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When certain scripture is taken out of the bible and one tends to think it is relevant to the topic, in this instance, it is that of
sperm donation, and then, when one neglects to
look at the whole surroundings that were involved in the particular sin or situation, then what? We have to then go over our tracks and see what was left out of the whole picture and make note of it. :-?
One must consider the consequences of what happens when sperm is used for surrogate purposes outside of the "marriage" bond, and also, what happens when sperm is wasted onto the ground (in this instance) to avoid impregantion?
Genesis 38:8 has nothing to do with "donating sperm" outside of marriage. Because, Onan "married" Tamar.
- Genesis 38:8
And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother's wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother.
Onan knew his seed would not be of "his" own and this would be son, thereafter, would be the "first in line" to inherit Judah's estate. Onan was thinking of his own welfare and didn't want anyone to be ahead of him when the time came to gain his fathers wealth.
So then, why was the LORD displeased with Onan? Let us look at the verse and put it into perspective! First of all Onan was told by his father to
"marry" Tamar.
So then, If, in fact Onan married Tamar, he was not donating sperm, he was married to her and the thing that displeased the LORD was that Onan spilled his sperm onto the ground instead of impregnating his WIFE.
So then that being the case, no one can think that they can take this verse in Genesis 38:8 and then say it is okay to donate sperm to someone you are NOT MARRIED TO. Onan married his brothers widow.
He did not sin in having sex with her.
But later in the story, after Judah's wife died, Judah sinned, he went into what he thought was a harlot. He didn't know that Tamar was tricking him into making her pregnant with his child. Tamar tricked him because she knew that Judah wasn't going to let any of his sons marry her after what was happening. Tamar wanted to remain in the bloodline of Judah, she was entitled to that much, according to customs of those days.
The brother of the widows husband was to MARRY the widow and take care of her.
So then, Sothenes,
You can't take this particular scripture out of context and use it to say that "sperm donation" outside of being "married" to the woman is an acceptable practice.
Also, when you look at other accounts in the bible in which the seed is used for surrogate purposes, you will find that thereafter the family feuds and jealousies grow out of the making of surrogate children. And the children also have problems of dealing with their siblings because of the legalities and customs of "first in line" for the inheritance of their father.
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Excerpt from:
David Guzik's Commentaries
on the Bible
3. (8-10) Onan's refusal to raise up offspring for Tamar.
a. According to the custom of levirate
marriage (later codified into law in Deuteronomy 25:5-10),
if a man died before providing sons to his wife,
it was the duty of his brothers to marry her and to give her sons. The child would be considered the son of the brother who had died, because really the living brother was acting in his place.
i. This was done so the dead brother's name would be carried on; but also, so the widow would have children who could support her. Apart from this, she would likely live the rest of her life as a destitute widow.
b. Onan refused to take this responsibility seriously. He was more than happy to use Tamar for his own sexual gratification, but he did not want to give Tamar a son he would have to support, but would be considered to be the son of Er.
c. Onan pursued sex as only a pleasurable experience. If he really didn't want to father a child by Tamar, why did he have sex with her at all? He refused to fulfill his obligation to his dead brother and Tamar.
d. Many Christians have used this passage as a proof-text against masturbation. Indeed, masturbation has been called "onanism." However, this does not seem to be the case here. Whatever Onan did, he was not masturbating! This was not a sin of masturbation, but a sin of refusing to care for his brother's widow by giving her offspring, and of a selfish use of sex.
4. (11) Judah's unfair dealing with Tamar.
a. One can understand Judah's hesitancy to give his last son as a husband to Tamar. God has already judged two of her previous husbands. So Judah essentially vows he will not give Shelah as a husband to Tamar as custom and righteousness commanded, but he will simply keep putting her off on the issue.
b. But none of this was the fault of Tamar. All the blame belonged to the sons of Judah.
To read the full commentary for
Genesis 38 - Tamar and the Sin of Judah
http://www.studylight.org/desk/?l=en&qu ... v&oq=&sr=1
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