Reclaiming Holiness in the Family of God

holiness — noun. the quality of being personally dedicated to God; either by being set apart, by being morally pure, or by being devoted to God.

holy one (ritual) — noun. a person who is consecrated to the service of the God of Israel; not necessarily with disregard to moral purity.

Ezra 10:1–8 CSB

1 While Ezra prayed and confessed, weeping and falling facedown before the house of God, an extremely large assembly of Israelite men, women, and children gathered around him. The people also wept bitterly. 2 Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, an Elamite, responded to Ezra, “We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the surrounding peoples, but there is still hope for Israel in spite of this. 3 Therefore, let’s make a covenant before our God to send away all the foreign wives and their children, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the command of our God. Let it be done according to the law. 4 Get up, for this matter is your responsibility, and we support you. Be strong and take action!” 5 Then Ezra got up and made the leading priests, Levites, and all Israel take an oath to do what had been said; so they took the oath. 6 Ezra then went from the house of God and walked to the chamber of Jehohanan son of Eliashib, where he spent the night. He did not eat food or drink water, because he was mourning over the unfaithfulness of the exiles. 7 They circulated a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem that all the exiles should gather at Jerusalem. 8 Whoever did not come within three days would forfeit all his possessions, according to the decision of the leaders and elders, and would be excluded from the assembly of the exiles.

What is misty in the pulpit becomes a fog in the pew.

Observations concerning this passage and modern inclinations.

If the Author of Scripture intended to portray decisions, life, and devotion as easy, this chapter would not be included. The Bible never shies away from revealing the mess you can make of life.

a. The decision of the leaders and the elders appears harsh and perhaps out of context.

b. The application for us would be to seek guides direction BEFORE making major life decisions.

Why did this happen.

The Exiles WANT to take God’s Word seriously.

When you have a mess, sometimes, there’s no clean way out. It gets messier until it can get better. The missionaries had similar problems with polygamous converts.

They had precedent with Hagar and Ishmael. Genesis 21:9-10

Genesis 21:9–10 CSB

9 But Sarah saw the son mocking—the one Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham. 10 So she said to Abraham, “Drive out this slave with her son, for the son of this slave will not be a coheir with my son Isaac!”

They also had Malachi, a contemporary prophet who spoke highly of the family and marriage.

b. It’s true that God hates divorce. Malachi 2:16

Malachi 2:16 LEB

16 “For I hate divorce,” says Yahweh, the God of Israel, “and he who covers his clothing with violence,” says Yahweh of hosts. “You must be attentive to your spirit and you must not be unfaithful.”

i. But why does God hate Divorce? Malachi 2:15

Malachi 2:15 CSB

15 Didn’t God make them one and give them a portion of spirit? What is the one seeking? Godly offspring. So watch yourselves carefully, so that no one acts treacherously against the wife of his youth.

ii. They also had the example of Ruth. Ruth 1:16

Ruth 1:16 CSB

16 But Ruth replied: Don’t plead with me to abandon you or to return and not follow you. For wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you live, I will live; your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.

2 Corinthians 6:14 CSB

14 Do not be yoked together with those who do not believe. For what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness?

Paul seemed to possess some pastoral wisdom that may have come from this situation.

1 Corinthians 7:13–15 CSB

13 Also, if any woman has an unbelieving husband and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce her husband. 14 For the unbelieving husband is made holy by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy by the husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is they are holy. 15 But if the unbeliever leaves, let him leave. A brother or a sister is not bound in such cases. God has called you to live in peace.

The main concern being addressed is Holiness both in worship and the home.

God wants a people who have a unified life throughout the week.

3. It emphasizes that family is the Primary social structure and place of religious instruction.

a. God desires spiritual devotion and unity in the home.

b. God expects the parents to model and teach religion and morality by example.

c. You cannot outsource holiness or parenting.

Review what they teach at school.

Monitor what influences them on social media.

Teach them how to study God’s Word and apply it.

More will be caught than taught.

Stand for God’s truth in a wicked world.

Philippians 2:14–15 CSB

14 Do everything without grumbling and arguing, 15 so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world,

APPLICATION:

Set expectations.

Serve the Lord as a family.

Talk about Scripture at home.

Worship together!