This is a Bible study tool designed to take us through the entire Bible in 2 years. Six days a week (Monday through Saturday) there will be a post telling you what the assigned readings are. Some days there will also be comments from me. These are intended to provide material for devotional meditation and practical application. Please feel welcome to post questions or comments so that we can encourage each other. May God bless our study!
"How do we feel" - well, I think that we should realize that sexual immorality is a serious offense to God. We ought to be terrified by reading this (especially keeping in mind Matthew 5:27-30), and sufficiently warned against sexual impurity.
"When did this change?" - well, they tried to enforce it in Jesus day, but Jesus knew their hearts were evil and told them to let the sinless one cast the first stone. Jesus, the sinless one, decided not to cast a stone, but to forgive. Really, in the NT times is when we see a shift from the old/former to the new. However, God has always been gracious, and he has always put in place a way for people to repent and receive mercy and forgiveness. Notice how harsh 20:18 sounds, but in 15:24 there is a way for them to become clean again. The difference may have something to do with the intentions of the man, or maybe this is how God communicates that he is serious about sexual purity yet also forgiving.
Sorry, I just thought back to this one today.
ReplyDeleteHow do we feel about the death penalty for these offenses? Why and when did this change?
Notice how I didn't ask about why God required that? For that answer I will check the information booth in heaven. :)
"How do we feel" - well, I think that we should realize that sexual immorality is a serious offense to God. We ought to be terrified by reading this (especially keeping in mind Matthew 5:27-30), and sufficiently warned against sexual impurity.
ReplyDelete"When did this change?" - well, they tried to enforce it in Jesus day, but Jesus knew their hearts were evil and told them to let the sinless one cast the first stone. Jesus, the sinless one, decided not to cast a stone, but to forgive. Really, in the NT times is when we see a shift from the old/former to the new. However, God has always been gracious, and he has always put in place a way for people to repent and receive mercy and forgiveness. Notice how harsh 20:18 sounds, but in 15:24 there is a way for them to become clean again. The difference may have something to do with the intentions of the man, or maybe this is how God communicates that he is serious about sexual purity yet also forgiving.