The Jealousy Drink Test

Reading through the Bible cover to cover will bring you to a number of events that are rarely, if ever spoken about on a Sunday morning or in a small group setting; such as not wearing different types of clothing material or boiling a young goat in its mothers’ milk. A very strange test is explained by God and recorded in Numbers 5:11-31.

If a husband suspected his wife of unfaithfulness and he thought she has slept with another man, he was to bring her before the priest. The jealous husband was to also bring an offering to the LORD. The priest had the woman stand before the LORD, he loosened her hair, and placed the offering in her hands. He holds a clay jar of holy water that has dust from the tabernacle floor mixed in it and puts her under an oath. If she is innocent, nothing will happen. If she is guilty, she will be under a curse, not be able to have children, she will have swelling in her abdomen and be under a curse.

What, really!?!

This law of jealousy protected innocent wives from jealous husbands through God declaring her innocent. A guilty woman would bear the consequence of her sin by an act of God. The law reminded people that when nobody else sees to prove innocence or guilt, God sees and knows all things.

Though, there was no such test for a jealous wife to give to her husband, Jesus addresses the importance of purity among men in the New Testament.

Matthew 5:27-30
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.”

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