If you see a neighbor's animals walking away, return them to him (or donkey or garment) - DON'T STEAL!
4 - 12 Assorted Duties and Restrictions
- If you see your neighbor's donkey or ox fallen (or car?), help lift it up.
- No Cross Dressing (That means you, Bugs Bunny!)
- If you find a fallen nest, don't take the mother, just the babies
- Don't build a parapet. It's dangerous.
- Don't mix seeds in your vineyard
- Don't plow with a donkey and ox yoked together (wouldn't the donkey just be dragged along?)
- No clothes made of wool and linen together
- Make tassels on the 4 corners of your cloak
Here, the question of virginity is important.
22 - 30 Adultry and Related Offenses
Death seems to be the punishment in every case. If he deceives her, she may live. (unless she's a virgin not engaged, then he must pay her father for her and marry her. Also, don't marry your father's wife.
Question of the Day: A lot of these don't seem relevant or like common sense (see 4 - 12). Still, what are some pros and cons of these laws being so specific?
3 comments:
correction: DO build a parapet on your roof so you won't be guilty of bloodshed if someone should fall off.
Mixing seeds will ruin your whole crop.
Marriage and virginity
I was discussing this with several people yesterday and found some explanation. In this culture and time. The newlyweds would consumate the marriage shortly after the wedding while the guests celebrated outside. A person was appointed to wait outside the room until they finished. Virgins bleed their first time. This appointed person would confirm that blood was on the sheets then the girl's father was summoned to get the bloody sheets which he would parade through the guests to celebrate her confirmed virginity. This cloth is retained in case any controversy arises such as is described in these verses.
Answer: These laws may not be followed any more but we do see God's opinion on these issues. I especially wish today's society had the same honor, respect, and responsibility for sex that was required in scripture. It's obvious that God wants wives to be virgins at marriage. This doesn't let the men off the hook though. If a man is discovered who defiled a woman before marriage, he can be killed.
One thing occurs to me regarding these issues and the shooting at VA Tech: people should have the courage to intervene respectfully and delicately in these matters. The young shooter obviously had some emotional if not mental problems yet no one ever intervened. This would have made his life and well being much better in addition to helping avoid this disaster that resulted. We also see similar problems which result from sexual sins. Sometimes these, too, result in death (jealousy). Usually we're afraid if we approach someone about sexual issues we'll be told to "mind our business" which would probably be the case. The result is we all just hear about or are aware of bad sexual issues in someones life and we watch for the resulting disaster to unfold (broken relationships, unwed mothers, diseases, etc). As with other issues, these don't cross our paths every day (usually). I pray that we would seek God's help to obtain the courage to intervene when they do cross our path. With God's help we can help MAKE LIVES BETTER and make God's world a better place.
Most of these laws seem really strange to me at first. But when I read them again I saw how they were protecting the Israelites.
4 You stop what you are doing to help someone, he'll help you when you need him.
5 Keeps you from being a weirdo (enough said)
6-7 will ensure a long prosperous life
8 It's probably not good for someone to fall off of your house.
9 My notes talk about taller plants will block sunlight from smaller ones if they are planted next to each other and hog up the water and such.
10 I think your rows would be crooked or your donkey would be missing some hair.
11 According to my Bible, these garments wouldn't last as long because different threads wear down differently.
12 I really don't know what this one would protect them from.
Laws (at least God's laws) are made for protection not neccessarily restrictions.
That's really good fireboy. I didn't look at it that way.
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