THE
PURSUIT OF SPIRITUAL RESTORATION
Shame Before God Ezra
9
11/14/10
SCC
INTRODUCTION
We live in a world today that prides itself on inclusiveness. In society
this means that no group of people are left out of lawful consideration. That we
should not discriminate on the basis of race, sexual orientation, ethnicity,
sex, religion. This may be commendable for society but in at least one area,
Christians who take the Bible’s exclusive view of the nature of God,
inclusiveness will be a problem. And this is precisely the issue God Ezra raises
with the exiles a few months after he has returned to the land (10:9). That they need to maintain the exclusive nature of their God and not
include Him in the pantheon of the surrounding peoples. Any alliance that
endangers or compromises their wholehearted devotion to God is forbidden. God is
to be worshipped and served exclusively.
OUR WHOLEHEARTED DEVOTION TO
GOD IS CONSTANTLY IN JEOPARDY 1-4
While chapter eight ended on
a very good note (8:36), the princes inform Ezra that they have discovered their
fellow leaders are not living separated lives but have been unfaithful to God
and mingled ‘the holy seed with the peoples of the lands’ (9:2). This includes
the priests and the Levites. Once again, the narrative directs our attention to
the issue of holiness. Their report introduces a key word for the Returnees
sin—‘unfaithfulness’. The Israelites have intermarried with people who are
practitioners of the same abominations that characterized the Canaanites etc.,
in v1. They had married idolatrous non-Jewish women.
It
seems that after 80 years of long and tireless opposition some of the leader
decided that pursuing a course of political separation because of spiritual
concerns was ineffective. To realize the political independence they longed for
meant forging political alliances with the current players and powers and
tolerate their ways of life whose religious views were not as narrow as theirs
(Neh 13:28; 6:17). This was the same compromise that
Solomon made in order to keep the nation secure and it was the seeds planted
through these political alliances with foreign women that introduced
inclusiveness to Jerusalem. The seeds of idolatry were always present in Israel
but after Solomon idolatry became epidemic and precipitated the judgment of
Israel and the exile of the people.
This news brought Ezra’s
dramatic response in vss 3-4. The ripping and tearing
and sitting in stunned silence all contributes to the horror of the moment for
Ezra. It portrays the appalling nature of their sin. Others gathered who
trembled at the words of the God of Israel on account of this unfaithfulness.
Indeed, the returnees are guilty of the same sin as their forefathers for which
they were exiled. They face the horrible reality of impending judgment
themselves in such a short time. From Ezra’s point of view, schooled in the Law
as he is, the problem is entirely spiritual in nature. Intermarriage with
idolatrous foreign women constitutes an abandonment of God’s commandments and
unfaithfulness to Him.
SIGNIFICANCE
First, an exclusive
commitment to Jesus Christ is going to constantly be challenged in this world.
Obligations, responsibilities, opportunities, situations, experiences,
circumstances, ambitions, will milk our exclusive devotion to Jesus Christ.
Jesus Himself even said that if we do not hate our father or mother husband or
wife even our own lives we are not worthy to be called his disciples. The stuff
of life will keep calling you away from devotion to Christ to a more carefree,
less costly, more inclusive, self-indulging, way and a more sinful one.
Second, it is our duty as
believers to pursue an exclusive devotion to Jesus Christ. No matter the
deterrents, we must persevere and not compromise that devotion for anything! Not
for more safety and less danger. Not for more wealth and less poverty. Not for
more recognition and less obscurity. Not for more relief and less pain. Not for
more security and less vulnerability. Not for more sight and less faith. No.
Just like these exiles, after awhile we synchronize our devotion to Christ with
the ways of the world. This should be appalling to you.
GUILTY OF UNFAITHFULNESS TO
GOD WE CAN ONLY EXPECT JUDGMENT 5-15
There is no other way out as
Ezra understands. If the people are left in this condition—sin as the root of
the problem evidence by abandonment of their exclusive devotion to God—that
impending annihilation of this remnant can be expected (vs 14-15). Ezra falls to his knees stretches out his hands
and cries out to the Lord God of Israel in prayer. His prayer deserves careful
attention as it gives us direction about the nature of the unfaithfulness and
the guilt associated with it.
1.
The returnee’s guilt links them to the guilt of their father’s vs 6-7. By participating in the very iniquity that
precipitated the exile of their fathers with swords, captivity, spoil, and
shame, they have become inheritors of their father’s guilt. His shame in vs 6 is linked to the shame of the nation for generations in
vs 7. Notice the shame, embarrassment, iniquity, great
guilt, and iniquities. There is a spiritual problem and it is sin, guilt and
shame. The same kind of thing Adam and Eve experienced in the garden. The same
thing you and I experience when sin is exposed. Ezra acknowledges that the exile
was a manifestation of God’s sovereign power to punish vs 7. So unfaithfulness, spiritual adultery, is costly form
God’s point of view.
2.
Abandoning God to be inclusive is abandoning a god who has been gracious and
faithful and shown his favor to us vs 8-9. He had
grated them favor once again. He had given them back a small place in the land
encouraging and reviving them. He had not abandoned them but extended his loyal
love enabling them to rebuild the temple. Against this backdrop is contrasted in
vs 10 their forsaking God’s commandments. Vs 11-12
extrapolate those commandments to include not intermarrying for peace or
prosperity! This is the only way they could guarantee living in the land and
enjoying its fruit. Even in God’s prohibitions his aim is the good of his
people.
3.
Ezra acknowledges the undeserved mercy God had granted to them once again. God
has opened every door for them to find their way back into the land. God has
orchestrated it all. This makes their unfaithfulness even more pronounced as not
just deeds but ‘evil deeds’ and not just guilt but ‘great guilt’ vs 13. A friend of mine in college began his prayers, ‘Dear
Father thank you for your grace and mercy. Continue to be merciful and gracious
to me.’ We should want this above no other! Ezra did. Ezra fears that their
present guilt might rouse God’s anger to annihilate them. This is a very real
fear that motivated the humility and shame and embarrassment in the first place.
He ends his anguished confession acknowledging God’s righteousness and their
shameful guilt.
SIGNIFICANCE
God
does not take our unfaithfulness lightly. We have a number of warnings in the
New Testament to believers about forsaking and abandoning devotion to Jesus
Christ. Paul says in 1Corinthians 3that he laid the foundation of the gospel and
we must build upon that but to be careful how we build for the day will show it because it is to be
revealed with fire and the fire itself will test the quality of each persons
work. If any man’s work which he has built upon it remains he shall receive a
reward. If any man’s work is burned up he shall suffer loss (3:13-15).
Hebrews warns that believers will be judged by God adding that fear should
motivate us in our devotion to God because it is a terrifying thing to fall into the
hands of the living God (10:31). James says that if a believer among us strays form the truth and one turns him back
let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his
soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins (5: 19-20).
We
are guilty before God when we do not have exclusive devotion to Christ seen in
the outcome of our decisions, our direction, our perspective, our priorities,
our ambition, and our actions. God wants your heart, your soul, your mind, and
your life!