Read Genesis 35-36 Marrying Mr. and Mrs. Wrong.
Singer Roberta Flack said, “Getting married is easy. Staying married is more difficult. Staying happily married for a lifetime should rank among the fine arts.”
Dr. James Peterson, professor of Sociology USC has studied couples for over 20 years. According to his findings only 5% could be classified as being truly happy. Sociologist and marriage Counselor Dr. J.A. Fritz said his findings boost that number up to about 15%. So if we take the higher of the two studies... only about 15% said their marriages were good or excellent. The truth is that many marriages in today fizzle rather than sizzle.
The story of Esau and his Canaanite wives is a reminder that there are no inferior people in marriages just inferior plans. God’s plan has that people of the same passion driving their hearts should marry. For the people of faith, their highest passion is to live to please God. For people without faith there can be many passions that rank high but most of them are self focused. This is a deadly combination when you unite them in marriage.
Marriage can overcome differences in nationality, race, culture, language, political parties, tax brackets and even religion. But of great concern is whether marriage can survive fundamental differences in the area of faith. From my own personal contact with situations like this, it is the person of faith that always loses or compromises after a period of time.
Esau’s marriage to pagan wives lead him to compromise his faith and this in turn affected countless generations. Little wonder that God warns repeatedly against such dangerous marriages.
The crucial question is: What can you do to ensure that the next generation doesn’t make the mistake of thinking that faith differences within a marriage pose no serious risk?
(Credit to F. LaGard Smith for some of these insights)
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