Q2. Intermarriage and Syncretism

[Jen]

Q2. What happened when the Israelites disobeyed God and intermarried with the Canaanites? Why do you think God commanded them not to intermarry? Was this racial or spiritual or both? Why are Christians to marry "in the Lord"?

They lost there separateness to Yahweh. They no longer focused on God and His wonderful love for them and His desires for them as a Holy people. The ones He chose not because they were the biggest and most powerful. Have we done this? How tragic!!! They adopted the ways of the Canaanites and lost what was most precious to them. They still carried on the empty religion but the power was gone. They still thought of themselves as the chosen people. How we can deceive ourselves. "Search me O God, and know my heart; Try my and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." Ps. 139:23,24. They eventually adopted the heathen customs of worshipping other God and all that entailed. It was spiritual mainly but could have had some racial appeal. Once they took their eyes off God and focused on the appeal of the new culture they were hooked. Satan sets his bait and we go for it.

As Christians we cannot focus on our Lord if we are unequally yoked. The other partner will enjoy things that we cannot do. It would or should be repulsive to us for lack of a better word. We just cannot do what would grieve our Lord.

God Bless!

Jen

Numbers 6:24-26

I don't believe we are ever to safe or secure not to be in danger of drifting. We need to pray for each other. May we not lose the fervency of our love for Jesus.

[JulieAnn]

Q2. What happened when the Israelites disobeyed God and intermarried with the Canaanites? Why do you think God commanded them not to intermarry? Was this racial or spiritual or both? Why are Christians to marry

[charisbarak]

When the Israelites disobeyed God & intermarried their hearts were drawn away from God.

God wanted the Israelites to keep their purity & monotheism--keep them set apart for Him.

I think it was ultimately a spiritual reason believers vs unbelievers.

Christians should marry in the Lord--that's who they'd have basic things in common. The unbeliever could influence the believer & draw him away fromn God. Most people think it's the other way around, that the believer could influence the unbeliever.

[haar]

God told the Israelites that when they disobeyed His command and intermarried with the Cananites, He would destroy them. He did not want the Israelites to intermarry with the Cananites because the Cananite wives would turn them to worship their gods and thus make them poluted and unholy. This was a spiritual consideration to ensure that the children of God remained holy and not poluted by idols.

For the same reason the Christians are to marry "in the Lord" so as to have holy union.

[WALT39]

Q2. What happened when the Israelites disobeyed God and intermarried with the Canaanites? Why do you think God commanded them not to intermarry? Was this racial or spiritual or both? Why are Christians to marry "in the Lord"?

What happened when the Israelites disobeyed God and intermarried with the Canaanites?They began to believe in their gods and not the real God.

Why do you think God commanded them not to intermarry? God wanted them to honor the one true God, the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob. If they did, they could not honor and obey Him.

Was this racial or spiritual or both? It is spiritual.

Why are Christians to marry "in the Lord"? In 2 Corinthians 6:14, it tells us "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?"

[maddog]

Q2. What happened when the Israelites disobeyed God and intermarried with the Canaanites? Why do you think God commanded them not to intermarry? Was this racial or spiritual or both? Why are Christians to marry

[Standing On the Rock]

A2. When the Israelites disobeyed God and married foreign women, their hearts were turned to other gods and they were not fully devoted to Yahweh. This led to the dissipation of holiness among God

[nurselaino]

Q2. What happened when the Israelites disobeyed God and intermarried with the Canaanites? Why do you think God commanded them not to intermarry? Was this racial or spiritual or both? Why are Christians to marry

[linda bass]

What happened when the Israelites disobeyed God and intermarried with the Canaanites was that they eventually turned away from the One True God and started worshipping the idolatrous gods of their foreign spouses.

I think God commanded them not to intermarry because He knew their hearts would eventually be turned away from Him, and they would start worshipping idols.

This was not a racial issue,but a spiritual one. When Aaron and Mariam complained about Moses marrying a black skinned woman from Ethiopia,God struck them with leposy. God wanted the Jews to remain a separatist and exclusivist people. They could only remain unique and holy to God by not intermarrying with those of different religions and faiths.

Christians are to marry "in the Lord" because it is easy for a Christian to be led astray by their non-Christian mate. I have known Christians who have married nonbelievers and then led their mates to the Lord,but that is usually the exception rather than the rule. Another thing about 2 Corintians 6:14 is that I have heard others use that verse out of context or to justify a point of view. I believe when God says we are not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers,He was talking exclusively about marriage and nothing else. Yet I have heard preachers and others use this verse as a proof text to say,Christians shouldn't go into business with non-believers,Christians shouldn't patronize stores not owned by other Christians,Christians shouldn't be listening to non Christian music or watching non Christian movies or TV shows. I could go on,but I'm sure you get the point.

[Gann]

Q2. What happened when the Israelites disobeyed God and intermarried with the Canaanites?

They fell into bondage by the Canaanites and worshiped their gods.

Why do you think God commanded them not to intermarry?

To keep them pure because He knew that if they intermarried with other tribes then they would follow their sins.

Was this racial or spiritual or both?

spiritual, it is obedience to God.

Why are Christians to marry

[Antwan]

Q2. What happened when the Israelites disobeyed God and intermarried with the Canaanites? Why do you think God commanded them not to intermarry? Was this racial or spiritual or both? Why are Christians to marry

[PATCH]

Q2. What happened when the Israelites disobeyed God and intermarried with the Canaanites? Why do you think God commanded them not to intermarry? Was this racial or spiritual or both? Why are Christians to marry

[royk]

Q2. What happened when the Israelites disobeyed God and intermarried with the Canaanites? Why do you think God commanded them not to intermarry? Was this racial or spiritual or both? Why are Christians to marry

[DrD]

The consequence of the Israelites marrying the Canaanites was that they (the Israelites) would become involved in the worship of idol gods as opposed to worshipping the one True and Living God. . . This was the reason God forbade them marrying people whose culture was to worship idol gods. . .2 Corinthians 6:14-18 (KJV)

14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?

16 "]And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God[/color]; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

As far as God was concerned this was a spiritual concern and had nothing to do with races of people. . . No one can be effective in serving two masters - one he will love and the other he will hate - one will be held tightly to and the other will be pushed away (one will always get more attention than the other). . .

Christians should "marry in the Lord" (1) so that there is no disfunction within the family unit between two differing religious entities that are served - (2) so that all succeeding generation will know and serve the True God. . . God will not share His glory with anyone else or anything else. . . Exodus 20:3-6 (KJV)

3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:

5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;

6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

[Guitar Jim]

Q2. What happened when the Israelites disobeyed God and intermarried with the Canaanites?

The religion of Israel became polluted by pagan practices. Instead of worshiping God exclusively the people of Israel either worshiped idols outright or incorporated pagan ideas like temple prostitutes into their worship of Yahweh.

Why do you think God commanded them not to intermarry?

Because He knew that would happen. The worship of Yahweh seems tame when compared to the pagan rituals and God knew that those rituals would seduce His people into sin.

Was this racial or spiritual or both?

It was a bit of both, but mainly spiritual.

Why are Christians to marry

[pastor neal]

Q2. What happened when the Israelites disobeyed God and intermarried with the Canaanites? Why do you think God commanded them not to intermarry? Was this racial or spiritual or both? Why are Christians to marry

[Old Jerry]

The thing that happens when the Israelites disobeyed God and intermarried with the Canaanites was that they started to follow their religious practices. That is the reason that God commanded them not to intermarry so that their hearts would remain with the Lord the one and only God.

Not to intermarry is a spiritual thing because we are to marry a Christian and not intermarry with a non-Christian. That is the way that we can keep God in our marriages.

[Ms. Green]

Q2. What happened when the Israelites disobeyed God and intermarried with the Canaanites?

They began to take the gods of the Canaan it's as their own. They disobeyed God by putting other God's before Him.

Why do you think God commanded them not to intermarry?

He knew their faith wasn't strong enough to resist the temptations of the ways of the other gods. As stated in the passage, He was trying to prepare them for the coming of Christ and to do that God needed to have them focused on Him and nothing else.

Was this racial or spiritual or both?

Spiritual

Why are Christians to marry �in the Lord�?

Then God will lead you to the person that also follows Hom so you won't be unequally yoked.

[Irmela]

Q2. What happened when the Israelites disobeyed God and intermarried with the Canaanites?

Why do you think God commanded them not to intermarry?

Was this racial or spiritual or both?

Why are Christians to marry "in the Lord"?

When they disobeyed God they began to worship the gods of the pagans they had gotten married to.  They were no longer true in their worship of the only TRUE GOD.  This was the reason God had commanded them not to intermarry. 

Some of the other religions allowed prostitution as a practice in their worship. This was defiling their bodies and could lead to sickness. There was also child sacrifice  =  this was murder in the 1st degree.   That pain cannot be wiped from father or mother, do what you want.  These are just the surface of the iceberg, as it were, of the pain and defilement that they would endure with other religions.  In fact one can say it is demonic and so it was very much spiritual. God wanted His people to be saved from that bondage also.  

A person becomes a Christian when he has laid down his own desires and so to say has accepted that Christ lives in him.  As the words of the song say it so well    .  .  .    It's no longer I that liveth, but Christ that liveth in me    .  .  .        Now if you marry an unbeliever you are yoked to someone that is not in Christ.  That is why we are encouraged to marry "in the Lord".