Rebuilding by Faith
Ezra 9[1]
As preached at Rolling Hills Church on Sunday, November 4th, 2012
Pastor after pastor after pastor have stories of how they went through a search process with a church, agreed to go with great faith, then got there and found out what was really going on, and it wasn't good. There was a standing problem that he was unaware of. The last guy didn't address it, or was unable to make a difference if he did.
What do most men do? Many just leave. Some others stay, but try to figure out how to keep things from getting worse, or from blowing up altogether. There are a few, though, who see what's going on, and get on their knees to beg God to work among His people once again!
Ezra came to such a situation. He knew there was a remnant in Jerusalem who needed instruction in God's Word. He knew there was a temple and God was being worshipped. He knew they were poor and needed to grow. He did not know that the leaders had a dirty secret they had failed to divulge. Follow with me as I read Ezra 9:1-15
1 After these things had been done, the officials approached me and said, "The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands with their abominations, from the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites.
2 For they have taken some of their daughters to be wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy race has mixed itself with the peoples of the lands. And in this faithlessness the hand of the officials and chief men has been foremost."
3 As soon as I heard this, I tore my garment and my cloak and pulled hair from my head and beard and sat appalled.
4 Then all who trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the faithlessness of the returned exiles, gathered around me while I sat appalled until the evening sacrifice.
5 And at the evening sacrifice I rose from my fasting, with my garment and my cloak torn, and fell upon my knees and spread out my hands to the LORD my God,
6 saying: "O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens.
7 From the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt. And for our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plundering, and to utter shame, as it is today.
8 But now for a brief moment favor has been shown by the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant and to give us a secure hold within his holy place, that our God may brighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our slavery.
9 For we are slaves. Yet our God has not forsaken us in our slavery, but has extended to us his steadfast love before the kings of Persia, to grant us some reviving to set up the house of our God, to repair its ruins, and to give us protection in Judea and Jerusalem.
10 "And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken your commandments,
11 which you commanded by your servants the prophets, saying, 'The land that you are entering, to take possession of it, is a land impure with the impurity of the peoples of the lands, with their abominations that have filled it from end to end with their uncleanness.
12 Therefore do not give your daughters to their sons, neither take their daughters for your sons, and never seek their peace or prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good of the land and leave it for an inheritance to your children forever.'
13 And after all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great guilt, seeing that you, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserved and have given us such a remnant as this,
14 shall we break your commandments again and intermarry with the peoples who practice these abominations? Would you not be angry with us until you consumed us, so that there should be no remnant, nor any to escape?
15 O LORD, the God of Israel, you are just, for we are left a remnant that has escaped, as it is today. Behold, we are before you in our guilt, for none can stand before you because of this."
The Standing Problem: The Priests and the Levites had married women (and gotten women for their sons) from the tribes around the Israelites that God had specifically said NOT to in Deut 7:1-5. "When the LORD your God brings you into the land that you are entering to take possession of it, and clears away many nations before you, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations more numerous and mightier than yourselves, and when the LORD your God gives them over to you, and you defeat them, then you must devote them to complete destruction. You shall make no covenant with them and show no mercy to them. You shall not intermarry with them, giving your daughters to their sons or taking their daughters for your sons, for they would turn away your sons from following me, to serve other gods. Then the anger of the LORD would be kindled against you, and he would destroy you quickly. But thus shall you deal with them: you shall break down their altars and dash in pieces their pillars and chop down their Asherim and burn their carved images with fire.
What is the big deal here? Don't marry those from around you; it could lead your descendants into idolatry. Really? Let's read this text from 1 Kings 11:1-6.
1 Now King Solomon loved many foreign women, along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women,
2 from the nations concerning which the LORD had said to the people of Israel, "You shall not enter into marriage with them, neither shall they with you, for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods." Solomon clung to these in love.
3 He had 700 wives, princesses, and 300 concubines. And his wives turned away his heart.
4 For when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.
5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.
6 So Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and did not wholly follow the LORD, as David his father had done.
So marrying people from other tribes could indeed bring trouble. But let's be clear; it's not just people from other tribes – Ruth was from another tribe and became the great-grandmother of David. Both she and Rahab of Jericho are in the lineage of Christ! So it wasn't just people from any other tribe or nation. It was the idolatry that these people brought with them. God is not racist; neither was the writer of this book. No, God hates idolatry. He calls it an abomination
So the standing problem was intermarriage with unbelievers. So we wonder…
What were the Israelites thinking? We don't know; but whatever it was, was rooted in unbelief, and in lack of fear of God. I can imagine a few things they'd say if asked…
· There aren't many Israelite women.
· Well, times have changed, the world has changed; it's a different culture.
· I am sure I will convert them to worship Jehovah.
· I won't ever compromise on worshipping Jehovah.
· It's not that big a deal; we're both fine with the difference.
Should there be some concern whenever a conversation with God begins with, "I know you said this, but…" I mean, when's the last time you began a prayer with that line? Ezra remembers the last time Israel did; they wound up mostly dead, with a handful of select people shipped off to Babylon in chains. So how does Ezra address the standing problem?
With a kneeling solution. He prays! He intercedes, repents (though he didn't sin), begs God for mercy.
Consider with me some of the key words in Ezra's prayer.
Iniquities. Guilt. Ashamed. Slaves. Favor. Steadfast love. Abominations.
Have you been before God with those words often? Ever? In this prayer, there are at least two contrasts to consider; faithlessness/steadfast love. Abomination/Tremble.
So, from Ezra's response and his prayer, what do you think He is feeling?
Guilt? Shame? Fear? Deep regret? Consternation - that we, after all our sin and all God's mercy, would even squander this incredible opportunity by yet again putting idolatry in our homes! What is really shocking is that Ezra had not sinned against God in this manner! You can't tell it from his prayer, can you?
Don't you love people who pray for others as if it was their own sin? Can you think of anyone else who would take our sin on Himself like Ezra did for these people?
Why would Ezra be so scared? What does Ezra know that maybe the remnant has forgotten?
The wrath of God is real. He's astounded that they could so quickly forget, but they did – and we do. God has no patience with those who supposedly believe in and worship Him marrying those who blatantly do not believe in and worship Him. The only way this can work is for the supposed believer in Jehovah to quell, or to compromise their faith. What do they have in common with this potential mate? Things that are obviously more important than worshipping Jehovah.
Israel had earned its punishment. For years, decades, and centuries, Israel had tested God, and finally He had acted – to destroy Jerusalem and leave a small remnant.
God will keep His Word - thus, he trembled at it.
God fully expects to be the center of our lives. You see, Ezra knew that the lives of Israel revolve around God, and not vice-versa.
Folks, marrying those who do not believe in and worship God was a sin for Israel. Is it still a sin today? Yes. We are to marry those who believe in and worship Jesus. 2 Cor 6:14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?
If you think it's not a big deal, remember these words; abomination. Idolatry. I do believe God thinks it is a big deal. Because we are to love Him with all our heart. We are to seek His kingdom first of all. We are to worship Him only! He is our life, and our lives are hidden in Him! He is our Savior. HOW can we become one with one who is casual toward Him or doesn't even believe Him?
Disobedience. And it leads to more trouble down the road.
As for Ezra, praise God for a man who sees a standing problem and takes a kneeling solution. Church, we see the way to deal with our sins. Brokenness, humility, grief!
[1] All Scriptures, unless otherwise noted, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, (via E-Sword Software) © 2001 Crossway Publishing. All Rights Reserved. I paste them in red for distinction.
No comments:
Post a Comment