MPC 9th April 2006.April 9 - Ezra 9-10:4 - "Living with a Difference"
Garnet Swann MPC 9th April 2006.
Can I just say straight up - a Christian is someone who's different from others. A Christian is someone who's distinctive to others. I'm not meaning in the fashion stakes - like Christian blokes wear shorts, sandals and long socks - thank goodness for that! No - I mean the difference is in the way we live our lives. Because being a true Christian means we've come to know Jesus and follow what He says - it impacts us at every level - our working life, our family life, our view of money, our view of sex, our ambitions, our desires. Being Christian does makes us different.
I guess - there's always been an approach to Christianity - which sort of treats it like a hobby: contain it in one part of your life but not let it affect all others.
But true Christianity is not a hobby. It actually changes us. The difference is seen all over. It impacts on the decisions we make, our hopes and plans, the relationships we have.
Now for the people of the OT - the Israelites - being the people of God back then - they were called to be different as well. Since God had chosen them to be his special people - they were called to live differently from those around them. And at the very centre of God's call to be different and to stand apart from others was God's command - to worship Him and worship Him only.
Have a read from this passage from Deuteronomy 12: 29-31:
The LORD your God will cut off before you the nations you are about to invade and dispossess. But when you have driven them out and settled in their land, and after they have been destroyed before you, be careful not to be ensnared by inquiring about their gods, saying, "How do these nations serve their gods? We will do the same." You must not worship the LORD your God in their way, because in worshiping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the LORD hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods.
There are the nations around - with their many gods and worship practices. But the Lord God has called the Israelites to be different - to worship Him. And worship Him only. That's the big difference for the people of God in the Old Testament
And so we come to the book of Ezra. As we've worked our way through the book over 4 weeks - we've seen lot's of good things for the people of God. They've been sent back to the promised land after years in exile. They've been given assistance to build the temple. The man Ezra's come along with the law. Things look great. It looks like happy days. Wouldn't it be nice if the words came up, and they lived happily ever after? But as we'll see - it's sadly not the case. In fact what we see in these closing chapters of Ezra - is that there's a painful, grating disconnect between God's command to be different and worship Him only - and what the people actually do. What we see in the end is that Ezra is not a picture of success in being God's distinct people. It's a picture of failure.
Well, let's have a look at Ezra chapter 9. What we see there in v1 is that the leaders approach Ezra - the teacher of God's law. And they say to him v1 - The people of Israel including the priests and the Levites have not kept themselves separate from the neighboring peoples with the detestable practices. At that point - alarm bells are supposed to ring out - "Oh no! - they've done what?" They haven't kept themselves separate and distinct as the people of God. And in v2 we learn the full extent of their failure - they've taken the daughters from these nations and given them to their sons in marriage.
Notice in v3-5 where we read of Ezra response upon hearing this news - the word comes up a couple of times - he's appalled. The word 'appalled' is usually reserved for stuff that gets splashed across the front page of our newspapers or gets a spot on A Current Affair. But the appalling thing here is mixed marriages.
Now is this - apartheid? Is this racism? It's not racism - that would be a wrong category to apply here. Race is an issue here - but what it is - is a case of true religion vs false religion. In the history of Israel God warned them not to marry people of other nations - because they'll be led away to worship false gods. And this is what they do.
God's called his people to belong to him - to worship Him only. Be different from the nations around. But something appalling takes place. In marrying these people of other nations, they're extinguishing that difference and they're really expressing their decision - that true worship of God - does not matter anymore.
It's a sad, depressing situation. But just tighten the screws somewhat and even intensify the reality of their failure. What they're doing actually flies in the face of God's constant love for them.
We see this in the utter shame expressed by Ezra in his prayer. In v7 he says - the history of Israel is a history of such faithlessness and rebellion - but down in v8-9 Ezra speaks of God's love and patience to not give up on them. He's brought them back to the land to give them another chance. But what have they done? Disregarded God and his commands yet again.
Rebelliousness is one thing - but when it's thrown back in the face of kindness and love it makes it all the more horrible doesn't it?
I read the story of a father who was battling with his 15 year old daughter. Both he and his wife knew she was using birth control - several nights she hadn't bothered to come home at all. And they tried several forms of punishment but it did nothing. They tried explaining to her why she should stop what she's doing - but she ignored them. They pleaded with her - but she refused. Every time they took a step to help her and get her back on track, she knew how to manipulate them and twist the knife to hurt. She would say, It's your fault for being so strict!
And despite all this, during many nights, the father would stand at the window - staring out into darkness, waiting for her to come home.
That story speaks of the power of love. But it also speaks of the painfulness of rebellion. Having your love thrown back in your face again and again is an awful thing. And this is what the Israelites are doing. God in his love has not given up on them. He seeks to restore them, but yet again Israel has failed Him.
So that's the somber, sad way that the book of Ezra draws to a close - their failure to live up to the call to be devoted to God and worship Him and worship Him only.
But what we do see - just before the end of the book of Ezra - is their efforts to rectify the situation.
And I think we come now to one of the hardest parts in all of the Old Testament. It's not because we don't understand it. But because we don't like it. And that is - once the people see Ezra's own reaction to the news and are convicted of their own sin - they agree to send these foreign wives and the children away.
We saw it in the passage we read at the start - 10v3. But we're also made aware of it with the very last verse of the book. In chapter 10v44 - after giving a list of all the Israelite husbands who send their wives away - it says - All these had married foreign women, and some of them had children by these wives.
Now I think Ezra 9 and 10 are one of the hardest in all of the Old Testament. We feel the harshness of it. I think it's only normal that we should. If we just think about it for a moment - this action involves tearing real families apart - wives from the husbands, children from their fathers. How can this be right?, we ask.
Now I don't have all the answers on this. I never have all the answers. But let me say two things to help our thinking.
Firstly - given that the husbands themselves are willing to take this step - it seems they realize the consequences if they do stay married. See let's not romanticize these people from the other nations.
In that passage from Deuteronomy we read before. It said:
You must not worship the LORD your God in their way, because in worshiping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the LORD hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods.
Deuteronomy mentioned detestable things like sacrificing children. Ezra chapter 9 mentions the fact they did detestable practices. Now we don't know what these individual women were like. We would assume in many of these families there was real love shown. But as a whole - their way of life, the worship of their gods, was detestable. It was so wrong. It may even have involved sacrificing children. That's incompatible with worshiping the Lord God. And so it was incompatible that these women should be married to the Israelite men.
That's the first thing. The second thing I want to say as we struggle with understanding this action of sending away the women and children is, we get the sense that this separating was not done in some vindictive way. The fact that in chapter 9v3 - it's to be done according to the Law and we know that the Law is full of seeking justice and compassion. Even when dealing with sin and punishment - equity's always an issue in the Law. And the fact that they take the time to investigate and draw up a list of the men who have married foreign women. It doesn't give the sense that the women and children are thrown out the door and their clothes dumped on the front yard. No - it seems to be done carefully and soberly. Not done with glee. But in the best way possible given the circumstances.
Like I said - I don't have all the answers - this doesn't completely remove the harshness that we feel. But perhaps they're things to be thinking about.
But on that note we do come to the end of the book of Ezra. And it's not pretty. It's not pleasant. As we've worked our way through the book of Ezra - we've seen some great highlights - some joyous moments for the people of God. It looked like the Israelites had got themselves back on track after their period of exile. But whenever you read a story - you've got to withhold final judgment until the end. And this story ends in this messed up compromised situation - of falling for the people around them - marrying them - losing their distinctiveness as the people of God and then trying to patch it up by separating themselves again.
Ultimately Ezra really is just a repeat of Israel's history throughout the Old Testament - of failing God, their attempts to fix things up again, but then failing all over again.
But this book of Ezra - is a book that speaks of God's steadfast love and kindness. And so the solution will come - not as the people try to patch up their disobedience again and again and again. No - the solution will come - beyond the book of Ezra. See - God out of his steadfast love and kindness - will bring about a time when he will work in the hearts of people - so that they truly love Him and be His distinctive obedient, worshipping people forever.
In Deuteronomy 30 - an important passage we go to a lot - it speaks of the time when God will change the hearts of people. It says, v6:
The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live.
And we see that this heart transformation comes with Jesus. In love, Jesus the Son of God was sent into this world. In love, Jesus died on the cross to take the penalty for sin and rebellion. And in love - Jesus has sent the Holy Spirit which changes us and transforms our hearts - so that we can live as God own distinctive people.
In the New Testament, we have the book 1 Peter. And after reflecting on the fact that Jesus was a sacrifice for us. It says of Christian people -
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God...
In Ezra's time - the people couldn't fully live as distinct, set apart, holy people devoted and belonging to God. But for all Christian people - this is what we enjoy today. God by his Spirit has transformed our hearts so that we love him and obey Him. And we are that nation - set apart and distinct for God.
As we look back at those Israelite people in the last couple chapters of Ezra. We realise - we're so better off than them. They tried to worship God only and be his distinct people - they kept failing. By by the power of the Holy Spirit - we are God's worshipping distinct people.
But at the same time - the story of these mixed marriages and then separating again - do teach us about the importance of being distinct and different and not compromising as we relate to people around us. It does help us as we think about taking Christianity seriously.
And let me apply this in two broad areas.
Firstly - the area of divorce and marriage.
As soon as I talk about this - divorce and marriage - it's a tender issue. It takes us to a very personal part of us - involving hurts and disappointments. Just about all of us are touched by it - either directly or indirectly.
But on the issue of whether Ezra 9 and 10 is the instruction for Christian people to divorce their non-Christian spouse. It clearly is not supposed to be that. It's not even talking about modern divorce. Modern divorce comes about when for whatever reason it's decided that a marriage cannot work. That's not what was going on in Ezra.
We shouldn't put the two together.
And we are different from the people of God back then. Back then the people of God were defined by who shared the same blood. Today - it's defined by who shares the same Spirit. That means there's differences for us.
And on the issue of divorce - we have clear New Testament instructions for marriages to remain together. We have 1 Corinthians 7:13 which says:
If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him.
There are difficult issues here, I know - I can't address them all - but I just want us to see that Ezra is not some mandate for Christians vs non-Christian divorce.
But let me say this - I think Ezra does take Christians in the direction of thinking that they shouldn't marry a non-Christian in the first place. Ezra speaks of the deep spiritual incompatibility that was there. And between a Christian and a non-Christian - that incompatibility will exist today. And Christian people are called to be distinct and be devoted to God - a devotion that can be extinguished by being married to a non-Christian. And we have the New Testament word in 1 Corinthians - specifically to widows - that if their husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord. It seems to be a word for widows, but is a principle to be applied to widows or those who've never been married before.
I'll be talking about this more to the Latechurch crowd tonight - more of them in the situation of being single and at the stage of looking for a life partner. And I'll be saying - the hard word - will you follow your heart - or will your follow God's word? Because in the end - if we're followers of Jesus - we're called to live lives of difference. It impacts every area of our life - including our desires and relationships that we form.
These are tough issues - I really appreciate I'm raising stuff that cuts deep. There are more things to be said on this. I don't have time up front here - perhaps we can talk afterwards. And I'm not trying to be controversial or offensive. But I'm trying to deal with what the bible says. So please - we can talk afterwards if you like.
So that's the first broad application area from Ezra - divorce and marriage. But there's a second broad area of application that I want us to think about. And this second broad area of application is just a bundle of two other things. See - what are some areas you're tempted to compromise and join in with the people around you and not be different?
Is it in the area of money and possessions? I think we need to learn the art of spontaneous generosity. Maybe we need to learn the art of withholding some household upgrade, just occasionally even - for the sake of giving some money to a ministry project. Wouldn't it be great if our neighbours or extended family members could actually see we live differently by the way we use our money?
But is it in the area of the way we speak at work? And entering into gossip? Maybe we need to learn the fine art of knowing how to positively influence a conversation. Or maybe just drawing away from the conversation when we know it won't be helpful.
And those are just two areas…
As I said at the start being a Christian isn't a hobby - it impacts everything. Hopes, desires, relationships, the very way we live. It changes us. It can't help but to; it makes us different.
And for the Israelites of Ezra's time - they knew they needed to be different. It's just that they struggled to do it - their story is one of failure. But as Christian people we have the Spirit of God. It has changed us. God has made us distinct and different. So let's live up to what we are. Let's strive not to compromise. Let's live attractive lives of difference and distinction. Let's live lives of whole-hearted obedience and worship to God.