God’s Design for the Family. The concept of the family as the basic social unit reaches back into the Creation account found in Genesis 1-2. A man was to be the husband of one wife and was to leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife.
However, not everyone in the Old Testament measured up to God’s ideal. Sometimes a man married more than one wife (Gen. 4:19). Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines (1 Kin. 11:3). In addition, the family system of the Old Testament, with the man serving as the absolute ruling authority, discouraged a man from leaving his parents; he and his wife usually lived with his parents in the same dwelling.
After God created Adam, He declared, "It is not good that man should be alone" (Gen. 2:18). Then He created woman and united the couple; and they became "one flesh" (Gen. 2:24). Thus the family was designed by God to provide companionship for the various members of the family. In addition, the institution of marriage was approved and sanctioned by Jesus (Matt. 19:4-6).
God’s ideal for the family is that it be a harmonious unit, where love for God and neighbor are instilled into each member (Deut. 6:6-9). If the couple are divided, especially over religious beliefs, they can never have the harmony and sense of common purpose that God desires. Therefore, Old Testament believers were instructed not to marry foreigners who would hinder their faith and bring strife to the marriage (Ex. 34:13-16; Deut. 7:3-4). Likewise, the apostle Paul commanded the New Testament believers, "Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers" (2 Cor. 6:14).
The Bible describes situations where a man went contrary to the will of God and married an unbeliever. A prime example is Solomon, who disobeyed God’s commandment and married 700 wives (1 Kin. 11:3). The tragedy of the final years of his life is summarized in one sentence: "For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David" (1 Kin. 11:4).
From time to time in the history of the nation of Israel, the very existence of the country was threatened because of the breakdown of the home. The prophet Micah described the decayed situation of his day when he proclaimed: "Do not trust in a friend; do not put your confidence in a companion; guard the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your bosom. For son dishonors father, daughter rises against her mother, daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man’s enemies are the men of his own house" (Mic. 7:5-6). Ezra took steps to remedy the family problems of his day (Ezra 9-10), and the prophet Malachi condemned the men of his generation for being faithless to the wives of their youth (Mal. 2:14-15).
