In 1996, I married my lovely wife who has been with me ever since. We were taught the MO lie and were married in a traditional setting with mostly traditional ideas in place. As time marched on I began to study the bible in earnest and came to understand that we are to keep God's commandments as he laid them out to Moses. In the reading of the bible, over and over again, I have read Exodus 22 and Duet 22 where they speak of the price of a virgin.
Exo 22:16 And if a man entice a maid that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall surely endow her to be his wife.
Exo 22:17 If her father utterly refuse to give her unto him, he shall pay money according to the dowry of virgins.
Deu 22:28 If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, which is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found;
Deu 22:29 Then the man that lay with her shall give unto the damsel's father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife; because he hath humbled her, he may not put her away all his days.
I see both of these verses as describing the same thing which leads me to the conclusion that the normal bride price for a virgin was fifty shekels of silver.
Fast forward to present time. My mother-in-law came up from Texas a little over 2 weeks ago to visit which ended today as we dropped her off at the airport for her return trip. While she was here, I was pondering on the fact that I never paid her the dowry of virgins. I did the some math to estimate what the fifty shekels of silver would equal in OZ of silver today. I then laid coins and rounds out on a table equal to that amount. Then I invited my mother-in-law over to see them and explained to her that I had a debt to her that had never been paid and why. I showed her the scriptures and told her that all that silver is hers as payment for my wife. (no LONGER a virgin but was! ). She initially protested as she had never heard of such a thing before but as my wife then explained to her, we want to do this, she gave in. I then told her that I would give her the equal amount in cash if she would prefer it and she took the cash. Afterwards, I gave her one silver OZ round as a memento of our exchange.
I know that she would never have even known that was in the bible but it had suddenly struck me that I wanted to pay her this to honor the Word of God as I understand it.
So, today, 28 years late, I bought my wife!!! And, she is a KEEPER!!!
Bonus, today is also my wife's birthday. So, I bought me a really great present today!
Exo 22:16 And if a man entice a maid that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall surely endow her to be his wife.
Exo 22:17 If her father utterly refuse to give her unto him, he shall pay money according to the dowry of virgins.
Deu 22:28 If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, which is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found;
Deu 22:29 Then the man that lay with her shall give unto the damsel's father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife; because he hath humbled her, he may not put her away all his days.
I see both of these verses as describing the same thing which leads me to the conclusion that the normal bride price for a virgin was fifty shekels of silver.
Fast forward to present time. My mother-in-law came up from Texas a little over 2 weeks ago to visit which ended today as we dropped her off at the airport for her return trip. While she was here, I was pondering on the fact that I never paid her the dowry of virgins. I did the some math to estimate what the fifty shekels of silver would equal in OZ of silver today. I then laid coins and rounds out on a table equal to that amount. Then I invited my mother-in-law over to see them and explained to her that I had a debt to her that had never been paid and why. I showed her the scriptures and told her that all that silver is hers as payment for my wife. (no LONGER a virgin but was! ). She initially protested as she had never heard of such a thing before but as my wife then explained to her, we want to do this, she gave in. I then told her that I would give her the equal amount in cash if she would prefer it and she took the cash. Afterwards, I gave her one silver OZ round as a memento of our exchange.
I know that she would never have even known that was in the bible but it had suddenly struck me that I wanted to pay her this to honor the Word of God as I understand it.
So, today, 28 years late, I bought my wife!!! And, she is a KEEPER!!!
Bonus, today is also my wife's birthday. So, I bought me a really great present today!