seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Exodus 22:18 “Do not allow a sorceress to live.
19 “Anyone who has sexual relations with an animal is to be put to death.
20 “Whoever sacrifices to any god other than the Lord must be destroyed.[e]
19 “Anyone who has sexual relations with an animal is to be put to death.
20 “Whoever sacrifices to any god other than the Lord must be destroyed.[e]
Exodus 22:20 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.
These comments are from GodVine.
If there had been no witches, such a law as this had never been made. The existence of the law, given under the direction of the Spirit of God, proves the existence of the thing. It has been doubted whether מכשפה mecash-shephah, which we translate witch, really means a person who practiced divination or sorcery by spiritual or infernal agency. Whether the persons thus denominated only pretended to have an art which had no existence, or whether they really possessed the power commonly attributed to them, are questions which it would be improper to discuss at length in a work of this kind; but that witches, wizards, those who dealt with familiar spirits, etc., are represented in the sacred writings as actually possessing a power to evoke the dead, to perform, supernatural operations, and to discover hidden or secret things by spells, charms, incantations, etc., is evident to every unprejudiced reader of the Bible. Of Manasseh it is said: He caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times [ועונן, veonen, he used divination by clouds] and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, [וכשף vechishsheph], and dealt with a familiar spirit, [ועשה אוב veasah ob, performed a variety of operations by means of what was afterwards called the πνευμα πυθωνος, the spirit of Python], and with wizards, [ידעוני yiddeoni, the wise or knowing ones]; and he wrought much evil in the sight of the Lord; 2 Chronicles 33:6. It is very likely that the Hebrew כשף cashaph, and the Arabic cashafa, had originally the same meaning, to uncover, to remove a veil, to manifest, reveal, make bare or naked; and mecashefat is used to signify commerce with God. The mecashshephah or witch, therefore, was probably a person who professed to reveal hidden mysteries, by commerce with God, or the invisible world.
From the severity of this law against witches, etc., we may see in what light these were viewed by Divine justice. They were seducers of the people from their allegiance to God, on whose judgment alone they should depend; and by impiously prying into futurity, assumed an attribute of God, the foretelling of future events, which implied in itself the grossest blasphemy, and tended to corrupt the minds of the people, by leading them away from God and the revelation he had made of himself. Many of the Israelites had, no doubt, learned these curious arts from their long residence with the Egyptians; and so much were the Israelites attached to them, that we find such arts in repute among them, and various practices of this kind prevailed through the whole of the Jewish history, notwithstanding the offense was capital, and in all cases punished with death.
From the severity of this law against witches, etc., we may see in what light these were viewed by Divine justice. They were seducers of the people from their allegiance to God, on whose judgment alone they should depend; and by impiously prying into futurity, assumed an attribute of God, the foretelling of future events, which implied in itself the grossest blasphemy, and tended to corrupt the minds of the people, by leading them away from God and the revelation he had made of himself. Many of the Israelites had, no doubt, learned these curious arts from their long residence with the Egyptians; and so much were the Israelites attached to them, that we find such arts in repute among them, and various practices of this kind prevailed through the whole of the Jewish history, notwithstanding the offense was capital, and in all cases punished with death.
On verse 19
If this most abominable crime had not been common, it never would have been mentioned in a sacred code of laws. It is very likely that it was an Egyptian practice; and it is certain, from an account in Sonnini's Travels, that it is practiced in Egypt to the present day.
Verse 20
Utterly destroyed - The word חרם cherem denotes a thing utterly and finally separated from God and devoted to destruction, without the possibility of redemption.
These are the comments from Blueletterbible.org.
The practice of sorcery was almost always associated with "medicinal arts" (the taking of drugs) in the ancient world, and was therefore a connection between drug taking and occultist practices.
You shall not permit a sorceress to live: This was considered a severe enough threat that sorcery was considered a capital crime. The link between drugs and the occult was rightly seen as deadly.
Whoever lies with an animal shall surely be put to death: Bestiality was practiced in the ancient world, and God's Word specifically prohibits it. However, if someone will not allow God's Word to guide his or her sexual morality, there is no rational reason why this should be considered wrong.
You shall not permit a sorceress to live: This was considered a severe enough threat that sorcery was considered a capital crime. The link between drugs and the occult was rightly seen as deadly.
Whoever lies with an animal shall surely be put to death: Bestiality was practiced in the ancient world, and God's Word specifically prohibits it. However, if someone will not allow God's Word to guide his or her sexual morality, there is no rational reason why this should be considered wrong.
If we reject God's Word when it comes to other areas of sexual morality, there is no other place to draw the line. We cannot say that sex with animals, children, or the dead is wrong if the ethic is "if it feels good, do it."
Recently, in response to their university's sponsorship of GLAD (Gay/Lesbian Awareness Days), a university group answered with BAD (Bestiality Awareness Days) - but they were not allowed to have their own "celebration." There was no rational reason to reject this apart from a Biblical foundation for morality.
Recently, in response to their university's sponsorship of GLAD (Gay/Lesbian Awareness Days), a university group answered with BAD (Bestiality Awareness Days) - but they were not allowed to have their own "celebration." There was no rational reason to reject this apart from a Biblical foundation for morality.
And finally.... here's what the easy English commentary says about these three Capital Crimes.
God does not want us to try to know the future. He does not want us to try to do bad things with magic. In the New Testament Paul’s work in the city called Ephesus affected many people. And many people who used evil magic, burnt their books (Acts 19:19). Still today, some people say that they can tell other people about their future. And other people say that they can receive messages from dead people. This is bad because all those people cause trouble. The people who ask them for help can gain false confidence. They can depend on false information, or they can become anxious. They can become unhappy when it is not necessary.
To have a sex relationship with an animal is not natural. Also, it was a part of local religions where they did not worship God himself. So God’s people who did that must die.
Verse 20 This verse refers to God’s commandment in Exodus 20:3. If someone gives gifts to a false god, he must not continue to live with God’s people. This is a very serious sin against God, so the punishment is severe.
To have a sex relationship with an animal is not natural. Also, it was a part of local religions where they did not worship God himself. So God’s people who did that must die.
Verse 20 This verse refers to God’s commandment in Exodus 20:3. If someone gives gifts to a false god, he must not continue to live with God’s people. This is a very serious sin against God, so the punishment is severe.
I've had a couple of experiences with witches. One predicted my future and it came true down to the details I didn't think possible over a period of a couple of decades. The other had an ouija board. So I have no doubt that the practice in a time before law was set down, would have been prevalent.
No one talks about bestiality.... but a google search shows that apparently in some states it's ok to marry an animal today.
We know how God felt about "other gods". IMHO... Lumping sorcery and bestiality with idol worship gives me the impression that these three are capitol offenses because they seem to pull us away from God.
