Topical Bible: Offerings: Things Forbidden as The Price of Fornication

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In the biblical context, offerings are gifts presented to God as acts of worship, thanksgiving, or atonement. However, the Scriptures delineate specific guidelines regarding the nature and source of these offerings, emphasizing the importance of purity and righteousness in what is presented to the Lord. Among the various prohibitions, the Bible explicitly forbids offerings derived from immoral earnings, particularly those associated with fornication.

The primary scriptural reference addressing this issue is found in Deuteronomy 23:18, which states: "You must not bring the wages of a prostitute or the earnings of a dog into the house of the LORD your God to pay any vow, because both are detestable to the LORD your God" . This verse underscores the principle that offerings to God must be free from the taint of sin and immorality. The term "dog" in this context is often understood to refer to male prostitutes, highlighting the broader prohibition against any form of sexual immorality as a source of offerings.

The prohibition against using the wages of fornication as offerings is rooted in the holiness and purity that God demands from His people. Throughout the Old Testament, God consistently calls His people to be set apart, to live lives that reflect His holiness (Leviticus 19:2). The offerings brought to God were not merely ritualistic acts but were intended to symbolize the worshiper's devotion and obedience to Him. Therefore, offerings tainted by sin contradicted the very nature of what they were meant to represent.

The New Testament continues to affirm the call to purity and holiness in the lives of believers. While the specific regulations of the Mosaic Law are not imposed on Christians, the underlying principles of moral integrity and the rejection of sin remain. The Apostle Paul, in his letters, frequently exhorts believers to flee from sexual immorality and to honor God with their bodies (1 Corinthians 6:18-20). This call to purity extends to all aspects of life, including the resources and offerings presented to God.

In the broader biblical narrative, the rejection of offerings derived from immoral sources serves as a reminder of the incompatibility between sin and the worship of a holy God. It calls believers to examine the sources of their offerings and to ensure that their gifts to God are expressions of genuine devotion and righteousness. The prohibition against using the price of fornication as offerings is a testament to the high ethical standards that God sets for His people, reflecting His desire for their lives to be marked by holiness and integrity.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Deuteronomy 23:18
You shall not bring the hire of a whore, or the price of a dog, into the house of the LORD your God for any vow: for even both these are abomination to the LORD your God.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Sixth Book
... to Christ we dedicate the vilest shows as sacrificial offerings. ... Lord's rods, not
because it is forbidden a man ... on a festive countenance; all things mourn, but ...
//christianbookshelf.org/salvian/on the government of god/the sixth book.htm

Period I: the Imperial State Church of the Undivided Empire, or ...
... is conceded, provided they refrain from domestic sacrifices, which are expressly
forbidden. ... the reverence due the sanctity of the law and to divine things. ...
/.../ayer/a source book for ancient church history/period i the imperial state.htm

Tit. 2:06 Thoughts for Young Men
... He tempted Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit, and ... up early in the morning and
offered burnt-offerings, according to ... Never make a jest of sacred things. ...
/.../chapter xix tit 2 6 thoughts.htm

A Defence of the Doctrine of Justification, by Faith in Jesus ...
... I have given thee here but a taste of these things; and by my book but a brief reply
to the errors that he by his hath divulged to the world: Ay, though many ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/a defence of the doctrine.htm

Period iv. The Age of the Consolidation of the Church: 200 to 324 ...
... who were accused of meeting in forbidden societies should ... of purchase money, as if
our religion had its price. ... And these things which we have learned we assert ...
/.../ayer/a source book for ancient church history/period iv the age of.htm

Of Antichrist, and his Ruin: and of the Slaying the Witnesses.
... with their meat-offerings and their drink-offerings, and offer ... There are also two
things to be considered, as ... these cities when God has forbidden it: Wherefore ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/of antichrist and his ruin .htm

The Pharisee and the Publican
... the apostle intends, when he saith, "Flee fornication," "Flee youthful ... Observe a
few things from this text; and they ... But since thou art forbidden to trust to it ...
/.../bunyan/the pharisee and publican/the pharisee and the publican.htm

A Discourse Upon the Pharisee and the Publican
... the apostle intends, when he saith, "Flee fornication (2 Timothy 2 ... Observer a few
things from this text, and they are ... But since thou art forbidden to trust to it ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/a discourse upon the pharisee.htm

The Holy City; Or, the New Jerusalem:
... 'Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God.'-Psalm 87:3. ... See also Acts
2:33 and Ephesians 4:10-13). This showeth us, then, these two things-. First. ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the holy city or the.htm

The Doctrine
... to Adam did contain in it a forbidding to do any of those things that was and ... it
must needs be that He then commanded to abstain from all sins forbidden in the ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the doctrine.htm