January 10, 2011

Ezra 10
What is the glory of God worth to you? Would you give up your marriage if it was a choice between God and your spouse? Jesus said that unless we are willing to leave everything, we are unworthy of the Kingdom. So is the glory of God worth giving up your marriage? Certainly the Scripture teaches the sanctity of marriage. Certainly it teaches that our marriages are to reflect His unity. What if that marriage is a union between a pagan and a believer? From the reading of the instruction of the apostle Paul, we would learn that whatever marital state, which we were in when we found Christ , we should be content with that marital state. However, if the unbeliever wants to leave because of Christ, we should let them go.
How does that contrast with the situation with Ezra? The nation of Israel had been exiled because they had gone after the gods of the pagan nations. The kings had led the nation in this immorality. It was imperative with the return that the nation remains pure in their pursuit of Yahweh. Marrying pagan women threatened to undo the purity that they had achieved. It threatened their walk with the Lord. Would you give up your marriage for the glory of God. I am not suggesting that God desires divorce. He would have preferred that these men had never married the pagan women. For their time and their situation, this was a choice which they had to make. Was it worth the glory of God?
Yes it was! What does that tell us about the glory of God? He far exceeds the pleasure of any relationship, which we can ever have. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john