Read Ezra 10
The book of Ezra closes with a plan of cleansing agreed to by the people. Our last reading identified the problem, and we saw Ezra’s response was to earnestly pray. Today’s reading picks up right there with many other people joining Ezra in his lament.
Were you surprised at how easily the people agreed with Ezra? The plan was put in place to remove the pagan spouses from the land to cleanse the land of foreigners who would not share in the devotion to the LORD, respecting his laws and decrees. The purpose of this cleansing was to remove the “poison” of unbelief from spreading.
Families would break apart and go their separate ways under this plan. What would the emotional toll be? Where would the expelled spouses and families go? This plan wasn’t going to happen overnight, but having a plan to implement was a good start.
It was helpful to see the list of people who had been enticed by the locals into pagan weddings. That’s a lot of people. That’s a lot of marriages that will come to an abrupt end. Imagine God’s response to this when he sees his people repent, ready for a fresh start without the pagan influence to distract.
That’s all God wants from us. He wants our devotion and obedience. I like how Moses says it in Deuteronomy 13:4 says, “Serve only the LORD your God and fear him alone. Obey his commands, listen to his voice, and cling to him.” What a great visual! I love the image of clinging to God. We all need to do a better job of that.
The apostle Peter gives this clear advice when asked what to do once you come to faith. “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38) Because of Jesus, we have access to more than Ezra’s contemporaries did.
From the sounds of it, however, the people Ezra was leading appear to want to do the right thing. They didn’t balk at making a huge life change if it meant they could show their obedience to God and that God would be honored.
Think how much better any community would be if the sole motivation was to please God. Ezra’s job was to get the community back in line. They needed to realize the errors of their ways. It sounds like the plan they agreed to will set them up nicely for a fresh start. It never hurts to be reminded how much God loves us and desires to be in relationship with us.
Just tonight at our Bible study somebody shared a great visual that I’d like to close with. It doesn’t matter how far we stray from God, he is only just one step behind us waiting for us to turn around and repent. At the same time, God is also a step or two ahead of us preparing the way for our marvelous future.
Are you ready for a fresh start?
Let’s pray. Father God, thank you that you are always close and desire to be in a relationship with me. Forgive me for those times when I don’t pay attention or give you the time you deserve. I love having you in my life. Thankfully, I do not have a pagan spouse, but I do have distractions that keep me from you. Help me keep my eyes on you alone. I look forward to a fresh start each day to shine for you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
