Hello, I'm Ettienne McClintock.
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Welcome to Let God Speak.
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Every one of us has
made some wrong decisions,
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and there's always
consequences as a result.
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Now, when Ezra and
Nehemiah returned to Israel
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from Babylon,
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they found that
many of the people
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had made some
very poor decisions.
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Something had to be done.
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And we will see from scriptures
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what Ezra and Nehemiah did
to solve a very big problem.
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On our panel today,
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we have Morgan
Vincent and Andrew Russell.
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Welcome, gentlemen. Thank you.
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I look forward to your
input as we solve this problem,
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but just as we start, we just
invite you to bow your heads
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for a word of prayer.
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Gracious Father in
heaven, we're so grateful
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that we have time
with Your Word again
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that we can open it
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and also for the
promise of the Holy Spirit
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to guide and lead our
thoughts and understanding.
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Father, we want
to be found faithful
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in all that You
instruct us to do.
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We know it's for your own good.
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And as we open Your
scriptures, Father, bless us,
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bless those who are
watching as well and listening
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and may we believe
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that we had
audience with you today
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as we spend time together
is our prayer in Jesus' name.
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Amen. Amen.
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Well, I invite you
to grab your Bibles
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and we'll go to
the Book of Nehemiah.
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We're looking at
Nehemiah Chapter 13.
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And we want to look at
what confronted Nehemiah
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as he's there in
Jerusalem at the time.
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So Nehemiah Chapter 13
and we'll read from verse 23.
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It says, "In those days,
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I also saw Jews
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who had married
women of Ashdod."
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Now Ashdod is one of
the Philistinian cities.
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And then it
also Ammon, and Moab.
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Now Ammon and Moab
are actually descendants
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of Lots through
his daughters actually
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so they're sort of
distant descendants of Israel,
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but they weren't
really faithful to the Lord.
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And it says in verse 24,
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"Then half of their children
spoke the language of Ashdod,
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and could not speak
the language of Judah,
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but spoke
according to the language
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of one or of the other people.
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So I contended with
them and cursed them
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and struck some of them
and pulled out their hair,
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and made them
swear by God saying,
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'You shall not
give you daughters
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as wives to their sons,
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nor take their
daughters for your sons,
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or for yourselves."
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There's quite a bit of
activity taking place here.
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Can you summarize it for us?
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Well, sad to say
this is not a new problem
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for the children of Israel.
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But what's
taking place, Ettienne,
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is that the
Israelites are marrying...
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The men of Israel marrying women
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from pagan idol backgrounds.
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And so what
happens is it lessens
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the impact of the gospel
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that God desires to
have for these people here.
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You know, it's an
important issue actually
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and we'll see as we
unpack it a little bit further
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as we go through it,
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but did this create
other problems for them?
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Yeah, look, like
we just read there,
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the children of Israel,
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you know, we saw the
children of those marriages
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often would speak the
language of the mother,
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spending more
time with the mother.
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So they didn't understand
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the language of
the Hebrew people.
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And, of course,
this caused issues
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in terms of their learning.
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And not only that,
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they would sometimes pick up
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the beliefs of the
pagan mother as well.
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Okay. Yeah.
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And so then why
would Nehemiah be
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so concerned about this, Morgan?
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You know, you've got
to take into consideration
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we've looked at it,
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you know, their
whole civilization,
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their whole way
of living was tied up
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with their faith in
God, their communities,
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their cities, and, you know,
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to have a
marriage with another tribe
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or another way of thinking,
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you know, it
would have meant that
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they wouldn't have had a regard
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for the God of Israel
like they should have.
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And so there's a great
sense of concern here with that,
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as well.
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Yeah. Yeah, definitely.
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And if they were
getting religious instruction,
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you would have imagined
that they would have spoken
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the language that Bible,
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the Old Testament
scriptures were written
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and it's very clear
that that wasn't the case.
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So there was no real
religious instruction,
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so a big problem for them.
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So what do you think of the way
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that Nehemiah
dealt with these men?
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It's interesting, you know,
you could read it and think,
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Well, you know, he's
just being harsh, unfair,
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but if we turn in our Bibles
to Deuteronomy Chapter 28.
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We find a really interesting
passage of how he's rebuking,
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yes, he's cursing them, yes.
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But here we find
the natural results,
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the consequences as
it were of disobedience.
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And so we find in
Genesis, sorry not Genesis,
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Deuteronomy 28,
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from verse 14, it reads,
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"So you shall not turn
aside from any of the words
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which I command you this day,
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to the right or to the left,
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to go after other
gods to serve them."
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And that's key.
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You know, you're not
just wanting yourself
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to be going after
the God of Israel,
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but your wife as well.
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Verse 15, "But it
shall come to pass,
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if you do not obey the
voice of the Lord your God,
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to observe
carefully all His commandments
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and His statutes,
which I command you today,
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that all these
curses will come upon you
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and overtake you."
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And so, here, you know,
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we think of the
commandments has been,
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you know, the Ten
Commandments, you know, which,
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you know, one involves,
you know, really, I guess,
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the faithfulness of marriage,
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and you know, God
wanting us to follow Him.
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And so, you got
to keep in mind too,
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that these curses
which came upon the people
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with a natural result
of disobedience as well.
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You know, I think
of those curses and,
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you know, sometimes they
are interpreted as threats,
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but they're really a
warning, aren't they?
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I had an incident just
this last week actually.
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I was talking to
my oldest daughter
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and letting her
know of some consequences
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that might come as a
result of certain behavior
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and she said to me,
"Dad, you're threatening me."
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And I said,
"That's not a threat."
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I said, "It's a
warning, sweetheart,"
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I say, "There's a
difference you know."
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Sometimes the threat would
come from a position of hate,
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you know, but the warning
comes from the position of love.
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What position do
we think God's taking?
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And when you wanting to,
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you know, the people to
see the gravity of the decision
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in choosing to go after,
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you know, a woman of another,
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you know, religion,
another way of thinking and so,
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it serves as a bit
of a public example
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as well for that.
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Definitely, yeah.
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But look at the
reaction from Nehemiah,
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it's pretty strong.
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He's grabbing them by the shirt,
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you know, and
sorting the math little bit.
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But, if we look at
the context of it all,
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Israel had already brought
some reforms in prior to that,
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and there seemed to be
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these reforms
were only short lived.
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So it probably
needed some short,
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stronger action
and a stronger response
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just to get them
back on track again.
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But what was behind
Nehemiah's strong reaction?
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Well, he understood
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that compromise
leads to disobedience.
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And if you look at Nehemiah,
again, Nehemiah Chapter 13
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if we go back there,
verse 26, and verse 27,
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it says, "Did not Solomon
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king of Israel
sin by these things?
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Yet among many nations
was there no king like him,
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who was beloved of his God,
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and God made him
king over all Israel:
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nevertheless even
him did outlandish women
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cause to sin.
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Shall we then hearken unto
you to do all this great evil,
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to transgress against our
God in marrying strange wives?"
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And so clearly here remind
us to do the intimation that,
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you know, the Solomon
engaging led to problem,
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led a nation down
the terrible path,
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ultimately led them into sin.
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That's what compromise brings.
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And they ended up in
captivity to Babylon,
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as a result of this as well.
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So God foresees the danger
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and He warns, He
warns His people,
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even the kings.
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That's right, but, and Solomon
was greatly favored by God,
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I mean he was also a
prophet, although he was a king.
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And if you think that
you're wiser than Solomon,
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he's basically
saying, watch Solomon,
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he got corrupted
by this whole process
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of intermarrying
with the heathen.
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Look throughout stated history,
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this is a very
important principle
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like it's repeated in
the Bible again and again,
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and we were talking
about the commandments before.
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But it's very clear to me
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that thou shalt have
no other gods before you,
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also means to obey God.
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And, of course, if you now
intermarry with the heathen,
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our human nature
being what it is,
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it seems to be quite
easily led astray and corrupted.
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And God's trying to avoid this
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because He wants to
maintain that love connection,
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that love relationship with us.
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But in Genesis 24, for example,
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we read there about Abraham
wanting a bride for Isaac
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and he gets one of
his senior servants,
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the most faithful
servant to go find him a wife
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and he's very
clear there in Genesis,
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should I say Genesis 24:3 and 4
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that he shouldn't take a wife
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from the
daughters of the Canaanites.
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And then he has a
discussion with him,
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and if you go
further on you read this,
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it says, be very aware
not to take my son down,
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even if no one
wants to come up this way,
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don't take him down there.
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It's almost like if
he goes window shopping,
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he might be tempted.
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And we want him
to look at the good
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and the pure and the noble girls
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rather than some of the girls
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who are a little bit
more pagan minded, right?
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This thing
continues, doesn't it?
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It does continue.
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Continue through the scriptures
and that's the amazing thing.
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We see the
consistency of God here.
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Can I add another
verse? Sure by all means.
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Deuteronomy 7:3-4.
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It says here, "Neither shall
you make marriages with them."
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Now this is talking about,
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you just pointed
that the Amorites,
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and the Hivites, the Jebusites,
the surrounding nations,
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the pagan nations.
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And it says here,
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"Neither shall you
make marriages with them,"
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God speaking to
His people, of course,
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"your daughter you
shall not give unto his son
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nor his daughter,
00:10:08.07\00:10:09.47
shall you take unto your son,
00:10:09.50\00:10:11.21
for they will turn away
your son from following me
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that they may serve other gods.
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So will the anger of the
Lord be kindled against you
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and destroy you suddenly."
00:10:18.88\00:10:20.62
Says the turning away
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by these non
believers to other gods
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that was the
real big issue here.
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Yes. Yeah.
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And the New Testament,
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does it say anything about this?
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Yeah, it does, it does.
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There's a third,
there's a third passage
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we'll look at.
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In 2 Corinthians Chapter
6, we read from verse 14 down,
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peoples asking,
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I guess some
questions for introspect.
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He says in verse 14,
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"Do not be unequally
yoked together with unbelievers,
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for what
fellowship has righteousness
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with lawlessness?
00:10:50.18\00:10:51.81
And what communion
has light with darkness?"
00:10:51.85\00:10:54.42
And we would say,
well, none like simple,
00:10:54.45\00:10:58.59
the logical
answer would be none.
00:10:58.62\00:11:00.69
He goes on and
says, in verse 15,
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"And what accord
has Christ with Belial?
00:11:03.09\00:11:05.93
Or what part has a
believer with an unbeliever?
00:11:05.96\00:11:09.46
And what agreement
00:11:09.50\00:11:10.83
has the temple
of God with idols?"
00:11:10.87\00:11:12.70
And so you can really see
00:11:12.73\00:11:14.07
that Paul's getting to
the heart of the issue,
00:11:14.10\00:11:17.84
which of course,
is the human heart.
00:11:17.87\00:11:20.48
And he goes on and says,
00:11:20.51\00:11:21.84
"For You are the
temple of the living God.
00:11:21.88\00:11:24.55
As God has said,
00:11:24.58\00:11:26.31
"I will dwell in
them, and walk among them,
00:11:26.35\00:11:28.68
I will be their God, and
they shall be My people."
00:11:28.72\00:11:31.52
And this is covenant language,
00:11:31.55\00:11:34.16
covenant not just
between God and His people,
00:11:34.19\00:11:36.12
but covenant language
between a man and a woman.
00:11:36.16\00:11:39.09
And so it's of
paramount importance.
00:11:39.13\00:11:42.93
You know, if God mentioned
something once in the Bible,
00:11:42.96\00:11:45.87
you'd say, well,
that's important.
00:11:45.90\00:11:48.04
But the fact that we've seen
just three examples of many,
00:11:48.07\00:11:52.67
he's highlighting the importance
00:11:52.71\00:11:54.08
of how critical this is.
00:11:54.11\00:11:56.34
And if God doesn't want us
to go after other gods, right?
00:11:56.38\00:12:00.52
Then, of course,
when it comes to marriage,
00:12:00.55\00:12:02.42
He doesn't desire His
people to go after someone
00:12:02.45\00:12:05.85
that even is a
worshiper of another God.
00:12:05.89\00:12:08.39
It's the same
thing, isn't it? So...
00:12:08.42\00:12:10.13
You know, we find too
it in the words of Jesus,
00:12:10.16\00:12:12.89
He says, "If a house is divided,
00:12:12.93\00:12:15.26
then it cannot stand."
00:12:15.30\00:12:17.10
You know, divided not just in,
00:12:17.13\00:12:18.73
you know, what
kind of food they eat,
00:12:18.77\00:12:20.97
Jesus isn't
talking about that so much,
00:12:21.00\00:12:23.54
but He's saying, you
know, if there's division,
00:12:23.57\00:12:25.64
if there's contention over,
00:12:25.67\00:12:27.18
you know, faith of
who's the head of this home?
00:12:27.21\00:12:30.28
Is it God or is it, you
know, whatever we choose?
00:12:30.31\00:12:32.88
Yeah.
00:12:32.91\00:12:34.25
It's not going to stand.
00:12:34.28\00:12:36.35
So is this just being exclusive?
00:12:36.38\00:12:38.65
I mean, I think it's just being
00:12:38.69\00:12:40.02
a little bit
exclusive here, Andrew?
00:12:40.06\00:12:41.39
When you think of marriages
00:12:41.42\00:12:42.76
as a matter of being
exclusive within Israel,
00:12:42.79\00:12:44.69
that's not really a
matter of nationalism,
00:12:44.73\00:12:46.46
that's not the major emphasis.
00:12:46.49\00:12:48.53
It's really a
matter of what is true,
00:12:48.56\00:12:52.10
and what
constitutes true worship
00:12:52.13\00:12:54.30
and what
constitutes false worship.
00:12:54.34\00:12:57.41
So if it's not a
nationalism issue,
00:12:57.44\00:13:00.58
are there any
examples of intermarriage
00:13:00.61\00:13:02.34
that actually did
work in the Bible?
00:13:02.38\00:13:04.28
Yeah, there is.
00:13:04.31\00:13:05.65
There's not too
many, but there is.
00:13:05.68\00:13:07.05
We turn in our
Bibles to Ruth Chapter 1,
00:13:07.08\00:13:10.62
and we're reading verse 16.
00:13:10.65\00:13:12.25
Ruth is speaking,
because after all,
00:13:12.29\00:13:15.52
Boaz married Ruth
and Ruth was a Moabite,
00:13:15.56\00:13:19.09
yes, and here Ruth says,
00:13:19.13\00:13:21.86
"Entreat me not to leave you
00:13:21.90\00:13:24.37
or to turn back
from following after you,
00:13:24.40\00:13:26.47
for wherever you go,
00:13:26.50\00:13:28.50
I will go and wherever
you lodge, I will lodge.
00:13:28.54\00:13:31.97
Your people shall be my
people, and your God my God."
00:13:32.01\00:13:36.44
So Ruth is saying,
00:13:36.48\00:13:40.25
"I'm following
the God of Israel."
00:13:40.28\00:13:43.12
And so, you know, here
00:13:43.15\00:13:44.49
it's really
amazing to think that,
00:13:44.52\00:13:47.06
you know, Boaz and
Ruth, this is intermarriage,
00:13:47.09\00:13:50.43
but there's a sense of unity
of who their God's going to be.
00:13:50.46\00:13:54.90
Absolutely, yeah. Which is...
00:13:54.93\00:13:56.40
Well, you are not at all faith.
00:13:56.43\00:13:57.77
Yeah, I'm
following the true God.
00:13:57.80\00:13:59.33
Okay, great.
00:13:59.37\00:14:00.70
But that wasn't exactly
the case of Nehemiah's time,
00:14:00.74\00:14:02.67
was it?
00:14:02.70\00:14:04.47
Morgan?
00:14:04.51\00:14:05.84
Well, it's not, you
know, there, it's there.
00:14:05.87\00:14:08.24
There are in, you know,
there's a sense of idolatry,
00:14:08.28\00:14:10.71
there's paganism,
00:14:10.75\00:14:12.08
there's a lot going on
00:14:12.11\00:14:13.45
but much hinged
on this decision.
00:14:13.48\00:14:18.15
And so God's making
sure, Nehemiah is making sure
00:14:18.19\00:14:22.76
that they are
following after the truth.
00:14:22.79\00:14:26.73
And so, you know, we could say,
00:14:26.76\00:14:28.63
oh, well, God will
just let it slip this time
00:14:28.66\00:14:31.77
but you know, the
future of the nation
00:14:31.80\00:14:34.24
was depending
upon these strong words
00:14:34.27\00:14:37.37
given to them as well.
00:14:37.41\00:14:38.87
And as you said
before this, you know,
00:14:38.91\00:14:40.24
in terms of when that
did happen, very isolated.
00:14:40.28\00:14:42.98
Obviously, in Nehemiah's
time, it was of great concern.
00:14:43.01\00:14:46.68
But the exclusivity
always had to do with favor
00:14:46.72\00:14:50.45
between God and us and
our relationship with Him.
00:14:50.49\00:14:53.69
Now years earlier,
00:14:53.72\00:14:55.06
Israel actually had to
deal with the same problem,
00:14:55.09\00:14:56.59
where we can read
that in Ezra 9:1-2,
00:14:56.62\00:14:59.79
so Nehemiah is now actually
dealing with the issue again,
00:14:59.83\00:15:02.90
that's why his
response is a little bit firmer,
00:15:02.93\00:15:04.77
but Ezra's response is
a little bit different,
00:15:04.80\00:15:06.60
but also quite
firm, if we read it,
00:15:06.63\00:15:08.40
Ezra Chapter 9,
00:15:08.44\00:15:09.97
and we'll look at
verse 1 and verse 2.
00:15:10.01\00:15:12.24
It says, "When
these things were done,
00:15:12.27\00:15:14.44
the leaders came to me, saying,
00:15:14.48\00:15:16.14
'The people of
Israel and the priests
00:15:16.18\00:15:18.71
and the Levites have
not separated themselves
00:15:18.75\00:15:21.02
from the peoples of the lands,
00:15:21.05\00:15:23.35
with respect to the abominations
00:15:23.39\00:15:25.22
of the Canaanites, the Hittites,
00:15:25.25\00:15:27.36
the Perizzites, the
Jebusites, the Ammonites,
00:15:27.39\00:15:30.13
and the Moabites, the Egyptians,
00:15:30.16\00:15:31.93
and the Amorites."
00:15:31.96\00:15:33.60
And it says, "For they have
taken some of their daughters
00:15:33.63\00:15:36.50
as wives for
themselves and their sons,
00:15:36.53\00:15:39.13
so that the holy seed is mixed
with the peoples of the lands.
00:15:39.17\00:15:43.54
Indeed, the hand of the leaders
00:15:43.57\00:15:46.01
and the rulers have been
foremost in this trespass."
00:15:46.04\00:15:50.95
So what's happening here?
00:15:50.98\00:15:53.08
Well, it says here, the princes
came to me Ezra writes and so,
00:15:53.11\00:15:57.19
there's real concern
amongst the leadership here
00:15:57.22\00:16:01.19
of the children of Israel.
00:16:01.22\00:16:02.56
So leaders are coming
00:16:02.59\00:16:03.93
and they're discussing
this issue of the people
00:16:03.96\00:16:07.86
and not only the people
00:16:07.90\00:16:09.23
but other leaders are
also following this practice.
00:16:09.26\00:16:12.37
And they've taken on, you know,
00:16:12.40\00:16:14.17
the abominations of the
heathen now essentially.
00:16:14.20\00:16:17.17
And, of course, when it
talks about the other leaders
00:16:17.21\00:16:19.27
are involved here,
00:16:19.31\00:16:20.64
well, they're some of
the most influential people
00:16:20.68\00:16:23.18
amongst the children of Israel.
00:16:23.21\00:16:24.55
So imagine you know,
00:16:24.58\00:16:26.21
it's kind of like
monkey see monkey do,
00:16:26.25\00:16:28.02
isn't it at the times, you know.
00:16:28.05\00:16:29.45
So how important
is our example in
00:16:29.48\00:16:32.62
and the influence that we have
00:16:32.65\00:16:34.92
on those around us or
those that are watching us.
00:16:34.96\00:16:38.33
So how did Israel
respond to this news?
00:16:38.36\00:16:44.10
Well, let's read it.
00:16:44.13\00:16:45.47
Let's read in
verse 3-5, Ezra 9:3-5.
00:16:45.50\00:16:50.91
We read it here, "And
when I heard this thing,
00:16:50.94\00:16:52.71
I rent my garment and my mantle,
00:16:52.74\00:16:55.34
and plucked off
the hair of my head
00:16:55.38\00:16:57.65
and of my beard,
and sat down astonished.
00:16:57.68\00:17:01.02
Then were assembled unto me
00:17:01.05\00:17:02.78
every one that trembled
00:17:02.82\00:17:04.15
at the words of
the God of Israel,
00:17:04.19\00:17:06.15
because of the transgression
00:17:06.19\00:17:08.12
of those that had
been carried away,
00:17:08.16\00:17:10.56
and I sat astonished
until the evening sacrifice."
00:17:10.59\00:17:16.16
And so we see here that
Ezra was absolutely devastated.
00:17:16.20\00:17:20.00
I mean, that'd be the only
way we could explain it, right?
00:17:20.04\00:17:22.64
Absolutely devastated.
00:17:22.67\00:17:24.77
Tears his clothing,
00:17:24.81\00:17:26.37
plucks the hair out of his head.
00:17:26.41\00:17:27.74
In other words, he
tugged at his hair and his beard
00:17:27.78\00:17:29.98
is basically what its saying.
00:17:30.01\00:17:33.05
And he stayed
there and sat there,
00:17:33.08\00:17:35.48
just in astonishment,
what was taking place.
00:17:35.52\00:17:38.29
He was very zealous
for the cause of God,
00:17:38.32\00:17:40.32
very zealous for
the salvation of God.
00:17:40.36\00:17:43.39
He prized duty and
truth above all things.
00:17:43.43\00:17:47.10
And so he goes to
God and in prayer,
00:17:47.13\00:17:49.33
it says at the end of verse 5
00:17:49.36\00:17:50.70
and spread out my
hands unto the Lord, my God,
00:17:50.73\00:17:53.90
and he takes it to
the Lord in prayer.
00:17:53.94\00:17:56.37
I guess, you
know, when I read this,
00:17:56.40\00:17:57.74
I think that Ezra's response
00:17:57.77\00:18:01.88
may just be in a
small way indicative
00:18:01.91\00:18:05.18
of perhaps what Christ may feel
00:18:05.21\00:18:06.95
when He sees this
kind of thing happening,
00:18:06.98\00:18:09.12
realizing the impact
that it's going to have.
00:18:09.15\00:18:12.05
That's a good point. Yeah.
00:18:12.09\00:18:14.32
We'll continue on
there in verse 6 of Ezra 9,
00:18:14.36\00:18:17.33
"And I said, Oh my God,
00:18:17.36\00:18:19.03
I am too ashamed and humiliated
00:18:19.06\00:18:21.00
to lift up my face to
you, my God, for our iniquities
00:18:21.03\00:18:25.40
have risen higher than our heads
00:18:25.43\00:18:27.40
and our guilt has
grown up to the heaven."
00:18:27.44\00:18:29.74
So he's actually,
00:18:29.77\00:18:31.37
he may not have
participated in the sin,
00:18:31.41\00:18:33.04
but he's likening
himself with the people,
00:18:33.07\00:18:34.61
it's not us and them,
it's a we kind of response.
00:18:34.64\00:18:36.85
And in verse 7,
00:18:36.88\00:18:38.21
"Since the days of our fathers
00:18:38.25\00:18:39.58
to this day we
have been very guilty.
00:18:39.61\00:18:41.92
And for our iniquities we,
00:18:41.95\00:18:44.02
our kings and our
priests have been delivered
00:18:44.05\00:18:46.45
into the hands of
the kings of the land
00:18:46.49\00:18:48.06
and to the sword to captivity
to plunder, to humiliation,
00:18:48.09\00:18:51.43
as it is this day."
00:18:51.46\00:18:54.13
So what does this tell
us about Ezra's thinking?
00:18:54.16\00:18:56.93
Yeah, he's very much concerned,
and we've seen that so far.
00:18:56.97\00:19:01.80
But it goes to show
00:19:01.84\00:19:04.51
the natural
result of what happens
00:19:04.54\00:19:06.81
when you mingle
with heathen nations,
00:19:06.84\00:19:10.45
you know, it's
not going to end well.
00:19:10.48\00:19:12.95
And we continue on
in Chapter 9 of Ezra,
00:19:12.98\00:19:16.69
verse 13 and 14.
00:19:16.72\00:19:18.52
And the Bible says,
00:19:18.55\00:19:19.89
"And after all
that has come upon us
00:19:19.92\00:19:22.22
for our evil deeds
and for our great guilt,
00:19:22.26\00:19:25.29
since You our
God have punished us
00:19:25.33\00:19:27.33
less than our
iniquities deserve,
00:19:27.36\00:19:30.23
and have given us
such deliverance as this,
00:19:30.27\00:19:33.37
should we again
break your commands,
00:19:33.40\00:19:35.64
and join in
marriage with the people
00:19:35.67\00:19:37.47
committing these abominations?"
00:19:37.51\00:19:39.01
It just, you know,
herein Ezra is saying,
00:19:39.04\00:19:43.04
we don't even want it
to enter our mind again,
00:19:43.08\00:19:45.41
you know, such is the
gravity of the situation.
00:19:45.45\00:19:48.85
They've just been brought
back from Babylon basically
00:19:48.88\00:19:51.72
and they're in Babylon
because of those problems
00:19:51.75\00:19:53.52
and now they stand
to repeat it again,
00:19:53.56\00:19:54.99
it's like they
haven't learned the history.
00:19:55.02\00:19:56.36
Yeah, and Ezra's really, really
driving the point home to say,
00:19:56.39\00:20:00.43
"Look, guys, let's
not repeat this again."
00:20:00.46\00:20:02.80
And I'll just
read the end of 14.
00:20:02.83\00:20:05.13
It says, "Would you
not be angry with us
00:20:05.17\00:20:07.20
until you had consumed us
00:20:07.24\00:20:09.44
so that there would
be no remnant or savior."
00:20:09.47\00:20:12.37
And so, you
know, the question of,
00:20:12.41\00:20:14.91
you know, who we marry
00:20:14.94\00:20:16.28
and whether we
interact with pagan nations.
00:20:16.31\00:20:19.11
It doesn't just
impact us or our future,
00:20:19.15\00:20:23.39
you know, our eternal future,
00:20:23.42\00:20:24.75
but it has
impact upon the current
00:20:24.79\00:20:26.65
and future generations as well.
00:20:26.69\00:20:29.86
We're just going
into the next chapter now
00:20:29.89\00:20:31.39
we're in Ezra Chapter 10
and just looking at verse 1,
00:20:31.43\00:20:33.80
there's still,
Ezra is still praying,
00:20:33.83\00:20:35.76
and he's confessing and weeping.
00:20:35.80\00:20:37.67
But there's quite an interesting
00:20:37.70\00:20:39.03
response there from the people.
00:20:39.07\00:20:40.40
Can you tell us
a little bit more
00:20:40.44\00:20:41.87
about that what happens next?
00:20:41.90\00:20:43.47
Yeah, so we see, you
know, Ezra's praying in 10:1,
00:20:43.51\00:20:47.94
and by every
indication from the chapter,
00:20:47.98\00:20:50.88
his prayers are answered,
00:20:50.91\00:20:52.38
and the people
are coming to him,
00:20:52.41\00:20:55.58
from their sense of,
00:20:55.62\00:20:58.19
you know, we're moved by this,
00:20:58.22\00:20:59.69
we're sorry for this,
we're penancing for this,
00:20:59.72\00:21:02.49
and they're
wanting to sort things out
00:21:02.52\00:21:05.43
to get things right.
00:21:05.46\00:21:06.80
It says at the
end of verse 1 there,
00:21:06.83\00:21:09.46
out of Israel a
very great congregation
00:21:09.50\00:21:11.27
of men and women and children,
00:21:11.30\00:21:13.03
for the people wept very so,
00:21:13.07\00:21:16.50
they wept bitterly,
they were upset by...
00:21:16.54\00:21:20.04
And as we continue
on there, you know,
00:21:20.08\00:21:22.44
and verse 2 sort of talks about
00:21:22.48\00:21:24.18
that they admit
this and it says,
00:21:24.21\00:21:26.08
"We have
trespassed against our God,
00:21:26.11\00:21:27.78
and have taken pagan wives
from the peoples of the land,
00:21:27.82\00:21:31.12
yet now there is hope in
Israel in spite of this."
00:21:31.15\00:21:34.26
And in verse 3, it
says, "Now therefore,
00:21:34.29\00:21:35.62
let us make a
covenant with our God
00:21:35.66\00:21:37.19
to put away all these wives
00:21:37.23\00:21:38.99
and those who have
been born to them."
00:21:39.03\00:21:42.13
What do you think
of this suggestion?
00:21:42.16\00:21:44.97
I think by today's standards,
00:21:45.00\00:21:46.33
this would be quite confronting,
00:21:46.37\00:21:47.70
wouldn't you agree?
00:21:47.74\00:21:49.07
Okay, because they're
talking about putting away
00:21:49.10\00:21:51.87
those wives now.
00:21:51.91\00:21:54.88
And so, yeah.
00:21:54.91\00:21:57.25
There's a little
bit of opposition
00:21:57.28\00:21:58.61
only from a handful about
four people or so I think.
00:21:58.65\00:22:00.12
Yeah, about four people,
yeah, we read in verse 15.
00:22:00.15\00:22:02.28
But it's a drastic step,
00:22:02.32\00:22:04.69
sorry of sending the
heathen partners now home
00:22:04.72\00:22:08.02
and, of course,
their children with them.
00:22:08.06\00:22:10.36
And the men are choosing
to separate now, aren't they?
00:22:10.39\00:22:12.53
That's right.
00:22:12.56\00:22:13.90
I think we need to remember
00:22:13.93\00:22:15.26
there was no
neglect intended here.
00:22:15.30\00:22:18.47
You know, drastic circumstances
00:22:18.50\00:22:20.84
require sometimes drastic
measures, isn't it right?
00:22:20.87\00:22:22.60
It's true.
00:22:22.64\00:22:23.97
And I think of Jesus, He said,
00:22:24.01\00:22:25.34
"If any man love mother
or father or more than Me,
00:22:25.37\00:22:28.84
he's not worthy of Me."
00:22:28.88\00:22:30.51
And so this, this must
have been a terrible situation
00:22:30.55\00:22:34.48
that required them to do this.
00:22:34.52\00:22:36.92
The impact of those heathenism
and the heathen practices
00:22:36.95\00:22:40.42
must have been to such a degree
00:22:40.46\00:22:42.66
that it was
very needful for them
00:22:42.69\00:22:45.36
to make this decision.
00:22:45.39\00:22:47.63
Look, they obviously go
through a bit of a process,
00:22:47.66\00:22:50.90
but can you just elaborate
00:22:50.93\00:22:52.27
on what they exactly
did to deal with this issue?
00:22:52.30\00:22:54.44
Okay, if we read in
Ezra 10:7 and 8, it says,
00:22:54.47\00:22:58.11
"And they made
proclamation throughout Judah
00:22:58.14\00:23:00.88
and Jerusalem unto all
the children of the captivity,
00:23:00.91\00:23:03.88
that they should
gather themselves together
00:23:03.91\00:23:06.01
unto Jerusalem.
00:23:06.05\00:23:07.82
And that whosoever would
not come within three days,
00:23:07.85\00:23:11.42
according to the counsel
of the princes and the elders,
00:23:11.45\00:23:14.42
all his substances
should be forfeited,
00:23:14.46\00:23:17.09
and himself separated
from the congregation of those
00:23:17.13\00:23:22.03
that had been carried away."
00:23:22.06\00:23:24.17
And so, look, what I
see here is that they were,
00:23:24.20\00:23:27.37
they were offered a choice.
00:23:27.40\00:23:29.24
They were offered a
choice, they could choose now
00:23:29.27\00:23:31.74
whether to go with this judgment
00:23:31.77\00:23:34.91
in the best interest
of the children of Israel,
00:23:34.94\00:23:37.68
or to be separate from
the children of Israel.
00:23:37.71\00:23:40.98
And at the end of the day,
they had to make that choice.
00:23:41.02\00:23:45.05
Verse 9 says, "Then all
the men of Judah and Benjamin
00:23:45.09\00:23:47.12
gathered themselves together
00:23:47.16\00:23:48.79
unto Jerusalem
within three days.
00:23:48.82\00:23:50.73
It was the ninth month on
the 20th day of the month,
00:23:50.76\00:23:53.09
and all the
people sat in the street,
00:23:53.13\00:23:55.10
of the house of God, trembling
00:23:55.13\00:23:57.03
because of this
matter, and for the great rain.
00:23:57.07\00:24:00.40
Boys, by no means
an easy thing to face.
00:24:00.44\00:24:04.67
You know did they act
independently here, Morgan,
00:24:04.71\00:24:07.24
or how did you
follow this process?
00:24:07.28\00:24:09.51
We read on because, you know,
they're agreeing to cooperate
00:24:09.54\00:24:13.55
and we read on in
Ezra 10, we're still there.
00:24:13.58\00:24:17.02
We read in verse 10.
00:24:17.05\00:24:18.39
It says, "Then Ezra the priest
stood up and said to them,
00:24:18.42\00:24:21.09
'You have transgressed
and have taken pagan wives,
00:24:21.12\00:24:24.56
adding to the guilt of Israel.'"
00:24:24.59\00:24:27.03
So we see here, you
know, a decision of one
00:24:27.06\00:24:29.46
or decision of some
impacts the majority,
00:24:29.50\00:24:32.30
impacts the multitude.
00:24:32.33\00:24:34.27
Verse 11, "Now
therefore, make confession
00:24:34.30\00:24:36.27
to the Lord God of your fathers,
00:24:36.30\00:24:38.81
do His will,
00:24:38.84\00:24:40.21
separate yourselves
from the peoples of the land,
00:24:40.24\00:24:43.11
and from the pagan wives."
00:24:43.14\00:24:44.85
So there was some action
00:24:44.88\00:24:46.35
that they decided
they're going to take.
00:24:46.38\00:24:48.92
Right. Verse 12.
00:24:48.95\00:24:50.65
"Then all the assembly answered,
00:24:50.69\00:24:53.56
and said with a loud voice,
00:24:53.59\00:24:54.92
'Yes, as you have
said, so we must do.'"
00:24:54.96\00:24:59.39
They're agreeing,
they're coming together
00:24:59.43\00:25:01.06
and saying, "This is the
way we want to go forward."
00:25:01.10\00:25:04.77
Now, do you think Israel
considered these marriages
00:25:04.80\00:25:09.14
as invalid?
00:25:09.17\00:25:11.47
Absolutely not.
00:25:11.51\00:25:12.84
I don't think so,
00:25:12.87\00:25:15.44
because they're in
violation of God's command.
00:25:15.48\00:25:18.91
So they're really
unlawful relationships.
00:25:18.95\00:25:20.42
They were unlawful.
00:25:20.45\00:25:21.78
I mean, we read
clearly, we read in Deuteronomy,
00:25:21.82\00:25:24.79
we read in Genesis,
we read in Corinthians
00:25:24.82\00:25:27.02
that this was not
something that God accepted.
00:25:27.06\00:25:31.99
Now, this was not
something that He wanted.
00:25:32.03\00:25:36.26
This was not a
matter of ignorance.
00:25:36.30\00:25:37.77
I think it's
important to remember.
00:25:37.80\00:25:39.70
It wasn't a matter of ignorance.
00:25:39.73\00:25:41.70
As we sometimes find
in the life of a church,
00:25:41.74\00:25:43.51
sometimes you find young people
00:25:43.54\00:25:44.87
who sometimes
just limited knowledge
00:25:44.91\00:25:46.47
go ahead and they
pursue these relationships.
00:25:46.51\00:25:49.58
But this was a
matter of disobedience.
00:25:49.61\00:25:51.88
Yeah. Well, okay.
00:25:51.91\00:25:53.25
Now we have some counsel
also in the New Testament.
00:25:53.28\00:25:55.88
If we go to what Paul says
in 1 Corinthians Chapter 7,
00:25:55.92\00:25:58.92
probably slightly
different scenario here
00:25:58.95\00:26:00.66
because we probably
talking about people
00:26:00.69\00:26:02.49
who had been married
00:26:02.52\00:26:04.06
and then one of
them are converted.
00:26:04.09\00:26:06.06
And Paul says there in
1 Corinthians Chapter 7,
00:26:06.09\00:26:08.03
we're going to
read from verse 12.
00:26:08.06\00:26:10.70
It says, "But to the rest I,
00:26:10.73\00:26:12.90
not the Lord say, if
any brother has a wife
00:26:12.93\00:26:15.17
who does not believe,
00:26:15.20\00:26:16.54
and she's
willing to live with him,
00:26:16.57\00:26:18.11
let him not divorce her.
00:26:18.14\00:26:20.38
And if a woman has a
husband who does not believe
00:26:20.41\00:26:22.71
and he is
willing to live with her,
00:26:22.74\00:26:25.31
let her not divorce him,
for the unbelieving husband
00:26:25.35\00:26:27.75
is sanctified by the wife,
00:26:27.78\00:26:29.62
and the unbelieving wife
is sanctified by the husband,
00:26:29.65\00:26:32.49
otherwise your
children would be unclean,
00:26:32.52\00:26:35.56
but now they are holy."
00:26:35.59\00:26:37.56
And then in verse 15,
00:26:37.59\00:26:38.93
"But if the unbelievers
depart, let him depart,
00:26:38.96\00:26:42.06
a brother or a
sister is not under bondage
00:26:42.10\00:26:44.47
in such cases,
00:26:44.50\00:26:45.83
but God has called us to peace."
00:26:45.87\00:26:48.60
So just very briefly,
what is your comment on that?
00:26:48.64\00:26:51.31
How do we read that?
00:26:51.34\00:26:53.44
Yeah, it's, as we
said you know, the gospel,
00:26:53.48\00:26:56.01
it could change,
you know, one spouse
00:26:56.04\00:26:57.98
and perhaps not the
other from their decision
00:26:58.01\00:27:01.45
but you know, God
calls us to be peace,
00:27:01.48\00:27:04.15
peaceful peacemakers.
00:27:04.19\00:27:05.92
And to me that's the key
of what Paul's saying here.
00:27:05.95\00:27:10.03
Okay. Thank you, gentlemen.
00:27:10.06\00:27:11.39
That's
unfortunately we have time for,
00:27:11.43\00:27:12.76
but thank you
for joining us today.
00:27:12.79\00:27:14.26
There is a true saying
that if we marry in haste,
00:27:14.30\00:27:17.53
we will regret at leisure,
00:27:17.57\00:27:19.37
and marriage is a
solemn and lifelong commitment.
00:27:19.40\00:27:22.04
Therefore we do need to know
00:27:22.07\00:27:23.74
God's will for
our relationships,
00:27:23.77\00:27:25.97
and to pray and
fast like Ezra did
00:27:26.01\00:27:28.34
is a model
excellent for us to follow.
00:27:28.38\00:27:31.18
Thank you for joining
us today on Let God Speak.
00:27:31.21\00:27:33.42
You can watch our past programs
00:27:33.45\00:27:35.52
on our website at
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00:27:35.55\00:27:39.19
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00:27:39.22\00:27:41.09
and you can email us
at lgs@3abnaustralia.org,
00:27:41.12\00:27:44.36
until next time.
00:27:44.39\00:27:45.73