有關貞潔的條例
13「人若娶妻，與她同房之後恨惡她， 14信口說她，將醜名加在她身上，說：『我娶了這女子，與她同房，見她沒有貞潔的憑據』； 15女子的父母就要把女子貞潔的憑據拿出來，帶到本城門長老那裏。 16女子的父親要對長老說：『我將我的女兒給這人為妻，他恨惡她， 17信口說她，說：我見你的女兒沒有貞潔的憑據；其實這就是我女兒貞潔的憑據。』父母就把那布鋪在本城的長老面前。 18本城的長老要拿住那人，懲治他， 19並要罰他一百舍客勒銀子，給女子的父親，因為他將醜名加在以色列的一個處女身上。女子仍作他的妻，終身不可休她。 20但這事若是真的，女子沒有貞潔的憑據， 21就要將女子帶到她父家的門口，本城的人要用石頭將她打死；因為她在父家行了淫亂，在以色列中做了醜事。這樣，就把那惡從你們中間除掉。
22「若遇見人與有丈夫的婦人行淫，就要將姦夫淫婦一併治死。這樣，就把那惡從以色列中除掉。
23「若有處女已經許配丈夫，有人在城裏遇見她，與她行淫， 24你們就要把這二人帶到本城門，用石頭打死－女子是因為雖在城裏卻沒有喊叫；男子是因為玷污別人的妻。這樣，就把那惡從你們中間除掉。
25「若有男子在田野遇見已經許配人的女子，強與她行淫，只要將那男子治死。 26但不可辦女子；她本沒有該死的罪，這事就類乎人起來攻擊鄰舍，將他殺了一樣。 27因為男子是在田野遇見那已經許配人的女子，女子喊叫，並無人救她。
28「若有男子遇見沒有許配人的處女，抓住她，與她行淫，被人看見， 29這男子就要拿五十舍客勒銀子給女子的父親；因他玷污了這女子，就要娶她為妻，終身不可休她。
30「人不可娶繼母為妻；不可掀開他父親的衣襟。」
各位平安。我們今天分享的是《申命記》第22章的下半段，關於婚姻和貞潔的條例。 從今天的角度來看，大家可能會覺得關於貞潔的條例實在是太嚴厲了。動不動就要拿石頭把人打死。貞潔的問題，可能從今天的觀點下看起來實在不太適合現代社會。但我們要明白了一件事情，那就是這些規定是寫在2000多年前的以色列以及巴勒斯坦。在那個時候，如果沒有這些原則和規矩，你可以想像迦南人的混亂會來自於他們性生活的混亂，彼此之間沒有任何原則，生活非常混亂，這導致整個民族的敗壞。 上帝為以色列立下的堅定的關於信仰的法規和原則其實是非常重要的，有點像是中國古代我們提過的周公制禮作樂，如果沒有這麼多的禮儀和法律約束，人的生活就會被罪惡所佔滿，自然而然地會非常敗壞，因為人性本就是罪惡的。
性生活的混亂，會導致社會的最基本單位 – 家庭 – 的破壞。當家庭這個單位被破壞以後，整個社會的根基就會動搖，隨之而來的就是崩潰。關於這一個問題，我們這邊會淺談一下，在未來的分享中我們會談到婚姻和家庭的重要性，這不只是一個個人的自由問題，而是會影響到整個社會的重要觀念。
我們稍微提一下在《申命記》裡面有三種法。 第一種稱之為禮儀法，有點像我們中國古代所說的一些禮儀，包括獻祭的方法和條例等等。這些是適用於以色列當時的人。有點像是古代中國所適用的，跪拜皇帝，祭典等等的這些禮節。 這些禮節已經不再需要，今天的我們不需要再跟國家元首跪拜，以色列人也不再需要獻祭（雖然很多傳統的以色列人，就是不信新約的以色列人，還是遵守舊約的律法），因為耶穌基督已經完成了，所以這部分的法我們可以參考但不需要遵守。你也可以想像一下，當年馬利亞懷耶穌的時候，她經歷了多大的心理挑戰。因為依當時的律法來說，她應該要被石頭打死。而且當時約瑟又要經歷什麼樣的挑戰，因為馬利亞懷孕了，要他相信馬利亞仍然是處女這件事情本身就是不可思議的。你都懷孕了還跟我說是處女？可見信心的偉人裡面一定有約瑟的位置。我們還看見申命記其實很看重女性的權利。古代女子若是受到玷污，命運通常都是相當悲慘的，但這邊的法律要求玷污她的男人要為她的人生負上責任，要娶她為妻，不可拋棄她。
當我們看禮儀法和獻祭的事情的時候，我們去思考的是，它們都指向耶穌基督，比如說逾越節的晚餐，或是獻祭的牛羊，立約的血等等。這些事情這種叫做禮儀法，是在指向耶穌基督的預表，獻祭是因為有罪，但是牛羊的獻祭不足以赦罪，所以耶穌必須來到世間，必須死，完美的獻祭，一次性完成了贖罪。當我們看這些法的時候我們需要看這些禮儀和耶穌之間的關聯，但是不用再按照它的形式照做，因為已經不符合我們的時代。
接下來就是所謂的政治法，譬如我們這邊提到的婚姻的條例，貞潔的條例，或者是關於殺人等等的，這些關乎社會穩定和政治。 同樣的這些法有他的時代背景跟空間，當時以色列人是如何進行他們的社會管理以及當時的刑法跟當時的管理這些案件等等。這是屬於以色列當時古代的政治法，有點像是中國古代也有一些刑罰，今天都不可能再實現，所以這些政治法也會因為時代的變化而淘汰掉。同樣的，我們要記得他的精神在於讓人遵守法律，並且不要能夠壞得無邊，所以這一件事情我們只要記得是他的立法的原因以及他立法的動機。
最後就是，關乎道德的法，這一點上其實是更重要的。就是在道德上的勸說以及道德上的動機是什麼？這些就比較沒有時間限制。所以在《申命記》22章上半段這一段道德勸說沒有懲罰，似乎只是講給以色列聽的，但當我們學習到這個精神的時候（就像是愛你的鄰舍這件事情，一如耶穌在新約中的勸導）我們會注意到道德的部分其實是不改變的，也是值得我們去學習的。所以當我們在看律法的時候，我們要去仔細思考分辨。
這一段關於貞潔和婚姻的條例，我們看到一件事情：在古代，女性的權利通常是不被尊重的，但是律法中，以色列人其實是頗為尊重女性的。這邊提到的如果是貞潔的女性，那麼丈夫就不可以隨意休妻，他也不可以隨意地把惡名加在她的身上。對於女人的貞潔來講，這是非常重要，跟性命一樣重要的東西。有點像我們中國古代對貞潔的認知比性命更重要。後來雖然有拉比的口傳律法說到丈夫可以休妻，但是當你看聖經原文的時候你會發現上帝的心意是“二人合為一體”，和“上帝配合的，人不可分開”。耶穌來的時候也是這樣的教導。婚姻不只是一個法律的結合，也是生命的結合，靈魂的互補和互相。
當我們看這段律法的時候有沒有例外呢？比如說關於在城中犯姦淫的這段過程有沒有例外呢？有啊，大衛王不是把烏利亞的妻子帶到宮裡面來與他同寢嗎？這個時候律法卻沒辦法使用了，因為這是國王的旨意，不能反抗，也沒有人能阻止他。 但後來先知拿單奉上帝的名去責備大衛，他和拔示巴生的第一個兒子就死了。
接下來在聖經的其他經節中我們還會看到，律法雖然是寫著，但是打破律法的人大有人在。這代表上帝默許律法被打破嗎？不是的，律法的功效就是使人知罪（羅馬書3:20），也使人知道人稱義是因著信，不是因行律法。但這並不代表上帝就對罪放鬆，而是最終由耶穌來承擔了人的罪孽，上帝必定追討罪。
我們一直看到的就是，律法明明告訴我們是非對錯，但是人的罪性就如保羅在羅馬書七章所說的：18我也知道在我裡頭，就是我肉體之中，沒有良善。因為，立志為善由得我，只是行出來由不得我。19故此，我所願意的善，我反不做；我所不願意的惡，我倒去做。
7:24節的所說的 “我真是苦啊！誰能救我脫離這取死的身體呢？感謝神，靠著我們的主耶穌基督就能脫離了。“
這就是律法與福音的最佳比對。
我們繼續來看申命記中的教訓，帶著我們談過的幾個讀經原則去看，我們會看到更多與我們切身相關的珍貴教訓。感謝各位的聆聽。
Deuteronomy 22:13-30
Marriage Violations
If a man takes a wife and, after sleeping with her, dislikes her and slanders her and gives her a bad name, saying, “I married this woman, but when I approached her, I did not find proof of her virginity,” then the young woman’s father and mother shall bring to the town elders at the gate proof that she was a virgin. Her father will say to the elders, “I gave my daughter in marriage to this man, but he dislikes her. Now he has slandered her and said, ‘I did not find your daughter to be a virgin.’ But here is the proof of my daughter’s virginity.” Then her parents shall display the cloth before the elders of the town, and the elders shall take the man and punish him. They shall fine him a hundred shekels of silver and give them to the young woman’s father, because this man has given an Israelite virgin a bad name. She shall continue to be his wife; he must not divorce her as long as he lives.
If, however, the charge is true and no proof of the young woman’s virginity can be found, she shall be brought to the door of her father’s house and there the men of her town shall stone her to death. She has done an outrageous thing in Israel by being promiscuous while still in her father’s house. You must purge the evil from among you.
If a man is found sleeping with another man’s wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die. You must purge the evil from Israel.
If a man happens to meet in a town a virgin pledged to be married and he sleeps with her, you shall take both of them to the gate of that town and stone them to death—the young woman because she was in a town and did not scream for help, and the man because he violated another man’s wife. You must purge the evil from among you.
But if out in the country a man happens to meet a young woman pledged to be married and rapes her, only the man who has done this shall die. Do nothing to the woman; she has committed no sin deserving death. This case is like that of someone who attacks and murders a neighbor, for the man found the young woman out in the country, and though the betrothed woman screamed, there was no one to rescue her.
If a man happens to meet a virgin who is not pledged to be married and rapes her and they are discovered, he shall pay her father fifty shekels of silver. He must marry the young woman, for he has violated her. He can never divorce her as long as he lives.
A man is not to marry his father’s wife; he must not dishonor his father’s bed.
Greetings, everyone. Today, we're delving into the latter part of Deuteronomy chapter 22, which discusses laws concerning marriage and chastity. From today's perspective, some might find these laws regarding chastity overly strict, with the immediate recourse to stoning. The issue of chastity may seem out of place in modern society. However, we must understand one thing: these regulations were written over 2000 years ago for Israel and Palestine. At that time, without these principles and rules, imagine the chaos among the Canaanites, especially regarding their sexual lives. Their lack of principles led to societal chaos, ultimately resulting in the ruin of the entire nation. The steadfast laws and principles regarding faith that God established for Israel are crucial. They're akin to the rituals and regulations set by Zhou Gong in ancient China. Without these rituals and laws, life would be consumed by sin, leading to inevitable decay, as human nature is inherently sinful.
The chaos in sexual conduct can lead to the destruction of the most fundamental unit of society - the family. When the family unit is disrupted, the foundation of society is shaken, leading to collapse. Regarding this issue, we'll briefly touch upon it here, and in future discussions, we'll delve deeper into the importance of marriage and family. It's not just a matter of personal freedom but influences essential societal concepts.
In Deuteronomy, there are three types of laws. The first is ceremonial law, somewhat akin to the rituals in ancient China, including methods and regulations for sacrifices. These were applicable to the people of Israel at that time, resembling the ceremonies like bowing to the emperor in ancient China. These ceremonies are no longer needed. Today, we don't bow to national leaders, and the Israelites no longer need sacrifices (though many traditional Jews, who don't believe in the New Testament, still adhere to the Old Testament laws). Jesus Christ fulfilled them, so while we can reference these laws, we don't need to adhere to them. Consider Mary's experience when she was pregnant with Jesus. According to the law at the time, she should have been stoned. Joseph, too, faced significant challenges in believing Mary's claim of still being a virgin despite being pregnant. His faith is exemplary. We also see that Deuteronomy highly values women's rights. In ancient times, if a woman was defiled, her fate was usually grim. However, the law here requires the man who defiled her to take responsibility for her life, to marry her, and not abandon her.
When considering ceremonial and sacrificial matters, we see that they all point to Jesus Christ, such as the Passover meal or the sacrifice of animals. These rituals, termed ceremonial laws, foreshadow Jesus Christ. Sacrifices were made because of sin, but the sacrifice of animals was insufficient for redemption. Jesus had to come into the world, had to die, to become the perfect sacrifice, once and for all, to atone for sins. When we look at these laws, we need to see the connection between these rituals and Jesus, but we don't need to follow them in their literal forms anymore, as they no longer fit our times.
Next are what we call political laws, such as those concerning marriage, chastity, or murder, which relate to societal stability and politics. Similarly, these laws have their temporal and spatial contexts. The Israelites managed their social affairs and administered justice according to the laws and circumstances of their time. These belong to the ancient political laws of Israel, somewhat like the ancient Chinese penal codes that are no longer applicable today, hence these political laws are also phased out due to changing times. We must remember their spirit, which aimed to enforce the law and prevent widespread corruption. Thus, we should remember the reasons and motivations behind these laws.
Finally, there are moral laws, which are more crucial. They pertain to moral persuasion and motivation, which are timeless. Therefore, in the first half of Deuteronomy 22, where moral exhortations are given without punishment, it may seem directed solely at Israel. But as we grasp the spirit behind it (similar to loving your neighbor, as advocated by Jesus in the New Testament), we realize that morality is unchanging and worth learning. So, when we examine the law, we must carefully discern.
In this segment about chastity and marriage laws, we observe something significant: in ancient times, women's rights were often disregarded, yet the laws of Israel actually respected women. It states that if a woman is chaste, her husband cannot divorce her at will, nor can he slander her. For a woman, her chastity is as important as her life. This is reminiscent of how in ancient China, chastity was considered even more important than life. Though later, there were oral laws from rabbis allowing divorce, when you examine the original text of the Bible, you'll find God's intention is for "the two become one flesh," and "what God has joined together, let no one separate." This was also the teaching when Jesus came. Marriage is not just a legal union but a spiritual and life bond, complementing each other's souls.
When we look at these laws, are there exceptions? For example, in the case of adultery in the city, are there exceptions? Yes, when King David brought Uriah's wife into his palace to lie with her, the law couldn't be applied because it was the king's decree, which couldn't be resisted, and no one could stop him. However, later, the prophet Nathan rebuked David in God's name, and the first child born to him and Bathsheba died.
In other verses of the Bible, we see that although the law is written, many break it. Does this mean God condones breaking the law? No, the purpose of the law is to make people aware of their sin (Romans 3:20) and to understand that righteousness comes by faith, not by observing the law. But this doesn't mean God relaxes about sin; ultimately, Jesus bears the burden of human sin, and God will surely demand an account for sin.
We consistently see that although the law clearly defines right and wrong, human sinfulness is as Paul stated in Romans 7:18, "For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out." Verse 7:24 says, "What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!"
This is the ultimate comparison between law and gospel.
Let's continue to explore the teachings in Deuteronomy, applying the principles we've discussed. We'll discover more valuable lessons relevant to our lives. Thank you all for listening.