Deuteronomy 23:2 states: No one born of a forbidden marriage nor any of their descendants may enter the assembly of the Lord, not even in the tenth generation.
What should this mean to us? What did it mean to ancient Israel?
Let’s start out by saying “the assembly of The Lord” wasn’t in the future tense, but in the presence tense. It meant the assembly of Israel at that time.
Okay; but what about the rest of this:
What on earth kind of statement is this?
Is this fair?
Why would a marriage have been forbidden?
Was God prejudiced?
We must clarify a few points before discussing what was and was not forbidden in marriages in those days.
The first point is that those restrictions posed in Deuteronomy 23 are no longer in effect. Many scriptures found in the Old Testament were written to assure that the line from which the Messiah came remained pure. Now that Christ has officially come, and we understand these things; there are much less restrictions for marriage. Until we confess our sins to Christ and follow Him, we are ALL dirty rotten sinners, not one different from the other.
However; in the earlier days before the New Covenant of the Blood of Christ, it was very important to consider the purity of those who entered into the congregation of the Lord. It was almost like we look at royalty, in order to be true, you had to have a pure bloodline.
To “enter into the congregation of the Lord” merely meant to serve the tabernacle in some type of public capacity, or to serve as a leader of the congregation in a city of Israel.
In the case of foreigners, the rule was that strangers and foreigners would not marry into the People of Israel. This was a precautionary measure taken only in order to keep the marriages of the nation pure from outsiders leading the people into idolatry. Idolatry then and now were strictly forbidden.
A foreigner or stranger, if sincerely believing in The God of Israel could formally convert and become an Israelite; but until that took place they could not marry a native citizen of Israel. It would have been considered a sin against God.
There were also other examples of those who were forbidden marriage in Israel.
Eunuchs were forbidden marriage. Eunuchs were trained to serve; and that was to be their whole purpose in life. Marriage would have been a distraction from that service.
Illegitimate children were usually the product of an Israelite conceiving by an Ammonite or a Moabite foreigner. These nationalities were forbidden marriage in Israel. These two tribes of the former lands (before it was named Israel again by God) had combined together to engage a soothsayer to curse the Israelites.
The Moabites and the Ammonites had tried to trick the Israelite men into sexually engaging with licentious and idolatrous prostitutes, hoping to seduce them away from following God. These two pagan nations feared what God would do to them if Israel stayed united and continued to grow in power and strength. They feared Israel coming to the lands closest to them and wanted to divert them away; but God was looking after Israel and He always came through for them.
God turned this situation around (Read the story of Balaam which we studied in the past to review: https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/the-day-god-used-a-donkey-to-bring-a-blessing-to-israel/) and instead of the soothsayer cursing Israel, his words uncontrollably cursed the Ammonites and the Moabites and blessed Israel. These people had brought punishment unto themselves and that punishment would last through generations before it was over.
God had no desire for his people to be committed to anyone carrying a generational curse. This rule was for the people’s own protection.
The Edomites and the Egyptians had pagan ways, but God was more lenient to them because they had not tried to stop or curse Israel as they waited to enter the promised land. After three generations of learning Israel’s ways and following them; those people groups were allowed to intermarry with the Israelites if they chose to convert. By the third generation, time enough would have happened for them to forget the old things and to acclimate themselves enough to assimilate into the new things that God wanted Israel to stand for. If their hearts were right; they could then marry an Israelite. Still; even these had to be far removed from any old and pagan ways of their former cultures. The waiting was for God to see the changes come to fruition.
Here, in this passage for that time we simply see God protecting the purity of the nation, preparing them to be the nation that produced a Messiah who could save the world.
Our day has no such rules, and it is because of the Messiah coming that some of the older rules have been dropped. Israel produced Jesus, a Holy Messiah who covers each person who submits to his kingdom with pure and holy blood. No man is different, more privileged or less privileged according to his bloodline, only the motivations of his heart which are driven and directed by God’s Holy Spirit living within those whom He saves.
The blood of Christ has brought us freedom in all things.
To God be the glory!