Evil in the Name of Love and Marriage

Thus the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons; and they served their gods.

So the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord. They forgot the Lord their God, and served the Baals and Asherahs. Judges 3:3-7

When you take a look at those verses you’ll discover that the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, but why? They did evil when they got married. It wasn’t just the fact that they were worshipping others god, practicing spiritual rituals or doing some other overtly wicked act; they did evil when they got married. Another way to put it is they failed God when they fell in love.

Now don’t get me wrong. I am a staunch proponent for both. Yet there are times when God’s children marry the wrong people. In modern times this could be mistaken to mean someone of another race but this wasn’t necessarily about race, it was about religion. Again, don’t get me wrong. I am not saying that one religion is better than another. But what I am saying is that if a child of God marries someone who DOES NOT believe that Jesus is the Son of God, the likelihood of them conforming to their spouses’ beliefs are high, as was the case with the children of Israel when they began to serve their spouses gods. Such was the case with King Solomon.

Solomon had 500 wives and 200 concubines.

Each time he married, in an attempt to appease them, he’d build them a shrine or temple in the back or outside of their home. As with any wife, of course she invited her husband to service and as with most husbands, he obliged. Because he did, Solomon, the son of David, began to serve his wife’s god’s. When I say that you can think he was participating in come occultic practice but serving another god can be something as simple as agreeing trying to keep the peace in your marriage by regularly attending a worship service of another religion. The point I’m trying to make is that it is possible to do evil simply by falling in love.

There’s this saying today that goes something like, “You can’t control who you love.” Some would even say that “You should be free to love who you want to love.” And though true, it may not be God’s perfect plan and will for you to. Such was the case with the children of Israel.

God specifically told them they could not marry a Canaanite, Hittite, Amorite, Perizzite, Hivite, and/or Jebusite. Some will take that to mean that there shouldn’t be interracial marriages. Not saying that at all because clearly God believes in interracial marriages because Moses had a Cushite bride (Num. 12:1). And if you’re wondering why their marriage was allowed, it was because God hadn’t forbidden the children of Israel to marry Ethiopians. He forbad them to marry Canaanite, Hittite, Amorite, Perizzite, Hivite, and/or Jebusite men and women.

So, my all my waiters and future abstinologists™ remember: it’s important to seek God when you feel your time is approaching to come out of your waiting season. You could meet someone who for all intents and purposes he ‘feels like’ he’s your future husband. He may not even believe in Jesus or God for that matter which may not bother you because you think you can change him. But if God hasn’t been able to touch his heart, then please oh please be careful about trusting him with yours.