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Ezra 9:1-4, After these things had been done, the leaders came to me and said, “The people of Israel, including the priests and the Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the neighboring peoples with their detestable practices, like those of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians and Amorites. They have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, and have mingled the holy race with the peoples around them. And the leaders and officials have led the way in this unfaithfulness.”

When I heard this, I tore my tunic and cloak, pulled hair from my head and beard and sat down appalled. Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel gathered around me because of this unfaithfulness of the exiles. And I sat there appalled until the evening sacrifice.

One interesting thing about Ezra is that he was a leader who invested in his people.  He didn’t just tell the people what to do, he actually taught the people Scripture and how to interpret it.  As a result, the people are now recognizing that what is going on among them is wrong.  They see how the Jewish people are out of alignment with God’s law and they decide to bring their concerns to Ezra.  What’s the issue?  Well, the people of God have been intermarrying with all the pagan nations and cultures around them.  They have given their daughters in marriage to Canaanites and Hittites.  They have accepted Moabite and Amorite men as husbands for their daughters.  God asked them to be a holy, set-apart people and they have done anything but. 

There are certainly instances in the Old Testament when Jewish people have married foreigners (think Ruth the Moabite) and things have turned out well.  But in those cases, the foreign spouse became dedicated to the one true God.  In other instances, when things didn’t turn out so well (think Solomon and all his wives), it was because the spouses remained pagan and brought their pagan gods into the home.  It is hard to be holy and set apart when pagan influences are at your kitchen table and in your bedroom.

As believers in Jesus, we are also to be set apart people.  That doesn’t mean we isolate ourselves from the world, but rather we live differently.  Our values are different than the world’s values.  Our lifestyle should be different from the world’s lifestyle.  When it comes to marriage, the New Testament also implores believers to marry other believers.  It isn’t a command but it makes sense.  When a person of one worldview covenants with the person of a totally different worldview, it can be really, really hard.  When one spouse is committed to Jesus and the other isn’t, there will be value clashes. 

Think about your own relationships, maybe your marriage.  How might your pray for those closest to you in regard to faith?  We know that God isn’t done with anyone yet.  What relationship is heavy on your heart right now?  Take a moment and pray.

Lord, hear our prayers…Amen.