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Sin Demands Attention

April 24, 2022 Speaker: Kit Johnson Series: Ezra

Topic: Expository Passage: Ezra 10

Introduction

This morning, we’re going to finish Ezra. I hope this study has expanded your knowledge of the final years of OT history and you are better equipped to understand and apply all the exilic and post-exilic books. I especially hope you have been encouraged to trust the Lord because he always keeps his promises. I also hope you have been challenged to always obey God’s will because sin is never worth sacrificing his favor and blessing.

Ezra 9–10 especially emphasize that final issue of holiness. Remember that Ezra led a 2nd return from Babylon to Jerusalem in 458 B.C. He returned to teach and enforce God’s Law throughout Israel. He immediately began preaching, and the Scriptures immediately began to convict. Ezra quickly learned that many of the Jews had disobeyed God’s Law by marrying pagan women from the surrounding nations.

Ezra was devastated. He mourned over Israel’s sin, and 9:6–15 record his powerful prayer of confession. Ezra didn’t minimize or excuse the sin. Instead, he called it what it was, and he pleaded for God’s mercy.

Chapter 10 follows by describing how Ezra solved the problem. We’re going to see that God answered Ezra’s prayers. The Holy Spirit convicted the people of sin and moved them to radical action. And their response provides a powerful illustration of how seriously we must take our sin and of how far we must be willing to go to be right with God. The chapter begins in vv. 1–4 with Ezra’s plan to resolve the impurity.

I.  Ezra’s Plan (vv. 1–4)

Verse 1 picks up in the temple courtyard where chapter 9 says Ezra “sat appalled” when he learned of Israel’s sin and prayed for God’s forgiveness.

10:1 adds that many people shared Ezra’s grief over Israel’s sin, and they “gathered to him.” Before long, it was “a very large assembly, (of) men, women and children.” Together, they mourned Israel’s sin, and they listened to Ezra’s prayer.

You might wonder why they were so upset and why they made such a big scene? Why was marrying foreigners such a big deal? And why were they so concerned about other people’s private business? Shouldn’t they stay out of other people’s business, and let them make their own decisions?

It’s important that we understand why the issue was so severe. Otherwise, the whole story will seem intrusive, and we will really struggle with their solution. In particular, we must appreciate 3 reasons why these interfaith marriages demanded aggressive action.

God forbade interfaith marriages. Two weeks ago, we saw in Deuteronomy 7 that God made this fact abundantly clear. There was no gray area here. These marriages were blatant rebellion against God’s clear commands. That’s always a serious matter. But why did God care so much about this issue?

Interfaith marriages threatened the spiritual purity and faithfulness of Israel. I want to emphasize again, as I did 2 weeks ago, that God’s concern was not genetics but godliness. The issue is not interracial marriage but interfaith marriage. Afterall, the Bible speaks favorably of Gentile wives like Rahab and Ruth because they worshipped the true God.

Rather, God’s concern is that Israel maintains an undivided devotion to him and that they raise their children with the same devotion. Frankly, there were few steps the Israelites could take that would threaten their devotion more than bringing someone who worshipped a false god into your bedroom. And it would be absurd to think that a pagan mother would raise her children to have an undivided devotion to the Lord.

And Israel’s history had proven this to be so. Even the great King Solomon was ruined by foreign wives. God judged him by dividing Israel into two nations after his death. So, these marriages were not a minor, private issue. They threatened the very foundation of Israel’s identity as God’s people. And this identity was massively significant because…

God’s presence and blessing demanded holiness. The law was clear. If Israel obeyed God, he would be near to them, and he would bless them. If they rebelled, God would forsake and judge them. This is simply because God is holy; therefore, sin always distances us from God.

Therefore, the consequences of this sin were potentially devastating. An unholy Israel would quickly dissolve into the paganism around them and endure the judgment of God. Therefore, God’s promises to Israel and especially the promise to raise up Messiah from among them and to provide salvation for the nations were at stake.

This is very important background to what follows because some of it is difficult to stomach. Therefore, we must understand how high the stakes were. Everything God had promised was at risk if Ezra did not nip the issue right now.

The Plan: Thankfully, God immediately began moving based on Ezra’s prayers. Verse 2 says that Shecaniah the Elamite spoke up in support of Ezra. It’s worth noting that v. 26 says that 6 Elamites had married foreign wives probably including Shecaniah’s father. So, this issue was personal for Shecaniah.

But he calls the sin what it is—"unfaithfulness to our God.” And notice his proposal in v. 3. Shecaniah proposes that they honor God’s commandment by covenanting together to remove all the pagan wives and their children from the nation and to send them back to their foreign families.

Now, this proposal, which Ezra and the people will adopt and carry out in the rest of the chapter, probably makes us feel uneasy. First and foremost, God says in Malachi 2:16, “I hate divorce.” How could divorce be the best path forward? As well, they are going to break up a bunch of families and cause a lot of emotional and practical distress for many women and children. How can that be okay?

There’s no way around the fact that it’s a sticky situation. God really does hate divorce, and “Children are a heritage of the Lord” (Ps 127:3). And the Law had commanded fathers to teach their children to love God and obey his law. Ezra believed all of this, and he understood the cost of this proposal.

But he also recognized that Israel’s allegiance to the Lord and God’s covenant blessings were all on the line. He rightly discerned that Israel’s holiness had to take precedence because if he didn’t nip this issue now, it would only spread and cause greater heartache.

I recognize this isn’t totally satisfying, but there was no perfect solution to the matter. Unfortunately, we will face similar dilemmas while living in a fallen world. There is no easy solution, and we must not oversimplify it by neglecting important biblical priorities. We must discern which biblical values take precedence in this situation and go with it even though it is hard.

Yes, this is a hard one to stomach, but the Bible clearly approves of Ezra’s decision; therefore, we must also. However, this does not mean we should imitate Ezra’s policy. In fact, 1 Corinthians 7 tells Christians who are married to unbelievers to remain married in hope that God will use him or her to lead the unbelieving spouse and children to salvation (1 Cor 7:12–14).

Our relationship to God in the church age is very different from Israel’s, so there is not much here that is directly applicable to us. However, Ezra’s example does speak to us regarding the priority of holiness.

We live in a day where many Christians are allergic to holiness. They want to swim in a false grace that excuses sin and worldliness. But Ezra understood that holiness matters. Sin alienates us from God who is our greatest blessing.

Therefore, we must eliminate every threat to holiness and not allow any sin to compromise God’s nearness and favor. In this instance, holiness was even worth splitting families apart and sending women and children away.

If holiness was worth this much, it is certainly worth giving up a T.V. show, a piece of clothing, or a hobby. We must be willing to go to radical lengths in the pursuit of holiness because God matters, and there is nothing we desire more than his nearness and favor.

Ezra understood this, and so did Shecaniah. I love the encouragement he gives in v. 4. He knew that Ezra had to lead, and no one else could bear that responsibility, but he assured Shecaniah that he the others present would stand beside him the entire time.

There are good lessons here for both leaders and followers. When God calls you to lead, whether at home, in the office, or in the church, don’t shrink away. Lead even if it’s hard. As well, you can be a tremendous blessing to your leaders by voicing the type of encouragement Shecaniah gives. “We will be with you; be courageous and act.”

So, there in the temple courtyard, Ezra, Shecaniah, and others around him resolved to act in accordance with a basic plan. Verses 5–11 then describe…

II.  Ezra’s Execution (vv. 5–15)

It’s incredible to see how God moved the people to respond. Afterall, Ezra challenges them to do something very hard, and it will have devastating consequences for the families involved.

But after Ezra prayed in the courtyard, v. 6 says he also fasted and prayed privately. And God answered his prayers by producing a mighty revival among God’s people. The people demonstrated a radical zeal for holiness that could only be a work of the Spirit. First…

Ezra rallied Israel’s leaders (vv. 5–7). It’s true that Ezra had royal authority to enact spiritual reforms. So, when v. 5 says he “made the leading priests” take an oath, Ezra used that authority. However, there’s no indication that they resisted. They embraced Ezra’s conviction.

Therefore, v. 7 does not say, “Ezra made a proclamation”; instead, it says, “They made a proclamation.” God inspired an unusual, united resolve to confront the issue. And then God used their resolve to…

Ezra rallied the nation (vv. 7–15). The proclamation required every man to assemble in Jerusalem 3 days later. That’s not much warning, is it? But it highlights the urgency of the matter. Israel’s sin must be eliminated as soon as possible.

To drive this home, they threatened any man who did not attend with losing his property and access to the temple. That will get your attention!

But God continued to move, and all the men arrived in Jerusalem on time. But God didn’t exactly give Ezra the ideal setting for a revival. First, it’s the 20th day of the 9th month, or, only 4.5 months since Ezra arrived. Many of these people had probably never seen or heard Ezra, and he had no time to build credibility. But he must make a bold demand of them.

As well, the 9th month is our December, which is Israel’s cold and rainy season. Naturally, the day of the assembly was cold with heavy rain. So, imagine Ezra standing up to speak as a new leader on a nasty day in front of a huge crowd of several thousand. That’s a hard context!

But God was moving. Before Ezra even began to speak, v. 9 says the crowd was trembling, not just because they were wet and cold but primarily “because of this matter.” They understood the weight of the moment.

Verses 10–11 then summarize Ezra’s simple and direct message. They had been unfaithful to God, and it is noteworthy that he says they had “added to the guilt of Israel.” Ezra was very conscious of Israel’s past sins which had caused the exile. They did not deserve to be home to begin with. He fully realized how dependent they were on God’s mercy, and how much that mercy hung in the balance.

Therefore, he urged them simply to confess their sins to the Lord and to prove their repentance by separating from their foreign wives and from whatever other ungodly alliances they may have made.

Again, imagine the scene. As Ezra finishes his challenge he looks out at the cold and wet crowd not sure how they will respond. But incredibly, v. 12 says, “All the assembly replied…” It’s incredible! The assembly is united, and they didn’t make excuses or fight with Ezra. They didn’t even say something like, “That’s great Ezra. Have fun fixing it.” Instead, they said, “It is our duty” to resolve this. God was on the move!

But then they get practical in v. 13. We shouldn’t see this as them whining about the rain. No, v. 13 speaks powerfully to how seriously the people took the matter. They recognized that it was a complex situation that needed to be handled carefully and deliberately. But they also wanted to get out of the rain, and I would too!

Therefore, they wisely propose that the leaders/elders of each community stay back and work together to formulate a plan. Then each community would handle the cases among them. That’s good, because every situation has its own unique complexities, and they wanted to make sure that each situation received proper attention. I have to think this included making sure that the foreign women and children received appropriate care.

Then notice their goal. They would work carefully to resolve each situation “until the fierce anger of our God on account of this matter is turned away from us.” Again, they understood the severity of rebelling against God and the importance of restoring his favor by confronting the sin.

That spirit is something I always want to cultivate in my heart when I have sinned, and I always look for it when I must confront someone else. It’s so discouraging when someone has sinned against God, a spouse, or someone else, and they are clearly more concerned about minimizing the damage than they are about owning their sin and making it right.

Yes, we can dwell on our sin in unhealthy ways, and forgiveness is rooted in grace not emotional distress. But we must also recognize how our sin offends God, own it as our fault, and aggressively pursue reconciliation. That’s exactly what the people did.

And incredibly v. 15 says that only 4 men out of several thousand resisted the plan. God’s Spirit produced incredible conviction, resolve, and unity. So, God really blessed the meeting, then everyone went home. Finally, vv. 16–44 describe…

III.  Israel’s Response (vv. 16–44)

A few days later Ezra gathered all the men who would lead in the process. They talked through what needed to be done, and I imagine they established some rules by which they would address the various situations. Then the elders went home and got to work.

Verses 18–43 list all the men who had disobeyed God’s Law. How would you like your name to be this kind of list of millennia to come? It’s not exactly a hall of fame. There’s not a ton here that is significant to us, but there are couple things worth mentioning.

First, it’s noteworthy that vv. 18–24 begin the list of offenders the priestly families, then work to the Levites and then the temple singers. Their status didn’t buy them a free pass; instead, James 3:1 says that teachers “will incur a stricter judgment.” Greater authority brings greater accountability. Judgment really did have to begin at the house of God.

Of course, it’s sad that these people who lived their lives closest to God’s temple and who led the nation in worship were among the worst offenders. It’s a reminder that as good as serving the Lord is, it doesn’t guarantee that we cannot be deceived by sin. All of us must guard our hearts carefully.

Therefore, v. 19 says that all the offenders among the priests had to bring a sin offering to the temple. The Law demanded that every offender do this, but the priests had to take the lead, and so v. 19 specifically mentions them bringing a sacrifice.

Then vv. 25–43 list all the offenders from the remainder of the nation. In all, there were 110 men who broke the law and divorced their pagan wives.

In a community of 50,000+, that may not seem all that significant. Why not just let it go? God couldn’t possibly be angry at the entire community over the sins of a handful of people, right?

We make similar excuses. “It’s just a small thing.” “I’m doing so much for God over here, so surely he doesn’t mind me keeping this one thing to myself.”

Ezra didn’t see it that way. He believed that the “fierce anger of our God” was upon them. It had to be resolved.

That’s exactly what they did. Verse 17 says that the entire issue was resolved in less than 3 months. Ezra saw a problem, he went to the Lord, he planned, and he executed the plan.

Conclusion

What is the point of all this for us? I’d like to boil it down to one simple challenge. Don’t let anything come between you and God. We all like to think that our sin is no big deal or that the consequences of eliminating it are too steep. I’ve listened to a lot of people complain about how hard it is to do the right thing and assume that God doesn’t really care. But this story loudly declares that God does care. He is holy, and he demands the same of us. Yes, even when it’s hard, and even when it is costly.

And then this story declares that I must obey at any cost because nothing in life is more precious than being right with God. His presence, favor, and blessing are worth infinitely more than any sacrifice he demands. So, see the infinite worth of Christ, and let the things of earth grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace.

Finally, I want to emphasize that we must see all of this through the lens of the gospel. Israel could not fully atone for this sin. The sin offerings they brought were merely a shadow of the full atonement that Jesus would provide when he died on the cross. His blood is the only payment that can fully wash away our sin and bring us into a right relationship with God.

So, yes, this story is a powerful picture of the fact that sin separates sinners from a holy God. But please do not leave thinking that you can earn God’s favor through your obedience. A true saving relationship to God is only available in Christ. So, if you have never done so, please put your trust in Christ today and be born again.

And once you are saved, pursue the holiness of our text based on a strong gospel foundation. Your soul is secure, and nothing can separate you from God’s love. Don’t forget that. But don’t forget either that your sin can affect your fellowship with God. So, lean in on your new life in Christ, and do battle with sin. When you fail, lay it at the foot of the cross, and keep fighting for holiness because you love the Savior and there is nothing you desire more than to be near to him.

More in Ezra

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