Answers. Questions. Deuteronomy 22:1-30

Transcription

1 1 Answers to Questions on Deuteronomy 22: Scott via Coffman lists miscellaneous laws mentioned in Deuteronomy 22:1-30. These laws relate to:... A. Lost property. B. Assisting fallen beasts. C. Against interchange of cloths. D. Regard for animal kingdom. E. Banister required on roof. F. Mixtures of seed, of plowing animals, and wearing materials. G. Twisted threads or knots. H. Bride s virginity falsely challenged. I. Bride found guilty. J. Punishment of adulterers. K. Seduction of betrothed virgin with consent. L. Seduction of betrothed virgin without consent. M. Intercourse with a virgin not betrothed. N. Against intercourse with a father s wife.

2 The Pulpit Commentary lists the following topics as being addressed in Deuteronomy 22:1-30:... A. Cattle Strayed or things lost. B. Apparel of the sexes. C. Taking of Birds. D. Construction of Houses. E. Confusions to be avoided. F. Fringes to be made on vestments. G. Punishment of wife slanderer. H. Punishment of adultery. I. Punishment of Rape. J. Punishment of fornication. K. Punishment of incest.

3 In what ways does Deuteronomy 22:1-4 say Israelites were to demonstrate concern for their neighbors? Anything that had been lost by an Israelite and found by another Israelite was to be kept and cared for by the finder until it could be returned to its rightful owner. 4. Define neighbor as used in verse 1. Neighbor in this context refers to a fellow Hebrew. 5. We are not to ignore the problems of others, but we are to be ready to act to the advantage of all men. 6. God s people are to care for and have concern for all God s creation.

4 We must not ignore the problems of our brothers. 8. What does the Lord expect of a person who finds a wallet full of money in a store s parking lot? If it cannot immediately be returned, it must be safely kept and cared for until it can be returned to its rightful owner. 9. What does Luke 10:25-37 teach us about getting involved in the problems of others? Getting involved and helping another person is living the commandment to love your neighbor as yourself. If you were in need of help, wouldn t you welcome someone who came to your aid? 10. When is it right to refuse to get involved in the problems of others? It is not right to meddle in the affairs of others. There must be a legitimate reason to become involved.

5 Who passed by on the other side in Luke 10:25-37? Who is more likely to help a person in trouble, religious or non-religious people? The priest and the Levite, the two who should have stopped did not. This is an object lesson for all of us who are Christians that we are the ones who should be putting our faith into practice and providing help to others. In this parable the outcast Samaritan demonstrated greater love for his neighbor and understanding of God s law than the religious leaders. 12. What are our responsibilities to those who are in trouble? Our responsibility is to provide as much help or assistance as we are able. 13. When is getting involved in the problems of others helping and when does it become meddling? It becomes meddling when someone gets involved just to find out what others are doing, or what their problem may be, i.e., financial, marital, etc., without any intent to offer help.

6 Define legalism. Legalism is the strict, literal adherence to the law. 15. What is the opposite of legalism? Liberalism, doing that which is illegal, doing that which is against the law, not abiding by the law. 16. Define transvestism. Why was it wrong for a man to dress in women s clothing and for a woman to dress in men s clothing? Transvestism if the abnormal desire to dress in the clothing of the opposite sex. It is an abomination to God. It eliminates the distinction between sexes and goes against God s intent for the sexes to have different identifies.

7 Is it still wrong for a man to dress in women s clothes and women to dress in men s clothes, for men to have long hair and for women to have short hair? See 1 Corinthians 11: Yes, transvitism is still an abomination to God. Hair length is not as much of an issue as in Old Testament times. Nazarites never cut their hair. Samson s legendary strength came from his long, uncut hair. (Judges 16:17) 1 Corinthians 11:12-15 indicates that by New Testament times, men s hair was shorter than women s. 18. What if a man and his wife were caught in a winter storm and had only two men s coats. Would it be wrong for her to wear her husband s coat? What is legalism? Legalism and its strict adherence to the letter of the law might argue that it would be wrong, but from a realistic standpoint it is only an attempt to provide the woman with adequate protection and warmth from the storm, not a statement of a particular lifestyle. 19. What does The Pulpit Commentary say about cross dressing? Whatever tends to obliterate the distinction between the

8 8 sexes tends to licentiousness and that the one sex should assume the dress of the other has always been regarded as unnatural and indecent. 20. How did Smith explain verses 6-7? This law has to do with the conservation of food supplies and respect for the parental relationship even in the animal world. 21. How does Hall explain verses 6-7? Hall concludes that these verses are designed to show God s concern for even the smallest creatures and that we are to protect life. 22. How does Coffman explain verses 6-7? Coffman said that these verses explain the importance of preserving species and maintaining earth s ecological balance.

9 Exactly what do verses 6-7 say? It is acceptable to take the eggs or chicks from the nest but not to take the mother from the young. This is almost a parable type lesson in how to conserve the future food source. You must take care of the seed to plant for future crops. If you do, you will have many harvests and a long life. 24. Everything done by God s servants must be done in the spirit of mercy and kindness. 25. Are some commandments more important than others? If so, what are some of the most important commands and what are some of the least important commands? The most important is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength. The second is like it, to love your neighbor as yourself. The greatest commands are to love. Yet God wants us to follow all His commands. Matthew 5:19 emphasizes the point that they are all important and should be observed.

10 How does obeying God s commands contribute to longevity? How does a life of sin shorten life? Obeying God s commands results in a life built on peace and contentment, less stress and anxiety which can translate to a longer life span. A lifetime of sin and debauchery, drugs and alcohol damage the body and mind and in many instances result in premature death. 27. How were roofs of ancient houses in Palestine constructed? For what purposes were they used? Roofs on houses were flat. This allowed them to be used as an extension of the house. Items could be stored on the roof. People routinely went up on the roof, sometimes to pray and meditate or rest and observe the city below. In the heart of the summer, the family could sleep on the roof in the cool night air.

11 Why were guard rails to be built around new roofs? Were rails to be built around old roofs? What did we say about legalism? Guard rails or parapets or banisters were to be installed as a safety feature to prevent people from being injured in a fall from the roof. Many present day laws also speak to new construction. The point is the people were to be concerned about the safety ot others in all conditions. Legalism would argue, center attention on old and new construction while missing the point of the law. 29. What does verse 8 really say to us? We are to take all prudent and reasonable precautions to protect others from injury while on our property. This not only protects others but protects the property owner from culpability in liability cases. 30. Why were vineyards not to be planted with two kinds of seed? Would it be alright to plant vineyards with three or more kinds of seed? What did we say about legalism? The purity of both the seed and the produce were to be protected by

12 12 not mixing seed. Only one type of seed was allowed. Any mixture would defile the land and the crop. 31. Why were two kinds of animals such as an ox and a donkey not to be yoked together? To be successfully yoked animals must be of equal size and strength. If they are not, their weight and strength will not be equally distributed making the work more difficult for each animal and they will be working against each other. This is another example reminding the Israelites to keep themselves and their nation pure and undefiled. 32. In what ways can Christians become unequally yoked? A Christian may have a spouse who is not a believer. This is mixing the holy with the unholy. A household where one worships God and the other worships idols or false gods is like a house built on an unstable foundation and will not last.

13 Is it wrong to eat multi-grain bread and cereal in view of what is said in verse 9? The prohibition against mixing seed, or gain referred to planting, not the consumption of the crop. That would be too legalistic. 34. Why were the Israelites not to wear clothing made of meshed material? What about Joseph s coat of many colors? It is possible that this may be a case of mixing the holy with the unholy. Regardless of God s motives, it is one more reminder that God s people were to remain pure and unblemished. The coat of many colors could be made of patches of the same material dyed with different colors. Joseph s coat was made about 500 years before the law were given to Moses, so they were nor relevant to his situation. 35. Why were tassels worn on Israelite garments? Where on the garments were tassels to be worn? The tassels were a

14 14 constant reminder of God s commandments to the Israelites and their duty to obey them. They also signified that the Israelites were God s chosen people. The tassels were attached to the four corners on the hem of the garment. 36. What is a euphemism? Substituting an inoffensive word or term for an offensive or explicit word or term. 37. According to Smith, what four (4) categories of sexual misconduct are addressed in verses 13-30? 1. Premarital promiscuity (13-21) 2. Adultery (22-24) 3. Rape of a betrothed virgin (25-29) 4. Sexual relations between a man and his father s former wife. (30)

15 Ancient Israel was a patriarchal society? What does that mean? A patriarchal society is one ruled by the father of a family, tribe or race. In the patriarchal society, the male is the dominant figure of the family and his word is regarded as law. Refer to Genesis Chapter 25 for the account of how Jacob stole Espu s patriarchal right. 39. What was the customary process by which a woman became betrothed (engaged) and married? What was the customary sequence of events leading to marriage? Girls were betrothed at a young age and remained in their father s house until the wedding ceremony. During the time of the betrothal the young man would prepare a place for them to live at his father s house. After the wedding ceremony, the couple would move into the newly constructed section of his father s house. Read John 14:2-3, My Father s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be

16 16 where I am. (NIV) This would have been very clear to the Hebrew s of Jesus time. 40. What happened if a man charged that his wife was not a virgin when they were married? The parents were to produce evidence of their daughter s virginity by presenting the blood stained cloth from the wedding night. 41. Hall wrote, The husband had to be able to know that any children born to the marriage were his. Sexual misconduct during the betrothal time was considered adultery. Since the bride was under her father s care prior the wedding, he would have been responsible for her conduct. 42. Who decided the guilt or innocence of the young woman? The evidence was to be provided to the city elders. They would adjudicate the case and pronounce their verdict.

17 What evidence were the parents of the young woman to produce to prove her innocence? They were to present the bloodstained cloth from the wedding night. 44. The father and mother certainly had a major vested interest in their daughter s virginity. If the betrothed daughter had been engaged in immoral behavior, this would certainly have brought disgrace on the parents who were responsible for the maintenance of their daughter s virginity while she lived in their house. 45. If the charges made against the young woman by her husband were determined to be false, what penalties were to be exacted against the man? The man was subject to being whipped and fined one hundred 100 silver shekels. She was to become his wife for as long as he lived. 46. What was an average yearly wage in those days? This high fine would have been a major deterrent to bringing false accusation against a wife. The average yearly wage was ten shekels, so the fine would equal ten years wages.

18 Why was the fine so high? Who was given the fine? The fine was high to discourage a husband from making false accusations against his wife. The fine was paid to the wife s father as reparation for the families damaged reputation. 48. The husband of the innocent woman could never divorce his wife whom he had falsely accused of immorality. For the woman, what advantages and disadvantages did this present? The disadvantage was that she would have to live with the man who publicly lied about her purity as long as they lived. On the positive side, this did insure the wife with economic security and gave legitimacy to her children.

19 If, however, the woman was found to have been guilty of immorality, how was the woman to be punished? Was this fair? She was brought to her family s house and stoned to death. Immorality was a sin against all of Israel. The penalty may appear harsh by today s standards but any sin that threatened Israel had to be eradicated and immoral sexual behavior was part of pagan worship practices which were a constant threat to them. 50. Is sexual immorality more serious than lying, perjury?... or were women punished more severely than men? Sexual immorality has a greater impact on society. It is able to corrupt our moral fiber more than lying or perjury because it uses and debases our natural God given desire to procreate. Both parties to sexual immorality faced the penalty of death by stoning. 51. How would you feel if you were forced to watch your daughter being stoned in your front yard? That would be a humiliating, traumatic event. No parent wants to see harm come to their child especially with the stigma attached to that particular punishment.

20 In this way you will purge evil from among you. Evil was such a corrupting thing it could not be tolerated. Sin, crime can spread through a nation with more tragic results and even faster than the most deadly contagious disease. 53. What was the penalty for adultery; that is, a man, whether married or single, having sexual relations with a married woman? Both parties were to be executed. 54. Why weren t David and Bathsheba subjected to this penalty? There are no cases of execution for adultery in the Old Testament. Apparently, the punishment was not carried out and, besides, who would accuse the king? Nathan the prophet told David that God forgave his sin, but his punishment was the death of the child Bathsheba bore. 2 Samuel 12:11-18.

21 Adultery is a horribly serious sin. What can be done to purge this evil from our society? We can work to minimize sin by sharing God s word with all people. We are also to influence others by our example to live by the Ten Commandments. 56. What did Jesus have to say about adultery? Mark 10:11, Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her. John 8:7,... whoever among you is guiltless may be the first to throw a stone at her. John 8:11,... I do not condemn you either. Go and from now on do not sin anymore. 57. What was the penalty for a man and an engaged woman had consensual sex? They were both stoned to death at the city gates.

22 What was the penalty for rape of an engaged woman? The crime of rape is so heinous that it demands the death penalty for the rapist. The victim was innocent of any wrong doing and was not to be punished. 59. Rape and murder were so grievous that they both carried the death penalty. 60. What should our attitude be toward those who have been raped even though they did everything they could to avoid the sexual assault? A woman who is raped is the victim of a crime and she deserves to see her attacker punished. This was a harsh law for a brutal crime that was designed to remind men that they were responsible for their actions. The woman should be respectfully treated in the same manner as any other crime victim. 61. What was the penalty for forcible rape of a single woman who was not engaged to be married? In this case the man was required to pay her father fifty (50) shekels of silver and marry her without the possibility of divorce.

23 Was this penalty fair for the woman? How would you like to have been forced to marry your rapist? Yes and no. It was fair in that it provided her with the stability of a marriage when her chances of wedlock as the victim of rape were very slim. It was very unfair to be forced into an irrevocable union with the man who had raped and disgraced her. 63. A man was forbidden to marry his father s former wife. What circumstances may have led to this possibility? This may have been the son s step-mother or in a polygamous union another of his father s wives or concubines. Leviticus chapter 18 details numerous illicit sexual relations between various relatives that God strictly forbade. 64. What basic lessons are taught in Deuteronomy 22?

24 24 A. We are to assist others in the care and recovery of lost possessions. B. Men are to be men and women are to be women. C. We are to be humane toward animals to preserve the species. D. In all of our affairs we must not harm others. E. The distinctiveness of seeds, materials and animals must be maintained. F. Christians must be distinct from the world around us. G. Sexual morality must be strictly maintained in our lives. H. We must always be truthful. I. Justice must rule in all aspects of society, especially in court cases. 65. Which of the Ten Commandments recorded in Exodus 20:1-17 are referenced in Deuteronomy 22:1-30? Pair the commands in Exodus 20:1-17 with the respective corresponding references in Deuteronomy 22:1-30.

25 25 Deuteronomy 22:1-4 Exodus 20:15 You shall not steal. Deuteronomy 22:5 Exodus 20:4 - You shall not make idols. Deuteronomy 22:12 Exodus 20:8 Remember the Sabbath and keep the commandments. Deuteronomy 22:13-14 Exodus 20:14 You shall not commit adultery. Deuteronomy 22:15-19 Exodus 20:16 You shall not give false testimony. Deuteronomy 22:20-21 Exodus 20:12 and 14 Honor parents and donot commit adultery. Deuteronomy 22:22-24 Exodus 20:14 You shall not commit adultery. Deuteronomy 22:30 Exodus 20:12 and 20:14 Honor your parents and do not commit adultery.