Whacko or Not?
I know what you’re thinking. What is this quack talking about? That is likely the first response you gave when you read this title. Incest? Really? Before you completely label me a heretic please hear me out. I promise you I am not as crazy as I immediately sound.
Biological Incest?
Of course biological incest can be found in the Scripture. But wait a minute, I’m not advocating for it. Let me be a Biblical Berean for a minute.
Cain took off to the land of Nod after killing his brother and married either his sister or a niece. (Genesis 4:16-17). There simply would have been no other option at this time in history.
Sarah was Abraham’s half sister. Abraham’s brother, Nahor, married his niece, Milcah (Genesis 11:26, 29).
Lot’s two daughters purposefully got him drunk so that they could fornicate with him. They wanted to have children, and after the destruction of Sodom there were no men in sight (especially since they were living in a cave). They each bore a son which, oddly, made them both Lot’s sons and grandsons. The descendants of those two sons, Moab (Moabites) and Benammi (Ammonites) were continuous enemies against God’s chosen people of Israel. (Genesis 19:30-36). Now, there’s a family dynamic for you to take in. Just remember this article when cousin Eddy and the gang show up for Christmas.
The Bible also tells of several accounts of cousins marrying. Jacob married his cousins, Leah and Rachel. Jacob’s brother, Esau, also married his cousin Mahalah. At this time there were no laws given by God. Other than, “Go forth and multiply.”
It is a scientific fact that biological incest causes genetic mutations that are devastating and terminal.
However this takes time!
Although I could expound on the science of it, I will spare you, and myself, and move on. The gene pool was relatively stable and not volatile for quite some time after creation. Once that started to become an issue we then see God intervene with the Mosaic law.
“None of you shall approach any one of his close relatives to uncover nakedness. I am the Lord.” ~Leviticus 18:6
More laws forbidding biological incest are found in Leviticus 18:7-18. So God does NOT promote biological incest.
On the other hand, He most certainly promotes spiritual incest!
Spiritual Incest
The Bible is clear that to be unequally yoked is not virtuous.
“Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?” ~2 Corinthians 6:14 ESV
What does that mean? It means that believers are going to have a completely different mindset than non believers. Interest will not be the same. In fact, it is impossible. The non believer will not have Christ as the central focus of their life and, thus, they will run nothing they do through a Biblical grid. The believer will have Christ as the central focus and will run everything they say or do through a Biblical grid. Now, do we always, as Christians, make the correct choices? Of course not! However, we should be using God’s standards as our own standards which will ultimately pull two Christians in the same direction.
Brothers and Sisters in Christ
My wife, Jade, and I have been married since 2004. We are husband and wife and there are multiple texts of Scripture that give us directions in that role (Ephesians 5:22-32). As Christians we are also brother and sister.
You read that right!
We are brother and sister–in Christ! Consider the following from Jesus:
“‘Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?’ And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.'” ~Matthew 12:48-50.
Or this from the Apostle Paul talking about all those who believe in Christ:
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” ~Galatians 3:28
Even though my wife and I have become one, which the Bible also teaches (Genesis 2:24), we have become one in Christ Jesus. Our goal is to rear children that hopefully will also become one with the Lord. Our duty is to bring them up in the way of God (Proverbs 22:6).
So there you have it!
Spiritual incest. God promotes it. He foreordained it!
All One Blood (Acts 17:26)
As I noted above in Leviticus 18:6, God forbids relations with ‘close relatives.’ What does that mean? As I also mentioned there were several examples of cousins marrying one another. This certainly would be an issue with the gene pool in today’s society. However, when you really get down to the nitty gritty the human race is one giant incest pool.
Yep! Regardless of your outlook on creation versus evolution for the origin of man we are all participating. If you are a bible believing Christian there is only one Biblical answer. But I will digress for a moment on that issue! There was one source. the Bible says that we all came from Adam and through Adam are all condemned.
“Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.” ~Romans 5:12
We are all children of our first parents. Adam and Eve were the human means for every single one of us. If you are reading this post right now you are a descendant of Adam and Eve. As am I. Which makes us kinsmen!
“And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place.” ~Acts 17:26
We all come from Adam but we are not all in Christ! There is the crux of the plan of redemption. The second Adam, Christ Jesus did what the first Adam could not do. Live a perfect sinless life.
He did not deserve to die because he did not provide any sin to cause his death (Romans 6:23). The virgin birth was necessary. Jesus’ sacrifice was necessary if there would be any possible way we could live eternally with God! That is the scandal of the gospel.
From creation to the fall, the flood to the tower of Babel to the second coming of the Messiah, we all come from the same gene pool. The gene pool of sin. I am grateful there is a way to wash that portion of my gene pool. Aren’t you?
“But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.” ~1 Corinthians 6:17.
By: Shawn Waugh
**All Scripture references are from the ESV.
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