course, makes the natural man angry. He does not want anyone telling him what to do. He is determined to be his own god (Genesis 3:5), determining for himself what is acceptable or not.
Paul wrote the following in Romans 7:7-13 to explain what happens when a sinner hears the law.
This is their reaction to it, "What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. 8But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead. 9For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. 10And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. 11For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me. 12Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. 13Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful." The Amplified Bible presents Romans 7:8 as, "But sin, finding opportunity in the commandment (to express itself), got a hold on me and aroused and stimulated all kinds of forbidden desires (lust, covetousness). For without the Law sin is dead (the sense of it is inactive and lifeless thing)." When sinful man hears that he is not supposed to do something, it intensifies his desire to do those very things. Sin is most of all, deceitful.
The chosen text falls under the Seventh Commandment. Exodus 20:14 says, "Thou shalt not commit adultery." All sexual sin falls under this summary commandment. It is interesting to note that prior to our modern dictionary definition of the word "sex," merely meant either male or female and nothing more. This shows how depraved our society has become. This summary commandment therefore, regulates when sexual union is permissive and where it is not. Only in marriage is the marriage bed allowable as Hebrews 13:4 makes clear, "Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge." The Amplified Bible gives this verse as, "Let marriage be held in honor (esteemed worthy, precious, of great price, and especially dear) in all things. And thus let the marriage bed be undefiled (kept undishonored); for God will judge and punish the unchaste (all guilty of sexual vice) and adulterous. Leviticus 20:14 certainly falls under such defilement of the marriage bed and God gives the civil authorities the power for the death penalty by fire.
Conclusion
The only acceptable Biblical sexual behavior is abstinence until marriage and then purity in the marriage relationship. When we are married, we are to forsake all others. Why is this? Malachi 2:14-15 explains, "Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the LORD hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant. 15And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth." To have offspring not legitimately conceived i.e. through the marriage bed is to have a bastard. God does not look kindly to such. A bastard did not have a social standing in the congregation of the Lord as in Deuteronomy 23:2, "A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the LORD." A long time had to pass to make something illegitimate, legitimate.
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