[Cody1611]

Do these verses refer to race? Some say that God does not want races to mix and here are some of the verses they use.

Genesis 11:7 "Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.
8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city."

Acts 17:26 "And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:"

Deuteronomy 32:7 "Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations: ask thy father, and he will shew thee; thy elders, and they will tell thee.
8 When the most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel."

I still believe that Christians are aloud to marry another Born Again Christian, no matter what race, but others do not think so and I would like to know where they find this in the Bible.

Numbers 12:1 "And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman."

When Miriam spoke against Moses because of his marriage with a black woman God smote her with leprosy. So if God aloud interracial marriage then, why would He change?

[Diligent]

Originally Posted by Cody1611

Do these verses refer to race? Some say that God does not want races to mix and here are some of the verses they use.

Genesis 11:7 "Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.

If this verse means "race mixing" is prohibited, then what we really need to do is make sure we don't let people learn each other's languages. The sin of Babel was that they refused to obey God's command to replenish the earth:

Genesis 9:1 And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.

Genesis 11:4 And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.

I've seen some strange explanations of what the sin of Babel was -- as if they tried to "reach heaven" or something like that. But the Bible shows their sin was pride (let us make a name) and rebellion against God (disobeying the command to replenish the earth).

Genesis 11:6 And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.

This is not God "fearing" what man will do (as if building a tall building is some kind of sin!), it is simply more proof that man is unwilling to show restraint and control his flesh and obey God. So God made what he commanded to do happen.

Anyway, my point is that Babel doesn't have anything to do with race, and if we are supposed to take some kind of "rule" from Babel then why ignore the obvious aspect of language, and invent something about "race mixing?"

Paul makes it clear in in Christ there is no difference between Jew and Gentile (Romans 10), so the other verses prohibiting Israel from mixing with heathen nations are not applicable to the Church either. And those were national, not "racial."

[scott]

Originally Posted by Cody1611

Numbers 12:1 "And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman."

When Miriam spoke against Moses because of his marriage with a black woman God smote her with leprosy. So if God aloud interracial marriage then, why would He change?

Just because someone is called an Ethiopian doesn't mean they are black. In the margin, the word Cushite is referred here, and commentators argue whether they are really referring to Zipporah. I have a neighbor who is African, but he is white. As far as the leprosy, God smote them because of their selfish ambition, not because of their speaking against Moses' "black woman".

Customs in Bible times included the family approval of a spouse [if I had to marry my brothers wife if he died, I'd better make sure of what he's doing!!]I would just say about intermarrying, what would your Grandma and Grandpa say about it-- The Bible does say, seek peace and pursue it [seek peace for your family and projected children as well]--I already know that saying anything about this subject can be like lighting a fire in a dry woods with a breeze blowing, so that's all I'll say.

God bless, Scott

[chette777]

When it comes to race and God (in the preveous dispensation of Law for the Israeli Nation only) they were not to marry of different races. God is a racist when it comes to Israel. when the Jews came back from Babylon they put away their foriegn wives of all colors and races except Israeli, and their children they had put from them too. because to be a Jew your mother had to be a Jew. Hence the reason Paul circumcized Timothy his mother was a Jew.

today, Jew or Gentile, Bond (the curse of Caanan a Hamite, the black races) or Free (all races), male or female we are all brought into one Body which is Christ. unless you dont want to divide scripture rightly you will end up with doctrines like the ones taught for Israel and put them on the church and you will cause problems.

in the body of Christ race matters not. but for Israel it does matter. hence part of the reason for the Great Trib is to purge Israel. did you ever notice the Ethipoian eunuch was a servant of servants? just as the curse in Genesis was spoken upon the son of Ham for the disgraceful act he purpotrated on his father Noah. He was a servant to Candace who was the Queen of the Ethiopians. He was a black servant to a black woman. Caanan was also cursed to serve the Shemites (all of the oriental races and pre-American tribal races), and the Jephites (all of the europian races of which most founding Americans came). that is why slavery is still happening today but manly among Muslim nations.

No today for Christians interacial marriages are not prohibited. if we areconviced in our own minds they are not. then we should not do it. if we are free to marry whomever the Lord gives us to Marry then we can marry.

[Diligent]

Originally Posted by chette777

in the body of Christ race matters not. but for Israel it does matter.

The Bible makes differentiations between nations; not so much race. Race is really a false-science-evolutionary concept (Darwin was the consummate racist). I agree with what you've said but would be careful to use the term "nation" and not "race" as "nation" is a Biblical concept but race is not. Acts 17.26.

[chette777]

hem,

I never thought about it that way. I guess we can say God is a Nationalist. he desires the Purity of His chosen Nation Israel.

the Body of Christ would be made of all Nations and its purity is that of Jesus Christ Himself.

yeah someone else once told me to be more Biblical in the words I use.

thanks for the correction Brandon.

[Cody1611]

Thanks for your replies.

Don't you think most of the reason the Jews weren't aloud to marry outside of their race was because the foreign women had different gods?

[chette777]

That was part of it. but it goes much deeper into keeping the Nation pure from even the pollutions of the flesh no just the spirit.

The word is "allowed" meaning "permitted" not "aloud" meaning "able to be heard".

Chette,
To what Nation do you refer?