of impurity may seem strange to us, what we see here is that what makes people impure is what comes out of them and also what they come in contact with (v2, see Mark 7 v20-23; Romans 12 v2).

There needs to be serious action to deal with what makes God’s people impure (v3-4; see Matthew 5 v29-30). Confess to God anything impure in your life and pray for God’s power to repent of it.

In the next section the Lord deals with making restitution when we have wronged someone (v5-10) There is of course great wisdom and justice in this principle of adding a fifth to what is paid back.

Adultery and jealousy are very dangerous for the couple concerned but also for the whole community of God’s people and a procedure is introduced to deal with cases of suspicion where there is no clear evidence (v11-31).

This again brings home to us the seriousness of the sin of adultery and how it always brings consequences. Pray for purity in your own life in thoughts as well as actions. Pray for married couples you know to be protected from temptation.