What Can We Learn from Levirate Marriage?

What Can We Learn from Levirate Marriage?

Deuteronomy 25.5-10
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             If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the widow of the dead man shall not be married to a stranger outside the family; her husband's brother shall go in to her, take her as his wife, and perform the duty of a husband's brother to her. 6 And it shall be that the firstborn son which she bears will succeed to the name of his dead brother, that his name may not be blotted out of Israel. 7 But if the man does not want to take his brother's wife, then let his brother's wife go up to the gate to the elders, and say, ‘My husband's brother refuses to raise up a name to his brother in Israel; he will not perform the duty of my husband's brother.’ 8 Then the elders of his city shall call him and speak to him. But if he stands firm and says, ‘I do not want to take her,’ 9 then his brother's wife shall come to him in the presence of the elders, remove his sandal from his foot, spit in his face, and answer and say, ‘So shall it be done to the man who will not build up his brother's house.’ 10 And his name shall be called in Israel, ‘The house of him who had his sandal removed.’

     This is probably the first time and the last time you’ll hear a sermon about Levirate Marriage. I hope you see, however in this message, that everything in the Bible is important. There are parts that are most important. But there are no parts that are unimportant.

     In the Gospel last Sunday some Sadducees tried to disprove the reality of heaven by asking Jesus about a woman who had been married to seven brothers, all of whom died before she did. This refers to the practice in the Old Testament called Levirate Marriage. The “Levir” or brother-in-law in Latin, was to raise up children for his deceased brother to keep his brother’s family dying off. This was important so that the families and tribes of Israel would be preserved in the land that God promised and from which, eventually, would come the Messiah. 

     God’s salvation is incarnational, that is, it is literally “in the flesh.” The eternal Son of God became a flesh and blood child in the womb of the Virgin Mary. Jesus is, as Paul taught, the one God, the Mediator between man and God, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2.5). God set up a matrix of prophecies that would identify the Messiah. Those prophecies included His nation, Israel; His tribe, Judah; His family, David; His city, Bethlehem. Levirate Marriage quite likely played a role in preserving the genealogy of Jesus in an unbroken line through David, Abraham, and Adam. One of the main reasons God gave the Law of Moses was simply to keep Israel separate from the other nations and to preserve it for the sake of the coming Messiah. In addition to Levirate Marriage, there were other laws having to do with inheritances, debts, and slavery, (these are all fleshly things) that were all intended to preserve the families, the tribes of Israel, and the genealogy of Jesus until the His conception. 

     Is there a lesson for us in this old practice of Levirate Marriage? There is. Like many parts of the Law of Moses, the purpose of Levirate Marriage has been fulfilled with the coming of the Messiah. But the practice of Levirate Marriage (as well as rules about inheritance, debts, and slavery) remind us of something very important. Every fleshly thing of this world ultimately serves the spiritual and eternal purposes of God. The primary purpose of marriage is not for our earthly personal pleasure. Earthly pleasure certainly plays a part. In this fallen, sinful world, God does give us many temporary earthly pleasures. But the ultimate pleasure is that of eternal life. God gave us marriage to keep us from being overtaken by sin and separated from God. He gave us marriage to bring children into the world so that they can have the pleasure of eternal life. God gave us marriage so that we can constantly have the opportunity to “love your neighbor as yourself” even as He loves us and supports us in all of life. 

     Levirate Marriage was a sacrifice to support life and to support God’s promises of a Messiah. Sabbath rest of the land, freeing slaves every seven years, and cancelling debts, was God’s way of guiding the nation of Israel toward its glory bringing forth the Messiah. Our life in the flesh still has its pleasures. But like ancient Israel, it also has its purposes. We don’t work simply for pleasure but to support our families and to support the Gospel of the Messiah. Our friendships are for pleasure, yes, but we should also look at them as opportunities for bringing forth the Gospel of the Messiah and for conversion. Our political activities are not just to ensure a pleasing and comfortable life on earth, but especially that all men might be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. Our offerings are given not just so that we can sit in a comfortable pew in a climate-controlled room that is beautifully adorned, but they are especially given so that others can be gathered into God’s kingdom through the preaching and teaching of the Gospel of the Messiah. All of our earthly life in this flesh will involve some pleasures but quite a few sacrifices. 

     People who have no hope of eternal life will flee from this way of living. They will constantly avoid all sacrifices and always seek pleasures. People who have the hope of eternal life will enjoy pleasures, but will also accept and even seek sacrifices. That’s a good thought for us as we face the boredom, the drudgery, and the stress of this life. Faithful sacrifices for the sake of life and the Gospel will eventually lead to the eternal pleasure of heaven. Amen. 

Luther on Sex "IN" Marriage

I am working on my notes for Adult Bible class this Sunday based on 1 Corinthians chapter seven. The first verse includes this statement: "It is good for a man not to touch a woman."

Centuries ago St. Jerome attacked a Catholic monk named Jovinian, who had the audacity to say that married people and celibate people have an equal standing before God. Jerome argued that if Paul said, "It is good for a man not to touch a woman," then "It is bad to touch one." (1 Corinthians: Interpreted by Early Christian Commentators p. 104, by Judith L. Kovacs). This led to an ugly teaching and tradition in the church that sex was bad even in marriage. This teaching and practice reigned supreme for a millenia until Martin Luther came along.

Did Paul actually say "It is good for a man not to touch a woman"? We also have to read the sentence that comes before it: "Now concerning things which you wrote to me..." With this introduction it is clear that Paul is addressing a statement put to him by the Corinthians. Paul does find some merit in the statement as long as two important conditions are met. First, those who choose not to marry must have the spiritual gift for celibacy. Luther pointed out that it was a sin to challenge our God-given nature for sexual relations and marriage. Secondly, any sexual abstinence within marriage needs to be temporary and agreeable to both spouses.

Luther had some VERY strong words about this latter condition. Refusing conjugal rights is a serious problem. I agree completely with Luther. I said this early in my ministry, and I have never backed away from it: There is way too much sex outside of marriage in the form of movies, magazines, jokes, internet, prostitution etc., and way too little in marriage where it belongs. Luther also urged moderation in marital sexual relations. Like Paul, Luther taught Christians to avoid unnatural restraint as well as selfish, carnal lust.

I look forward to the discussion we will have on this Sunday. May God support all Christian marriages and families and by His grace lead us faithfully in the blessed estate.