And Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah and took Rebekah to be his wife. Isaac loved her, and he was comforted after his mother’s death.  Genesis 24:67 HCSB

Here in America, we consider arranged marriages antiquated. They date all the way back to the second chapter of Genesis. God provided Eve to be Adam’s wife, his lifelong companion. Here God established the whole one man, one woman, joined together for life concept.

In our Scripture passage for today, if you read the entire 24th chapter of Genesis, you will see that Abraham prayed to God to arrange a marriage between his son, Isaac and his grandniece, Rebekah. Through God’s divine guidance, Abraham’s servant found Rebekah and brought her home to be Isaac’s bride.

The two of them had never laid eyes on each other, but they met and married and loved each other. We see other marriages in the Bible that show God’s divine intervention leading to a wonderful marriage. We see this in the book of Esther as she goes from captive slave girl to queen. We see this in the book of Ruth as Ruth goes from poor, widowed woman to the wife of a wealthy landowner named Boaz who turns out to be her kinsman redeemer.

There are numerous love stories in the Bible where God has joined a man and a woman, and they live happily ever after. This should serve as an example for us. Of course, the greatest love story ever told is God’s love for us, His church. In Revelation 19 it tells us how the groom, Jesus will return for His bride, the church. This is the greatest marriage made in heaven. In Corinthians 13 it tells us what love is. The role of a spouse is explained in Ephesians 5:22-33, Colossians 3:18-19, 1 Peter 3:1-7, Proverbs 31:10-31 and numerous other passages of Scripture.

Abraham sent his servant 450 miles away to his homeland to find a wife for his son. He did this because he was living in a land of pagans, and he did not want his son to marry a pagan woman for fear she would cause his son to turn away from the one true God.

If you are a Christian, you need to date Christians. You need to pray to God for wisdom and discernment and be cautious of any red flags. You need to ask God to send the right person to you, even if it means a lot of loneliness until he or she comes along.

Even in friendships, we should be careful not to be yoked with unbelievers. We simply have nothing in common with them just as light has nothing in common with darkness. It’s good to try to lead someone to the Lord, but if they reject that we must move on. If they accept the Lord as their savior, you have gained a brother or sister in Christ. If they reject Him, they will only try to lead you away from him.

Solomon was one of the wisest men to ever live. He prayed to God for wisdom and God gave Him wisdom in abundance. Solomon, however, loved the ladies and married many pagan women. These women were his downfall. Instead of turning them into Christians, he followed their pagan ways and came to worship their false gods.

2  Corinthians 6:14 tells us not to be unequally yoked with non-believers. It goes on to ask what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness or what fellowship has light with darkness? If you believe in Jesus, love the Lord, and have surrendered your life to Him, don’t settle for someone who hasn’t done the same. Don’t think you can change them and lead them to the Lord. Statistics have proven there is a greater chance of them leading you in the other direction.

If you find yourself unequally yoked with your spouse, pray for them continually. God can change their heart.

When you enter into any type of relationship, be sure God is front and center. Be sure you both agree that God comes first. This will be the beginning of a beautiful friendship or a marriage that is literally made in heaven.

Have a great day!