Good fencing around rooftops—and relationships—is the secret of a happy home life.
Although most homes in the West have peaked roofs, that wasn’t the case in the lands of the Bible. A flat roof provided an ideal place for families to gather in the early morning or evening. The roof usually had three layers in its construction: wooden beams, on which were placed straw mats, and then a clay surface that hardened on top. But the Lord had a concern: “When you build a new house, then you shall make a parapet for your roof, that you may not bring guilt of bloodshed on your household if anyone falls from it” (Deut 22:8). Isn’t God thoughtful! Again we are to recognize that barriers are a good thing. They are not, as moderns commonly think, an attempt by God to spoil our fun. Now with the picture of protective fencing around a rooftop patio clearly in our minds, the Lord turns to sterner matters. Since the essential building blocks of society require strong marriages, how crucial to put walls not only around our houses but also around our homes—around the relationships between husbands and wives. With this the rest of Deuteronomy 22 is concerned. Various scenarios are anticipated, but they essentially come down to this: the responsibility of a young woman to protect her virginity for marriage, and the responsibility of a young man to deal faithfully with young women. If these two policies were followed, what heartache and trouble would be avoided! This was of paramount importance to God. Once unfaithfulness and careless attitudes were allowed to take over, it was only a matter of time until the underpinnings of society would collapse, as we see in our day. But what a wonderful world it is for children when they grow up in the protective environment of a stable and happy home!