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Confession

"While Ezra prayed and made this confession, weeping and lying face down on the ground in front of the Temple of God, a very large crowd of people from Israel—men, women, and children—gathered and wept bitterly with him. Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, a descendant of Elam, said to Ezra, “We have been unfaithful to our God, for we have married these pagan women of the land. But in spite of this there is hope for Israel. Let us now make a covenant with our God to divorce our pagan wives and to send them away with their children. We will follow the advice given by you and by the others who respect the commands of our God. Let it be done according to the Law of God. Get up, for it is your duty to tell us how to proceed in setting things straight. We are behind you, so be strong and take action." Ezra 10:1-4 NLT

For the full account, read Ezra chapters nine and ten.

The Old Testament is given to us for a spiritual application. As I read about the unfaithfulness of God's people, I am reminded that I am to confess, repent, weep and lie face down before God every morning. I must clean, clean and clean some more. I must please my God. There is nothing like that freshly washed feeling.

"These things happened as a warning to us, so that we would not crave evil things as they did, or worship idols as some of them did. As the Scriptures say, “The people celebrated with feasting and drinking, and they indulged in pagan revelry.” And we must not engage in sexual immorality as some of them did...
Nor should we put Christ to the test, as some of them did and then died from snakebites. And don’t grumble as some of them did, and then were destroyed by the angel of death. These things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age." 1 Corinthians 1:6-11 NLT

Many of these Old Testament events are given to us for spiritual applications, not literal.

What if you are married to an unbeliever? Unless you are in an abusive situation where you or your children are in danger, you are to stay married.

"And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him." 1 Corinthians 7:13

Ezra reminds us that we are to divorce ourselves from sin. Anything that comes between us and God has to go.

"Dear Jesus, my eyes fill with tears when I read Your wonderful Old Testament. Thank You for these examples. Thank You for these warnings. I want to have a heart of repentance at all times. Clean out my heart, all day, every day. In Jesus' name I pray, AMEN."

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