The Bible study for this afternoon is based on one of the most misunderstood passages of scripture that teaches us as Christians not to be unequally yoked with those who have not yet accepted Christ as Lord and Savior of their lives. The teaching is most often applied to marriages with those who are not of the same faith, but the very concept contained in the principle is more broad-based than some may have previously thought. The principle also applies to our political affiliation, our various business adventures as co-partnerships where Christians and unbelievers would have an equal say in any decision-making.
God will have us to understand that Christ loves everyone, including unbelievers, and He died to save as many as desire to be saved, and because of this undisputable fact, the instruction given in His word pertaining to being unequally yoked, has more to do with a practical, commonsense approach to a delicate issue, which is fraught with both temporal and eternal consequences, rather than an arbitrary injunction against unbelievers.
It’s important then that we view the counsel given from God’s perspective, especially since the Bible teaches us that He always has our best interest in mind. The Lord never gives us instructions that will cause us harm or heartache, and often when His counsels seem to go against our modes of thought and action, it’s because the principles and methods we would normally espouse are usually not the best for us, thus, whenever we read the Bible, it should always be with the humble attitude of a learner in the school of Christ, rather than an attempt to force the scriptures to harmonize or to comply with our own personal views and preferences. Let’s read:
2nd Corinthians 14:6 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; 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.
This is not the only passage of scripture which treats upon the same principle for there are several others which enlarge upon the concept, and explain why God strongly advises against it. Let’s read:
Amos 3:3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed?
Deuteronomy 7:1 When the Lord thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest”…
2 “Thou shalt make no covenant with them”…
3 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.
4 For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods”…
Now, it is true that in some isolated cases, The Lord has overruled for His own purposes of mercy, yet His unmerited kindness in one situation should not be viewed as an endorsement of a mode of conduct that is contrary to His revealed will. Solomon chose to go outside of the perimeters set, pertaining to marriage with unbelievers, and although the Lord had overruled in the first instance, yet Solomon mistook God’s mercy for license, and continued on in the same course, until he was bound in spiritual chains which almost cost him eternal life.
Therefore, it is with solemn appeal that we now investigate from the scriptures, the two primary reasons why God advises us against any such move.
[1] The issue of different masters.
If a Christian and a non-Christian become married, then the one who has not yet yielded his or her life to Christ is under the jurisdiction of another master other than Christ, and this fact will often be the source of much pulling and tugging when certain important decisions need to be made. The passage in 2nd Corinthians which states that the unbelieving spouse is sanctified by the believing one, does not change the fact that two masters are in control in the home. In other words, a Christian cannot force Christ to be his wife’s master through marriage, for each one must make that decision unilaterally.
For instance, if a situation arises in the home, in which funds run short, and there is a decision to be made about whether to pay the mortgage note, or whether to return tithe, the unbeliever will in most cases vouch for the payment of the mortgage, for in their mode of thought it makes absolutely no sense to run the risk of default or eviction, just to honor God first. The Christian believer on the other hand, may view things quite differently, and may rightly conclude that giving to God His own first is the only sensible way out of such a predicament, because the believer’s mode of thought and action is based on God’s promises, not merely on logic.
As a result, satan, the other “master” sits squarely on the shoulders of the unbeliever and reasons that the Christian’s decision in such a dire situation must be absolutely stupid, whilst the Christian believer decides that God’s promises are sure to be fulfilled in their due season. And thus it is, that because of these irreconcilable modes of thought, problems and differences of opinions will often arise when dealing with such sensitive and important matters. Let’s read:
Malachi 3:10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes”..
For instance, a nation has fallen on economic hard times, because of a fearful departure from God. In the resulting recession, the gross domestic product takes a serious hit, and many families have fallen on hard times with millions losing their jobs, as well as their earthly possessions. One family in particular is hit very hard, to the point where both parents are out of work for months, and now they are reduced to their very last meal, after which they must shut their doors and die from starvation. But the wife is a believer, and she makes a decision that is almost sure to anger her unbelieving spouse, because she prepares the last bit of food they have, and gives it as an offering to God. Let’s read:
1st Kings 17:10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the”… “woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.
11 And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.
12 And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.
13 And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.
14 For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth.
15 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.
16 And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Elijah.
[2] The issue of obeying The Unseen God.
A non-Christian will generally have a problem with taking orders from a God whom they cannot see. The concept of The un-seen God constitutes one of the main stumbling blocks in a situation where two people are unequally yoked together in marriage, for it is quite difficult for an unbeliever to give their lives over to be governed by a Being whom they have never ever seen. Thus, to trust their lives to be directed by His laws, principles, and faith in Him will undoubtedly pose a series of daunting challenges.
In the days of ancient Israel we get a clearer view of the magnitude of this second problem, because the mixed multitude, who had always been accustomed to worshipping visible idols, often became restless and quite turbulent whenever Moses, their visible leader went missing in action. No sooner had he departed on some journey up the mountain, than they began to clamor for visible gods, and this mode of thought and action was replicated throughout their entire desert experience, resulting at times in open revolt and rebellion. Let’s read:
Exodus 32:1 And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.
4 “And they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
Numbers 14:4 And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt.
6 And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes:
7 And they spake unto all the company”.. “saying,
8 If the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us”…
10 But all the congregation bade stone them with stones”….
But the next verses hit the nail on the head, for, as coming directly from the mouth of God, it puts the finger directly where the problem lies. It is not merely a butting of minds, but God points out what is triggering the stark difference between Caleb’s view, and the rest of those who have unbelieving minds. Let’s read:
Numbers 14:21 But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord.
22 Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice;
23 Surely they shall not see the land”
24 But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.
The servant of The Lord sums up the mindset of the unbelieving multitude in a short statement which we will do well to ponder, in the context of being unequally yoked. Let’s read:
[Patriarchs and prophets pp. 293] “They were unwilling to trust the Lord any further than they could witness the continual evidences of His power.
Now brethren, in view of the serious ramifications of being unequally yoked with unbelievers, we will end our study with two very important statements, which should help us as we consider these issues.
Statement [1] Those who may be considering such a move at this time should be aware that God’s blessings cannot be invoked upon such a union, if we deliberately choose to disregard His counsels on this matter. Let’s read:
[The Adventist Home pp. 63] Never should God's people venture upon forbidden ground. Marriage between believers and unbelievers is forbidden by God. But too often the unconverted heart follows its own desires, and marriages unsanctioned by God are formed. Because of this many men and women are without hope and without God in the world. Those who are ruled by passion and impulse will have a bitter harvest to reap in this life, and their course may result in the loss of their souls. Those who profess the truth trample on the will of God in marrying unbelievers; they lose His favor and make bitter work for repentance. The unbelieving may possess an excellent moral character, but the fact that he or she has not answered to the claims of God and has neglected so great salvation is sufficient reason why such a union should not be consummated.
Statement [2] For those who might already be in such a situation, the counsel of God is to make the best of it, for in no case should anyone conclude that divorce in such a situation should be eagerly looked forward to. Let’s read:
1st Corinthians 7:12 “If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away.
13 And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.
May The Lord add His blessing to the study and practice of His word. God bless!