The other day as I read through Ezra chapter 9, I found it interesting to see certain practical truths that Jesus and the apostles wrote about in the New Testament. I see in a different light the truths about being in this world and not of this world, I know what Apostle Paul meant when he said not to conform to this world, I see what Apostle Paul said about not being unequally yoked with people with different values. Let us do a little bible study through Ezra chapter 9, shall we? Interestingly Nehemiah chapter 9 has a similar theme as well.
Alrighty! So Ezra chapter one starts by showing us the leaders’ report to prophet Ezra. They approached prophet Ezra saying to him, “The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands, concerning the abominations of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians and the Amorites.”. This verse shows us that there was an expectation, there is an expectation of God’s children. Although they lived among people of different cultures and values, they were expected to lead separate lives from them. It gets interesting for me in verse two as these leaders continue with their report, “for they have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons so that the Holy seed is mixed with the peoples of those lands”. The first thing to pique my interest was the mention of the Holy Seed being mixed with people of the lands. This spoke so much volume to my spirit that it brought to perspective how precious we are as God’s children and the huge responsibility that lies in our hands to preserve our Holiness from generation to generation.
Given the sad news Prophet Ezra received, he tore his garment and then went into fasting and prayers of repentance on behalf of God’s children. As he repented on their behalf, he pointed out salient things that I think we should consider. First, he mentions how God delivered His children from bondage, and brought them into this enlarged territory. As God led His children into this space, He warned them vigorously about the space and people around them. God told them against marrying men and women from the different tribes as they were unclean and of course, would pollute the Holy race. In this same light, God has saved us, God saves people, brings us all into a life of abundance, and expects that we live for Him only. He expects us to keep charting the life of Holiness by purification through the word of God. He understands that we live in a world that lies in habitual darkness, nonetheless, He expects us to be the light of the world! He expects that we know the standards of the bible and live by it. Apostle James literally tells us in James chapter 4 that friendship with the world is enmity with God. There should be a clear distinction between the children of God(Light) and the children of the devil (darkness)
As I write this, it brings into perspective the thought process of royal families; how they are so peculiar about the friends their children keep and the kinds of spouses their children bring home. The royal seed and royal race need to be protected at all costs! No form of pollution should be condoned. In the same way as peculiar people, a chosen generation by God – He expects us who are called unto Him to live lives separate from the standard of this world.
There are two salient things this chapter highlights which I would love to bring to light:
Living Separate and Holy lives unto the Lord :
Apostle Paul admonished us not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers because he just did not see and understand what reasonable fellowship could exist between light and darkness – I Corinthians 6:14. This standard has always existed from the beginning of creation, we see our Father in heaven make a distinction between night and day- Genesis 1:4. This distinction He expects us to keep up with as we fill the earth with our lights powered by Jesus Christ. There is no reason for us to comingle with darkness; there is no reason for us to become yoked with darkness. Certainly, we can maintain friendly relationships with non-believers, but we must ensure that they do not sway our way of life. Instead, we should be the ones influencing them, unlike the people mentioned in Ezra 9 who had become indifferent to preserving their identity in Christ.
Marrying Spouses that Preserve the Holy Seed :
One reason God established the institution of marriage is for procreation, ensuring that humans continue to populate the earth. Throughout scripture, we see God’s deep investment in procreation and, more importantly, the quality of the offspring. For instance, with Abraham, God was very specific about his heir, declaring that only Isaac, the child of promise, would inherit Abraham’s wealth and name. While God allowed Abraham to bless Ishmael, only Isaac was recognized as the true heir and the holy seed in God’s eyes. Similarly, when Samson was conceived, an angel gave his parents instructions on preserving the holy seed in the womb. The same care was shown with Elizabeth, the mother of John, and Mary, the mother of Jesus. In Mary’s case, God ensured her conception was holy, with no human involvement.
In essence, this chapter points us to the responsibility that we have as Christians to preserve the Holy race. The least we can do is marry godly spouses- holy and sanctified who can be colaborers in raising godly seeds upon the earth.
To my dear sister and brother who might just find themselves in the same plight as God’s children as described in Ezra 9, there is a way out. Ezra chapter 10 gives us some insight into the way out; God’s children spent quality time repenting of their sins and went ahead to seek God’s face for direction. I implore you, my dear, to learn from them and decide to live your life with the knowledge of how precious you are and most importantly make decisions powered by this knowledge.