“Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord” (2 Cor. 6:17).
“What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder” (Mark 10:9).
Good Separation
In Genesis 1:4, we find the first mention of separation: “God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.” This gives a vital moral principle seen throughout Scripture—separation from evil. This is the path of happiness for those in Christ, and it is the only path of joy and communion. May our hearts be exercised to walk in separation from all that is of this “present evil world.”
Bad Separation
But the enemy of our souls would seek to bring in separation where God has never intended it to be—marriage, home, family and assembly.
Pharaoh wanted to destroy the strength of God’s people (Ex. 1:16, 22). Even after experiencing some of the awful plagues, he only consented to let the men leave (Ex. 10:9-11). Pharaoh wanted to separate the children from the influence of their fathers—to separate the wives from the love of their husbands—to separate families from fathers’ guidance.
Dear dads and moms! Let nothing take away those precious times you have now with your spouses, your children, and your home. While we do have work responsibilities in life, we too often allow frivolous things to steal precious free time—separating us from our families and brethren. May it not be so!
Ed.