Graham had recovered enough from the last few days camping in a field (setting up for Fraisthorpe) to continue his series on Ezra this morning. We picked up from Ezra 8:35.

Ezra part 10 [ 39:42 ] Play in Popup | Download

Ezra 8:15, 8:35-10:4

Intro

Ezra discovers that some of the returners have been marrying wives from the forbidden nations.

This week we look at why it was so serious and had to be handled so radically.

1) The priestly line could have been lost

Because we are used to being able to approach God through the merits of Jesus, and this is part of our secular culture too, we forgot something about approaching God.

It is a terrible thing to approach God, and it is only through Jesus that we can. Not anyone can approach him. See the references to God being a consuming fire

Hebrews 12:28-29

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.

Exodus 24:17

To the Israelites the glory of the LORD looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain.

Deuteronomy 9:3

But be assured today that the LORD your God is the one who goes across ahead of you like a devouring fire. He will destroy them; he will subdue them before you. And you will drive them out and annihilate them quickly, as the LORD has promised you.

2 Samuel 6:5-7

David and the whole house of Israel were celebrating with all their might before the LORD, with songs and with harps, lyres, tambourines, sistrums and cymbals. When they came to the threshing-floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God, because the oxen stumbled. The LORD’s anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act; therefore God struck him down and he died there beside the ark of God.

Acts 5

Ananias and Sapphira

So? These ancient Jews wanted to approach God and they knew it was for them, only possible through the sacrifices and the priesthood.

2) Is this treatment of the foreign wives far from the ethics of Jesus?

No!

See Matthew 5:30

And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

3) Our descendants matter

Who are your descendants? The childless can have descendants, and those who have children can have none.

Be fruitful, multiply and subdue the earth was the command to Adam. To us it is to go into all the world and make disciples.

They needed their priesthood. Our world needs its priests. Who are they?

1 Peter 2:4-5

As you come to him, the living Stone- rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.