Choose Your Spouse Wisely! Genesis 26:34-35

May the mumbling commence!

Be careful how you choose your spouse.  Your choice affects your family… and you also marry into another family.  A marriage can be a cause for celebration or for heartache and grief.  Read from Peterson’s The Message:

When Esau was forty years old he married Judith, daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath, daughter of Elon the Hittite.  They turned out to be thorns in the sides of Isaac and Rebekah.  (Genesis 26:34-35)

Now read the same passage from the NIV translation:

When Esau was forty years old, he married Judith daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and also Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite.  They were a source of grief to Isaac and Rebekah.  (Genesis 26:34-35)

Yeah, I guess a thorn in the side could be a great source of grief.  Why was this so?  Why did Judith and Basemath cause Isaac and Rebekah grief?

Remember that Abraham was adamant that Isaac not marry among the Philistines.  Now his grandson Esau was marrying not once but twice into the culture – a culture that was antagonistic to the Lord.  Esau married into that mess. 

And he was not strong enough in faith to be a good influence on his wives.  His wives and their families had an adverse effect on Esau, which in turn caused his parents grief.  Their activities were making the following of the Lord difficult.

So, choose with care.  It affects not only you but also two sets of families.  And ultimately it will affect for good or evil your relationship to the Lord.

Choose wisely!

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out