A Covenant With God (Ezra 9:1-4)

Wayne Galloway
02/18/16 - N/A

Series: Studies In Ezra

Introduction:

1.  I must have been in the third grade.  A mass of children was playing in the gymnasium.  I was on the east end of the court with my back turned to the west end.  Some kid threw a basketball as if he were a center fielder trying to make a play at home plate.  The ball hit me squarely between the shoulders.  Immediately all the air in my lungs was expelled with such force that all I could do was gasp for air.  A feeling of panic!  More gasps!  Would I live or die? 2.  Maybe you have had such an experience.  Maybe you have had a similar experience when someone brought shocking information to you. 3.  I imagine that Ezra’s experience was like this when the princes approached him with information that took his breath away. 4.  This is what they said; “The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands.  They have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy race has intermingled with the peoples of the lands; the hands of the princes and the rulers have been foremost in this unfaithfulness.” 5.  Ezra said when he heard about this matter he tore his garment and his robe, pulled out some of the hair of his head and his beard and sat down appalled. 6.  All those who trembled at the word of God gathered together and he sat appalled until the evening offering. 7.  Oh that all of us should be so concerned about the violation of our special relationship with God.

Discussion:

I.  This was not just a matter about marrying foreigners, but a matter of not separating themselves from the peoples of the lands.  It was a matter of covenant loyalty.

A.  God had chosen Israel as His special people.

1.  It was an exclusive relationship.

2.  Their separation from the nations and their loyalty to Him was the matter of consideration (Ex. 34:15-16; Deut. 7:2ff).

B.  It was not the marriages per se, but the influence that such marriages would have on Israel to draw them away from their devotion to God (Ezra 9:10-12).

C.  Indeed such intermarriages had been a catalyst into idolatry.  Nowhere is this any clearer than in the case of King Solomon.  “He loved many foreign women.  He had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines, and his wives turned his heart away after other gods” (1 Kings 11:1-8).

D.  It was this idolatry that was the cause of their bondage in Babylon in the first place (Ezra 9:8-9).  Surely this could not continue.

II.  Grief, shame, embarrassment, and humiliation expressed in prayer were appropriate (9:5-15).

A.  God’s graciousness shown to sinners crushes pride and sin committed through failure and ignorance.

1.  Sometimes sin occurs as a result of our just not knowing what the will of God is.  When we find out good hearts are crushed.

2.  Sometimes sin occurs through failure.  We are weak against temptations.  Shame and embarrassment result.

3.  Without trying to analyze their situation too closely the result is the same.   When people of good heart find themselves in violation and God being gracious to them even though they do not deserve it they are humbled.

B.  Confession was appropriate.

C.  Note that this involves accepting responsibility for the wrong committed and being thankful for God not repaying us according to what we deserve.

D.  We will do well to learn from this.  This is the kind of response necessary for us when we sin.

III.  They determined to make a covenant with God (10:1ff).

A.  Actually the covenant that they were making involved their re-committing to the original covenant.

1.  The original covenant was the “water-mark” that they needed to go back to.

2.  To get there they had to return to the counsel of the Lord and tremble at the commandment of God.

3.  This was a restorative move.

4.  Their covenant would involve putting away all the wives and children representative of their unfaithfulness to God.

B.  Mike Wilson in his book Inside Out: The New Covenant Written On the Heart identifies 9 components typical of covenants in Scripture.  The covenant made here specifically evidences at least 7 of these components.

1.  Basis of the Grievance:  The unfaithfulness of the exiles in not separating themselves from the peoples of the lands particularly evidenced in their intermarriages with them (9:1-4; 10:2).

2.  Proposal:  So now let us make a covenant with our god to put away all the wives and their children according to the counsel of the Lord (10:3; cf. 10:5 “proposal.”).

3.  Parties identified:  The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites (9:1; 10:5).  There is a list of offenders given in 10:18ff.

4.  Statement of terms:  According to the counsel of the Lord and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to our law (10:3; Neh. 10:29ff).

5.  Perpetual covenant reminder—signs:  A document signed in Neh. 9:38-10:30.

6.  Witnesses:  Ezra, God (covenant made before the house of God (10:5-6).

7.  Oath:  The leading priests, the Levites and all Israel took oath (10:5; cf. Neh. 10:29).

8.  Blood sacrifice:  It was at the time of the evening sacrifice that Ezra prayed (9:5).

9.  Shared meal:  No evidence of a shared meal in Ezra.

C.  The making of such a covenant depended upon God’s grace. Had He repaid them according to what they deserved there would be no remnant (9:13-15).

IV.  We either need to make a covenant with God or remember the covenant that we have already made with God.

A.  The grievance:  “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23).

B.  The proposal:  Let us make a covenant to separate ourselves apart from the world and commit ourselves to loyalty to God.

C.  Parties involved:  You and me.

D.  Statement of terms:  Let us walk in a manner worthy of the Lord (Col. 1:10; Eph. 4:1), i.e., according to the counsel of the Lord (Matt. 28:19-20), according to the commandment of our God.

E.  Perpetual covenant reminders—signs:  Lord’s Supper—“This is the blood of the covenant.” Circumcision of the heart (cf. Col. 2:11ff).  The new covenant text.

F.  Witnesses:  “You made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses” (1 Tim. 6:12).  We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses (Heb. 12:1).

G.  Oath:  Baptism is a covenant pledge.

H.  Blood sacrifice:  Jesus is the sacrifice for our sins.

I.  Shared meal:  the Lord’s Supper serves as a reminder of our covenant relationship.

Conclusion:

1.  We are so like the remnant that returned from Babylon. 2.  We are in violation of the covenant of God.  Our unfaithfulness is evident.  Our sin separates us. 3.  God calls us from the world. 4.  On the basis of His gracious good will He invites our repentance.  He has sacrificed His son in payment for our sin. 5.  Will you enter into a covenant relationship with Him?   In baptism we die to ourselves and begin to live devoted to Him.  Our hearts are circumcised.  We are cut off from the world and become His people. 6.  We share the fellowship meal of the Lord’s Supper in remembrance and of what He has done for us and in remembrance of the covenant that we have with Him. 7.  Some of us have already made this commitment.  If you have not perhaps you would today!