Is rape talked about in the Bible? If so, how was it handled?
Rape is dealt with in the Bible. The following instruction was given by God to the nation of Israel through Moses with regard to that matter.
But if a man finds a betrothed (engaged or married) young woman in the countryside, and the man forces her and lies with her, then only the man who lay with her shall die.
But you shall do nothing to the young woman; there is in the young woman no sin worthy of death, for just as when a man rises against his neighbor and kills him, even so is this matter; for he found her in the countryside, and the betrothed young woman cried out, but there was no one to save her.
(Deut. 22:25-27)
The underlying thought of this verse is a woman being unwillingly overpowered and sexually abused. The first thing we see is how God handled the rapist; he was put to death.
I’m sure this was an effective deterrent to rape. (In the present time period it is important to realize that one must not take matters into his or her own hands if rape has occurred. We cannot exact revenge or death on a rapist, but must abide by the laws of the land.).
The second thing we observe is how God treated the one who was raped. God did not consider her as doing any wrong. She was not to be put to death, nor was she to be treated unfairly after such an event. I believe this Scripture shows that God protected the woman from being humiliated through rape.
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Joe Cameneti Sr. is the lead pastor of Believers Church, located in his hometown of Warren, Ohio. Pastor Joe, along with his wife Gina, pioneered Believers Church in 1983 following his graduation from Bible School.
In addition to leading a thriving local church, Pastor Joe is the host of a weekly show called "BCTV." The program is aired locally on WFMJ, the NBC affiliate, reaching thousands weekly.
Pastor Joe is a gifted communicator, skilled in the art of building bridges to unchurched America. Transparent and authentic, you'll walk away challenged and encouraged to connect with God in a deeper way.
