The knight writes about marriage with some truth, which is probably a better introduction to the passage for today that I could write: for I was married in another island, and to there the mother of the boys has returned.
When you are married, the amount of time you spend having fun and feeling thrilled is minuscule. The real problems you face are money problems, sex problems, in-law problems, holiday problems, parenting problems, etc. Most often in marriage hard stuff needs to get done. Compromises need to be made. There is actually very little fun and thrills. If you want to prepare for most of what marriage is about, then it’s best to focus on responsibilities, expectations and obligations. Spouses need each other, and the ability to sense someone else’s needs and to care for them, even when it’s not fun for you, is non-negotiable.
THe people of God cannot intermarry with those who are not of God. This applied to Israel, it applies to the church. You must marry within the church. You must be equally yoked. This is not about perfection, for none are perfect: it is about where your loyalties are, and from where you will take correction.
After these things had been done, the officials approached me and said, “The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands with their abominations, from the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. For they have taken some of their daughters to be wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy race has mixed itself with the peoples of the lands. And in this faithlessness the hand of the officials and chief men has been foremost.” As soon as I heard this, I tore my garment and my cloak and pulled hair from my head and beard and sat appalled. Then all who trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the faithlessness of the returned exiles, gathered around me while I sat appalled until the evening sacrifice. And at the evening sacrifice I rose from my fasting, with my garment and my cloak torn, and fell upon my knees and spread out my hands to the LORD my God, saying:
“O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens. From the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt. And for our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plundering, and to utter shame, as it is today. But now for a brief moment favor has been shown by the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant and to give us a secure hold within his holy place, that our God may brighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our slavery. For we are slaves. Yet our God has not forsaken us in our slavery, but has extended to us his steadfast love before the kings of Persia, to grant us some reviving to set up the house of our God, to repair its ruins, and to give us protection in Judea and Jerusalem.
“And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken your commandments, which you commanded by your servants the prophets, saying, ‘The land that you are entering, to take possession of it, is a land impure with the impurity of the peoples of the lands, with their abominations that have filled it from end to end with their uncleanness. Therefore do not give your daughters to their sons, neither take their daughters for your sons, and never seek their peace or prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good of the land and leave it for an inheritance to your children forever.’ And after all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great guilt, seeing that you, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserved and have given us such a remnant as this, shall we break your commandments again and intermarry with the peoples who practice these abominations? Would you not be angry with us until you consumed us, so that there should be no remnant, nor any to escape? O LORD, the God of Israel, you are just, for we are left a remnant that has escaped, as it is today. Behold, we are before you in our guilt, for none can stand before you because of this.”
The trouble is that there are many who claim to be of Christ and of the faith who are not. They have infiltrated, they say all the correct words, and they can hold a position of righteousness, indeed appear much more spiritual and righteous than those with a saving faith. The fake always glitters more, and their praise of tolerance and inclusion sounds reasonable. But it is a lie.
on morality. for rights to really exist, objectively held defensible rights, there has to be an absolute right, and, by corollary, an absolute wrong. Everything, and I mean, everything in the “cultural relativity” camp goes up in a puff of logic. The extension is that an absolute right belongs to God.
Civilization turns out to be a synonym of Christianity. Sorry, but all else is a fail. By sorry, what I’m saying is, of course, that I’m not. No other ground can be successfully defended, is like saying, cognitive dissonance doesn’t get you a win.
Those of use who have found ourselves single need to examine ourselves and our beloved. We need to see where their loyalties are. We need to see them struggle. I find the gym helps here; particularly when the caoch makes us do things that are frightening and difficult. More importantly, you have to worship together, pray together, and exercise your faith.
Or you may choose to have that modern false marriage. As Joyce did. That will fail. For marriage is a difficult task at the best of times, and impossible in this time, without God.
And let us praise God. For in him. all things are possible.
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