All forms of fornication are unlawful in the divine economy.

“If a man seduces a virgin who is not engaged to be married and lies with her, he shall give the pride-price for her and make her his wife. If her father utterly refuses to give her to him, he shall pay money equal to the bride-price for virgins.” Exodus 22.16, 17

In the economy of justice and love outlined in the Law of God, fornication – sexual enjoyment with another outside the bounds of marriage – carried a high price. Men and women could end up married to people they did not love, and from whom a divorce could not easily be achieved. And a man could suffer severe financial setback for his unwillingness to observe the divine prescriptions concerning sexual enjoyment.

The bride-price in ancient Israel was fifty shekels of silver (Deut. 22.29). This was not an inconsiderable sum of money. We can imagine that a young man would not be in a position to pay such a fine very often. And if he professed to love the young woman with whom he had committed fornication, there is no guarantee that he would be able to marry her. The father, as we see, could simply demand the fine and then forbid the young people from marrying.

Fornication also included any practice of sexual relations outside of marriage, including with one’s neighbor (Lev. 18.20), the wife of one’s father (not his mother – Deut. 22.30), one’s relative (Lev. 20.20), and one’s in-laws (Lev. 20.12).

In a society whose public policies – not just government laws, but cultural mores and taboos or the absence of taboos – encourage lust and fornication, we should not be surprised that the value of marriage as the refuge of sexual enjoyment has been cheapened, the stability of marriage as the cornerstone of society has been undermined, and the very nature of marriage as a solemn arrangement before God involving one man and one woman has come under assault.

We can only speculate concerning how our own society would be different if fines and other sanctions for illicit sexual enjoyment were matters of public policy. Some may consider it “unenlightened” or even “harsh” to recommend policies designed to discourage and restrain sexual enjoyment. But God does not take such a view; neither should His people.

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