Sexual Violations

O. T. #413  "Sexual Violations"
November 26, 2014
Deuteronomy 22-Part 3
If any  man...  Deuteronomy 22:13

LET IT GLOW

Violations. Rapes. Incest. Adulterous affairs. Fornication. Homosexuality. Are these terms too common on the nightly news? Where is has the respect of women gone? Why do guys not control their urges? Are women being so seductive in their dress that they provoke such actions? What message does the media, movie,and internet give our young people? Are we failing as parents and churches to teach our children the standards God has established in His Word? (This is not a new thing, for it has always been.)

This part of the chapter is on the family life, specifically marriage violations. Moses honors the laws of chastity in marriage on the basis that marriage must be founded upon faithfulness purity. Adultery was punished by death for the two found in the act. We read of several scenarios, situations, which might occur and the handling of them.

1. If a man takes a wife and after lying with her, dislikes (hates) her and slanders her and gives her a bad name by accusing her of not being a virgin, then her parents could bring proof (blood-stained garment or bed sheet) to the towns elders at the gate. The parents display the cloth before the elders, then the elders punish the man. The man must give 100 shekels of silver as a fine paid to the girl's father because the man gave the Israelite virgin a bad name. Also, he was to be given 40 stripes with a whip for the lie. She was to continue to be his wife and he was not allowed to ever divorce her.
2. If the charges are true and there's no proof otherwise, then the girl was to be stoned to death while at her father's door. She did a promiscuous thing while still in her father's house. You must purge the evil from among you.
3. If a man is found sleeping with another man's wife, both man and woman must die. You must purge the evil from Israel.
4. If a man happens to meet in a town a virgin pledged to be married and he sleeps with her, both were to be stoned to death at the at of that town. It was due to her not screaming and his violating another man's wife. You must purge the evil from among you.
5. However, if a man rapes a girl pledged to be married while located in the country, only the man who did this dies. The girl had no punishment due to her committing no sin deserving death. There was no one to rescue her while screaming.
6. If a man rapes an unpledged virgin, he is to pay the girl's father 50 shekels of silver. He must marry the girl he violated, never divorcing her as long as he lives.
7. A man must not marry his father's wife, probably a step-mother. Incest was certainly forbidden.

Did you notice a repeating phrase "you must purge the evil among you?"
Here, God is establishing some standards for the Israelites to live by when they reach their Promised Land. They are good standards for us to live by today, but people do not take such sins seriously. How much safer would our society would be for women if it were.

LET IT GROW

God placed betrothal on a par with marriage. Hence, when the virgin Mary was betrothed to Joseph, it was a union as sacred and permanent as marriage.  (Falwell)

In Matthew 1:19, Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

However, the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream with a message to not be afraid to take Mary home as his wife because the child she conceived was from the Holy Spirit. Then he did so.

Jesus, virgin-born, had His father God, not man. This is one of the doctrine of faith we talk about. such an impossibility for this to occur naturally. Although through doctors' abilities today, they can implant an embryo into a woman without her violation. This is not the same thing as what happened to Jesus. We take this by faith, that the Bible is God's Word and the truth.

Are we encouraging young women to remain pure before their marriage? Sexual activity is becoming so common in our society, that is a shameful, sinful, and acceptable practice. Purity is a gift a virgin can give her husband on their wedding night and rightfully should be so. What has happened to the respect of guys for gals?

LET IT GO

Develop self control.

Learn God's standards for marriage and sex, then apply them in my life.

Be a faithful wife and Christian.

Teach young women the ways of a faithful woman; teach young men how to act appropriately toward women.