This post is Day 22 in a series of studies about “Separation”. I strongly suggest you begin with the introduction to this study, please click here to read it.

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Separation – Day 22

In this verse from Ezra, the people of Israel had been living in exile in Babylon. They had begun to do things that their God had specifically described as an abhorrence to Him. For us who have been born after Christianity began the same thing applies. We are set apart.

Ezra 9:1

After these things had been done, the leaders came to me and said, “The people of Israel, including the priests and the Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the neighbouring peoples with their detestable practices, like those of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians and Amorites.”

The Thought

As the Jewish people grew in number, and lived in and around other cultures, they forgot the laws God had given to their forefathers. They allowed infiltration from the peoples around them.

God’s very clear original plan was that they would live such holy lives that the people seeing them would be drawn to the one true God. But the opposite happened. They were drawn to other customs and forgot that they should be a nation set apart for the Lord (Exodus 19:6).

Here in this part of Ezra’s account, the people of Israel had been living in exile in Babylon. They had begun to do things that their God had specifically described as an abhorrence to Him.

For us who have been born after Christianity began the same thing applies. But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light (1 Peter 2:9).

Action

Are there practices in the church today that you think don’t please the Lord? Things we have taken from the world? Do you know people who call themselves Christians and yet do things the Bible forbids? Pray for them today.

We need to pray for the Lord to purify His church as He has promised to. Pray for Christians you know who are not living the way the Bible says they should.

Praise God that He is the one who judges, purifies, and forgives. He is the one who sees everything and knows our hearts.

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