[Chapter 10]

1. Beware of God's indignation against our sin

Here is a situation where we see the Israelites who got scattered away from their own country, are living among the Gentiles. Slowly the Israelites started getting involved in intermarriage with Gentiles. But God did not tolerate their intermarriage.

In V.1, Ezra pulled the whole crowd together and started praying intensely by weeping and throwing himself down. He confessed the sin of Israel publicly in his prayer. This reveals how indignant God is with the sin of marrying outside the kingdom. Because of one man's (Ezra) serious concern and sincere expression, through prayer, all the Israelites got convicted. They wept bitterly and were broken about their unfaithfulness to God.

As Ezra was influencing others, are we influencing other disciples or friends or family members by our radical conviction? Are we passionate to address the sinful things in the family group? Some of us we see other disciples sin and we feel bad in our heart but we do not address it. That is not right. That means we are confused and not clear minded about what God's will is for everyone on earth. Brothers and sisters whenever we see any of our brothers or sisters struggling emotionally or immorally with relationships outside God's kingdom we need to be the first ones to initiate and spend time with them. We should address the issue and pray with them and help them to realize to what extent God hates their sin.

2. Break away from sinful relationships

Ezra was confident and gave them clear directions that everyone should be assembled in three days, the guilty of intermarriage be identified. Their sinful relationship should be broken away. According to V.12, there was a whole hearted positive response. The Israelites were willing to make a radical change in their life. They were willing to separate themselves from the people with whom they lived and shared their life. Even though they were deeply invoked in the comforts and pleasures they were willing to break away.

To what extent are you willing to give up your worldly relationships? Are you radical to break away from the emotional trap of a boy friend or girl friend? Often we make excuses thinking that your decision will hurt our girl friend or boy friend. But we fail to see how much our emotionalism hurts God. Through this passage it is evident that God is indignant when we pursue marriage with ungodly and unspiritual people. Are you tempted today by thoughts of giving into marriage proposals with work colleagues or college friends or cousins? We see how God is going any extent to break ungodly relationships of his chosen ones. If we do not repent God is going to the extent of expelling such people from his kingdom.