Return to Your God

"One Year Bible" Old Testament History Passage
Ezra 10:1-44

The Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, "You have transgressed and have taken pagan wives, adding to the guilt of Israel.  Now therefore, make confession to the Lord God of your fathers, and do His will; separate yourselves from the peoples of the land, and from the pagan wives."  Ezra 10:10-11 (NKJV)

Israel had returned from Babylonian captivity.  After 70 years of exile, they had come home.  Their original problem had been idolatry.  They had gone after foreign gods until God finally poured out judgment.  Now they were already falling back into the same patterns.  By intermarrying with pagan wives, they were opening themselves up to compromise in their very households.

This is symbolic of a problem we encounter today.  We are called to evangelize the world, but unfortunately too often the world evangelizes us.  Marriage is an earthly symbol of our spiritual relationship with God.  We are to be totally in love with Him.  Unfortunately, too often we have divided hearts.  We love "pagan wives."  We get joined to the world in such a way that it challenges our love relationship with Jesus.

God has one answer for that: REPENT.  If a man or woman were cheating on their earthly spouse, what is the best immediate advice you could give them?  That's simple.  QUIT!!!  Break the bad linkage.  Don't negotiate; don't think about it; don't try to figure it out.  Just QUIT IT. 

That may seem harsh to some people.  But it is the only answer to spiritual adultery.  RETURN TO YOUR FIRST LOVE.  That is what Ezra called for Israel to do in his day, and that is what God calls for us to do today.