Ezra 9-10Ezra 9-10

Israel’s sin and Israel’s sin and punishmentpunishment

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Punished with captivity, Deut 28:45-48; 2 Chrn 36:15-21◦Babylonian exile, 606…587 B.C.◦Remnant returned, 536 B.C.◦Temple restored, 516 B.C. (Ezra 6:14-15)

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Ezra returned 60 years later (457 B.C.)◦Revive worship and purity, Ezra 7:6-10

Led by rulers, Israel had fallen into sin of marrying foreign women, Ezra 9:1-2◦Ezra’s dismay and sorrow, Ezra 9:3-4◦Confessional prayer of national sin, Ezra

9:5-15◦What follows is one of the most heart-

wrenching yet hopeful episodes in Israel’s history (Ezra 10)

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We can never be right with God with sin in our lives, Isa 59:1-2; 2 Cor 6:17-18; Rev 2:5◦Sin is real and deadly, 1 Jno 3:4; 5:17;

Eph 2:1-3◦Certain marriages were sinful in Ezra 9:2,

14; 10:10

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Christians must put away every kind of sin (1 Ths 5:22)◦Old man of sin, Eph 4:22-24; Col 3:5-9◦Sins of the heart and tongue, Eph 4:31-

32◦Everything that hinders – no matter how

dear it is to us, Matt 5:28-30 (18:6-9)◦Israelites had to put away foreign wives

and the children born to them, Ezra 10:3

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Like ancient Israel, sinful marriages must cease, Matt 19:9-12

The divorced person (except for the cause of fornication) cannot be in a sinless remarriage, cf. Rom 7:2-3

Fornication (adultery) must be repented of and the sinful relationship ended, Rev 9:20-21

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The Sacrifice of Precious Things Wives and children, Ezra 10:3, 10-12, 18-19, 44

Price must be paid to be a disciple of Jesus, Luke 14:25-33

More than family, 14:26 More than life, 14:26 More than escaping trials, 14:27 Count cost and pay price, 14:28-33

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The Sacrifice of Precious Things◦Some in Israel refused to pay the price, Ezra 10:15

◦Some refuse to sacrifice for salvation, Mark 10:17-22

◦A job? Fashion? Acceptance? Pleasures of the world?

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Self-denial is a proof of devotion to God, Gal 2:20; Phil 3:7-8◦Must admit our sin instead of defending

ourselves in our sin, Ezra 10:2◦Self-denial shows fearful faith in God,

Gen 22:12◦Self-denial shows we love Christ most,

Matt 16:24-27

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Strong emotions occur whenever we put away sin◦Emotions can cause us to defend our sin◦Emotions must not be allowed to hinder

obedience to God! Prov 14:12; 18:2; 19:21◦Confessing sin is emotional, Ezra 10:1

(1 Jno 1:9); Luke 7:37-38◦Reverence for God’s word will cause us to

“tremble” when our sin is exposed, Ezra 9:4; 10:3, 9

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Israel could still obtain mercy and forgiveness through repentance; and most did, Ezra 10:10-12 (15), 16-17◦Christians can “repent and do the first

works”, Rev 2:5◦Offer yourself to God as a living sacrifice,

Rom 12:1