Passage Read: 2 Kings 8-11
Meditation Verse: 8:18
Thought
The choice of a wife is very important, even in a culture where wives seem to have no voice. An unbelieving wife will entice or encourage her husband towards godlessness, a path he is already on if he chooses to marry an unbeliever. A God-hating wife will encourage her husband to abandon the Lord altogether, a path he is on if he chooses to marry such a woman. Solomon, the wisest man on Earth, was led astray by his pagan wives, as he sought to accommodate their desire to worship their gods. He wasn't looking to abandon the Lord, he was just looking to bless his wives. Athaliah led her husband and taught her children to walk in the godless ways of her family. She was so evil that she slaughtered her own grandsons in order to take the throne of Judah for herself. Jehoshaphat made a devastating mistake by bringing Ahab's daughter into his family as a wife for his son.
Application
God's injunction against marrying unbelievers is absolutely correct, even in this day. Those who think it unimportant or insignificant already have a weak or compromised faith in God. They're already not committed to walking faithfully with the Lord, and if at some point they want to repent and pursue the Lord, they'll find their choice of a spouse is a distraction or even a hindrance. Choosing a godly spouse requires parents to raise God-fearing children who care enough before marriage to follow the Lord faithfully and so seek a godly partner who will encourage that. And it requires a Christian community that considers such a marriage vital for the well-being of all, especially the mission of God. I can't compromise on this point. I too need to teach it and encourage it.