Disloyalty is treachery, a violation of the trust and confidence that spouses and Almighty God place in us, and adultery and divorce are forms of it (Jeremiah 9:2; Malachi 2:14-16). Adultery offends the aggrieved husband or wife, their home, and their children, and it strikes at the very basis of a decent society. Violence is its fruit because the treachery and self-centeredness behind it destroy loyalty and submission to authority and teach disrespect for others. God hates divorce, though He permits it in rare circumstances. The seventh commandment protects the honor and sanctity of marriage, and its spirit reaches even to lustful looks. Disloyalty also has a spiritual dimension. Adultery symbolizes unfaithfulness to God, who is represented as the husband of His people. Israel's idolatry was spiritual adultery, graphically described in Ezekiel 16 and acted out in Hosea's marriage. Christians fall into it by relying on the world and its false teaching rather than God, and friendship with the world makes one an enemy of God (James 4:4). In contrast, the Bride of Christ will be a chaste, pure, and faithful spouse, and all who are part of her are blessed. A genuinely repentant adulterer can be forgiven, but the harmful consequences remain, as David's household experienced.

Disloyalty is the human default. Human beings by nature are unfaithful and disloyal, and ungodly people are always self-seeking, which starkly contrasts with God's faithfulness. Israel continually tested God, and the root of their disloyalty was unbelief, which is faithlessness and prevents loyalty. Solomon, though given wisdom and wealth, followed the same pattern and proved disloyal to the One who gave him those gifts. Rebellion against God runs through all humanity: people reject the knowledge of Him in nature and conscience, make idols of anything that takes priority over obeying Him, and God gives them over to the consequences of that rebellion, including warped affections and a debased mind that works to eliminate Him. Where loyalty fails, human relationships become undependable and the fabric of society loses its stability. God deals with people as they deal with Him. He keeps faith with the loyal, but the devious find themselves outwitted, and He will not keep faith with those who blame Him for not intervening. The ungodly may prosper for a time, yet justice frequently comes. Denying Christ brings being denied by Him. Yet even when we are faithless, He remains faithful, because He cannot deny Himself, and His covenant and plan of salvation stand. Disloyalty is also seen in neglecting the brethren: forsaking the assembling together, and failing to encourage one another, weakens perseverance.