Text: Ezra 9:1-15
This issue of marrying foreigners is an extremely important one for us to
understand and obey. The issue is not about forbidding marriage to nonIsraelites. Ezra’s concern is about marriage to persons who do not believe.
Remember that Rahab (the prostitute from Jericho) was rescued by Joshua and brought into the nation of Israel (Jos.6:25). She was a foreigner, but a believer, and she became an ancestor to Jesus. The same is true of Ruth, who was a believer from Moab (Mat.1:5). God had always graciously brought in some persons who were not from Israel, to be one of His people.
This marriage principle is laid out in Ex.34:16. The reason this principle is so important is that the pagan will almost always cause the Christian to leave the Lord. When God created man, He made the woman from man’s rib, He then joined them in marriage, and they became one flesh (Gen.2:24). Therefore, should one who is alive in Christ choose to be united to another who is spiritually dead? No! Would you marry a corpse? Absolutely not! Apostle Paul also stresses this principle (1 Cor.6:15-16). If you are single, please do not marry an unbeliever, or if you are a parent, please do not let your child do that.
Such a union could put the believing spouse in danger of hell.
Meditate on verse 3. How are you going to apply it to your life?
Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, may Your Church take a stand against the evil that goes on unchecked. We repent of the evil our society has committed.
Amen.