THE SIN OF INTERMARRIAGE
England
Why should intermarriage between races be considered a sin? When two people of whatever race or colour love one another and wish to marry, why should they not do so? Because the Bible asserts that it is wrong to intermarry and, if we believe the Bible to be the inspired Word of God, then we have the highest Authority for this claim. The Word of God tells us that segregation is not only right , but a “must,” if the nations are to live in peace.
This is not a popular statement at the moment, of course, and is contrary to Church doctrine. God made everything “after its kind” in the animal, vegetable and human world (Genesis 1:24-25). Leviticus 19:19 says, “Ye shall keep my statutes. Thou shalt not let thy cattle gender with a diverse kind; thou shalt not sow thy field with mingled seed; neither shall a garment mingled (mixed) of linen and woollen come upon thee” and, in Deuteronomy 22:9, “Thou shalt not sow thy vineyard with divers (various) seeds; lest the fruit of thy seed which thou hast sown, and the fruit of thy vineyard, be defiled. ” Let us note further what Moses said: “When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel. For the Lord’s portion (is) his people; Jacob (is) the lot of his inheritance” (Deuteronomy 32:8-9).
But some will protest , and quote Acts 17:26. According to Dr. Scofield’s Reference Bible, the word “blood” is not used in the best manuscripts. The Revised Version omits it. Now let us note what our Lord said: “For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me; for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings how shall ye believe my words?” (John 5:46-47). Moses was given the command that Israel was to be separate: “Neither shalt thou make marriages with them, thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son” (Deuteronomy 7:3). Why? The answer is found verse 6, “For thou (art) an holy people unto the Lord thy God; the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people who (are) upon the the face of the earth.”
Was not God preparing a place through whom The Seed should come? Is it likely that a mongrel race could be a Holy Kingdom of Priests? The nucleus of the Kingdom could never function as God intended if it were mongrelised. But time and time again this command has been disobeyed, with serious results to the individual and the nation. Because of the nation’s disobedience God has had to intervene to keep pure the line through which His Son was to come, and the nation which was to be the nucleus of the Kingdom of God on earth.
 So, it must be observed, it is no idle assertion that Israel was to be “separate.” They were so commanded by God before they even entered the Holy Land , as we read in Exodus 34:12-17. The danger was that they would be persuaded into worshipping other gods and, as we are told in verse 14: “For thou shalt worship no other god; for the Lord; whose name (is) Jealous, is a jealous God.”
Let us examine some of the instances of intermarriage and their results. We know that Esau married Hittite women – which were a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah (Genesis 26:34-35). What was the outcome of this? Esau, a fierce, lawless man, not only sold his birthright, but disobeyed God, and because of his disobedience became the father of a ruthless race which ultimately, by reason of its fusion with Israelites became an evil, disruptive force, bringing trouble and disaster to the Israel people. An example of the hatred this rejected line of Esau had for the accepted race of Israel is to be found in Haman’s hatred of the Israelites in the Book of Esther.
Let us take the case of Solomon, and note how his downfall was due entirely to intermarriage with women of other nations. In I Kings 11:1-2, it is said: “But King Solomon loved many strange (foreign ) women; together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians (and) Hittites, of the nations (concerning) which the Lord said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you; (for) surely they will turn away your heart after their gods. Solomon clave (clung) unto these in love.” What happened? “For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, (that) his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as (was) the heart of David, his father” (I Kings 11:4). The consequences of this disobedience were serious for, “The Lord said unto Solomon, For as much as this is done by thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend (tear) the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant” (verse 11). So we see the results of Solomon’s sin – the division of the kingdom of Israel.
The sin of intermarrying has been prevalent through the ages and the practice was condemned by Nehemiah (Nehemiah 13:23-31).. Ezra, too, was ashamed of the iniquities of the children of Israel and prayed and confessed before God – cf Ezra Chapters 9 & 10 (Note: 9:10-12; 10:10-11).
It still is a cause of trouble with modern Israel today.
Courtesy: National Message
