So the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the LORD which He had done for Israel… When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the LORD nor the work which He had done for Israel. Judges 2:7 & 10

Every generation must receive the Lord by faith and be born again. No one is a child of God merely because one’s parents believe.

Thus the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons; and they served their gods. Judges 3:5-6

God forbids His people to marry non-believers. Why? Because He wants to keep us from what will make us happy? NO! Because He knows that these kinds of marriages almost always end up seeing the believers backslide, or worse.

Who do we think we are to insist that we know better in such matters—especially when our decisions are being made under the sway of romantic/hormonal “love”?

Worship the Lord for His kind providence to protect us!