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Hello, my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
I wonder if those who know you well would characterize you as a “Peacemaker” or a “Good Negotiator” or a “Compassionate Mediator”? Our world is filled with conflict and everywhere disregard for the laws of the land abound. Have you ever found yourself in the middle of a mess that needed resolving but no one seemed to have the wisdom or courage to bring resolution to a serious situation?
Biblical history is of course filled with those types of very complex situations. Why? Because that’s normal life, but also because God is the only One with ultimate wisdom in resolving the most complex situations, and God’s Holy Spirit is ready to guide those who will follow His lead in bringing resolution. (2 Chron. 16:9; John 16:13)
For the past several days we’ve been in the story of Ezra and yesterday we left Ezra in the middle of one of the most difficult, complex situations of all time. You’ll recall Ezra was a scholar, priest and teacher of God’s Law. All his life Ezra had studied God’s laws and their practical application in everyday life. Ezra had also studied the checkered past of Israel, the people of God, who consistently struggled with living in alignment with God’s Covenant with them.
Upon Ezra’s arrival in Jerusalem in 458bc Ezra discovered a major problem. One of God’s consistent commands for His people, all the way back to the days of Moses, was that they would restrain themselves from being drawn into intimate relationships with the wicked Gentile peoples of the nations all around Israel. (Deut. 7:3,4) Why?
The Covenant lifestyle God was calling His people to live was to be a holy, honorable, ethical, moral, God honoring lifestyle and it applied to every aspect of life: Business ethics, education, health care, family etc. This God honoring lifestyle was built on this one powerful principle: “Love the LORD your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength.” (Deut. 6:4,5) You may recall when Jesus was asked about the most important commandment of God, Jesus pointed back to this powerful, foundational statement. (Mark 12:28,29)
It’s true isn’t it my friends? There is a harmony, a goodness, a sense of contentment and fulfillment in life when we live with that statement as our life priority in practicality! And the exact opposite is true when our heart, mind, soul and strength are drawn away from God and focused on or invested in things that have nothing to do with the Holiness, Majesty and Sovereignty of God or the Person of Jesus! WHY is this true?
Because we are created in God’s image and designed by God to live our lives in sync with God. It means the life of every person works best when our priorities and values and worldview are aligned with God. Then our ambitions and attitudes, choices and relationships will be aligned with God’s BEST for us. Does that make sense, friends? Have you found that to be true in your life journey?
Now watch this: Every day, you and I and every person find ourselves in a great struggle because our natural human nature, and every aspect of every society in which we live, are ALL working in opposition to God and His Truth, His Values, His Purposes in our world. I’m sure you realize that it requires tremendous daily effort to resist the temptations and opportunities and appeals all around us that will draw us away from God. Like powerful magnetic forces, almost everything we hear or see is drawing us into selfishness, and pursuit of personal pleasure.
Of course, we know some of the most powerful such forces in our lives are LOVE, LUST, ENVY, APPLAUSE, AFFIRMATION among a long list of emotional magnetic appeals. And that is the crisis that Ezra walked into when he came to Jerusalem in 458bc. Many of the Jewish leaders had succumbed to those magnetic forces and had turned their back on God’s strong warning to NOT be drawn into relationships with women of the idol worship nations around them.
Some of the Jewish leaders had actually married women of those nations and brought them to live in Jerusalem while they worshiped the idol gods of their homelands. We left Ezra yesterday grieving publicly and praying earnestly seeking God’s guidance and help in this moral crisis.
Ezra describes the situation this way: “While Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping and throwing himself down before the house of God, a large crowd of Israelites – men, women and children – gathered around Ezra. They too wept bitterly. Then Shekaniah said to Ezra, ‘We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the peoples around us. But in spite of this, there is still hope for Israel. Now let us make a covenant before our God to send away all these women and their children, in accordance with the counsel of my Lord and those who fear the commands of our God. Let it be done according to the Law. Rise up, this matter is in your hands. We will support you, so take courage and do it! (Ezra 10:1-4)
Oh, my friends, do you see several very important aspects of this historic moment that give us a pathway of action when we find ourselves in moral chaos and crisis?
First, Ezra repented and was joined by others in profound, public repentance.
No hiding from God. No excuses, no blaming others. God’s work of forgiveness, reconciliation and restoration always begins with honest repentance. God’s forgiveness awaits and will not come until honest repentance takes place.
Second, do you see Shekaniah was very clear in his repentance by stating boldly what their sin was!
We have a natural tendency to minimize our sin, to point out the fact that others are doing the same thing, or to simply offer up a general prayer requesting blanket forgiveness for all things. Here Mr. Shekanaih shows us how it should be done by saying: “We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the peoples around us.” Do you see he was very specific?
Third, do you see Shekaniah offers a corrective action plan?
It’s not enough to repent but then stay the course by continuing in sinful behavior. (1 John 3:6,9) Repentance means turning away from the sin and turning to God, living a life that honors God! So, in his repentance Shekaniah offered a plan of action: “Now let us make a covenant before our God to send away all these women and their children…”
But wait a minute, that would mean these women would become like widows without husbands and their children like orphans without fathers! Suddenly we have a crisis of conflicting God honoring values. Clearly these Jewish leaders had failed by disregarding God’s law and allowing themselves to be drawn into marriage with foreign women. According to ancient Jewish law these men deserved to die for their dreadful sin. (Numbers 25:1-4)
In this case Shekaniah was suggesting these women should be sent back to their families in the neighboring nations and take their children with them. There, they would be received, loved and cared for by their families of origin. Meanwhile these repentant Jewish men would have the opportunity to live God honoring celibate lives but separated from the foreign wives and children they loved. If you’ve ever been separated from your wife and children, perhaps by military service, you have an understanding of the heartbreak these men would live with.
Finally, do you see Shekaniah urging Ezra to rise up and lead the people of Jerusalem in this very difficult but necessary cleansing process? Shekaniah knew neither he nor any others of the leaders could lead Jerusalem through this cleansing process, especially not those leaders who had failed the people by their succumbing to the appeal of these foreign women.
Let’s pause here friends to consider what Ezra and the people of Jerusalem were facing, and at the same time let’s look honestly at ourselves and our vulnerability to the temptations all around us. Let’s also look deep within us to see if we are strong enough to take necessary action in genuine repentance when we find ourselves in places of compromise or corruption.
Here’s a song to help us consider these things and tomorrow we’ll see what courageous Ezra did in this mess…
Today’s Scripture: Ezra 10:1-4.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
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Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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