DEVOTION – DAY 180

2 Corinthians 6:14-15 “Do Not Be Unequally Yoked”

2 Cor.6:14-15 Do not be yoked with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 

Why does God warn His people, the Israelites not to marry unbelievers? The reason was because unbelievers who worship idols would lead the nation into idolatry and away from God. In ancient times, the Canaanites worshipped idols and some even practiced human sacrifices. Just as God had predicted, Israelites who intermarried with the Canaanites were influenced to practice idolatry. By the time of King Solomon, he was said to have numerous concubines and many were unbelievers. These women brought their religious practices into Israel and within one generation, the nation declined. The nation of Israel soon split into two kingdoms after Solomon’s son, Rehoboam succeeded the throne. The practice of idolatry spread further. That was why the apostle Paul warned against believers marrying unbelievers. Paul emphasized this with contrasts. Righteousness and wickedness cannot mix. Light cannot mix with darkness. Jesus Christ does not mix with Belial, a demon. And likewise, a believer should not marry an unbeliever. 

A young man had been brought up by his parents as a Christian. However, he met and fell in love with a non-Christian woman. Against his parents’ advice, he went ahead to marry the woman. Before long, he stopped going to church and lived a life of an unbeliever. A Christian woman met a free thinker. They started dating. Although she knew she should not marry an unbeliever, she thought that she could help him to convert to Christianity. He kept saying he was not yet ready to be a Christian. He persuaded her to marry him and he asked her to give him more time to think about being a Christian. She went ahead to marry him thinking she would be able to help him to be a Christian later. Their children are now in their late teens and she is still waiting for her husband to become a Christian. In the meantime, her relationship with God had gone cold. A man fell in love with a Muslim woman. In order to marry her, he had to become a Muslim. Against his family’s objections, he went ahead to convert and today, he is a Muslim and all his children are raised as Muslims. This is the why God warns us in passages like 2 Cor.6:14-15 about the dangers of marrying unbelievers. It can lead us away from our relationship with Him. It will cause us grief and pain.

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, we thank you for your gracious warning in your word. Help us to obey your commands for they are always given to protect and bless us. In the great name of the Lord Jesus, we pray. Amen.

Questions

• God warns believers not to marry unbelievers. Why do you think some believers continue to disregard God’s warning? Discuss.
• What are some examples of people you know who have married unbelievers and have regretted doing so? Share.
• The principle of not yoking with unbelievers applies in a Christian’s relationship with others in the field of business, partnerships and so on. Discuss what you think could be some problems that can arise when Christians yoke with unbelievers in business.