Troublesome Topic: OLD TESTAMENT MOTIVATION TO ABSTAIN FROM SEXUAL MISCONDUCT
What are some of the motivating factors that would encourage people to abstain from sexual misconduct in the Old Testament era?
Summary: the “price to be paid” for sexual misconduct could be any of the following or a combination of them depending on the situation. (For details about specific situations see below).
The death penalty
Huge debts, some of which were a burden for years and some for decades
A loss of the bride price
Shame and Loss of reputation with its consequent loss of business dealings
Inability to find a future spouse, thus no children and an inheritance that, in the end, goes to a brother.
Having a child that is always considered illegitimate
A daughter that never leaves home but lives with her father or brother
However, the level of rejection often exhibited (and evident in the Christmas story) was not required by the Law. God is a God of gracious acceptance and extreme holiness at the same time. He always wants us to learn something from our mistakes and if we are willing to repent, He does not reject us.
Details of Various Situations
What would motivate a man to refrain from raping a virgin?
The death penalty, i.e. stoning
What would motivate a man to refrain from having consensual sex with a virgin without marrying her?
The death penalty, i.e. stoning
What would motivate a married man or married woman to refrain from sex outside of marriage?
The death penalty, i.e. strangulation
What would motivate a man or woman to refrain from abnormal sexual activity?
The death penalty, i.e. stoning
What would motivate a betrothed “husband” to refrain from having sex with his betrothed “wife” and then giving her back to her father?
The death penalty, i.e. stoning
What would motivate a betrothed “husband” to refrain from having sex with his betrothed “wife” and then marrying her?
Decades of debt; pay whatever her father demanded
Bad reputation
Loss of business
Stressful family relationships
Maybe an illegitimate child
What would motivate a man to refrain from raping a virgin and then marrying her?
Decades of debt; pay whatever her father demanded
Bad reputation
Loss of business
Stressful family relationships
Maybe an illegitimate child
What would motivate a man to refrain from having consensual sex with a virgin and then marrying her?
Decades of debt; pay whatever her father demanded
Bad reputation
Loss of business
Stressful family relationships
Maybe an illegitimate child
What would motivate a father to never commit incest with his daughter?
No chance of finding a husband for her
No bride price possible
No respectable grandchildren by her
She must live in his house the rest of his days
He and his whole family would suffer shame
What would motivate a young woman to stay away from potential rape situations before marriage?
No possibility of marriage and children
She must stay in her father’s house all his days and then go live with a brother.
No bride price for her father
Much shame suffered by her family
What would motivate a young woman to stay pure and not have sex before marriage?
She would be stoned in front of her father’s house!
What would motivate a father to protect his daughter from rape?
If she were betrothed, he must return the bride price
He would not be able to find another husband for her
If not betrothed, he would not be able to find a husband for her
She would live in his house the rest of his days
He and his whole family would suffer shame
What about Our Culture Today?
What motivations exist in our culture to persuade someone to not go down the road of sex outside of marriage?
Do our motivations seem to work very well?
Did God know what He was doing when He established the Old Testament Law as a teaching tool?
At this point in this study series on the Covenants, I could include a section about Divorce and Remarriage, but I have not done so because my coverage of divorce and remarriage has grown to be 14 lessons long, and all but two of them come from the New Testament. If you are interested in my study on Divorce and Remarriage, the first lesson is: Missing Puzzle Pieces and Some Guiding Principles About Divorce and Remarriage.
The next lesson in all three series on Covenants is: Why So Much War?
The next lesson in Why Is That in the Bible? is: Murder by an Unknown Perpetrator