A NATURAL INSTINCT THAT SHOULD NOT BE DOWNPLAYED
1 NOW ISRAEL REMAINED IN ACACIA GROVE, AND THE PEOPLE BEGAN TO COMMIT HARLOTRY WITH THE WOMEN OF MOAB.
2 THEY INVITED THE PEOPLE TO THE SACRIFICES OF THEIR gods, AND THE PEOPLE ATE AND BOWED DOWN TO THEIR gods.
3 So Israel was joined to Baal of Peor, AND THE ANGER OF THE LORD WAS AROUSED AGAINST ISRAEL."
Numbers 25:1-3 (NKJV)
In the above passage, we could see one of the reasons why God in some passages of the Bible says the Israelites should not spare the inhabitants of Canaan land. He said they should not allow their sons to marry their daughters because they would be lured into the idolatry (Deuteronomy 7:3,4; 1 Kings 11:1-3). God knew what would happen If He should allow the Israelites to mix up with them.
Now, when the moabites' king could not succeed in his plot to curse the Israelites (Numbers 24:10,11), He was counselled by Balaam that he should lure them, cause them to sin against their God, thus, God's covering or protection would be removed from them, and through that means he, Balak, would be able to prevail over them: "LOOK, THESE WOMEN CAUSED THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, THROUGH THE COUNSEL OF BALAAM, TO TRESPASS AGAINST THE LORD IN THE INCIDENT OF PEOR, AND THERE WAS A PLAGUE AMONG THE CONGREGATION OF THE LORD" (Numbers 31:16 NKJV).
There is this instinct in men that makes them yield or obey any woman they are intimately or affectionately associated with. God knew If the Israelites were allowed to mix with the people of other nations, the heathens, and intermarry with them, they would definitely be lured into idolatry (Deuteronomy 7:3,4).
The strongest man with a physical strength or whatever would be brought down by a woman. This was what led to the fall of Solomon, he was led into idolatry by his foreign wives and concubines and that made God take the rulership of the whole nation of Israel from him, though God remembered His covenant with David and gave him one tribe to be ruled over (1 Kings 11:1-13). Also, as strong as Samson was; a man who could uproot the gate of a town and took it to the top of the mountain (Judges 16:1-3), someone who tore a lion with a bare hand (Judges 14:5-6), who also killed a thousand people with an ordinary jaw bone of an ass (Judges 15:14-17), he was so powerful; but at the end, he was brought down by a woman (Judges 16:4-21), because he was not circumspect: "THEREFORE LET HIM WHO THINKS HE STANDS TAKE HEED LEST HE FALL" (1 Corinthians 10:12 NKJV).
If you are yet unmarried as a young man, you should be circumspect. You should consider and choose a woman who would help you in your resolve to serve God, not the one who would lead you into the idolatry. No matter how strong you are, If the person you are considering of marrying is not of your faith, you would do well to carefully consider it before you tie the knot with her—get married to each other. If she is not of God and her faith is not of the God of heaven, the God of the Bible, I would admonish you to let her go. If you think you will change her, you are really joking. You would later get to know that, instead of you changing her to your faith, she would rather change you to her faith.
Do not try to perceive the odour or try to smell what you are not ready to eat; It is an adage in Africa. There is no point frolicking with someone you know is not of your faith and you would not want to marry. If you continued in that relationship which you said is platonic, mere friendly, with that unbelieving lady, you might end up in idolatry like the men of Israel with those moabites women, and like the case of Samson and the Philistines ladies he was going out with. You know Samson parents warned him but it was like he had flair, affection or penchant, for Philistine ladies (Judges 14:1-3). Samson wanted to marry a Philistine lady (Judges 14:1-3,7), afterwards went to Gaza to sleep with a woman (Judges 16:1-3), and after that went to the valley of Sorek where he eventually met Delilah who led him to his waterloo or downfall, which was an end to his ministry and life (Judges 16:4-21).
A man could succumb and do whatever a woman demanded for, even when that man had earlier vowed that he would not do it. If the man is affectionate with the woman, he can do anything for her. So as a man do not try to downplay or belittle that instinct in you, thinking that a woman cannot lead you away from God. If a woman is not of your faith and God, do not attempt to think that you are going to change her and go into an intimate relationship with her; you might later realize that you are joking. The Israelites men were lured into idolatry because they were frolicking, jollying and playing, with the moabitish women (Numbers 21:5).
Thus, either you are married or unmarried keep yourself from immorality: "FLEE ALSO YOUTHFUL LUSTS; BUT PURSUE RIGHTEOUSNESS, FAITH, LOVE, PEACE WITH THOSE WHO CALL ON THE LORD OUT OF A PURE HEART" (2 Timothy 2:22 NKJV).
Immorality would stain you and wreck your work, your labour of many years could be washed down the drain through immorality. It will sink the boat of your ministry and will make you stink, giving foul odour: "BUT YOU, O MAN OF GOD, FLEE THESE THINGS AND PURSUE RIGHTEOUSNESS, GODLINESS, FAITH, LOVE, PATIENCE, GENTLENESS" (1 Timothy 6:11 NKJV).
Peace.