12 Honor your father and your mother . . .14 You shall not commit adultery . . . 17 . . . You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife . . .

Exodus 20:12a, 14, 17b (NIV)

Barbed wire serves two purposes—to fence creatures in and to fence creatures out. Its sharp points are ominous and harmful if challenged. They signal that the owner counts his property precious, and that he is determined to preserve it. Marriage and the family are dear to God, and from the beginning, He encircled them with the “barbed wire” of commands, declarations, and punishments. If any doubt that He is serious about the sanctity of these treasures, let them read His Word as they address the following practices. (The Decalogue touches three):

Adultery. Leviticus 20:10 says that both parties “must be put to death.”

Pre-marital promiscuity. Deuteronomy 22:20-21 says that a newlywed should be stoned to death upon evidence of premarital promiscuity.

Homosexuality. Leviticus calls this “detestable” (18:22) and worthy of death (20:13).

Bestiality. Leviticus 18:23 calls this “a perversion.” Leviticus 20:15-16 says that both the human and the animal involved must be put to death.

Incest. Leviticus 18:6 prohibits sex with close relatives. The participants are “cursed” (Deut. 27:22). Leviticus 20:17 says the parties “must be cut off before the eyes of their people.”

Abuse of parents. The Fifth Commandment requires children to honor their parents, upon pain of early death. Leviticus 20:9 demands execution of sons and daughters who curse their parents. Deuteronomy 21:18-21 extends the penalty to disobedient, rebellious sons.

Abuse of children. In Leviticus 18:21, God condemns child sacrifice. In Leviticus 19:29, He forbids the degradation of one’s daughter through prostitution.

Divorce. Malachi 2:16 teaches that “God hates divorce.” Leviticus 21:14 teaches that the High Priest must not marry a divorced woman.

Abuse of newlyweds. A newlywed man must not be sent to war. “For one year he is to be free to stay at home and bring happiness to the wife he has married” (Deut. 24:5).

Willful childlessness. Deuteronomy 25:5-10 prescribes Levirate marriage to insure that the family line continues. Onan ignored this duty, so God killed him (Gen. 38:8-10).

Of course, these Old Testament occurrences and judgments are not templates for contemporary public policy. Circumstances are different. They do, however, underscore the utter seriousness with which God takes the family. Marriage is for one man and one woman (heretofore unrelated) for life.1 Sex is strictly marital. The home is a haven of love and respect. Children are a treasure.

The Bible says much more about marriage and the family, but we should take care not to say less. God has strung “barbed wire” around this sacred institution; His servants must make sure to keep the fence in good repair.
 
Footnotes:
 
1  See Kairos Journal article, “Resisting the ‘Relentless Cult of Novelty.'”

Adapted from the Kairos Journal for the First Baptist Church of Perryville, MD.

First Baptist Church of Perryville is located in Cecil County, MD across from the new built Principio Heath Center.