Adultery
Is Great Wickedness Against Yahweh
Genesis 39:7-9 reads,
39:7It
happened after these things, that his master’s wife cast her eyes on Joseph;
and she said, "Lie with me."
39:8But
he refused, and said to his master’s wife, "Behold, my master
doesn’t know what is with me in the house, and he has put all that he has into
my hand. 39:9He isn’t greater in
this house than I, neither has he kept back anything from me but you, because
you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against
God?"
Isn't it the case that Joseph understood that adultery, sexually lying with another man's wife, is great wickedness and sin against Yahweh? Isn't this what Yahweh also revealed to Abimelech when he had unwittingly taken Sarah to be his wife though she was another man's wife?
Shouldn't Yahweh's people understand that adultery is great wickedness and sin against Yahweh and should indeed avoid it, even when enticed into it?
Families
Are Yahweh's Gifts To Those Who Fear Him
Exodus 1:15-21 reads,
1:15The
king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of the one was
Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah, 1:16and
he said, "When you perform the duty of a midwife to the Hebrew women,
and see them on the birth stool; if it is a son, then you shall kill him; but
if it is a daughter, then she shall live." 1:17But
the midwives feared God, and didn’t do what the king of
1:19The
midwives said to Pharaoh, "Because the Hebrew women aren’t like the
Egyptian women; for they are vigorous, and give birth before the midwife comes
to them."
1:20God
dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied, and grew very mighty. 1:21It happened, because the midwives feared
God, that he gave them families.
Isn't it the case, as seen from Yahweh's dealing with the midwives, that families are blessings Yahweh gives to those who fear him? Shouldn't Yahweh's people fear him that they may receive from him the blessing of families, even as the midwives received the same from Yahweh?
Moses
Sent His Wife Zipporah Away
Exodus 18:1-6 reads,
18:1Now
Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had
done for Moses, and for
Why did Moses send his wife Zipporah away? Had she behaved in an unseemly manner?
Why did Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, return Zipporah back to her husband? Was this to facilitate Moses receiving her back after having sent her away?
Do Not
Commit Adultery - Physically Or In The Heart
Exodus 20:14 reads,
20:14"You
shall not commit adultery.
Exodus 20:17 reads,
20:17"You
shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s
wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his
donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s."
Isn't it the case that not only should a man not commit adultery - take as one's wife another man's wife or otherwise take sexually another man's wife, he should also not desire to have her? In other words, doesn't Yahweh's word make clear that it is against his word not only to do the act that he forbids, but also to desire so to do?
Shouldn't we refrain from desiring to walk contrary to Yahweh's word, even when it appears that we are actually walking in Yahweh's word?
Exodus 21:1-11 reads,
21:1"Now
these are the ordinances which you shall set before them.
21:2If
you buy a Hebrew servant, he shall serve six years and in the seventh he shall
go out free without paying anything. 21:3If
he comes in by himself, he shall go out by himself. If he is married, then
his wife shall go out with him. 21:4If
his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and
her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out by himself. 21:5But if the servant shall plainly say, ‘I
love my master, my wife, and my children. I will not go out free;’ 21:6then his master shall bring him to God, and
shall bring him to the door or to the door-post, and his master shall bore his
ear through with an awl, and he shall serve him for ever.
21:7"If
a man sells his daughter to be a maid-servant, she shall not go out as
the men-servants do. 21:8If she
doesn’t please her master, who has married her to himself, then he shall let
her be redeemed. He shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people,
seeing he has dealt deceitfully with her. 21:9If
he marries her to his son, he shall deal with her after the manner of
daughters. 21:10If he takes another
wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, and her marital
rights. 21:11If he doesn’t do these
three things for her, she may go free without paying any money.
A Woman
Given As Wife To A Servant Remains In Her Master's Household Even Upon Marriage
Don't Yahweh's ordinances to the children of Israel show that the status of the free Israelite is different from that of a servant or slave Israelite? Isn't it the case that a master has authority to give a woman in his household to a male servant as his wife? Isn't it also the case that such a woman, and her children borne to a male servant in her master's house, remain in the household of her master even when the time for release for the male servant has arrived? In other words, isn't it the case that when a woman is given as wife to a male servant in her master's household she still remains under the overall authority of her master, and is not released from that authority by having been given as wife to the male servant?
Doesn't it therefore appear that if an Israelite master desires to keep a woman in his household his manner of so doing is ensuring that he gives her as wife to a male servant in his household?
A
Father Has Authority To Sell His Daughter As A Slave
Isn't it the case that an Israelite man has authority to sell his daughter to be a servant to another Israelite? Isn't it also the case that once he has done so he transfers authority over her to her master or mistress?
A
Master Of A Maidservant Has Authority To Marry Her To Anyone In His Household
Isn't it the case that a master of an Israelite maidservant has authority to either marry her to himself or to another person in his household? Isn't it the case that if he marries her to himself she becomes his wife just as much as a free woman who becomes his wife? Nevertheless, isn't it the case that even though she becomes his wife, she does not lose her servant status, and therefore does not have the higher status of a wife who is a free woman?
A
Master Has An Obligation To Provide Food And Clothing To His Servants
Doesn't 21:10-11 show that a master has an obligation to provide adequate food and clothing to his servants? Doesn't it also show that if he takes his female servant as his wife that he also has an obligation to provide her with adequate sex? In other words, isn't it the case that a master is not to diminish the sexual dues to his slave wife on account of her slavery, and is to give her due sex, even as he should for his free wife?
Yahweh
Allows Israelite Men To Have More Than One Wife
Doesn't 21:10-11 also show that an Israelite man can indeed marry more than one wife, Yahweh allowing him to take another wife in addition to any female servant wife he already has? Isn't it the case that the additional wife can be either a free woman or another slave woman?
A Slave
Wife Denied Adequate Food, Clothing And Sex Secures Redemption From Slavery
Isn't it the case that if a man does not properly treat his slave wife, by giving her adequate food, clothing and sex, that she secures freedom from her slavery and becomes a free woman? Shouldn't it be made clear that the freedom she secures is one from slavery rather than one from her marriage, seeing that 21:2-11 is talking about servants and freedom from service?
A Man
Has Authority Over His Wife
Exodus 21:22-25 reads,
21:22"If
men fight and hurt a pregnant woman so that she gives birth prematurely, and
yet no harm follows, he shall be surely fined as much as the woman’s husband
demands and the judges allow. 21:23But
if any harm follows, then you must take life for life, 21:24eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for
hand, foot for foot, 21:25burning
for burning, wound for wound, and bruise for bruise.
Isn't it clear that a man is in authority over his wife, such that even if she is hurt it is the word of her husband that prevails and not her word?
The
Life Of A Prematurely Born Baby Is Equated With That Of A Born Human Being
Isn't it also clear that Yahweh equates the life of a prematurely born baby as that of another human, a prematurely born baby being as much a human as one already born? Isn't it the case that if the harm spoken of in 21:22-23 is one upon the prematurely born baby the penalty to be effected is the same as if the harm inflicted the pregnant woman?
Abortion
Is Murder And A Great Evil
Isn't it therefore clear that abortion, the murder of prematurely born babies, is a great evil before Yahweh? Isn't it clear that those who murder babies still in the their mothers' wombs are murderers, and deserve the death penalty?
Luke 1:11-17 reads,
1:11An
angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the
altar of incense. 1:12Zacharias was
troubled when he saw him, and fear fell on him. 1:13But
the angel said to him, "Don’t be afraid, Zacharias, because your request
has been heard, and your wife, Elizabeth, will bear you a son, and you shall
call his name John. 1:14You will
have joy and gladness; and many will rejoice at his birth. 1:15For he will be great in the sight of the
Lord, and he will drink no wine nor strong drink. He will be filled with the
Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. 1:16He
will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord, their God. 1:17He will go before his face in the spirit
and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and
the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for
the Lord."
Didn't the angel of Yahweh who appeared to Zacharias assure Zacharias that his prophesied son would John would be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb? Doesn't this clearly indicate that a child in his or her mother's womb is as much a human as a person no longer in his or her mother's womb? Seeing that just as the Holy Spirit fills a person outside his or her mother's womb, the Holy Spirit also fills a person inside his or her mother's womb?
Isn't it therefore affirmed that abortion is indeed murder?
Sexually
Lying With A Virgin Not Pledged To Be Married
Exodus 22:16-17 reads,
22:16"If
a man entices a virgin who isn’t pledged to be married, and lies with her, he
shall surely pay a dowry for her to be his wife. 22:17If
her father utterly refuses to give her to him, he shall pay money according to
the dowry of virgins.
Isn't it the case that sexually lying with a virgin not pledged to be married does not make that woman a man's wife? Isn't it the case that for that woman to become his wife he must be given her by her father? Isn't it also the case that dowry should be paid by a man to a woman's father for her to become his wife? Isn't it also the case that there are different categories of dowry, with one for virgins and another for those who are not virgins? Isn't it clear that Yahweh imposes an obligation upon a man who takes away a woman's virginity to pay her father dowry according to the rate for virgins, irrespective of whether or not her father gives her to him as a wife?
It Is
Prostitution To Sexually Lie With A Woman Not Your Wife
Isn't it prostitution for a man to sexually lie with a woman not his wife, and for a woman to sexually lie with a man not her husband?
The
Application Of Yahweh's Law Discourages Prostitution
Doesn't the application of this law of Yahweh discourage prostitution, seeing that the man who plays the prostitute with a virgin is indeed compelled to pay dowry for her as if he was marrying her? Also, isn't prostitution discouraged by the application of this law seeing that there is no guarantee that her father will give her to the man to be his wife? Such that if the man purposes to secure a wife without first seeking her father's authority, her father may indeed refuse to give her to him as a wife, thereby frustrating the man's purpose in dealing with the woman as a prostitute?
Faithfully
Serve Yahweh To Avoid Miscarriages And Barrenness
Exodus 23:20-26 reads,
23:20"Behold,
I send an angel before you, to keep you by the way, and to bring you into the
place which I have prepared. 23:21Pay
attention to him, and listen to his voice. Don’t provoke him, for he will
not pardon your disobedience, for my name is in him. 23:22But if you indeed listen to his voice,
and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies, and an
adversary to your adversaries. 23:23For
my angel shall go before you, and bring you in to the Amorite, the Hittite, the
Perizzite, the Canaanite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite; and I will cut them
off. 23:24You shall not bow down
to their gods, nor serve them, nor follow their practices, but you shall utterly
overthrow them and demolish their pillars. 23:25You
shall serve Yahweh your God, and he will bless your bread and your water, and I
will take sickness away from your midst. 23:26No
one will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will fulfill the number of your
days.
Isn't it clear that by faithfully serving Yahweh he blesses his people, ensuring that no one miscarries or is barren? Doesn't this imply that miscarriages and barrenness are curses for not faithfully serving Yahweh? Isn't it therefore in the interest of Yahweh's people to faithfully serve him, that he may indeed bless them with good health, and remove miscarriages and barrenness from them?
The Law
For Those Who Have A Discharge And An Emission Of Semen
Leviticus 15:16-18 reads,
15:16"'If
any man has an emission of semen, then he shall bathe all his flesh in
water, and be unclean until the evening. 15:17Every
garment, and every skin, whereon the semen is, shall be washed with water, and
be unclean until the evening. 15:18If
a man lies with a woman and there is an emission of semen, they shall both
bathe themselves in water, and be unclean until the evening.
Leviticus 15:24 reads,
15:24"'If
any man lies with her, and her monthly flow is on him, he shall be unclean
seven days; and every bed whereon he lies shall be unclean.
Leviticus 15:31-33 reads,
15:31Thus
you shall separate the children of Israel from their uncleanness, so they will
not die in their uncleanness, when they defile my tabernacle that is in
their midst.'"
15:32This
is the law of him who has a discharge, and of him who has an emission of semen,
so that he is unclean thereby; 15:33and
of her who has her period, and of a man or woman who has a discharge, and of
him who lies with her who is unclean.
Isn't it apparent that Yahweh's law to the children of Israel concerning body discharges and emission of semen involved the defiling of his tabernacle in their midst? Doesn't this imply that this law of Yahweh is applicable only where his tabernacle is located?
Yahweh
Prohibits Sex Between Close Relatives
Leviticus 18 reads,
18:1Yahweh
said to Moses, 18:2"Speak to
the children of Israel, and say to them, 'I am Yahweh your God. 18:3You shall not do as they do in the land of
Egypt, where you lived: and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan,
where I am bringing you; neither shall you walk in their statutes. 18:4You shall do my ordinances, and you shall
keep my statutes, and walk in them: I am Yahweh your God. 18:5You shall therefore keep my statutes and my
ordinances; which if a man does, he shall live in them: I am Yahweh.
18:6"'None
of you shall approach anyone who are his close relatives, to uncover their
nakedness: I am Yahweh.
18:7"'You
shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, nor the nakedness of your
mother: she is your mother. You shall not uncover her nakedness.
18:8"'You
shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's wife: it is your father's
nakedness.
18:9"'You
shall not uncover the nakedness of your sister, the daughter of your father, or
the daughter of your mother, whether born at home, or born abroad.
18:10"'You
shall not uncover the nakedness of your son's daughter, or of your daughter's
daughter, even their nakedness: for theirs is your own nakedness.
18:11"'You
shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's wife's daughter, conceived by
your father, since she is your sister.
18:12"'You
shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's sister: she is your father's
near kinswoman.
18:13"'You
shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother's sister: for she is your
mother's near kinswoman.
18:14"'You
shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's brother, you shall not
approach his wife: she is your aunt.
18:15"'You
shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law: she is your son's
wife. You shall not uncover her nakedness.
18:16"'You
shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother's wife: it is your brother's
nakedness.
18:17"'You
shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter. You shall not take
her son's daughter, or her daughter's daughter, to uncover her nakedness; they
are near kinswomen: it is wickedness.
18:18"'You
shall not take a wife to her sister, to be a rival, to uncover her nakedness,
while her sister is yet alive.
18:19"'You
shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness, as long as she is impure
by her uncleanness.
18:20"'You
shall not lie carnally with your neighbor's wife, and defile yourself with her.
18:21"'You
shall not give any of your children to sacrifice to Molech; neither shall you
profane the name of your God: I am Yahweh.
18:22"'You
shall not lie with a man, as with a woman. That is detestible.
18:23"'You
shall not lie with any animal to defile yourself with it; neither shall any
woman give herself to an animal, to lie down with it: it is a perversion.
18:24"'Don't
defile yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations which I
am casting out before you were defiled. 18:25The
land was defiled: therefore I punished its iniquity, and the land vomitted out
her inhabitants. 18:26You therefore
shall keep my statutes and my ordinances, and shall not do any of these
abominations; neither the native-born, nor the stranger who sojourns among you;
18:27(for all these abominations
have the men of the land done, that were before you, and the land became
defiled); 18:28that the land not
vomit you out also, when you defile it, as it vomited out the nation that was
before you.
18:29"'For
whoever shall do any of these abominations, even the souls that do them shall
be cut off from among their people. 18:30Therefore
you shall keep my charge, that you do not practice any of these abominable
customs, which were practiced before you, and that you do not defile yourselves
with them: I am Yahweh your God.'"
Sexual
Sins Defile Both Sinners And Their Land
Hasn't Yahweh made clear that sexual sins defile those who partake of them? Hasn't Yahweh also made clear that partaking of sexual sins results not only in the defilement of those partaking of them, but also in the defilement of the lands in which such sins take place? Hasn't Yahweh made clear that these sexual laws of his are applicable not just to the children of Israel, but to all human beings? Seeing that when non-Israelites violated these sexual laws of his they became defiled and their lands also became defiled, and vomited them out of it? Isn't it therefore clear that Yahweh's marriage laws and sexual laws are applicable to all human beings, and not just to the children of Israel?
Committing
Adultery With A Bondmaid Pledged To Be Married
Leviticus 19:20-22 reads,
19:20Whoever
lies carnally with a woman, who is a bondmaid, pledged to be married to a
husband, and not at all redeemed, nor freedom given her; they shall be
punished; they shall not be put to death, because she was not free.
19:21He shall bring his
trespass-offering to Yahweh, to the door of the tent of meeting, even a ram for
a trespass-offering. 19:22The priest
shall make atonement for him with the ram of the trespass-offering before
Yahweh for his sin which he has sinned: and the sin which he has sinned shall
be forgiven him.
Isn't it the case that a sin committed against a person with lesser social status incurs a lesser penalty? Doesn't this imply that a bondmaid wife does not have as high a status as a free wife does?
A
Betrothal Bond Is Not As Strong As A Marriage Bond
Isn't it also clear that the bonding between a man and his wife pledged to be married to him is not as strong as that between a man and his married wife? Isn't it the case that a man and his wife pledged to be married to him are not one flesh prior to their sexual union or marriage? Isn't it therefore the case that sin committed in the betrothal stage, prior to marriage, is not as severe as that committed in marriage?
Adultery
Involving A Married Wife Is More Severe That One Not Involving A Married Wife
Isn't this what Yahweh also showed when Abimelech unwittingly took as his wife Sarah, a woman married to another man? Didn't Yahweh show that even though Abimelech had committed a serious sin, his sin could have been more serious if he had sexually lain with her? Isn't it therefore clear that adultery involving a married wife is more severe than adultery not involving a married wife, involving a woman pledged to be married?
Do Not
Profane Your Daughter By Not Giving Her As Wife At An Appropriate Time
Leviticus 19:29 reads,
19:29Don’t
profane your daughter, to make her a prostitute; lest the land fall
to prostitution, and the land become full of wickedness.
Shouldn't it be remembered that it is indeed possible for a parent to profane her daughter, in making her a prostitute, by not giving her as a wife to a man at an appropriate time, and unduly delaying in giving her as wife to a man? Isn't a father responsible for such dilatory conduct resulting in his daughter's prostitution? Shouldn't a father see to it that his daughter is taught Yahweh's word and also behaves according to it, to ensure that she does not become defiled on account of prostitution?
Idolatry,
Familiar Spiritism And Witchcraft Are Prostitution
Leviticus 20:1-7 reads,
20:1Yahweh
spoke to Moses, saying, 20:2Moreover,
you shall tell the children of Israel, Whoever he be of the children of Israel,
or of the strangers who sojourn in Israel, who gives of his seed to Molech; he
shall surely be put to death: the people of the land shall stone him with
stones. 20:3I also will set my face
against that man, and will cut him off from among his people; because he has
given of his seed to Molech, to defile my sanctuary, and to profane my holy
name. 20:4If the people at the land
do at all hide their eyes from that man, when he gives of his seed to Molech,
and don’t put him to death; 20:5then
I will set my face against that man, and against his family, and will cut him
off, and all who play the prostitute after him, to play the prostitute with
Molech, from among their people. 20:6The
soul that turns to those who have familiar spirits, and to the wizards, to play
the prostitute after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and
will cut him off from among his people. 20:7Sanctify
yourselves therefore, and be holy; for I am Yahweh your God.
Doesn't Yahweh show that idolatry, familiar spiritism and witchcraft are prostitution - spiritual prostitution? Isn't this equivalent to the people being intimate with one who is not their husband? So who is rightfully the people's husband? Isn't it Yahweh, seeing that it is Yahweh that they are to worship and consult, and not other gods or familiar spirits? Isn't Yahweh the husband of his people?
Leviticus 20:10-24 reads,
20:10The
man who commits adultery with another man’s wife, even he who commits adultery
with his neighbor’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall
surely be put to death. 20:11The
man who lies with his father’s wife has uncovered his father’s nakedness:
both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be on them. 20:12If a man lie with his daughter-in-law,
both of them shall surely be put to death: they have created confusion; their
blood shall be on them. 20:13If a
man lie with mankind, as with womankind, both of them have committed
abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be on
them. 20:14If a man take a wife
and her mother, it is wickedness: they shall be burnt with fire, both he
and they; that there be no wickedness among you. 20:15If a man lie with a animal, he shall
surely be put to death: and you shall kill the animal. 20:16If a woman approach to any animal, and lie
down thereto, you shall kill the woman, and the animal: they shall surely
be put to death; their blood shall be on them. 20:17If
a man shall take his sister, his father’s daughter, or his mother’s daughter, and
see her nakedness, and she see his nakedness; it is a shameful thing; and
they shall be cut off in the sight of the children of their people: he has
uncovered his sister’s nakedness; he shall bear his iniquity. 20:18If a man shall lie with a woman having her
sickness, and shall uncover her nakedness; he has made naked her fountain, and
she has uncovered the fountain of her blood: and both of them shall be cut
off from among their people. 20:19You
shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother’s sister, nor of your father’s
sister; for he has made naked his close relative: they shall bear their
iniquity. 20:20If a man shall lie
with his uncle’s wife, he has uncovered his uncle’s nakedness: they shall
bear their sin; they shall die childless. 20:21If
a man shall take his brother’s wife, it is impurity: he has uncovered his
brother’s nakedness; they shall be childless. 20:22You
shall therefore keep all my statutes, and all my ordinances, and do them; that
the land, where I bring you to dwell therein, not vomit you out. 20:23You shall not walk in the customs of the
nation, which I cast out before you: for they did all these things, and
therefore I abhorred them. 20:24But
I have said to you, You shall inherit their land, and I will give it to you to
possess it, a land flowing with milk and honey: I am Yahweh your God, who has
separated you from the peoples.
Isn't it clear that violating Yahweh's sexual laws incurs the death penalty? Shouldn't the people of Yahweh heed Yahweh's word and avoid violating his sexual laws? Shouldn't Yahweh's people be holy, seeing that he has separated them from the peoples of the world?
Yahweh's
Sexual Laws Are Applicable To All Human Beings
Isn't it also clear that Yahweh's sexual laws are applicable to all human beings and not just the children of Israel, seeing that Yahweh says that it is for the sexual sins of the Canaanites that they defiled themselves and their land and were vomited out of it?
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