1 Corinthians 7:1-24
1 Kings 20
Amos 4:4-13
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Thoughts and Commentary on Today's Reading
Years ago, I observed a young Christian woman who began dating a non-Christian man. As their relationship progressed, they began to fall head-over-heels "in love". The young woman worried about marrying this man, who didn't share her faith. But in the end, she concluded that their love was enough and that her marriage with him would be protected - even divinely sanctioned - because of the promise found in 1 Corinthians 7:13-14:
1 Corinthians 7:13-14 "And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy."
At first, everything seemed to go very well. She always came to church alone, while he stayed home and watched TV, but she reasoned that at least he didn't ever try to prevent her from coming.
As time went on, the spiritually mismatched couple brought two beautiful children into the world: a boy and a girl. Throughout their infancy and childhood, the Christian mother always brought her children to church on Sabbath. And the father always stayed away and did his own secular things. Of course, when church was over those secular things were hard to ignore for the rest of the family.
The mother was shocked and grieved when those children grew into rebellious teenagers who refused to join her for church or worship time any further. After all those years of trying, she had failed. The children both became godless, just like their father - only worse. The mother couldn't understand how this could have happened! Hadn't God promised to protect her children and that it was okay to have a spiritually divided home?
Time and again, over my life, I have witnessed these two verses in 1 Corinthians being used to justify a saved person forming a marriage with an unbeliever. But, in actuality, 1 Corinthians 7:13-14 is a conditional promise. Yahweh isn't saying that His followers can marry non-believers and still have the blessing of Heaven. Rather, the promise of 1 Corinthians 7:13-14 is for unsaved families in which either the husband or wife converts to Christianity after they are married. In such cases, God gives extra Grace to the saved spouse for the salvation of the children.
But for those who wish to claim these verses as a justification to enter into a spiritually mismatched marriage, there is no provision. In fact, Yahweh's Word speaks out strongly against it. In fact, becoming spiritually "yoked" with darkness is one of the most dangerous and destructive things any believer can do. Consider the story of Balaam, by way of illustration.
So long as Israel was obedient to Yahweh, they were uncursable. But, as Balaam knew, this mighty Shield could be removed if Israel, willfully, removed themselves from the protection of their all-powerful God.
In this story, there are some
interesting insights for our own warning, given even in the meanings of the
names. Balaam, as a double agent, walked with King Balak, whose name means “the
Devastator,” through the fields of Zophim,
which means “watchers,” Numbers 23:14. “Watchers,” in this context, is an
ancient reference to fallen angels or demons. Balaam would offer sacrifices to
the God of Israel so as to appear to be compli-ant with His ways. It, too, was a lie, and our God cannot be
fooled.191
“Watchers,” is the title given
to the fallen angels, according to the Book of Enoch. But the Almighty God also
has watchers, to warn and protect those who serve Him. In a later time, the
pronouncement against Jerusalem, then in complete rebellion, would be made by
the “watchers from a far country” (Jeremiah 4:16).
In Daniel 4:13, the watcher is
a holy Angel “…Behold, a watcher and an holy One came down from Heaven.” But in
Daniel 4:17 and in Jeremiah 4:16, the watchers are destructive, emissaries from
Hell:
This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and
the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know
that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He
will, and setteth up over it the basest of men, Daniel 4:17.
Notably, these are the same
enemies whom the Children of Yahweh
will face in the final fulfillment of Revelation. And the only way we will be
rendered vulnerable to the attack from these foes, is if we willfully remove
ourselves from the protective Hand of Yah,
just as Israel was seduced to do.
When an outright curse could
not be placed upon Israel, Balaam resorted to a less direct and more seductive
means to destroy the people: deception. What Balaam failed to do overtly, he
was able to accomplish by seduction. We would be wise to heed the warning found
in this story.
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What Balaam failed to do
overtly, he was able to accomplish by seduction.
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Josephus adds the account of how Moab entrapped Israel by positioning beautiful women at the doors of their linen-sales tents. It was a scenario designed to cause the Israelite men to fall into fornication and idolatry.192 If they did so, Balak’s desire to remove Yahweh’s Protection, would be accomplished. Then, and only then, could Israel be defeated. This was Balaam’s insidious plan. Sadly, it worked. The Book of Jasher records the story in greater detail.
And
the children of Israel approached Moab, and the children of Moab pitched their
tents opposite to the camp of the children of Israel. And the children of Moab
were afraid of the children of Israel, and the children of Moab took all their
daughters and their wives of beautiful aspect and comely appearance, and
dressed them in gold and silver and costly garments.
And the children of Moab seated
those women at the door of their tents, in order that the children of Israel
might see them and turn to them, and not fight against Moab. And all the
children of Moab did this thing to the children of Israel, and every man placed
his wife and daughter at the door of his tent, and all the children of Israel
saw the act of the children of Moab, and the children of Israel turned to the
daughters of Moab and coveted them, and they went to them.
And
it came to pass that when a Hebrew came to the door of the tent of Moab, and
saw a daughter of Moab and desired her in his heart, and spoke with her at the
door of the tent that which he desired, whilst they were speaking together the
men of the tent would come out and speak to the Hebrew like unto these words: Surely
you know that we are brethren, we are all the descendants of Lot and the
descendants of Abraham his brother, wherefore then will you not remain with us,
and wherefore will you not eat our bread and our sacrifice?
And
when the children of Moab had thus overwhelmed him with their speeches, and
enticed him by their flattering words, they seated him in the tent and cooked
and sacrificed for him, and he ate of their sacrifice and of their bread. They
then gave him wine and he drank and became intoxicated, and they placed before
him a beautiful damsel, and he did with her as he liked, for he knew not what
he was doing, as he had drunk plentifully of wine. Thus did the children of
Moab to Israel in that place, in the plain of Shittim, and the anger of (Yahweh)
was kindled against Israel on account of this matter, and He sent a pestilence
amongst them, and there died of the Israelites twenty-four thousand men. Jasher
85:53-61
Scripture tells us that Balaam
was the brains behind this terrible plot to remove Israel from the Anointing
and Protection of the Almighty.
Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through
the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against Yahweh in the matter of
Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of Yahweh, Numbers 31:16.
Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot
cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with
covetous practices; cursed children: Which have forsaken the right way, and are
gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the
wages of unrighteousness, 2 Peter 2:14-15.
The Protection of Yahweh was removed by Israel’s choice to
sin. Thus, sexual and idoltrous spirits were unleashed upon the people of God,
causing a pallor of spiritual dullness. This active sensuality weakened the
congregation. There were also the demons of entertainment, deception, and
perversion called into action. This deceptive entrapment is called a “stumbling-block”
in the Book of Revelation. But, it might as well have been said that Balaam
cast a spell upon Israel, when
they let down their guard, “among friends.”
…And the people began to commit whoredom with the
daughters of Moab. And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their
gods: and the people (Israel) did eat, and bowed down to their gods. And
Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor: and the anger of Yahweh was kindled
against Israel, Numbers 25:1-3.
Is this sort of entrapment being
repeated now against Christians? Absolutely! We know that the curses against Yahweh’s people come in cunning and
clever disguises, otherwise we would recognize our danger and cry out to our
God to “lift up a standard” against the enemy, Isaiah 59:19.
Be ye not unequally yoked together with
unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteous-ness? and
what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with
Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement
hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God; 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. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye
separate, saith Yahweh, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive
you. And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters,
saith Yahweh Almighty, 1 Corinthians 6:14-18.
Why does Yahweh warn that fellowshipping with darkness causes an abominable
joining of Christ with Belial? Sexuality and spirituality are deeply linked.
When the men of Israel committed fornication with the heathen women—both
Moabite and Midianite women participating—the
idolatrous worship of their false gods quickly followed.
While some were tempted by the
sight of the scantily-clad heathen women, others in Israel were taken out by
the entrapment of a “holy cause.” Linen merchants were used to destroy even
Israel’s priests. Priests needed white linen. And Moab was encouraged to
provide it, at a high, spiritual cost.
From ancient He-brew records, we read:
So he erected
curtained tents selling linens from Hermon
(Hermon - means “anathema; devoted to
destruction”) as far
as Beth haYeshimoth (which means the
“house of desolation”),
and placed harlots in them -- old women on the outside, young women within. And
when an Israelite ate, drank, and was merry, and issued forth for a stroll in
the market place, the old woman would say to him, “Do you desire linen garments?”
The old woman offered it at its current value, but the young one for less. This
happened two or three times. After that she would say to him, “You are now like
one of the family; sit down and choose for yourself.” Gourds of Ammonite wine
lay near her…. Said she to him: “Would you like to drink a glass of wine?”
Having drunk, his passion was inflamed and he exclaimed to her, “Yield to me!”
Thereupon she brought forth an idol from her bosom and said to him, “Worship this.”
When Israel was no longer
pure, there was within them no power to withstand curses placed upon them by
Balaam’s demons. Many had separated from their God in going the way of Baal Peor. They then removed themselves from
Yahweh’s Protection. Oh, they still
believed in Yah, but they had become “double-minded” (See James 1:8; 4:8). The
Children of Israel had come under the curse of Balaam, after all. Now, they
must be purged, separating the faithful from the guilty.
“Look, these women caused the children of Israel, through
the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against Yahweh in the incident of
Peor, and there was a plague among the
congregation of Yahweh,” Numbers 31:16,
NIV.
May we pay attention to the
clear warnings written for our admonition.
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes; but he that hearkeneth unto
counsel is wise, Proverbs 12:15
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