There has been a veritable media feeding frenzy over the disappearance of Chandra Levy, a young intern romantically linked to a career congressman. While the media is totally absorbed in this scandal of sex, politics, and mystery let us examine this situation briefly in the light of Biblical law.

First of all let’s deal with the fact of the coverage. While we may properly deplore the excessive coverage of such matters in the light of

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Philippians 4:8

Yet we ought to recognize that historically in America such misdeeds by the powerful and politically well-connected were covered up. This is still the case in the typical liberal democracies of Europe etc. Woodrow Wilson’s adultery, Franklin D. Roosevelt’s mistresses, and John F. Kennedy’s adulterous lifestyle were completely hidden from the American people by a compliant and liberal media protecting their own. In that sense we can be thankful that the media, in spite of their wrong motives, is finally exposing these sins for the judgment of the American people. As the Scriptures say…

And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove (i.e. expose) them Ephesians 5:11

Secondly, while again we may deplore the excessive hype and attention that this particularly scandalous case has attracted, yet the persistent and serious, all-out search for Chandra has a Scriptural foundation. All life, created in the image of God, is valuable and any unauthorized loss or taking of human life is a serious affair. The following passage documents how seriously the unexplained loss of one human life was to be taken by the elders of Israel.

"If one be found slain in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it, lying in the field, and it be not known who hath slain him: ²Then thy elders and thy judges shall come forth, and they shall measure unto the cities which are round about him that is slain: ³And it shall be, that the city which is next unto the slain man, even the elders of that city shall take an heifer, which hath not been wrought with, and which hath not drawn in the yoke; ⁴And the elders of that city shall bring down the heifer unto a rough valley, which is neither eared nor sown, and shall strike off the heifer’s neck there in the valley: ⁵And the priests the sons of Levi shall come near; for them the LORD thy God hath chosen to minister unto him, and to bless in the name of the LORD; and by their word shall every controversy and every stroke be tried: ⁶And all the elders of that city, that are next unto the slain man, shall wash their hands over the heifer that is beheaded in the valley: ⁷And they shall answer and say, Our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seen it. ⁸Be merciful, O LORD, unto thy people Israel, whom thou hast redeemed, and lay not innocent blood unto thy people of Israel’s charge. And the blood shall be forgiven them. ⁹So shalt thou put away the guilt of innocent blood from among you, when thou shalt do that which is right in the sight of the LORD." Deuteronomy 21:1-9

We can only hope and pray that we would see a more consistent concern for loss of all human life, including not only all the missing and those presumed dead, but also those who are the victims of abortion and euthanasia.

Thirdly, we can agree with the general sense of condemnation of Congressman Condit that has permeated the news coverage of this affair. Adultery is a serious sin. Under the Sinaitic Covenant it was punishable by death. In fact the death penalty for adultery seems to have preceded the Sinaitic Covenant and have been general to previous societies.

But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man’s wife. Genesis 20:3

And Abimelech charged all his people, saying, He that toucheth this man or his wife shall surely be put to death. Genesis 26:11

And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt. Genesis 38:24

Unfortunately, it seems that the consequences of Congressman’s Condit conduct will be limited to public shame, disgrace, and possible loss of his seat in the House of Representatives. However, this is much to be preferred to the covering up of such sins, or treating them as inconsequential.

Finally, we need to look at Chandra’s conduct herself. So, far there has been only sympathy for her and her family in the public coverage of this scandal. This is part of our culture’s fascination with victimhood. Once one has achieved official victim status people do not seem to be held accountable for their actions anymore. Whether it be Blacks rioting and looting, etc., or battered wives murdering their husbands, our society has difficulty holding victims responsible for their actions. What do the Scriptures say about Chandra’s behavior? As a young woman who knowingly carried on an extensive affair with a married man it has a lot so say. First of all as an unmarried person engaging in sexual relations she is automatically guilty of fornication. While the Scriptures never set forth any civil penalty for fornication this is a serious sin that God can and will punish both in this life and that which is to come.

Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind. 1 Corinthians 6:9

Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. 1 Corinthians 10:8

For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Ephesians 5:5-6

However, Chandra didn’t just commit fornication, she did so with a married man which has additional implications. For an man, married or otherwise, to carry on an adulterous affair with a married woman the laws of Moses prescribed the death penalty.

If a man be found lying with a woman married to an husband, then they shall both of them die, both the man that lay with the woman, and the woman: so shalt thou put away evil from Israel. Deuteronomy 22:22

And the man that committeth adultery with another man’s wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbor's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death. Leviticus 20:10

By the same token, from the principle of moral equivalence for men and women committing the same sin, it could be argued that Chandra’s sin is extremely serious in God’s sight and under the Sinaitic Covenant at least called for the death penalty by the civil magistrate. At the very least, if one perceives Chandra as a servant of Condit’s (she was an intern and seeing her a servant or a slave is an extreme interpretation of her situation) the condemnation of her actions expressed in the following verse would apply.

And whosoever lieth carnally with a woman, that is a bondmaid, betrothed to an husband, and not at all redeemed, nor freedom given her; she shall be scourged; they shall not be put to death, because she was not free. Leviticus 19:20

Our society has a long way to go before it can begin to think God’s thought after him and react to such events in a Biblical way. At the least we can hope that people will see that while Chandra has escaped the condemnation of society, and if found alive will undoubtedly escape any civil consequences for her sin, she has not escaped the righteous judgments of God. Her sin has found her out. She has been publicly exposed and her immoralities paraded on the national media, and in all likelihood she has paid for her indiscretions with her life.  As for Condit, his sin has found him out also.  He seems to have taken great pains to have covered up his numerous alleged adulterous affairs.  His efforts in that regard had been completely successful.  Then in God's providence events beyond his control took over.  His latest mistress disappeared and the resultant investigation flushed out into public sight not just one, but several of his adulterous relationships.   Condit must be deeply disturbed, not at his own behavior, but that in spite of his best efforts events totally unexpected and beyond his control have exposed his sins for all to see.  His sin has found him out and is being hammered into the consciousness of millions of people by the mass media on a daily basis.  God is not mocked and he still rules in the affairs of men. That is a lesson that both Chandra and Condit have learned the hard way. We must hope and pray that God will use the media coverage of this event to cause all Americans to reflect on that and to come to the same conclusion.