[From April 1, 2015... no joke!]
"When a man seduces a virgin who is not engaged to be married, and lies with her, he shall give the bride-price for her and make her his wife."
(Exodus 22:16)
We live at a time when premarital sex is seen to be more the norm than the exception. Even a cursory look at popular tv shows, movies, novels, etc. reveals this to be true. Consensual sex between two adults seems quite common - at least according to popular culture.
"Back in the day" (ie. Old Testament times), it was much different. Sex = marriage. In a traditional Jewish marriage ceremony, it wasn't official until a couple consummated the relationship. In fact, the entire wedding party (and guests) would wait outside the couple's bedroom while they made love for the first time. THEN THE WEDDING PARTY OFFICIALLY STARTED!
The book of Exodus also records an interesting law in chapter 22. If a man sleeps with an unattached woman, they subsequently HAD to get married! The onus was on the man, too, to do the right thing. He'd even have to pay her family the "bride-price" to make her an honorable woman in the eyes of her parents. (NOTE: Exodus 22 says if a man "seduces," not coerces. So this didn't apply to rape. It had to be consensual!)
Sex = marriage.
Wow. That feeling might change the way our society looks at sex (and the intimate union of two people), don't you think?!?
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