I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.
The story switches back to the third person again at this point. While Ezra was praying in front of the Temple a crowd of people gathered. They joined him in weeping over the sin of marrying women who do not share the faith. One of the leaders came to Ezra and proposed that the Jews who had returned from Exile make a new covenant with God and divorce their pagan wives and send them, and their children, away. Ezra demanded that the priests, Levites and all the people present swear that they would follow this suggestion. Then a proclamation was sent out that all of the returned Exiles gather in Jerusalem or, if the leaders and elders so decided, forfeit their property and be expelled from the assembly of the exiles. When the people had gathered, they agreed to follow the proposed plan. However, they said that it would take some time and they could not remain out in the open for long because it was the rainy season.
The plan that was agreed to involved each of the men who had married a pagan wife coming before the leaders in Jerusalem with the leaders and elders from his city. This suggests that there was more to it than just every man who had married a non-Jew divorcing her and sending her away with her children. Is the reason for the meeting with the elders to determine if the non-Jewish wife has embraced Judaism and therefore does not need to be divorced? The passage does not tell us. I find it interesting to contrast this with Paul’s advice to the Corinthians. Paul advises those believers who are married to non-Christians to stay with their spouse unless the spouse chooses to leave them. On the other hand, there is some common ground as well. Paul commands that those who marry after they become believers should only marry someone who is also a believer.
Paul condemns the believers in Corinth for taking their disputes before secular judges. He tells them that it is better to be wronged than to do that. It is a tragedy today that there are cases where congregations go to court to resolve matters of congregational governance, or other matters of dispute. Paul tells us that if believers have a dispute, they should take it before someone from the Church who is judged wise on the issues in question. If the other party will not accept such a judgement, we should let the matter drop, even if it means accepting injustice. Paul suggests that instead of accepting being the victims of being cheated, some of the believers in Corinth were cheating others, including their brothers in Christ. Elsewhere, when Paul confronts the Corinthians about something, he says he is not trying to shame them. In this passage he says that he is trying to shame them. He tells them that they should be ashamed of going to court against fellow believers.
Paul moves on to addressing sexual sin. Some of the believers in Corinth had been taking the freedom in Christ too far. They justified their sins by saying, “I am allowed to do anything.” Paul counters this by saying that some things are not good for you. He tells them that they must not become slaves to sin. He then counters an argument that has been revived today, comparing sexual desires to hunger for food. People often say that we have a need for sexual behavior just as we have a need for food. Paul flat out rejects this argument and denies that it has any merit. Paul tells us that our bodies are part of Christ. He, also, tells us that our bodies become part of whomever we have sex with. We should not join our bodies, which are part of Christ, with prostitutes (or others who are promiscuous). He concludes this line of argument by saying that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit and we should honor God with our bodies.
The psalmist cries out that he is suffering terribly, that he is despised by all. Even his friends are afraid to approach him. But he trusts God even in this terrible state. He believes that God will save him. Can we manage the same faith when we endure suffering? Will we continue to believe that all works together for good for those who love the Lord when we face tragedy and misfortune?
It is more important to God that we do what is right and just than that we follow the correct rituals, whether they be sacrifices and offerings or something else.