(Deuteronomy 22:5, 13-30)
5 “A woman shall not wear man’s clothing, nor shall a man put on a woman’s clothing; for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord your God.
... (these verses were covered in yesterday's devotion)
13 “If any man takes a wife and goes in to her and then turns against her, 14 and charges her with shameful deeds and publicly defames her, and says, ‘I took this woman, but when I came near her, I did not find her a virgin,’ 15 then the girl’s father and her mother shall take and bring out the evidence of the girl’s virginity to the elders of the city at the gate. 16 The girl’s father shall say to the elders, ‘I gave my daughter to this man for a wife, but he turned against her; 17 and behold, he has charged her with shameful deeds, saying, “I did not find your daughter a virgin.” But this is the evidence of my daughter’s virginity.’ And they shall spread the garment before the elders of the city. 18 So the elders of that city shall take the man and chastise him, 19 and they shall fine him a hundred shekels of silver and give it to the girl’s father, because he publicly defamed a virgin of Israel. And she shall remain his wife; he cannot divorce her all his days.
20 “But if this charge is true, that the girl was not found a virgin, 21 then they shall bring out the girl to the doorway of her father’s house, and the men of her city shall stone her to death because she has committed an act of folly in Israel by playing the harlot in her father’s house; thus you shall purge the evil from among you.
22 “If a man is found lying with a married woman, then both of them shall die, the man who lay with the woman, and the woman; thus you shall purge the evil from Israel.
23 “If there is a girl who is a virgin engaged to a man, and another man finds her in the city and lies with her, 24 then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city and you shall stone them to death; the girl, because she did not cry out in the city, and the man, because he has violated his neighbor’s wife. Thus you shall purge the evil from among you.
25 “But if in the field the man finds the girl who is engaged, and the man forces her and lies with her, then only the man who lies with her shall die. 26 But you shall do nothing to the girl; there is no sin in the girl worthy of death, for just as a man rises against his neighbor and murders him, so is this case. 27 When he found her in the field, the engaged girl cried out, but there was no one to save her.
28 “If a man finds a girl who is a virgin, who is not engaged, and seizes her and lies with her and they are discovered, 29 then the man who lay with her shall give to the girl’s father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall become his wife because he has violated her; he cannot divorce her all his days.
30 “A man shall not take his father’s wife so that he will not uncover his father’s skirt.
TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:
Just as God doesn't force anyone to believe or follow His word, we should not force anyone (believer or not) to comply. Let us remember to love everyone as ourselves, and treat others as we want to be treated. As Christianity is about having a personal relationship with the Lord, it is each individual's personal choice to hear God's truths, embrace them and apply them. As always, there are far more benefits to doing this than doing things our own way.
God cares about protecting the vulnerable and innocent, while making sure that the ones who are guilty are punished. When Jesus Christ came to earth to die in our place and rise again, He fulfilled all law. Therefore we are no longer to put people to death for sins committed. But we can still apply the principles that we see here.
Our actions have consequences. And sometimes we suffer the consequences of someone else's actions. So male or female - one should pray that God protects us from evil and from temptations!!! We should also try to be careful where we go, what we say, and what we wear. I know that women feel like we should be free to wear whatever we want, say whatever we want, do whatever we want... and men should not even look at us in a derogatory way. Very true. BUT we live in a fallen world. So the question becomes, do we want to make ourselves more vulnerable to be attacked? Understand, I'm not saying that it is our fault if we are.
If someone is raped, sexually abused and/or harassed, it should be reported to the proper authorities. Legal action should take place so that that person will not hurt anyone else. And if anyone is raped, do seek counseling! Forgiving the one who hurt you is not saying that what they did was okay, but it is so that the victim will not grow bitter, angry or fearful... Forgiveness will help the victim move on in life.
God has a design and purpose for each of us to realize and embrace. The Lord does not make mistakes, but we do. Since we are born with a sinful nature, and we live in a fallen world, we will struggle with so many different temptations and sins. For instance, questioning one's sexual identity.
I became a Christian at the age of four, fully realizing that I am a sinner in need of a Savior. At the age of seven, I started to question why I wasn't a boy. I really felt strongly that I should have been a boy! Now, back in the 1960s, this was not yet a topic of discussion, and I'm very glad about that, because it would have been an extra stress and pressure.
God guided me in my heart and mind to grasp the fact that - God made me a girl for some reason, therefore I was going to be the best girl possible, in His strength and guidance. I still don't really relate to women much, so I knew that if I were to ever get married, God would have to send me a man who was right for me! And after a few years of marriage, I then realized that I did want children. This was never something I imagined for my life, but I have enjoyed this journey and my spiritual walk with the Lord immensely!
Just like Satan made Eve question God's word back in the garden, Satan's goal is still to make us question God's word and purpose. Satan takes everything beautiful that God has created and attempts to distort and destroy. It is our choice to believe either Satan and/or the desires of our flesh, or to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, denying self and picking up our cross to follow Him, trusting that God wants the very best for us. FYI - God's way works and brings us peace, joy, contentment and blessings.
God actually wants us to have the best sexual experience possible - and therefore gives us advice and guidance. It is wise, beneficial and a blessing to save oneself for marriage! There will be no sexually transmitted diseases or unwanted pregnancies. We will have no one to compare to our spouse. Also, one can then say they have been faithful to their spouse for their entire life, even before they knew them. And to wait for the wedding day will demonstrate to each other that one can withstand temptations, because when one is wanting to marry another, the temptation to have sex is very strong! Of course it is!!!
Our most important sexual organ is - our mind. Whatever we do before or "outside" of our marriage, is what we will bring to the marital bed, and it will mess up and mess with one's sexual experience in marriage. The purer one can stay - the better! Therefore, God tells us not to have incestual relationships. Adultery and pre-marital sex, and rape is also obviously wrong. We are to keep our minds pure.
Once a couple is married, the two become one flesh. We are to respect each other, and love each other with God's unconditional love: faithfully choosing to show love and serve each other, no matter what. And when one hurts another, there should be apologies and forgiveness. It is so critical in making a marriage work well!
Whether we are married or single, we will only feel fulfilled and complete in the Lord Jesus Christ! Focus on drawing closer to Him and doing His will! If you are single, and there is someone walking beside you in God's will - introduce yourself! And continue growing closer to the Lord, studying His word and praying, so that whatever we say and do is all to God's glory.
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