Now King Solomon loved many foreign women. Besides Pharaoh’s daughter, he married women from Moab, Ammon, Edom, Sidon, and from among the Hittites. The Lord had clearly instructed the people of Israel, ‘You must not marry them, because they will turn your hearts to their gods.’ Yet Solomon insisted on loving them anyway. He had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines. And in fact, they did turn his heart away from the Lord. [1 Kings 11.1-3]
I guess 'diversity' didn't work out too well for Solomon!
While it certainly seems in vogue today to embrace all other cultures allowing them to coexist, it doesn't really seem like God Himself ever truly endorsed such a philosophy. In fact, God disallowed such coexistence based on what He knew about human nature. God knew, just as He warned Solomon, that coexistence with foreign cultures would turn Israel away from the one true God and lead to them worshiping foreign gods.
What about spreading the Gospel today then? How does one go about promoting God-pleasing faith among the world today without diversification? Good question!
It would seem that Jesus told His men to "go" as opposed to "bring them in." If this is applied to foreign peoples and cultures, it would mean foreign missions is at the heart of God's desire regarding other cultures and that preservation is at the core of domestic existence. In other words, take the culture of genuine faith to others, but do not bring other cultures in.
Diversity is good though, right? According to current worldviews, this would seem the case. But according to God, not so much.
Father, Christianity has embraced to many "foreign wives" that I find myself hopeless that it can thrive as You desire in the world today. Forgive Your people for 'marrying foreign wives' thereby diluting the pure and genuine message of faith that pleases You and You alone.
I guess 'diversity' didn't work out too well for Solomon!
While it certainly seems in vogue today to embrace all other cultures allowing them to coexist, it doesn't really seem like God Himself ever truly endorsed such a philosophy. In fact, God disallowed such coexistence based on what He knew about human nature. God knew, just as He warned Solomon, that coexistence with foreign cultures would turn Israel away from the one true God and lead to them worshiping foreign gods.
What about spreading the Gospel today then? How does one go about promoting God-pleasing faith among the world today without diversification? Good question!
It would seem that Jesus told His men to "go" as opposed to "bring them in." If this is applied to foreign peoples and cultures, it would mean foreign missions is at the heart of God's desire regarding other cultures and that preservation is at the core of domestic existence. In other words, take the culture of genuine faith to others, but do not bring other cultures in.
Diversity is good though, right? According to current worldviews, this would seem the case. But according to God, not so much.
Father, Christianity has embraced to many "foreign wives" that I find myself hopeless that it can thrive as You desire in the world today. Forgive Your people for 'marrying foreign wives' thereby diluting the pure and genuine message of faith that pleases You and You alone.
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