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Category:God's Word to Women
== THE MOSAIC STATUTES AND WOMEN.==
572. We have said that the Mosaic statutes, though designed for a people just emerging from slavery (and women are more degraded than men, usually under such conditions), were at some points in advance of our own legislation. For instance, Leviticus 20:10: The penalty for adultery was precisely the same for both sexes, and was not looked upon as a mere "accident" in a man (to use the language of Sir John Bigham, until recently head of Britain's divorce court). And that penalty was so severe that it must have solved the "illegitimacy" problem,¾being being death. The usual manner of putting to death was by stoning.
573. Leviticus 12th chapter: A mother was in isolation 40 days with a new-born son, but 80 days with a new-born daughter. Three things are to be noted particularly here: (1) The actual term of "uncleanness" was only, respectively 7 and 14 days. According to the earlier covenant arrangement with Abraham, every male must be circumcised on the 8th day (Genesis 17:12). This religious ceremony would cut short the "uncleanness" in the male child. (2) The offerings made at the end of the full term were precisely the same for either sex, showing that one was rated as high as the other. (3) According to the Levitical law it was not in order to make the burnt offering, which was self-dedicatory, before the sin offering, which was expiatory (Leviticus 8:14-18); but here is a remarkable exception; after childbirth the sin offering comes last, and even for the richest, was the smallest offering ever prescribed, a pigeon. Now what may we deduct from these facts?
577. Exodus 21:22-25: This makes considerate provisions for the protection of a woman who is about to become a mother, from the unintentioned, but nevertheless careless roughness of men. The woman, perhaps of unusual nervousness, might rush to help, in the case of an attack upon her husband. At once they must recognize her state and terminate the fight. If the fight caused evil consequences, the case came under the law for redress; if the woman was injured, precisely the same injury must be inflicted upon the man. An eye, to a woman, Moses declares, is worth as much as an eye to a man; her tooth is as valuable as his tooth, etc., etc. Here is an express provision that the value of woman's life shall not be rated lower than the value of man's life; nor her health less than his health. What hurt a man inflicted on a woman's body, that same hurt man must feel in his own body. Would that English and American women were as well protected in some regards as the Israelitish women of Moses' day!
578. Leviticus 27:1-8. It is well for us to consider this passage next. In these days it is customary for the higher critics to set out two passages like the foregoing and this one, as contradictory,¾written written by two short-sighted men, who unwittingly contradicted each other's testimony as to the law; and the whole edited by a yet more stupid person who could not see the disparity. We have no sympathy with explaining the Bible as a mass of contradictions.
579. These "vowed" persons, who were "redeemed" from the actual expenditure of their time in the Tabernacle service, would naturally be "redeemed" on the basis of the value of their services to the Tabernacle. The chief occupation there was the slaughtering and offering of animals, and, while in the Wilderness, moving the Tabernacle from place to place. Old men, women and children would not be in much demand for such work. A boy would grow up to be of more use than a girl, in Tabernacle service. Anyway, the service would be very limited, after excepting what no one was allowed to do save a Levite. Hence the estimation was according to service or financial ability (v. 8) and had nothing to do with the value of life itself, or value in the sight of God, Who is "no respecter of persons."
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[[Category:God's Word to Women|Lesson 72]]
