Bible Talks

Deuteronomy 22:13-3013If any man take a wife, and go in unto her, and hate her, 14And give occasions of speech against her, and bring up an evil name upon her, and say, I took this woman, and when I came to her, I found her not a maid: 15Then shall the father of the damsel, and her mother, take and bring forth the tokens of the damsel's virginity unto the elders of the city in the gate: 16And the damsel's father shall say unto the elders, I gave my daughter unto this man to wife, and he hateth her; 17And, lo, he hath given occasions of speech against her, saying, I found not thy daughter a maid; and yet these are the tokens of my daughter's virginity. And they shall spread the cloth before the elders of the city. 18And the elders of that city shall take that man and chastise him; 19And they shall amerce him in an hundred shekels of silver, and give them unto the father of the damsel, because he hath brought up an evil name upon a virgin of Israel: and she shall be his wife; he may not put her away all his days. 20But if this thing be true, and the tokens of virginity be not found for the damsel: 21Then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father's house, and the men of her city shall stone her with stones that she die: because she hath wrought folly in Israel, to play the whore in her father's house: so shalt thou put evil away from among you. 22If a man be found lying with a woman married to an husband, then they shall both of them die, both the man that lay with the woman, and the woman: so shalt thou put away evil from Israel. 23If a damsel that is a virgin be betrothed unto an husband, and a man find her in the city, and lie with her; 24Then ye shall bring them both out unto the gate of that city, and ye shall stone them with stones that they die; the damsel, because she cried not, being in the city; and the man, because he hath humbled his neighbor's wife: so thou shalt put away evil from among you. 25But if a man find a betrothed damsel in the field, and the man force her, and lie with her: then the man only that lay with her shall die: 26But unto the damsel thou shalt do nothing; there is in the damsel no sin worthy of death: for as when a man riseth against his neighbor, and slayeth him, even so is this matter: 27For he found her in the field, and the betrothed damsel cried, and there was none to save her. 28If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, which is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found; 29Then the man that lay with her shall give unto the damsel's father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife; because he hath humbled her, he may not put her away all his days. 30A man shall not take his father's wife, nor discover his father's skirt. (Deuteronomy 22:13‑30)
THE LATTER part of this chapter brings before our minds the words of the Lord Jesus: "It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Matt. 4:44But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. (Matthew 4:4). We need all Scripture, and we need to read it from cover to cover to hear all that It has to say to us. "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning." Rom. 15:44For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. (Romans 15:4). How much better to learn from the Word than by sad humbling experience!
The believer has a new life and a new nature from God — "the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness" (Eph. 4:2424And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. (Ephesians 4:24)) — and He faithfully disciplines us as a Father, "that we might be partakers of His holiness" (Heb. 12:1010For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. (Hebrews 12:10)). But we still have the old evil nature within us as long as we are in this body, a nature which is not subject to the holy law of God and is capable of the worst evil. "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked." Jer. 17:99The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9). How well it is to be constantly reminded of this and to be on our guard against the workings of the flesh in us in any way. We need to keep near to the Lord and to judge every activity of the flesh, for if we get away from Him, who can tell how far and how deep into sin we may go.
We find in these verses the most solemn warnings against moral corruption. The holy law of God protects the wife from slander and from shame and dishonor at the hands of a cruel and inconsiderate husband. At the same time the sanctity of the marriage tie is carefully guarded, and in some cases those guilty of social impurities were punished by death.
We live in a day when marriage is treated as a light thing in the world and social sins are little thought of. We as Christians need to be on our guard against the spirit of this age. Proverbs 14:99Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favor. (Proverbs 14:9) tells us that "Fools make a mock at sin"; but "God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." Gal. 4:77Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. (Galatians 4:7).
Dear young Christian, let us be careful as to the books we read, and turn away from the bad jokes and evil stories that are told around us every day. They are sure to defile and spoil our communion with the Lord, and may even lead to bringing dishonor on His blessed name. To be occupied with good, to fill our minds with thoughts of Christ, the Holy One and true, who loves us and gave Himself for us, will help keep us in the midst of the polluted atmosphere of this world. Soon He is coming to take us out of it, to be with Himself forever in those "bright and blessed scenes where sin can never come."
Messages of the Love of God 9/28/1975