The Mischief Historically Considered

We may take another view of the breach of this law, and see the evils that resulted from it as natural effects, or as judgments from God, as they are held forth in the scriptures of truth.

This was the particular sin for which’ God drowned the old world.

Some of Lot’s daughters married in Sodom, and perished in the overthrow.

Both Ishmael and Esau married irrehgiously, and both were rejected, and turned persecutors.

The first blasphemer that was stoned by God’s command is marked as an offspring of one of these marriages — his mother had espoused an Egyptian.

The first captivity of the Jews after their settlement in the Holy Land is ascribed to this cause. The whole passage is very instructive. It is said that the remains of the nations ’ were to prove Israel, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandment of the Lord, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses. And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites: and they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods. And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and forgat the Lord their God, and served Baalim and the groves: therefore the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Chushan-rishathaim, king of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel served Chushan-rishathaim eight years.’

David married the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur, by whom he had Absalom, — the disgrace and curse of his family.

The case of Solomon is a warning to all ages.

His son Rehoboam, that lost the ten tribes, sprang from one of these forbidden marriages — his mother was an Ammonitess.

The marriage of Ahab is thus awfully noticed: ‘And it came to pass, as if it had been a light ‘thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel, the daughter of Ethball, king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal and worshipped him. But there was none like unto Ahab, who did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.’

What was it that Ezra so grievously lamented, and so sharply reproved? It was, that ’ the holy seed had mingled themselves with the people of the land.’

And what says the zealous reformer, Nehemiah? ‘Their children spake half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews’ language, but according to the language of each people. And I contended with them, and cursed them, and smote certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, saying. Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons, nor take their daughters unto your sons, or for yourselves. Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things! Yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause to sin. Shall we then hearken unto you to do all this great evil, to transgress against our God in marrying strange wives!’

‘Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted,’