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A firstfruit may date anyone they wish.
Now the lecture.
The primary living metaphors that teach us about God and His ways are
male, female, marriage, family and sexual intercourse. All of these were
created by God for very specific purposes so it would be absurd to think
that God is not involved in the relationships of firstfruits
and especially any relationship that would end in marriage.
In scripture we see God very involved in a couple of marriages.
Adam and Eve. Genesis 2
Isaac and Rebekah. Genesis 24
My long experience in both life and the church would bring me to
conclude that God arranges marriages for firstfruits. It would also
bring me to conclude that God would arrange those marriages between
firstfruits. Notice what God says to Israel about marrying people other
than from Israel.
Deuteronomy 7:1-4
1 When the LORD thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou
goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the
Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and
the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations
greater and mightier than thou;
2 And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt
smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with
them, nor shew mercy unto them:
3 Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt
not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son.
4 For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve
other gods: so will the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and
destroy thee suddenly.
Ezra 10:10-14
10 And Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto them, Ye have
transgressed, and have taken strange wives, to increase the trespass of
Israel.
11 Now therefore make confession unto the LORD God of your fathers, and
do his pleasure: and separate yourselves from the people of the land,
and from the strange wives.
12 Then all the congregation answered and said with a loud voice, As
thou hast said, so must we do.
13 But the people are many, and it is a time of much rain, and we are
not able to stand without, neither is this a work of one day or two: for
we are many that have transgressed in this thing.
14 Let now our rulers of all the congregation stand, and let all them
which have taken strange wives in our cities come at appointed times,
and with them the elders of every city, and the judges thereof, until
the fierce wrath of our God for this matter be turned from us.
Look at that last phrase again, "until the fierce wrath of our God for
this matter be turned from us." This is about as strong as it gets when
it comes to understanding God's feelings. We are spiritual Israel.
Spiritual logic would clearly dictate that the best course of action
would be to date and marry in the church.
At the same time, I have witnessed members dating and then marrying
individuals who were almost immediately called as firstfruit.
Now some may bring up the unconverted mate scriptures in 1 Corinthians
7.
1 Corinthians 7:12-13
12 But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife
that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not
put her away.
13 And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be
pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.
This statement precludes that the firstfruit was already married when he
or she was called. There is no direct statement that mandates or even
discusses firstfruits dating, marrying or having relationships outside
of the faith.
Therefore, if firstfruits decide to date or marry outside the church,
they must count the costs. Depending on the individual and unique
situation, the costs could be higher for some than others.
I recommend they think out every decision carefully and over a period of
time. Get counseling.
Count the costs.
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