Ezra 10:11
“Now therefore, make confession to the LORD God of your fathers and do His will; and separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign wives.”
I’m going to focus on the phrase, “separate yourselves”. The exiles were away from Jerusalem for 70 years. Many of them further disobeyed and married foreign wives. They are back now and Ezra is challenging them to get right with God. To do that they have to separate themselves from their wives. I wrote about that a few times ago. Unfortunate and sad, but important to do so.
When we come to Christ we do have to separate ourselves from some things and some people. God has made us holy in Christ, but part of that word means to separate for God’s use.
The Ten Commandments applies to us as well as any other commands in scripture. In reality this is freeing. We were sinners. John 8:34 says, ‘Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.”‘ A couple of verses later it says, “if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
Some think we aren’t having any fun. Not so. Hebrews 11:25 says of Moses, “choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin”. There is fleeting pleasure in sin, then comes the slavery. It’s great to have that out of our lives.
Our old friends and those in the world don’t get us. I Peter 4:4, “In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them in the same excesses of debauchery, and they slander you”. This is sad in we need to put distance between us and our old friends. The good news is we’ve gained a Father, a Savior and the Holy Spirit. We’ve also gained a new family in Christ.
I see my old friends from time to time. We are to love them and share with them. They aren’t my weekly friends. We are to be separate. Like the foreign wives would have compromised the faith of the exiles, so being locked into worldly friendships would do the same.
When we are separate from the world we are to be united with those in Christ. He is our Savior and we are His bride. This is so good. The union we have with God is wonderful. Our God-shaped hole has been filled. We feel His presence. So comforting. We have His peace as well. Thank You, Lord.
Thank You, Lord, that You’ve caused us to separate. What an honor to be His child and walk with Him and lead others to Him.