Well, yes, it was the prophets' job to guide the people back on the path of righteousness and they weren't blind to the way people were exploiting the law. We have to keep in mind that this was a religious society; meaning the real power resided with the religious leaders more so than the king. If David was corrupt he was not the highest authority because ultimately the prophet could come along and pick someone else. That's exactly what happened to Saul. And we see how the power went to Saul's head. It is a very corrupting influence. It also went to David's head.
Note: I think it might be a good practice for us to meditate on being kings and try to imagine ways in which we would be tempted to use/abuse our power. Just as a thought experiment.
But I do want to make sure we're not taking Yeshua's words out of context. Because...
Matthew 5:28
But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
When he said this... (and keep in mind that adding the verse numbers was not how the bible was originally written) he wasn't saying that lusting after ANY woman is adultery. It is only adultery if you lust after someone's wife/fiance OR if you are already married.
Matthew 5:32
But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
Note, Yeshua does give a person a valid reason to divorce and that's fornication. But this isn't what men were doing. Their women were faithful. But their heads were getting turned by younger women. Keep in mind it was common for much older men to marry girls in their early to late teens or basically make a deal with their parents around that age so that she is then "promised" or "engaged" and then maybe when she's a little older that's when the man would take her into his house and consummate the marriage.
But at the moment the man looked at a young girl, to want her, if he was already married, then Yeshua is saying that the adultery has already happened and the man is going to play the rest out because that's what he intended to do. So even if he lies and says "she cheated" Yeshua is saying that he should not be trusted if he already has his eye on someone else. Feel me?
But again, in this situation with Will and Jada, both of them have told the public that they have no secrets from each other and there was never any cheating. And that basically means that anything that happened was with the other's consent. People often judge Jada but she comes from a family that has different "customs" and "traditions" when it comes to marriage and this opens the door to open marriage.
And just like heterosexuals are often "triggered" by homosexuals even though their life doesn't change ours, traditional marriage, as we know it today, is mainly influenced by Europeans. In the bible, multiple wives and concubines were not illegal or abnormal among those of greater wealth. But the idea that Jada had sex with another man is just intolerable to many people. And I get it. I sympathize. I have been cheated on before too. But once I was separated I no longer saw it as cheating because at that point we were not together. And that's why Will didn't see it as cheating.
So unless Jada had some other entanglement we don't know about that caused Will to want to separate from her PRIOR to her meeting August, then I would have to say she's innocent. But that is an IF that is between her and Will. But that's not why Chris Rock got slapped.
|
|