BREAK BREAK
By now, I've probably already lost some of you and you are not thinking the best of me.. however, I promise you may be surprised at where I'm going with this.
As time went on, and I grew up and went to college, I was blessed with having a front desk clerk job at a hotel. I could finish about 90% of my work within the first 30 minutes of the evening, then read and study the Bible. One of my friends at college at the time had questioned me about interracial relationships and where the Bible actually says they're wrong. After I went to the verse most pastors and preachers in my small Bible belt town in NC would reference (2 Corinthians 6:14), I realized it wasn't talking about races of people at all, but instead was saying for Christians/believers NOT to marry unbelievers. So I questioned my parents, then questioned my pastor (who once again referenced this verse). When I indicated to him that the verse was not discussing the intermingling of races or ethnic groups, but rather the intermingling of believers with unbelievers, he offered me a book entitled "God's plan for the white man" (... ... ... I know, sounds like it was written by the president of the KKK or something, right?). I politely said "Thanks, but I'm looking for scripture, not some other man's opinion". Suffice to say that NO ONE who holds this belief has been able to provide me with information as to WHY they believe this way other than it was the way they were raised.
So God has definitely educated me a lot since then. First, let me begin this by saying, I try to follow the example of the people of Berea in the Bible as much as possible (Acts 17:11, it's written that "the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true"). I make every attempt to receive the Word with an open heart and open mind, but then I like to go back and try to VERIFY if what was said was Truth or not.
SO... when I offered my heart and mind to God to help me divide facts from fiction, God has definitely opened my eyes to some amazing truths, and this is one of them.
ONE: there is ONLY one race: the human race. Blacks, whites, Mexicans, Africans, Europeans, Asians, etc are not descriptions of different races, but of people of different nations from across the world who were descendant from ONE source (if you TRULY believe the Bible).
TWO: God PROTECTED a mixed relationship.
In NUMBERS Chapter 12, Miriam and Aaron (Moses' siblings) began talking about Moses because of his Cushite wife. Here's the Scripture:
12 Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite. 2 “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?” they asked. “Hasn’t he also spoken through us?” And the Lord heard this.
3 (Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.)
4 At once the Lord said to Moses, Aaron and Miriam, “Come out to the tent of meeting, all three of you.” So the three of them went out. 5 Then the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud;he stood at the entrance to the tent and summoned Aaron and Miriam. When the two of them stepped forward, 6 he said, “Listen to my words:
“When there is a prophet among you,
I, the Lord, reveal myself to them in visions,
I speak to them in dreams.
7 But this is not true of my servant Moses;
he is faithful in all my house.
8 With him I speak face to face,
clearly and not in riddles;
he sees the form of the Lord.
Why then were you not afraid
to speak against my servant Moses?”
I, the Lord, reveal myself to them in visions,
I speak to them in dreams.
7 But this is not true of my servant Moses;
he is faithful in all my house.
8 With him I speak face to face,
clearly and not in riddles;
he sees the form of the Lord.
Why then were you not afraid
to speak against my servant Moses?”
9 The anger of the Lord burned against them, and he left them.
10 When the cloud lifted from above the tent, Miriam’s skin was leprous[a]—it became as white as snow. Aaron turned toward her and saw that she had a defiling skin disease,11 and he said to Moses, “Please, my lord, I ask you not to hold against us the sin we have so foolishly committed. 12 Do not let her be like a stillborn infant coming from its mother’s womb with its flesh half eaten away.”
13 So Moses cried out to the Lord, “Please, God, heal her!”
14 The Lord replied to Moses, “If her father had spit in her face, would she not have been in disgrace for seven days? Confine her outside the camp for seven days; after that she can be brought back.” 15 So Miriam was confined outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on till she was brought back.
CHECK THIS OUT CLOSELY: They were picking at Moses because he married a wife who was DIFFERENT. God brings Moses and his siblings outside the camp. He STANDS UP for Moses, but doesn't just stop with a wrist slap to Aaron and Miriam. What does he do next? HE STRIKES MIRIAM WITH A PLAGUE OF THE SKIN!!!!! HOLY COW!!!! So God punishes Miriam by plaguing her SKIN. God upholds the marriage of Moses and his wife, Zipporah.
THREE: God spoke to Samuel about the selection of the new King of Israel. In 1st Samuel 16:7, God tells Samuel:
Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.
God spoke UNIVERSALLY. It's not just event-based. I believe when He said this to Samuel, He was speaking UNIVERSALLY stating He does NOT look on outward appearance, but rather on the condition of a man's heart.
So I hope that you will consider these verses when you are thinking about what Race truly is and that God does not care if one person of one nation or color marries someone of a different nation or color AS LONG AS both are believers. We are ALL equal in God's eyes, no matter what nation we hail from. He is indeed a JUST God!
~Be blessed!
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