Did The World's Population Originate From Incest?
Merriam-Webster defines “Incest” as follows: “sexual intercourse between persons so closely related that they are forbidden by law to marry; also: the statutory crime of such a relationship.” Such a term is not appropriate for this question because it implies sin or the breaking of a moral law. Under the Patriarchal Law (Genesis and perhaps Job), God, who has all authority and power to establish law and abolish law (Psalm 78:5; Ephesians 2:14-16; Hebrews 10:9, 16), authorized the marriage of a brother to his sister, etc. (see below)
See our answer on who Cain’s wife must have been: http://thegospelofchrist.com/pages-qanda/84wheredidcaingethiswife—gen_biblecontr.html. Since we all descended from Adam and Eve (Acts 17:26-28), the world's population must have originated from marriages between siblings, etc.
Adam and Eve were created perfect when God made them. When sin was introduced into the human family (Genesis 3:1-7), its consequences were far-reaching (Genesis 3:15-17; Romans 8:18-25). Adam and Eve started to die physically and eventually did die (Genesis 5:5 – mentions the death of Adam). Noah's family “re-started” the human population after the Flood, implying that the marrying of family members and close relatives continued with God’s approval (Genesis 10,11; 1 Peter 3:20,21). Abraham married his half-sister Sarah around 2000-1800 B.C. It was not until the law of Moses (around 1500 B.C.) that God established laws, instituting the idea and forbidding of incest.
Even under the New Testament today, God condemns the sin of incest (Mark 6:18; 1 Corinthians 5:1). Furthermore, incestual relationships often result in babies who have genetic deformities, leading to major health problems. Not only is incest a sin against God, but an injustice to the unborn.
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