Know God’s Word

When Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away after other gods; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the Lord his God.
–1 Kings 11:4

This week, we’re going to discover five principles that Abraham’s servant Eliezer exercised in finding the right mate for Abraham’s son Isaac. These principles can help you, your children, and your grandchildren not only to find a mate but also to know God’s will for any area of life.

In Genesis 24:3, Abraham said to Eliezer, “I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live.” The first principle for knowing God’s will for your life is to know God’s principles. Know what His Word says about the choice you’re confronting.

When it comes to choosing a mate, God’s Word is clear: believers are to marry only other believers. In Deuteronomy 7:3–4, God said, “You shall not intermarry with them; you shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor shall you take their daughters for your sons. For they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods.” And 1 Kings 11:1, 4 says, “King Solomon loved many foreign women. . . . When Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away after other gods.” Abraham understood this principle. He told Eliezer, “There’s not a suitable woman here in Canaan for my son.” What was wrong with Canaan? It was filled with Canaanites, who were ungodly people. So Abraham sent Eliezer to find a believer to marry Isaac.

Why does the Bible stress the importance of marrying only other believers? Because marrying an unbeliever will destroy your relationship with God. Rarely will you pull an unbeliever up to where you are spiritually–instead, usually they will pull you down to where they are spiritually.

Marrying an unbeliever can also destroy your relationship with your mate. In 2 Corinthians 6:14, Paul wrote, “Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?” The word “bound” refers to harnessing two animals to perform a task. What happens if you put an ox and a donkey in the same harness? They’re not used to working with each other, so they try to go in opposite directions. Paul said that’s what happens in a marriage between two people who are spiritually mismatched: they are constantly trying to go in opposite directions, causing friction in the home. In the spiritual realm, opposites don’t attract; they attack each other. It’s important for a husband and wife to have the same foundation: a commitment to Jesus Christ.

***

Today’s devotion is adapted from “How to Choose a Mate” by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2008.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org.