LAWS CONCERNING PRESERVATION OF LIFE ILLLUSTRATIONS OF THE PRINCIPLE OF PURITY PURITY IN THE MARRIAGE RELATIONSHIP DEUTERONOMY 22:1-30

Transcription

1 1 LAWS CONCERNING PRESERVATION OF LIFE ILLLUSTRATIONS OF THE PRINCIPLE OF PURITY PURITY IN THE MARRIAGE RELATIONSHIP DEUTERONOMY 22:1-30

2 2 LAWS CONCERNING PRESERVATION OF LIFE ILLLUSTRATIONS OF THE PRINCIPLE OF PURITY Text: PURITY IN THE MARRIAGE RELATIONSHIP Deuteronomy 22:1-30, 1. When you see your neighbor s ox or sheep going astray, do not ignore it; you must return it without fail to your neighbor. 2. If the owner does not live near you or you do not know who the owner is, then you must corral the animal at your house and let it stay with you until the owner looks for it; then you must return it to him. 3. You shall do the same to his donkey, his clothes, or anything else your neighbor has lost and you have found; you must not refuse to get involved. 4. When you see your neighbor s donkey or ox fallen along the road, do not ignore it; instead, you must be sure to help him get the animal on its feet again. 5. A woman must not wear men s clothing, nor should a man dress up in women s clothing, for anyone who does this is offensive to the Lord your God. 6. If you happen to notice a bird s nest along the road, whether in a tree or on the ground, and there are chicks or eggs with the mother bird sitting on them, you must not take the mother from the young.

3 You must be sure to let the mother go, but you may take the young for yourself. Do this so that it may go well with you and you may have a long life. 8. If you build a new house, you must construct a guard rail around your roof to avoid being culpable in the event someone should fall from it. 9. You must not plant your vineyard with two kinds of seed; otherwise the entire yield, both of the seed you plant and the produce of the vineyard, will be defiled. 10. You must not plow with an ox and a donkey harnessed together. 11. You must not wear clothing made with wool and linen meshed together. 12. You shall make yourselves tassels for the four corners of the clothing you wear. 13. Suppose a man marries a woman, has sexual relations with her, and then rejects her, 14. accusing her of impropriety and defaming her reputation by saying, I married this woman but when I had sexual relations with her I discovered she was not a virgin! 15. Then the father and mother of the young woman must produce the evidence of virginity for the elders of the city at the gate. 16. The young woman s father must say to the elders, I gave my daughter to this man and he has rejected her. 17. Moreover, he has raised accusations of impropriety by saying, I discovered your daughter was not a virgin, but this is the evidence of my daughter s virginity! The cloth must then be spread out before the city s elders. 18. The elders of that city must then seize the man and punish him.

4 They will fine him one hundred shekels of silver and give them to the young woman s father, for the man who made the accusation ruined the reputation of an Israelite virgin. She will then become his wife and he may never divorce her as long as he lives. 20. But if the accusation is true and the young woman was not a virgin, 21. the men of her city must bring the young woman to the door of her father s house and stone her to death, for she has done a disgraceful thing in Israel by behaving like a prostitute while living in her father s house. In this way you will purge evil from among you. 22. If a man is caught having sexual relations with a married woman both the man who had relations with the woman and the woman herself must die; in this way you will purge evil from Israel. 23. If a virgin is engaged to a man and another man meets her in the city and has sexual relations with her, 24. you must bring the two of them to the gate of that city and stone them to death, the young woman because she did not cry out though in the city and the man because he violated his neighbor s fiancée; in this way you will purge evil from among you. 25. But if the man came across the engaged woman in the field and overpowered her and raped her, then only the rapist must die. 26. You must not do anything to the young woman she has done nothing deserving of death. This case is the same as when someone attacks another person and murders him, 27. for the man met her in the field and the engaged woman cried out, but there was no one to rescue her.

5 Suppose a man comes across a virgin who is not engaged and overpowers and rapes her and they are discovered. 29. The man who has raped her must pay her father fifty shekels of silver and she must become his wife because he has violated her; he may never divorce her as long as he lives. 30. (23:1) A man may not marry his father s former wife and in this way dishonor his father. (NET) Introduction: I. Coffman wrote, Again, in this chapter, there is a collection of miscellaneous laws, apparently mentioned at random, including according to Scott via Coffman the following:... A. On Lost Property (verses 1-3), Exodus 23:4-5, If you encounter your enemy s ox or donkey wandering off, you must by all means return it to him. If you see the donkey of someone who hates you fallen under its load, you must not ignore him, but be sure to help him with it. (NET) B. Assisting Fallen Beasts (verse 4), Exodus 23:4-5, If you encounter your enemy s ox or donkey wandering off, you must by all means return it to him. If you see the donkey of someone who hates you fallen under

6 6 its load, you must not ignore him, but be sure to help him with it. (NET) C. Against Interchange of Clothes (verse 5),... D. Regard for Animal Kingdom (verses 6-7),... E. Banister Required on Roof (verse 8), Exodus 21:33-36, If a man opens a pit or if a man digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it, the owner of the pit must repay the loss. He must give money to its owner, and the dead animal will become his. If the ox of one man injures the ox of his neighbor so that it dies, then they will sell the live ox and divide its proceeds, and they will also divide the dead ox. Or if it is known that the ox had the habit of goring, and its owner did not take the necessary precautions, he must surely pay ox for ox, and the dead animal will become his. (NET) F. Of Mixtures (verses 9-11), of seed, of plowing animals and wearing materials, Leviticus 19:19, You must keep my statutes. You must not allow two different kinds of your animals to breed, you must not sow your field with two different kinds of seed, and you must not wear a garment made of two different kinds of fabric. (NET)

7 7 G. Of Twisted Threads or Knots (verse 12), Numbers 15:37-41, The Lord spoke to Moses: Speak to the Israelites and tell them to make tassels for themselves on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and put a blue thread on the tassel of the corners. You must have this tassel so that you may look at it and remember all the commandments of the Lord and obey them and so that you do not follow after your own heart and your own eyes that lead you to unfaithfulness. Thus you will remember and obey all my commandments and be holy to your God. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God. I am the Lord your God. (NET) H. Bride s Virginity Falsely Challenged (Verses 13-19),... I. Bride Found Guilty (Verses 20-21),... J. Punishment of Adulterers (Verse 22), Leviticus 20:10, If a man commits adultery with his neighbor s wife, both the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death. (NET) K. Seduction of a Betrothed Virgin With Consent (Verses 23-24),... L. Seduction of a Betrothed Virgin Without Consent (Verses 25-27),...

8 8 M. Intercourse With a Virgin Not Betrothed (Verses 28-29), and Exodus 22:16-17, If a man seduces a virgin who is not engaged and has sexual relations with her, he must surely endow her to be his wife. If her father refuses to give her to him, he must pay money for the bride price of virgins. (NET) N. Against Intercourse With a Father s Wife (Verse 30), Leviticus 18:8, You must not have sexual intercourse with your father s wife; she is your father s nakedness. (NET) II. The Pulpit Commentary lists the following topics as being addressed in Deuteronomy 22:1-30: viz.,... 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,...

9 9 G. Punishment of wife slander,... H. Punishment of adultery,... I. Punishment of rape,... J. Punishment of fornication, and... K. Punishment of incest. Commentary: LAWS CONCERNING PRESERVATION OF LIFE Deuteronomy 22:1, When you see your neighbor s ox or sheep going astray, do not ignore it; you must return it without fail to your neighbor. (NET) I. When you see your neighbor s* ox or sheep going astray, do not ignore it; you must return it without fail to your neighbor. A. *NET Footnote: Hebrew brother s. 1. We are to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. (See Clarke.) B. Smith observed that an Israelite was to be concerned for the property of a brother. 1. Rustlers were not tolerated in ancient Israel.

10 Concern in verses 1-3 is both for the potential loss to the neighbor, the welfare of the animal (stock) and, may we add, the integrity of the Israelite into whose care the animal was now entrusted by chance. 3. In ancient Israel which was dependent on agriculture, loose and straying livestock was common place. All were to look after their neighbors straying and lost animals. (See Hall.) a. Exodus 23:4-5, If you encounter your enemy s ox or donkey wandering off, you must by all means return it to him. If you see the donkey of someone who hates you fallen under its load, you must not ignore him, but be sure to help him with it. (NET) C. Hall noted that verses 1-8 are saying, Life is to be protected and enhanced. 1. Every lost thing that belonged to a brother, even an adversary, was covered by this injunction. (See Coffman.) 2. Coffman further wrote that we are not to ignore the problems of others, but be ready to act to the advantage of all men. D. Going astray, wandering at large, is based on a Hebrew verb which means to seduce, draw aside, or entice. (See The Pulpit Commentary.)

11 Lost animals could have wandered away on their own or enticed by some person(s) who was trying to steal the animal. 2. In either case, other Israelites seeing what was happening were to intervene without fail and set about to return the animal to its rightful owner. Deuteronomy 22:2, If the owner does not live near you or you do not know who the owner is, then you must corral the animal at your house and let it stay with you until the owner looks for it; then you must return it to him. (NET) I. If the owner does not live near you or you do not know who the owner is, then you must corral the animal at your house and let it stay with you until the owner looks for it; then you must return it to him. A. Verses 1-3 forbid anyone to take ownership of lost or unclaimed property. (See Hamilton.) B. God s people are to care for and have concern for all God s creation. Deuteronomy 22:3, You shall do the same to his donkey, his clothes, or anything else your neighbor has lost and you have found; you must not refuse to get involved. (NET) I. You shall do the same to his donkey, his clothes, or anything else your neighbor has lost and you have found;...

12 12 A. According to this verse, what would a person have had to do if he found a wallet full of money on the ground at the market? Does God expect less of Christians? B. 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. (See The Pulpit Commentary.) II. you must not refuse to get involved. A. If we see a situation in which a person, animal or thing, such as a house being on fire, needs our intervention, we must not refuse to get involved, pass by on the other side. 1. Luke 10:25-37, Now an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus, saying, Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? He said to him, What is written in the law? How do you understand it? The expert answered, Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus said to him, You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live. But the expert, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, And who is my neighbor? Jesus replied, A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him up, and went off, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, but when he saw the injured man he passed by on

13 13 the other side. So too a Levite, when he came up to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan who was traveling came to where the injured man was, and when he saw him, he felt compassion for him. He went up to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, Take care of him, and whatever else you spend, I will repay you when I come back this way. Which of these three do you think became a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers? The expert in religious law said, The one who showed mercy to him. So Jesus said to him, Go and do the same. (NET) a. The priest and the Levite sinned against God and man by refusing to get involved. 2. Intervention most likely would, as in Luke 10:25-37, require investments of time and money. Deuteronomy 22:4, When you see your neighbor s donkey or ox fallen along the road, do not ignore it; instead, you must be sure to help him get the animal on its feet again. (NET) I. When you see your neighbor s donkey or ox fallen along the road, do not ignore it; instead, you must be sure to help him get the animal on its feet again.

14 14 A. What are our responsibilities to those we see who are in trouble? 1. Is it alright to pass by and decide not to get involved? a. Luke 10:25-37, Now an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus, saying, Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? He said to him, What is written in the law? How do you understand it? The expert answered, Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus said to him, You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live. But the expert, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, And who is my neighbor? Jesus replied, A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him up, and went off, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, but when he saw the injured man he passed by on the other side. So too a Levite, when he came up to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan who was traveling came to where the injured man was, and when he saw him, he felt compassion for him. He went up to him and bandaged his

15 15 wounds, pouring oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, Take care of him, and whatever else you spend, I will repay you when I come back this way. Which of these three do you think became a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers? The expert in religious law said, The one who showed mercy to him. So Jesus said to him, Go and do the same. (NET) b. Exodus 23:4, If you encounter your enemy s ox or donkey wandering off, you must by all means return it to him. (NET) 2. An animal found to be in distress was to be provided assistance immediately. (See Smith.) a. Proverbs 12:10, A righteous person cares for the life of his animal, but even the most compassionate acts of the wicked are cruel. (NET) 3. We are not only our brother s keepers. We are to do whatever we can to help our neighbor look after his property and solve his problems. a. We are not to meddle, however.

16 16 B. One Israelite was to help another Israelite in this situation regardless of whether they were friends, adversaries who didn t like each other, or strangers. Deuteronomy 22:5, A woman must not wear men s clothing, nor should a man dress up in women s clothing, for anyone who does this is offensive to the Lord your God. (NET) I. A woman must not wear men s clothing, nor should a man dress up in women s clothing,... A. Transvestism was and is an abomination of God! (See Smith.) 1. The clear sexual distinctions evidenced at creation were to be clearly preserved. (See Hall.) a. Genesis 1:27, God created humankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them, male and female he created them. (NET) b. Genesis 2:21-24, So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep, and while he was asleep, he took part of the man s side and closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman from the part he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. Then the man said, This one at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one will be called

17 17 woman, for she was taken out of man. That is why a man leaves his father and mother and unites with his wife, and they become a new family. (NET) B. Coffman wrote, This law is still applicable today in view of what Paul said regarding long hair in 1 Corinthians 11:12-15, For just as woman came from man, so man comes through woman. But all things come from God. Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? Does not nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace for him, but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering. (NET) 1. Coffman quoting Obverts wrote, Whatever tends to eliminate the distinction between the sexes tends to licentiousness; and that one sex should assume the dress of the other has always been regarded as unnatural and indecent. II. for anyone who does this is offensive to the Lord your God. A. For a man to dress in women s clothes or for a woman to dress in men s clothing was offensive, detestable to the Lord God just as were idolatry and homosexuality. (See Hall.) 1. Deuteronomy 7:25, You must burn the images of their gods, but do not covet the silver and gold that covers them so much that you take it

18 18 for yourself and thus become ensnared by it; for it is abhorrent to the Lord your God. (NET) 2. Deuteronomy 18:12, Whoever does these things is abhorrent to the Lord and because of these detestable things the Lord your God is about to drive them out from before you. (NET) 3. Leviticus 18:22, You must not have sexual intercourse with a male as one has sexual intercourse with a woman; it is a detestable act. (NET) 4. Leviticus 20:13, If a man has sexual intercourse with a male as one has sexual intercourse with a woman, the two of them have committed an abomination. They must be put to death; their blood guilt is on themselves. (NET) B. The Pulpit commentary states, Whatever tends to obliterate the distinction between the sexes tends to licentiousness; and that the one sex should assume the dress of the other has always been regarded as unnatural and indecent. 1. Such changes in dress tended toward immorality and was and is offensive, an abomination to the Lord our God. (See The Pulpit Commentary.) Deuteronomy 22:6, If you happen to notice a bird s nest along the road, whether in a tree or on the ground, and there are chicks or eggs with the mother bird sitting on

19 19 them, you must not take the mother from the young. (NET) I. If you happen to notice a bird s nest along the road, whether in a tree or on the ground, and there are chicks or eggs with the mother bird sitting on them, you must not take the mother from the young. A. Smith wrote, This law (verses 6-7) has to do with the conservation of food supplies and respect for the parental relationship even in the animal world. 1. Deuteronomy 20:19-20, If you besiege a city for a long time while attempting to capture it, you must not chop down its trees, for you may eat fruit from them and should not cut them down. A tree in the field is not human that you should besiege it! However, you may chop down any tree you know is not suitable for food, and you may use it to build siege works against the city that is making war with you until that city falls. (NET) B. Hall wrote that verses 6 and 7 are designed to show God s concern for even the smallest creatures and that we are to protect life. C. Coffman wrote that this points to the preservation of the various species of life upon earth, and the maintenance of that ecological balance upon which all life depends.

20 20 Deuteronomy 22:7, You must be sure to let the mother go, but you may take the young for yourself. Do this so that it may go well with you and you may have a long life. (NET) I. You must be sure to let the mother go, but you may take the young for yourself! A. Rabbis by the time of Jesus ministry had categorized the commandments from the least to the greatest, this being regarded as one of the least. 1. Matthew 5:19, So anyone who breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever obeys them and teaches others to do so will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (NET) B. Everything done by God s servants must be done in the spirit of mercy and kindness. (See Clarke.) C. Compare: Leviticus 22:28, You must not slaughter an ox or a sheep and its young on the same day. (NET) 2. Exodus 23:19, The first of the firstfruits of your soil you must bring to the house of the Lord your God. You must not cook a young goat in its mother s milk. (NET)

21 21 II. Do this so that it may go well with you and you may have a long life. A. Related references: Deuteronomy 4:40, Keep his statutes and commandments that I am setting forth today so that it may go well with you and your descendants and that you may enjoy longevity in the land that the Lord your God is about to give you as a permanent possession. (NET) 2. Deuteronomy 5:33, Walk just as he has commanded you so that you may live, that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land you are going to possess. (NET) 3. Deuteronomy 6:2, and that you may so revere the Lord your God that you will keep all his statutes and commandments that I am giving you you, your children, and your grandchildren all your lives, to prolong your days. (NET) 4. Deuteronomy 11:9, and that you may enjoy long life in the land the Lord promised to give to your ancestors and their descendants, a land flowing with milk and honey. (NET) B. Obeying God s commands contributes to longevity.

22 Deuteronomy 5:16, Honor your father and your mother just as the Lord your God has commanded you to do, so that your days may be extended and that it may go well with you in the land that he is about to give you. (NET) 2. Exodus 20:12, Honor your father and your mother, that you may live a long time in the land the Lord your God is giving to you. (NET) Deuteronomy 22:8, If you build a new house, you must construct a guard rail around your roof to avoid being culpable in the event someone should fall from it. (NET) I. If you build a new house, you must construct a guard rail* around your roof to avoid being culpable in the event someone should fall from it. A. *NET Footnote: Or a parapet. 1. Consider the fact that roofs were flat in that desert country from which a person could accidentally fall. a. Acts 10:9, About noon the next day, while they were on their way and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. (NET) b. Matthew 10:27, What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light, and what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the housetops. (NET)

23 23 B. It is our duty as Christians to exercise prudence in regard to safety to avoid injury to others and liability to ourselves? 1. Neglect produces harm and harm produces liability. 2. Is it necessary for Christians to drive safety, keep our automobiles in a safe operating condition, to be sure our homes are in a good state of repair? 3. What about automobile and house insurance (fire and liability)? C. Roofs were used for many purposes involving the presence of groups of people including children. (See Hall.) 1. Joshua 2:6, (Now she had taken them up to the roof and had hidden them in the stalks of flax she had spread out on the roof.) (NET) 2. 1 Samuel 9:25, When they came down from the high place to the town, Samuel spoke with Saul on the roof. (NET) 3. 2 Samuel 11:2, One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of his palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. Now this woman was very attractive. (NET) 4. 2 Samuel 16:22, So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and Absalom had sex with

24 24 his father s concubines in the sight of all Israel. (NET) 5. Isaiah 22:1, Here is a message about the Valley of Vision: What is the reason that all of you go up to the rooftops? (NET) 6. Jeremiah 19:13, The houses in Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah will be defiled by dead bodies just like this place, Topheth. For they offered sacrifice to the stars and poured out drink offerings to other gods on the roofs of those houses. (NET) 7. A home owner was required to make the roof safe to avoid injuries or deaths from falls off the roof. (See Hall.) a. This command would extend to all other things a person could reasonably do to prevent harm to others. b. Hall wrote, Safety of others highlights this law. c. Negligence causing harm to another causes the negligent person to be liable for injuries. (See Hall.) 8. Nehemiah 8:16, So the people went out and brought these things back and constructed temporary shelters for themselves, each on his

25 25 roof and in his courtyard and in the courtyards of the temple of God and in the plaza of the Water Gate and the plaza of the Ephraim Gate. (NET) ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE PRINCIPLE OF PURITY Deuteronomy 22:9, You must not plant your vineyard with two kinds of seed; otherwise the entire yield, both of the seed you plant and the produce of the vineyard, will be defiled. (NET) I. You must not plant your vineyard with two kinds of seed; otherwise the entire yield, both of the seed you plant and the produce of the vineyards, will be defiled. A. Leviticus 19:19, You must keep my statutes. You must not allow two different kinds of your animals to breed, you must not sow your field with two different kinds of seed, and you must not wear a garment made of two different kinds of fabric. (NET) B. Smith wrote, Three laws (in verses 9-12) forbid the mixing of kinds: two kinds of seeds were not to be planted in a vineyard, an ox and an ass were not to be yolked together; and clothes in which two types of cloth had been woven together were to be avoided.

26 26 C. Israel was to keep itself pure and separate from other nations. 1. This separateness was to be reflected in all their activities from farming to the clothing they wore. (See Hall.) Deuteronomy 22:10, You must not plow with an ox and a donkey harnessed together. (NET) I. You must not plow with an ox and a donkey harnessed together. A. This is practical as an ox is bigger and stronger than a donkey. An ox was a clean animal while a donkey was an unclean animal. 1. The clean (Israel) was not to be yoked with the unclean (heathen nations) Corinthians 6:14, Do not become partners with those who do not believe, for what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship does light have with darkness? (NET) 3. Some animals, true yoke-follows, work far better together. (See Clarke.) B. We should keep things the way God made them. We are not to mix things up.

27 27 C. These examples, while true in their own right, were designed to teach the truth that Israel was to keep itself separate from heathen idolaters. (See Clarke.) Deuteronomy 22:11, You must not wear clothing made with wool and linen meshed together. (NET) I. You must not wear clothing made with wool and linen meshed together. A. This may be because material of this kind was reserved for holy uses such as in the priests garments and in material used in the tabernacle. 1. The holy and unholy were not to be mixed. B. A garment of divers sorts was a garment in which threads of linen and threads of wool were interwoven. (See The Pulpit Commentary.) 1. This type of meshing of two types of material into one garment may have been of Egyptian origin. (See The Pulpit Commentary.) Deuteronomy 22:12, You shall make yourselves tassels for the four corners of the clothing you wear. (NET) I. You shall make yourselves tassels for the four corners of the clothing you wear.

28 28 A. Numbers 15:37-41, The Lord spoke to Moses: Speak to the Israelites and tell them to make tassels for themselves on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and put a blue thread on the tassel of the corners. You must have this tassel so that you may look at it and remember all the commandments of the Lord and obey them and so that you do not follow after your own heart and your own eyes that lead you to unfaithfulness. Thus you will remember and obey all my commandments and be holy to your God. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God. I am the Lord your God. (NET) B. These tassels (fringes) were to remind Israel of her special status before God, Hall wrote. 1. Matthew 9:20, But a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. (NET) 2. Matthew 23:5, They do all their deeds to be seen by people, for they make their phylacteries wide and their tassels long. (NET) C. Israelites were to be distinctive in their beliefs, conduct and dress. (See Payne.) PURITY IN THE MARRIAGE RELATIONSHIP

29 29 NOTE: The laws in this section have the design of fostering purity and fidelity in the relation of the sexes, and also of protecting the female against the malice of sated lust and the violence of brutal lust. (The Pulpit Commentary) Deuteronomy 22:13, Suppose a man marries a woman, has sexual relations with her, and then rejects her, (NET) I. Suppose a man marries a woman, has sexual relations with her, *and then rejects her,... A. *NET Footnote: Hebrews goes to her (a euphemism for sexual relations). B. Leviticus 18:1-20, The Lord spoke to Moses: Speak to the Israelites and tell them, I am the Lord your God! You must not do as they do in the land of Egypt where you have been living, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan into which I am about to bring you; you must not walk in their statutes. You must observe my regulations and you must be sure to walk in my statutes. I am the Lord your God. So you must keep my statutes and my regulations; anyone who does so will live by keeping them. I am the Lord. No man is to approach any close relative to have sexual intercourse with her. I am the Lord. You must not expose your father s nakedness by having sexual intercourse with your mother. She is your mother; you must not have intercourse with her. You must not have sexual intercourse with your father s wife; she is your father s nakedness. You must not have sexual intercourse with your sister,

30 30 whether she is your father s daughter or your mother s daughter, whether she is born in the same household or born outside it; you must not have sexual intercourse with either of them. You must not expose the nakedness of your son s daughter or your daughter s daughter by having sexual intercourse with them, because they are your own nakedness. You must not have sexual intercourse with the daughter of your father s wife born of your father; she is your sister. You must not have intercourse with her. You must not have sexual intercourse with your father s sister; she is your father s flesh. You must not have sexual intercourse with your mother s sister, because she is your mother s flesh. You must not expose the nakedness of your father s brother; you must not approach his wife to have sexual intercourse with her. She is your aunt. You must not have sexual intercourse with your daughter-in-law; she is your son s wife. You must not have intercourse with her. You must not have sexual intercourse with your brother s wife; she is your brother s nakedness. You must not have sexual intercourse with both a woman and her daughter; you must not take as wife either her son s daughter or her daughter s daughter to have intercourse with them. They are closely related to her it is lewdness. You must not take a woman in marriage and then marry her sister as a rival wife while she is still alive, to have sexual intercourse with her. You must not approach a woman in her menstrual impurity to have sexual intercourse with her. You must not have sexual

31 31 intercourse with the wife of your fellow citizen to become unclean with her. (NET) C. 2 Samuel 13:1-38, Now David s son Absalom had a beautiful sister named Tamar. In the course of time David s son Amnon fell madly in love with her. But Amnon became frustrated because he was so lovesick over his sister Tamar. For she was a virgin, and to Amnon it seemed out of the question to do anything to her. Now Amnon had a friend named Jonadab, the son of David s brother Shimeah. Jonadab was a very crafty man. He asked Amnon, Why are you, the king s son, so depressed every morning? Can t you tell me? So Amnon said to him, I m in love with Tamar the sister of my brother Absalom. Jonadab replied to him, Lie down on your bed and pretend to be sick. When your father comes in to see you, say to him, Please let my sister Tamar come in so she can fix some food for me. Let her prepare the food in my sight so I can watch. Then I will eat from her hand. So Amnon lay down and pretended to be sick. When the king came in to see him, Amnon said to the king, Please let my sister Tamar come in so she can make a couple of cakes in my sight. Then I will eat from her hand. So David sent Tamar to the house saying, Please go to the house of Amnon your brother and prepare some food for him. So Tamar went to the house of Amnon her brother, who was lying down. She took the dough, kneaded it, made some cakes while he watched, and baked them. But when she took the pan and set it before him, he refused to eat. Instead Amnon said,

32 32 Get everyone out of here! So everyone left. Then Amnon said to Tamar, Bring the cakes into the bedroom; then I will eat from your hand. So Tamar took the cakes that she had prepared and brought them to her brother Amnon in the bedroom. As she brought them to him to eat, he grabbed her and said to her, Come on! Get in bed with me, my sister! But she said to him, No, my brother! Don t humiliate me! This just isn t done in Israel! Don t do this foolish thing! How could I ever be rid of my humiliation? And you would be considered one of the fools in Israel! Just speak to the king, for he will not withhold me from you. But he refused to listen to her. He overpowered her and humiliated her by raping her. Then Amnon greatly despised her. His disdain toward her surpassed the love he had previously felt toward her. Amnon said to her, Get up and leave! But she said to him, No I won t, for sending me away now would be worse than what you did to me earlier! But he refused to listen to her. He called his personal attendant and said to him, Take this woman out of my sight and lock the door behind her! (Now she was wearing a long robe, for this is what the king s virgin daughters used to wear.) So Amnon s attendant removed her and bolted the door behind her. Then Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the long robe she was wearing. She put her hands on her head and went on her way, wailing as she went. Her brother Absalom said to her, Was Amnon your brother with you? Now be quiet, my sister. He is your brother. Don t take it so seriously! Tamar, devastated, lived in the house of her brother

33 33 Absalom. Now King David heard about all these things and was very angry. But Absalom said nothing to Amnon, either bad or good, yet Absalom hated Amnon because he had humiliated his sister Tamar. Two years later Absalom s sheepshearers were in Baal Hazor, near Ephraim. Absalom invited all the king s sons. Then Absalom went to the king and said, My shearers have begun their work. Let the king and his servants go with me. But the king said to Absalom, No, my son. We shouldn t all go. We shouldn t burden you in that way. Though Absalom pressed him, the king was not willing to go. Instead, David blessed him. Then Absalom said, If you will not go, then let my brother Amnon go with us. The king replied to him, Why should he go with you? But when Absalom pressed him, he sent Amnon and all the king s sons along with him. Absalom instructed his servants, Look! When Amnon is drunk and I say to you, Strike Amnon down, kill him then and there. Don t fear! Is it not I who have given you these instructions? Be strong and courageous! So Absalom s servants did to Amnon exactly what Absalom had instructed. Then all the king s sons got up; each one rode away on his mule and fled. While they were still on their way, the following report reached David: Absalom has killed all the king s sons; not one of them is left! Then the king stood up and tore his garments and lay down on the ground. All his servants were standing there with torn garments as well. Jonadab, the son of David s brother Shimeah, said, My lord should not say, They have killed all the young men who are the king s

34 34 sons. For only Amnon is dead. This is what Absalom has talked about from the day that Amnon humiliated his sister Tamar. Now don t let my lord the king be concerned about the report that has come saying, All the king s sons are dead. It is only Amnon who is dead. In the meantime Absalom fled. When the servant who was the watchman looked up, he saw many people coming from the west on a road beside the hill. Jonadab said to the king, Look! The king s sons have come! It s just as I said! Just as he finished speaking, the king s sons arrived, wailing and weeping. The king and all his servants wept loudly as well. But Absalom fled and went to King Talmai son of Ammihud of Geshur. And David grieved over his son every day. After Absalom fled and went to Geshur, he remained there for three years. (NET) D. Smith noted that four (4) categories of sexual misconduct are addressed in verses Premarital promiscuity was a serious crime in ancient Israel. (See verses ) 2. A couple caught in the act of adultery were both to be executed. (See verses ) 3. Rape of a betrothed virgin was punishable by death. (See verses ) 4. Sexual relations between a man and his father s former wife were forbidden. (See verse 30.)

35 35 a. Deuteronomy 27:20, Cursed is the one who has sexual relations with his father s former wife, for he dishonors his father. Then all the people will say, Amen! (NET) E. Hall stated these laws on sexual conduct were written from a patriarchal perspective with men as the primary actors, either fathers, husbands or single males. This is expected within the context of ancient Israel. There was also a genuine concern for the welfare of women. The wronged woman was assured social and economic security and vindication. F. Hall further wrote that in that era girls were betrothed at an early age and remained in their father s house until the wedding ceremony, which allowed them little time together and may have increased the possibility that they would not be compatible Samuel 16:21, Ahithophel replied to Absalom, Have sex with your father s concubines whom he left to care for the palace. All Israel will hear that you have made yourself repulsive to your father. Then your followers will be motivated to support you. (NET) 2. Genesis 29:31-33, When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, he enabled her to become pregnant while Rachel remained childless. So Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, The Lord has looked with pity on my oppressed condition.

36 36 Surely my husband will love me now. She became pregnant again and had another son. She said, Because the Lord heard that I was unloved, he gave me this one too. So she named him Simeon. (NET) 3. Deuteronomy 27:15-17, Cursed is the one who makes a carved or metal image something abhorrent to the Lord, the work of the craftsman and sets it up in a secret place. Then all the people will say, Amen! Cursed is the one who disrespects his father and mother. Then all the people will say, Amen! Cursed is the one who moves his neighbor s boundary marker. Then all the people will say, Amen! (NET) Deuteronomy 22:14, accusing her of impropriety and defaming her reputation by saying, I married this woman but when I had sexual relations with her I discovered she was not a virgin! (NET) I. accusing her of impropriety and defaming her reputation by saying, I married this woman but when I had sexual relations with her* I discovered she was not a virgin. A. *NET Footnote: Hebrew drew near to her (another euphemism). B. Numbers 5:5-31, Then the Lord spoke to Moses: Tell the Israelites, When a man or a woman commits any sin that people commit, thereby breaking faith with the Lord, and that person is found

37 37 guilty, then he must confess his sin that he has committed and must make full reparation, add one fifth to it, and give it to whomever he wronged. But if the individual has no close relative to whom reparation can be made for the wrong, the reparation for the wrong must be paid to the Lord for the priest, in addition to the ram of atonement by which atonement is made for him. Every offering of all the Israelites holy things that they bring to the priest will be his. Every man s holy things will be his; whatever any man gives the priest will be his. The Lord spoke to Moses: Speak to the Israelites and tell them, If any man s wife goes astray and behaves unfaithfully toward him, and a man has sexual relations with her without her husband knowing it, and it is hidden that she has defiled herself, since there was no witness against her, nor was she caught and if jealous feelings come over him and he becomes suspicious of his wife, when she is defiled; or if jealous feelings come over him and he becomes suspicious of his wife, when she is not defiled then the man must bring his wife to the priest, and he must bring the offering required for her, one tenth of an ephah of barley meal; he must not pour olive oil on it or put frankincense on it, because it is a grain offering of suspicion, a grain offering for remembering, for bringing iniquity to remembrance. Then the priest will bring her near and have her stand before the Lord. The priest will then take holy water in a pottery jar, and take some of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle, and put it into the water. Then the priest will have the woman stand

38 38 before the Lord, uncover the woman s head, and put the grain offering for remembering in her hands, which is the grain offering of suspicion. The priest will hold in his hand the bitter water that brings a curse. Then the priest will put the woman under oath and say to her, If no other man has had sexual relations with you, and if you have not gone astray and become defiled while under your husband s authority, may you be free from this bitter water that brings a curse. But if you have gone astray while under your husband s authority, and if you have defiled yourself and some man other than your husband has had sexual relations with you. Then the priest will put the woman under the oath of the curse and will say to her, The Lord make you an attested curse among your people, if the Lord makes your thigh fall away and your abdomen swell; and this water that causes the curse will go into your stomach, and make your abdomen swell and your thigh rot. Then the woman must say, Amen, amen. Then the priest will write these curses on a scroll and then scrape them off into the bitter water. He will make the woman drink the bitter water that brings a curse, and the water that brings a curse will enter her to produce bitterness. The priest will take the grain offering of suspicion from the woman s hand, wave the grain offering before the Lord, and bring it to the altar. Then the priest will take a handful of the grain offering as its memorial portion, burn it on the altar, and afterward make the woman drink the water. When he has made her drink the water, then, if she has defiled herself and behaved

39 39 unfaithfully toward her husband, the water that brings a curse will enter her to produce bitterness her abdomen will swell, her thigh will fall away, and the woman will become a curse among her people. But if the woman has not defiled herself, and is clean, then she will be free of ill effects and will be able to bear children. This is the law for cases of jealousy, when a wife, while under her husband s authority, goes astray and defiles herself, or when jealous feelings come over a man and he becomes suspicious of his wife; then he must have the woman stand before the Lord, and the priest will carry out all this law upon her. Then the man will be free from iniquity, but that woman will bear the consequences of her iniquity. (NET) C. 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 the care of her father prior to the wedding, he would have been responsible for her conduct. Deuteronomy 22:15, Then the father and mother of the young woman must produce the evidence of virginity for the elders of the city at the gate. (NET) I. Then the father and mother of the young woman must produce the evidence of virginity for the elders of the city at the gate. A. The woman s parents were to prove their daughter was a virgin at the time of her marriage by presenting the tokens

40 40 of her virginity, i.e., the bloodstained cloth from the wedding night. 1. However, Hall regarded this as uncertain because the husband would not have permitted such evidence to be taken especially in view of the penalties affixed to a false accusation of this kind. 2. Hall held that the token of her virginity may have referenced menstrual pads which would prove at least that the bride was not pregnant at the time of her marriage. Deuteronomy 22:16, The young woman s father must say to the elders, I gave my daughter to this man and he has rejected her. (NET) I. The young woman s father must say to the elders, I gave my daughter to this man and he has rejected her. A. As the betrothed daughter had lived in the father s house until the marriage was consummated, the father was responsible for her conduct during the betrothal. 1. The father and mother certainly had a major vested interest in their daughter s virginity. 2. 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.

41 41 Deuteronomy 22:17, Moreover, he has raised accusations of impropriety by saying, I discovered your daughter was not a virgin, but this is the evidence of my daughter s virginity! The cloth must then be spread out before the city s elders. (NET) I. Moreover, he has raised accusations of impropriety by saying, I discovered your daughter was not a virgin, but this is the evidence of my daughter s virginity! A. Here the husband s charge is presented to the court by the father, the husband no doubt being present. B. The father prepares the court to receive the evidence related to his daughter s virginity. II. The cloth must then be spread out before the city s elders. A. The cloth to be entered as evidence was to prove the woman was a virgin and/or not pregnant on her wedding night which may have been either: the sheet on which the couple s first sexual intercourse took place which likely, for a virgin, would have blood stains on it, or recent bloody menstrual clothes proving the woman was not pregnant at the time the marriage was consummated. Deuteronomy 22:18, The elders of that city must then seize the man and punish him. (NET)

42 42 I. The elders of that city must then seize the man and punish him. A. The elders were to decide the case and exact punishment on the guilty. 1. Punish or chastise means to flog or whip, Coffman advised. B. In this case the husband was determined to have lied, been proved to have borne false witness against his wife. The wife was exonerated. 1. Exodus 20:16, You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. (NET) Deuteronomy 22:19, They will fine him one hundred shekels of silver and give them to the young woman s father, for the man who made the accusation ruined the reputation of an Israelite virgin. She will then become his wife and he may never divorce her as long as he lives. (NET) I. They will fine him one hundred shekels of silver and give them to the young woman s father, for the man who made the accusation ruined the reputation of an Israelite virgin. A. As ten (10) shekels was an average year s wages, the one hundred (100) shekels would have been the wages earned in ten (10) years.