God has always expected His people to remain separate from the world in word, deed, and relationship. Marriage is the archetype of the type of relationship God expects his servants to zealously protect from contamination.
During the rebuilding of Jerusalem, Nehemiah emotionally accused the people of defiling the priesthood by marrying outsiders. He said: “You shall not give your daughters as wives to their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons or yourselves. Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? Yet among many nations there was no king like him, who was beloved of his God; and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless pagan women caused even him to sin. Should we then hear of your doing all this great evil, transgressing against our God by marrying pagan women?” (Nehemiah 13:25-27)
Christians are greater priests than any ever known under the old imperfect Mosaic economy. Can we have a lower standard than those who came before?
Brett Hickey addresses the subject of marriage and shows that Satan desires to wreak havoc upon the church by convincing believers that it is lawful to marry outside the faithful.