NUMBERS: The Ritual Performed by the Priest for a Wife Suspected of Committing Adultery; "If her husband becomes jealous and is suspicious of his wife and needs to know whether or not she has defiled herself, the husband must bring his wife to the priest."

“You shall not commit adultery." (Exodus 20:14) "‘The man who commits adultery with another man’s wife, he who commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress, shall surely be put to death.'" (Leviticus 20:10) And the Lord said to Moses, “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. (Numbers 5:11-12 NLT)

In the previous lesson , the Lord God gave the commandment for dealing with unclean people, followed by the law for confessing sins against God and making restitution. Now, He would explain about a husband who becomes suspicious about his wife committing adultery, and the law regarding the ritual to prove whether his suspicions are true or not.

“Suppose a man’s wife goes astray, and she is unfaithful to her husband and has sex with another man, but neither her husband nor anyone else knows about it. She has defiled herself, even though there was no witness and she was not caught in the act. If her husband becomes jealous and is suspicious of his wife and needs to know whether or not she has defiled herself, the husband must bring his wife to the priest. He must also bring an offering of two quarts of barley flour to be presented on her behalf. Do not mix it with olive oil or frankincense [Leviticus 5:11, 2, 6:15], for it is a jealousy offering—an offering to prove whether or not she is guilty. (Numbers 5:13-15 NLT)

Before we females get offended, let's make sure we understand a few things. First, if a man and a woman are caught in adultery, the adulterer and the adulteress, shall surely be put to death. The man doesn't get away with anything, and the Lord God commanded that both received the same punishment. However, in this case, the husband comes to suspect his wife of committing adultery for whatever reason, but neither her husband nor anyone else knows about it, except for obviously, she and the man she was involved with, but she will not confess or admit it to her husband; then, the husband must bring his wife to the priest. 

The husband could not divorce her, desert her, abuse her, or anything else. He had to take her to the priest with a jealousy offering for either himself or herself, based on the results of what the Lord God commanded the priest to do. “The priest will then present her to stand trial before the Lord. He must take some holy water in a clay jar and pour into it dust he has taken from the Tabernacle floor. When the priest has presented the woman before the Lord, he must unbind her hair and place in her hands the offering of proof—the jealousy offering to determine whether her husband’s suspicions are justified. The priest will stand before her, holding the jar of bitter water that brings a curse to those who are guilty. (Numbers 5:16-18 NLT)

The priest will then put the woman under oath and say to her, ‘If no other man has had sex with you, and you have not gone astray and defiled yourself while under your husband’s authority, may you be immune from the effects of this bitter water that brings on the curse. But if you have gone astray by being unfaithful to your husband, and have defiled yourself by having sex with another man—’ (Numbers 5:19-20 NLT)

Second, we must not get offended by the phrase, under your husband’s authority. We can not minimize a wife's role in the marriage, because when the Lord God created a wife for Adam, He said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” (Genesis 2:18) But, Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. (I Timothy 2:14) Therefore, since Eve was deceived by Satan in the Garden of Eden, the Lord God said to her, “I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; in pain you shall bring forth children; your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.” (Genesis 3:16) 

Adam was disobedient, but Eve was deceived; therefore, the husband is to be the authority in the home. The wife still is a helper comparable to him, and still can voice her opinions and hopefully the husband will listen and consider them in his final decision, but he has the final say. A perfect example of this is Ananias and his wife Sapphira. Ananias lied to the Apostle Peter regarding a gift he brought to the apostles, his wife also being aware of it,... (Acts 5:2) But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit..." ... Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. (Acts 5:3-5)

However, about three hours later when his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. And Peter answered her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much?” She said, “Yes, for so much.” Then Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” Then immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. (Acts 5:7-10) The point being, the husband received the punishment for lying to the Holy Spirit immediately, but the wife was given the opportunity to explain herself, because she was deceived and under your husband’s authority. She did not have to suffer the same punishment he did, but she chose to go along with the lie, even though she could have been spared.

The priest performed the ritual the Lord God commanded, “At this point the priest must put the woman under oath by saying, ‘May the people know that the Lord’s curse is upon you when he makes you infertile, causing your womb to shrivel and your abdomen to swell. Now may this water that brings the curse enter your body and cause your abdomen to swell and your womb to shrivel.’ And the woman will be required to say, ‘Yes, let it be so.’ And the priest will write these curses on a piece of leather and wash them off into the bitter water. He will make the woman drink the bitter water that brings on the curse. When the water enters her body, it will cause bitter suffering if she is guilty. (Numbers 5:21-24 NLT)

“The priest will take the jealousy offering from the woman’s hand, lift it up before the Lord, and carry it to the altar. He will take a handful of the flour as a token portion and burn it on the altar, and he will require the woman to drink the water. If she has defiled herself by being unfaithful to her husband, the water that brings on the curse will cause bitter suffering. Her abdomen will swell and her womb will shrink, and her name will become a curse among her people. But if she has not defiled herself and is pure, then she will be unharmed and will still be able to have children. (Numberts 5:25-28 NLT)

“This is the ritual law for dealing with suspicion. If a woman goes astray and defiles herself while under her husband’s authority, or if a man becomes jealous and is suspicious that his wife has been unfaithful, the husband must present his wife before the Lord, and the priest will apply this entire ritual law to her. The husband will be innocent of any guilt in this matter, but his wife will be held accountable for her sin.” (Numbers 5:29-31 NLT)

Third, God does not play about committing adultery. Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. (I Corinthians 6:18) Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. (I Corinthians 7:2) Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge. (Hebrews 13:4) And in this case, the judgement for the woman was received in her own body, infertility if found guilty. It takes two to commit adultery, a man and a woman, and if caught, the penalty for both was to be put to death. But a man can not commit adultery unless a woman is a willing participant. If she's not willing, that is rape.

Women, No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. (I Corinthians 10:13) There is a difference between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she who is married cares about the things of the world—how she may please her husband. (I Corinthians 7:34)

If we choose to marry, then Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wivesbe to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. (Ephesians 2:22-27)

So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”[Genesis 2:24] This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. (Ephesians 2:28-33)