That's gonna leave a mark!

Leviticus 19:20
20 ‘Whoever lies carnally with a woman who is betrothed to a man as a concubine, and who has not at all been redeemed nor given her freedom, for this there shall be scourging; but they shall not be put to death, because she was not free.

So far, this is the only law in the Old Testament that I can find that has scourging specifically named as the punishment. It’s implied in this verse that both the male and the female are to be scourged as a result of their sexual sin. What this verse doesn’t tell us is who the man is. It could very well be the one to whom she is betrothed, or he could be some random stranger. Either way they both are to be punished by scourging for their sin.

Scourging was not a very pleasant experience. It usually consisted of being stripped of clothing, tied to a pillar, and being whipped repeatedly. The whip used was made of leather strips that had pieces of bone or metal tied to its ends. These additions to the leather would ensure tissue damage and mutilation of the body. Scourging was not a death sentence, though some of its victims surely wished for death.

So what does this verse mean? A woman who has been engaged or set apart for a specific man has had sex with that man or another before her wedding; before her future husband has come to pay the ransom and redeem her as his bride. As a result of her indiscretion (and his) they are to both be punished.

Today, we refer to the Christian church as the “Bride of Christ”. In the Old Testament Israel was set apart, betrothed, to God. When Christ came to fulfill the laws and accept the punishments for the crimes that we as humans have committed, His mission was to fulfill them all. As His fiance, whether Old Testament Jew or New Testament Christian, we have all given ourselves to another “man” at some point. Be it alcohol, pornography, drugs, T.V., jobs, family, money, or football (just to name a few), we have all placed an idol before God at some point in our lives. We have been whores to the world, for the things of the world.

When Christ came His purpose was to redeem and sanctify us, His bride, so that He could present us holy and acceptable before God. Part of that redemption process involved taking the punishment for our past and future behavior as an unfaithful fiance. That punishment had to be scourging; it’s what His law required. (John 19:1 So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him) Jesus accepted this punishment on behalf of His bride, His nation, and the rest of the world who may choose to not ever accept Him.

Some say that Pilate had Jesus scourged in order to gain sympathy from the Jewish leaders in the hopes that they wouldn’t ask for His death. I say that Pilate had Him scourged because in order to fulfill God’s laws it was a requirement. It wasn’t just Roman tradition, it was God’s holy plan.

Whatever vice (or vices) you’ve given yourself to in the past, Jesus has accepted the punishment for it. His scourging, death, and resurrection have fully compensated God for any wrong you have committed. Today is the day to realize that Jesus has redeemed you and given you your freedom.