Ep 985 – Deuteronomy 22:22-30

Moses isn’t done dealing with the topic of marriage. In Deuteronomy 22:22-30, he provides further rules and regulations governing the institution of marriage among the people of Israel. Their view on marriage was to be radically different than that of the pagan nations around them. For them, marriage was to be a living illustration of their covenant relationship to God. If they couldn’t remain faithful to their marriage partner, how in the world could they hope to remain faithful to God. So, Moses provides them with a series of scenarios designed to illustrate just how serious God was about the sanctity of the marriage covenant. What was considered acceptable behavior among the pagan nations occupying the land of Canaan was to be off-limits for the Israelites. There was no point at which adultery should be justified or rape be treated as normal behavior. Acts of wickedness had no place within the covenant community of God’s people.