“and that we will not give our daughters to the peoples of the land or take their daughters for our sons (Nehemiah 10:30)
The covenant-curse entered into by the people as described in Nehemiah 10 had some specific additional stipulations. First and foremost was retaining the spiritual purity of the people by not intermarrying with foreigners. This seemed to be a continuing threat, as it was dealt with harshly in Ezra 10, not to mention it was forbidden under Mosaic Law.
Furthermore, you shall not intermarry with them; you shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor shall you take their daughters for your sons. Deuteronomy 7:3
This heightened threat may have been due to the abundance of men migrating back to the Promised Land from Babylon, but it was in no way excusable. The purity of the race was at stake, but far more important was the integrity of the people’s worship of the only true God.
The problem of being “unequally yoked” is an issue in our society as well. The marriage of two true believers is a beautiful thing, not to mention that it is a command under the “New Covenant.”
Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? 2 Corinthians 6:14
To prove the wisdom of the “equally yoked” principle you’d not want to study statistics but actual case studies of couples from first date “til death do us part.” I’ll start first with mine, since today is our 43rd anniversary. We met in church by arrangement, we both loved the Lord first, we both had saved ourselves for our future partner, everybody around us fully endorsed our union, we loved each other, and the deed was done.
With no knocks on wood, we’ve had hardly a blip along the way, which includes four kids in a row, four more equally yoked marriages, and now 16 grand kids, although the sixteenth has not been formally announced. I’d say our tribe has increased principally due to the tie that binds us within the framework of biblically-endorsed matrimony. What’s more important is that the four ensuing marriages repeated these steps prior to consummation. This is why God and the Israelites were bound by the law in the “giving and taking” of “daughters.” It is interesting that the parents of daughters hold the key.
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