Introduction: When Melody and I were in Bible College, Dr. Cedarholm, the president of our college, frequently said, “The most important thing to learn about history is to learn FROM history.” If we do not learn from history, we are bound to repeat the same mistakes others have made before us. When we do learn from history, we can avoid those mistakes and press on to greater achievements for God.
Transition: In Ezra 9-10, we learn that God’s people had sinned against him again. Ezra was greatly burdened, realising he had just come back from captivity caused by the very same sins. As we look at his burden, I want us to see the problem, the solution, and the application for today.
1. The Problem was that Believers Married Unbelievers
Last week we looked at this in considerable detail.
a. They had violated God’s separation laws (9:1-2).
1) God’s people had married heathens.
a) God had strictly forbidden mixed marriages. (Deuteronomy 7:3) “Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son.“
b) Mixed marriages lead to conflicting loyalties between God’s will and the unsaved spouse’s will.
2) This sin was among the leaders and the people.
a) These people had committed a sin.
b) Haggai and Zechariah may have died by this time, leaving them with no spiritual leadership.
b. Their sin was not a new one.
1) This same sin had led to the Babylonian captivity (9:7).
2) They were trying God’s grace again (9:14-15).
2. The Solution was to Dissolve those evil Marriages.
a. Ezra’s broken heart sparked revival.
1) He confessed, wept, and worshipped (10:1).
a) Revivals often begin with one person truly getting right with God. Confess sin and obey God.
Evangelist R.A. Torrey once said, “I can give a prescription that will bring revival ‑ revival to any church, or community, or any city on earth. First: Let a few Christians get thoroughly right with God. If this is not done, the rest will come to nothing. Second: Let them bind themselves together to pray for revival until God opens the windows of heaven and comes down. Third: Let them put themselves at the disposal of God for His use as He sees fit in winning others to Christ. That is all. I have given this prescription around the world… and in no instance has it failed. It cannot fail.”
b) Like Ezra, you could spark a revival in our church. Ask God to begin His revival work in your heart.
2) The people followed Ezra’s example and wept (10:1).
b. Shechaniah spoke for the nation.
1) Shechaniah confessed their sin and found hope (10:2). “When we detest our sin and turn wholeheartedly from it then God will pardon us.” Stan K. Evers
2) He called for a putting away their strange wives (10:3). They were to divorce the wives they had taken from among the heathen nations.
a) He said this was the counsel of the Lord and of those who trembled at the commandment of their God. They had done contrary to what the Lord had clearly commanded – no mixed marriages!
b) Obedience was necessary to keep the Messianic line pure and to prevent turning to idols.
c) The people humbly agreed to obey God (10:12).
3) They did as Shechaniah had proposed (10:18-44). They divorced their pagan wives. That was drastic!
3. How Does This Apply to Marriage Today?
a. We do not fit the context of Ezra 9-10.
1) We are not Jews, preserving the line of Christ.
2) We have not received a direct command from God not to marry of the pagan nations around us.
b. Jesus spoke boldly against divorce.
1) His words were clear in both Mark and Luke.
a) (Mark 10:11-12) “And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her. [12] And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.“
b) (Luke 16:18) “Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.“
c) Mark and Luke wrote these passages to Gentiles who did not have a binding betrothal period as did the Jews.
2) Jesus’ parallel words in Matthew, written to Jews, included an exception. (Matthew 19:9) “And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.“
a) Fornication is a general word for sexual sin (however, usually before marriage); adultery is unfaithfulness during marriage.
b) If the exception clause applies to marriage, this contradicts Jesus’ words in Matthew 19:5-6. “And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.“
3) Jesus reinforced God’s original marriage plan.
a) (Matthew 19:7-8) “They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.“
b) Divorce was never God’s original intent.
c) God has always planned marriage to be for life.
4) Even in the case of unfaithfulness, forgiveness and restoration are God’s solution – not divorce.
5) I believe that the best explanation is that the exception only applied to engaged Jews, not married couples. Thus, Jesus limited divorce to during engagement. [See The Divorce Myth, by J. Carl Laney, chapter 6].
c. Peter and Paul taught the same about marriage.
1) Peter advocated submission. (1 Peter 3:1-2), “Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; [2] While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear.“
2) Paul wrote that Christians are to marry only Christians. (1 Corinthians 7:39) “The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.” This is also true for a first marriage (2 Cor 6:14).
3) He declared that marriage is for life. (1 Corinthians 7:10-11) “And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband: But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.” (Cf., Romans 7:2-3).
4) In 1 Corinthians 7:13-16, Paul stated that if an unbelieving spouse leaves the marriage over spiritual differences, the Christian is not under bondage. He did not say the Christian was free to remarry.
a) The “sanctification” of the unsaved spouse (1 Corinthians 7:14) means that God still recognises the marriage as legitimate. He was not commanding them to divorce, as in Ezra’s day.
b) When God says the unbeliever is sanctified, he did not mean this would save his soul. Salvation is only by faith. While marrying an unsaved person is wrong, divorcing them is also wrong. Instead, a Christian must strive to win his lost spouse to Christ.
Conclusion: What we need most to learn about history is to learn FROM history. 1) Learn to stand alone (if necessary) and start a revival by truly getting right with God. 2) Mixed marriages are never happy marriages – thus, marry ONLY a Christian who loves the Lord and wants to serve Him. 3) Though God allowed divorce in Ezra’s day in a special situation to preserve the purity of the line of Christ. Today, divorce never solves problems, it always creates more. Let’s learn from history!