whoring – Praying Pint

51.v. Wilderness – 16.a. “Laws Concerning Sexual Immorality”

Deu 22:13-30 “If any man takes a wife and goes in to her and then hates her and accuses her of misconduct and brings a bad name upon her, saying, ‘I took this woman, and when I came near her, I did not find in her evidence of virginity,’ then the father of the young woman and her mother shall take and bring out the evidence of her virginity to the elders of the city in the gate. And the father of the young woman shall say to the elders, ‘I gave my daughter to this man to marry, and he hates her; and behold, he has accused her of misconduct, saying, “I did not find in your daughter evidence of virginity.” And yet this is the evidence of my daughter’s virginity.’ And they shall spread the cloak before the elders of the city. Then the elders of that city shall take the man and whip him, and they shall fine him a hundred shekels of silver and give them to the father of the young woman, because he has brought a bad name upon a virgin of Israel. And she shall be his wife. He may not divorce her all his days. But if the thing is true, that evidence of virginity was not found in the young woman, then they shall bring out the young woman to the door of her father’s house, and the men of her city shall stone her to death with stones, because she has done an outrageous thing in Israel by whoring in her father’s house. So you shall purge the evil from your midst. “If a man is found lying with the wife of another man, both of them shall die, the man who lay with the woman, and the woman. So you shall purge the evil from Israel. “If there is a betrothed virgin, and a man meets her in the city and lies with her, then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city, and you shall stone them to death with stones, the young woman because she did not cry for help though she was in the city, and the man because he violated his neighbor’s wife. So you shall purge the evil from your midst. “But if in the open country a man meets a young woman who is betrothed, and the man seizes her and lies with her, then only the man who lay with her shall die. But you shall do nothing to the young woman; she has committed no offense punishable by death. For this case is like that of a man attacking and murdering his neighbor, because he met her in the open country, and though the betrothed young woman cried for help there was no one to rescue her. “If a man meets a virgin who is not betrothed, and seizes her and lies with her, and they are found, then the man who lay with her shall give to the father of the young woman fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife, because he has violated her. He may not divorce her all his days. “A man shall not take his father’s wife, so that he does not uncover his father’s nakedness.

All this simply reinforces the principle that virginity was valued, highly valued, in Israel. Today, far too many people – men and women – sell themselves cheaply by easily giving away their virginity.

Adultery was not to be condemned with a double standard; if it was wrong for the woman, it was wrong for the man, and vice-versa. Though the death penalty for adultery was carried out rarely, it still had value. It communicated loudly and clearly an ideal that Israel was to live up to, and it made people regard their sin much more seriously. Today, we have done away with this ideal, and people don’t care much about adultery – and society suffers greatly as a result. (Guzik)

These and the like regulations might be needful then, and yet it is not necessary that we should curiously examine respecting them. The laws relate to the seventh commandment, laying a restraint upon fleshly lusts which war against the soul. (Henry)

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. (Unknown)

In considering these plain-spoken laws it is just to remember that with all their imperfections they represent an advance in social ethics; an upward stage in the struggle against debasing practices and the sinful passions and lusts of humans. (Cambridge)

29.v. “And her husband Joseph, being a just man”

Matthew 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.

Deuteronomy 22:21-24 then they shall bring out the young woman to the door of her father’s house, and the men of her city shall stone her to death with stones, because she has done an outrageous thing in Israel by whoring in her father’s house. So you shall purge the evil from your midst. “If a man is found lying with the wife of another man, both of them shall die, the man who lay with the woman, and the woman. So you shall purge the evil from Israel. “If there is a betrothed virgin, and a man meets her in the city and lies with her, then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city, and you shall stone them to death with stones, the young woman because she did not cry for help though she was in the city, and the man because he violated his neighbor’s wife. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.

Psalms 112:4-5 Light dawns in the darkness for the upright; he is gracious, merciful, and righteous. It is well with the man who deals generously and lends; who conducts his affairs with justice.

“Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly”. I can’t imagine what was going through the mind of Joseph when he learned that his wife was pregnant and that it was not by him. Rage, anger, hate, confusion, worry, embarrassment, etc…. would all seem both normal and appropriate. However, Joseph chose not to go down these paths. He chose to discard these thoughts and actions. He chose to be just in a time where it certainly would have been very easy not to be. He did not allow his hurt to overshadow and block doing what would honor and glorify God. That is not something that just happens. It is from living and choosing that way. We always have a choice. There is a way that seems right to man, but in the end, it leads to death. We have free will to choose to live to honor and glorify God or not. When we allow what seems right to overshadow that which is right God is not honored and glorified. Living to honor and glorify God is not a singular event or two during our life. It is a way of life where the presence of God is so real in our hearts, mind, and souls that every thought, every word, and every act is done in the light of His presence. I heard someone say you don’t want to have God catch you doing something wrong. The fact is God already knows. He knows our thoughts and actions before they even occur. Let our thoughts and actions, therefore, be in this light with our deepest desire to always think, speak, and do that which honors Him alone.

Bear the Consequences

“Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Because you have forgotten me and cast me behind your back, you yourself must bear the consequences”

Psalms 60:3 You have made your people see hard things; you have given us wine to drink that made us stagger.

Psalms 71:20 You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again.

Daniel 9:12 He has confirmed his words, which he spoke against us and against our rulers who ruled us, by bringing upon us a great calamity.

Psalms 75:8 For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup with foaming wine, well mixed, and he pours out from it, and all the wicked of the earth shall drain it down to the dregs.

Isaiah 51:17 Wake yourself, wake yourself, stand up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the LORD the cup of his wrath, who have drunk to the dregs the bowl, the cup of staggering.

Jeremiah 25:15 Thus the LORD, the God of Israel, said to me: “Take from my hand this cup of the wine of wrath, and make all the nations to whom I send you drink it.

Habakkuk 2:16 You will have your fill of shame instead of glory. Drink, yourself, and show your uncircumcision! The cup in the LORD’s right hand will come around to you, and utter shame will come upon your glory!

Revelation 16:19 The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath.

Ezekiel 23:27 Thus I will put an end to your lewdness and your whoring begun in the land of Egypt, so that you shall not lift up your eyes to them or remember Egypt anymore. “For thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will deliver you into the hands of those whom you hate, into the hands of those from whom you turned in disgust, and they shall deal with you in hatred and take away all the fruit of your labor and leave you naked and bare, and the nakedness of your whoring shall be uncovered. Your lewdness and your whoring have brought this upon you, because you played the whore with the nations and defiled yourself with their idols. You have gone the way of your sister; therefore I will give her cup into your hand. Thus says the Lord GOD: “You shall drink your sister’s cup that is deep and large; you shall be laughed at and held in derision, for it contains much; you will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow. A cup of horror and desolation, the cup of your sister Samaria; you shall drink it and drain it out, and gnaw its shards, and tear your breasts; for I have spoken, declares the Lord GOD.

“You will bear the consequences” Do you ever think of the consequences of neglect of God’s word, having no desire to be led by Him, seeking only self interests, giving little to the support of His church, giving little in the support of others, having a life that mirrors those who have no thought of God, being to busy to praise Him, thank Him, trust Him, believe in Him, cling to Him, rely on Him……. The picture given in these scriptures give clear indication that those who do these things will drink the cup of His wrath. History shows us that time after time and generation after generation man comes close to God and, in time of blessing, soon loses heart, mind and soul for God. Why do we so easily forget and turn away from God? Do we cherry pick the scriptures that speak of forgiveness, love, mercy, hope, faith, help, joy, refuge, power, purpose, might….. and forget those that say fear God, seek Him with all your heart, mind and soul, praise Him, pray to Him, give thanks to Him, meditate on His word in the morning and evening, trust Him fully, humble serve Him, forgive others, allow yourself to be wronged, do not seek your own self interests, listen to Him, obey Him, follow Him, and “Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Because you have forgotten me and cast me behind your back, you yourself must bear the consequences” “You will have your fill of shame instead of glory.” “For thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will deliver you into the hands of those whom you hate, into the hands of those from whom you turned in disgust, and they shall deal with you in hatred and take away all the fruit of your labor and leave you naked and bare,” “for I have spoken, declares the Lord GOD”. We live in a time of blessing, mercy, and grace but know this – we all will give account for our actions, thoughts, intents. How sad would it be to know of the great love, mercy, and grace of God, and live in such a way that neglects knowing humbly serving, honoring, following, and obeying Him – and at the end of life this side of eternity hear these words “DEPART FROM ME FOR I NEVER KNEW YOU”