Having just read the 1st 3 chapters of Genesis, it just confirmed for me why we need to read the Bible (over and over again, year after year).

Did Isaac and Rebekah have the "perfect" marriage? 

Everything started off beautifully in this God ordained marriage.  Both Isaac and Rebekah were obedient in marrying the spouse that God had chosen for them. In the early part of their marriage, they loved each other, prayed for each other...but then what goes wrong in this perfect marriage?

Just as we have all experienced in our own marriage, sin enters the picture. As the story of Jacob's deception unfolds, each is out for their own interest. We see the picture of what we would now call a dysfunctional family.  There is no thought about the "other" person, let alone any consideration for God's will.

Instead of thinking that our marriage would have been better if we had just married the right person, perhaps we should concentrate on how we can transform our marriage by the renewing of our minds by not conforming to the expectations of this world (Romans 12:2), but by patterning our lives after God's standard that is revealed to us through prayer and meditation on His Word.

Gen 29:20 So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.

It is a beautiful picture of first love...When we first fall in love, everything is easy to do, whether it is the falling in love with a person or falling in love with God. When I first became a believer in college; praying, reading the bible, going to church, bible studies...everything was easy and exciting. There was no hard work in it.  I couldn't get enough to fill my thirst to know God more and more! Then what happens, as time passes, the things we used to do for our loved one becomes more and more difficult and even sometimes burdensome. 

What about God? Does His love for us also grow dim with time?

Lamentations 3:22 says "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end"

Isn't it reassuring to know that the love of God is NOT like ours, its doesn't wax and wane, it doesn't change with the cicumstances, it is not even dependant on us at all. Not only is God's love steadfast, nothing can separate us from his love.

 Romans 8:38-39 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 As he is steadfast, let us remain steadfast and persistent in loving the Lord.

The sovereignty of God is a controversial topic even among Christians. However, when I read this section, it is the first thing I think of...Even before Abraham had his promised son, God told him:

 Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad—in order that God’s purpose in election might stand: not by works but by him who calls—she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated." What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! For he says to Moses,

   “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy,
   and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”

It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy. For Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.

One of you will say to me: “Then why does God still blame us? For who is able to resist his will?” But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’" Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?

Being in the medical profession, the story of the midwives stuck out for me. "The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live."

600,000 thousand men,  that's a lot of people! Assuming an equal amount of women, then that's 1.2 million men and women. If we add children and the elderly, then likely over 2 million total polulation. I just can't imagine seeing 2 million people walking out of Egypt, it's an incomprehensible amount.

As I read this section, I find the actions of Aaron quite disturbing. Since Moses is up on the mountain, Aaron is the leader of the people, the man who is to be their high priest, however, I see him giving in too quickly to the demands of the people for an idol. What I find interesting is that after he makes the golden calf, he says "These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.”  He doesn't say they are the same gods as the Egyptians or the Canaanites; he tries to associate the golden image to the "LORD" himself. So in effect, he compromises the true worship of God with a man-made version, a version that is pleasing to the people.  As I see this happening, I can't help to think about the many Christian leaders out there that are compromising the true faith with a watered down version, a perverted version or versions that please people, instead of staying true to a faith that pleases GOD!! I can't help to think of the popularity of the "prosperity gospel" where God is essentially a magic genie that gives you what you want. WHAT happened to the "fire and brimstone" sermons that stressed the importance of REPENTENCE?! These are, of course, NOT very popular. 

When I think about what we are to believe about God, who He is, how He works, what He does, when He will fulfill his promises, I come from a standpoint that we should believe what GOD has said, what he has revealed to us in the Bible…whether it makes sense or not, whether it is popular or not, whether it is fair or not, whether it is convenient or not…Our tendency to water down our faith has made America a “laughingstock” to the rest of the world. "Moses saw that the people were running wild and that Aaron had let them get out of control and so become a laughingstock to their enemies." We in America are known to the rest of the world as a Christian nation, but isn’t it sad what foreigners think about America. What is America associated with? Immortality, materialism, selfishness disguised as “individuality,” indifference disguised as “tolerance.”

As Moses intercedes for Aaron, God does relent in his anger and Aaron does go on to became the 1st high priest of Isreal. When I see how quickly Aaron sinned in this section, I question how effective he would be as the high priest who intercedes for the sin's of his people...But how marvelous that we have a faithful, sinless high priest that intercedes for us!

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven,Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.  Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. --Hebrews 4:14

Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. --Romans 8:34

Exodus 36:3-7: And the people continued to bring freewill offerings morning after morning...and said to Moses, “The people are bringing more than enough for doing the work the LORD commanded to be done.” Then Moses gave an order and they sent this word throughout the camp: “No man or woman is to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary.” And so the people were restrained from bringing more, because what they already had was more than enough to do all the work. 

Exodus 38: ²⁴ The total amount of the gold from the wave offering used for all the work on the sanctuary was 29 talents and 730 shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel. (that is equivalent to 1 ton of gold, which would be worth approx $43,000,000, gold price today is $1350/ounce). ²⁵ The silver obtained from those of the community who were counted in the census was 100 talents and 1,775 shekels,according to the sanctuary shekel— (that is equivalent to 3.4 tons and 44 pounds of silver which would be worth $3,100,000, silver price today is $29/ounce)

WOW!!! The golden calf that they made earlier was only the tip of the iceberg...Where did all this gold and silver come from?  Exodus 12:³⁵ The Israelites did as Moses instructed and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold and for clothing. ³⁶ The LORD had made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, and they gave them what they asked for; so they plundered the Egyptians. ("plundered" seems to be an understatement)

But Samuel replied:

   “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
   as much as in obeying the LORD?
To obey is better than sacrifice,
   and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
For rebellion is like the sin of divination,
   and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the LORD,
   he has rejected you as king.”

I am so glad that we are reading "the word of the LORD" together for how can we obey what we do not know. Let us continue faithfully in what we have committed ourselves to do this year so that we may become obedient servants of Christ Jesus, our LORD and SAVIOR.

Of the different kinds of offerings, the burnt offering was special in several ways:

 1. It is the only offering that is completely offered (completed burnt up) to the Lord (except for the skin).Leviticus 1:8...and the priest is to burn all of it on the altar. For all the other offerings, only the fat portions were given to the Lord, the rest was consumed by the priest and offerers.

 2. The fire of the burnt offering was to be maintained continuously, day and night. Leviticus 6:13: The fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously; it must not go out.

 3. It is mentioned as far back as Noah. Genesis 8:20-21:Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it. The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done. (In Genesis 4, Although Abel also made an offering to the LORD, he only gave the fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock, although this pleased the LORD who looked upon Abel favorably for the offering he gave, it wasn't technically a "burnt offering" because the entire animal was not consumed by the fire)

 4. Abraham was instructed to offer Isaac as a burnt offering to the LORD. Genesis 22:2Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”

The LORD gave specific instructions exactly how this offering was to be made, what kind of animal, how and who was to prepare it. Only when the instructions were followed exactly, did it become a pleasing aroma to the LORD. 

We will later see what a mockery King Ahaz (1 Kings 16 and 2 Chronicles 28) and King Manasseh (1 Kings 21 and 2 Chronicles 33) made of the Temple and the system of sacrifices that was instituted by the LORD.  They plundered the temple, set up new altars to make sacrifices to false gods, they even sacrificed their own sons.  All of this was evil before God.  King Manasseh in particular is considered the most evil King of Judah because of the detestable practices that he instituted, however, we see a God who delights more in a person who has a humble heart than any sacrifices that are offered. 1 Chronicles 33: 11-13 So the LORD brought against them the army commanders of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh prisoner, put a hook in his nose, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon. In his distress he sought the favor of the LORD his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his ancestors. And when he prayed to him, the LORD was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD is God. What a gracious and forgiving God we have.  He doesn't take delight in the sacrifices themselves, He delights in the humble heart of the one who is offering the sacrifices.

Lord, examine our hearts, change our hearts so that it may be a pleasing aroma to you.

The Watchtower Society has clarified (changed) their position on blood transfusion a few times since their original mandate. The original prohibition was against transfusion of all blood products, whether whole or partial. Now they allow for plasma components or fractions of blood cell components, but not whole blood, whole plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells or platelets.  In other words, red blood cells can't be transfused, but if the RBC was broken up into pieces, then the inside pieces (hemoglobin) can be transfused. Likewise, all the individual components of the plasma such as immunoglobulins and clotting factors can be transfused, but not whole plasma itself.  

There are two different stories in the OT of a high priest and his two sons who did evil before the LORD. The first is Aaron and his two sons in this section:¹ Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, contrary to his command. ² So fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD. (Leviticus 10)

After the death of Nadab and Abihu, their role is taken over by Aaron's other sons Eleazar and Ithamar.  The blood line of the high priest continues through Eleazer.  However, when Eli's story begins in the 1st book of Samuel, at first his geneology is not clear, it later reveals that he is from the line of Ithamar.  It is not clear how/why the high priesthood changed from Eleazer's line to Ithamar's line. However with Eli, we again see two sons that did evil before the Lord.  ¹² Eli’s sons were scoundrels; they had no regard for the LORD. .... ¹⁷ This sin of the young men was very great in the LORD’s sight, for theywere treating the LORD’s offering with contempt. (1 Samuel 2)

Unlike Aaron's sons, Eli's son were not killed immediately, but God does give Eli a prophetic message: ³¹ The time is coming when I will cut short your strength and the strength of your priestly house, so that no one in it will reach old age, ³² and you will see distress in my dwelling. Although good will be done to Israel, no one in your family line will ever reach old age. ³³ Every one of you that I do not cut off from serving at my altar I will spare only to destroy your sight and sap your strength, and all your descendants will die in the prime of life. (1 Samuel 2)

Soon afterwards the two sons die in battle with the Philistines, this is the same battle where the Philistines take the Ark of the Covenant from Isreal...After a few generations of high priests from Eli's descendents, the high priesthood is taken from Eli's family line (Abiathar) and is given to Zadok, a descendent of Eleazer...

Also in the same prophecy to Eli, God tells him...I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who will do according to what is in my heart and mind. (1 Samuel 2:35)

As there have been faithful and unfaithful kings of Isreal, the priesthood itself also had its good and bad. Aaron himself was involved in making the golden calf and now his 2 sons are killed when they didn't follow the instructions of LORD.... But the LORD told Eli, that He will raise up a "faithful priest" who will do according to his heart and mind.

Of course, we know that this prophecy was fulfilled in Jesus Christ. The book of Hebrews says Jesus is our "merciful and faithful high priest in service to God" (Hebrews 2:17) and that He santified us not by "the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption" (Hebrews 9:12)

Thank you, Jesus, that you are BOTH our "faithful high priest" as well as the the perfect sacrificial "Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"

Yujin adds...1 Samuel 2:35 speaks of "a faithful priest... I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before my Anointed for ever." While this may indeed look forward to Christ, who would be the ultimate High Priest-King, the most immediate referent may be Zadok, who would replace the line of Eli for high priest. And the line of Zadok would remain faithful and be perpetuated by God through the monarchies in Judah, even after the exile and into the intertestamental period (cf. Ezekiel 44:15). 

The key verse is this section of Leviticus is in chapter 15:³¹ “‘You must keep the Israelites separate from things that make them unclean, so they will not die in their uncleanness for defiling my dwelling place, which is among them.’” The whole purpose of all these regulations about being clean and unclean is so that the Isrealites will not defile the Tabernacle, the place of worship. Now in terms of skin diseases, mold problems and even abnormal discharges, it all seems to make some sense...however, chapter 15 also mentions even sexual relations between a man and wife makes both of them unclean at least until evening. So essentially in order to worship at the Tabernacle, it required sexual abstinence at least for that day. It seems that the LORD truly wanted to separate, set apart the Isrealites from their surrounding neighbors who combined worship of their gods with sexual activity. We see this even back in Genesis when Judah mistakes his daughter-in-law, Tamar, for a shrine prostitute. Shrine prostitution must have been common for Judah to mistakenly assume that Tamar was one of them.

 For those of us who are in Christ, we cling to the atonement that is found in Christ Alone and we await eagerly to enter the promised land where "there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain." 

Leviticus 26 is a very interesting chapter as God promises blessing for obedience and curses for disobedience.  As Stephen already mentioned, the punishment for disobedience is prophetic. God warns of the punishment they will incur if they do not keep the LORD's commands. Just as the Israelites quickly forgot their promise to obey the Laws, it seems they didn't pay much attention to this last part of it either.  They didn't trust the blessings that would come from obedience nor did they believe the punishment that would come from disobedience. Unfortunately, Israel does face ALL of these punishments as we continue reading further into Israel's history, even canabalism is documented in 2 Kings 6. She answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give up your son so we may eat him today, and tomorrow we’ll eat my son.’ ²⁹ So we cooked my son and ate him. The next day I said to her, ‘Give up your son so we may eat him,’ but she had hidden him.”

 We can see our God faithfully keeps ALL his promises, and what did God promise to us as faithful followers of Christ?

 ²⁵ And this is what he promised us—eternal life. (1 John 2)

 ¹² Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. (James 1)

1. In Exodus 17, Moses defends the LORD "Why do you put the LORD to the test?" prior to going before Him with the problem. He didn't do this in Numbers 20, he didn't say anything to the assembly that had gathered, so perhaps the sin was that Moses did not defend God's case before the people...
   
   
2. In Numbers 20, prior to striking the rock, Moses says "we" instead of "the LORD," thereby taking personal credit for the water instead of the LORD. So the sin may have been that Moses was giving himself credit instead of acknowledging God.
   
   
3. In Numbers 20, Moses struck the rock instead of speaking to it, so the sin may simply be one of disobedience in following the LORD's exact instructions.
   
   
4. In Numbers 20, Moses striking the rock instead of speaking to it may have revealed his lack of faith in the LORD.  From his previous experience in Exodus 17, Moses knew that striking the rock would bring forth water, so instead of trusting God with these new instructions, Moses trusts in his personal experience from the past. Perhaps that's why it says "you did not trust in me"
   
   
5. In Numbers 20, Moses used "his staff" the same staff that he used in Exodus 17, instead of Aaron's staff (but I'm not so sure about this one, which staff did Moses actually use?)
   
   
6. 6. In Numbers 20, the problem was that Moses was angry and struck the rock out in anger instead of out of reverence to the LORD.

³¹ Therefore I wail over Moab,
   for all Moab I cry out,
   I moan for the people of Kir Hareseth.
³² I weep for you, as Jazer weeps,
   you vines of Sibmah...

⁴⁷ “Yet I will restore the fortunes of Moab
   in days to come,” declares the LORD.

I had not realized until now that God had plans for other OT nations, not just Israel. I had always thought that Israel was instructed to destroy all the nations they encountered on their way to Canaan occupation. Because of Moab's family ties to Abraham, it was the LORD's intention to give them an inheritance of land. Even the geneology of Jesus has a Moabite-Ruth. However, the Scriptures later talk about Moab's pride and arrogance as well as their fear of Israel in this section which results in their downfall.  

 Like Moab there are so many people today that don't realize that God has a plan to bless them. Instead of relying of the Lord, we take matters into our own hands. What is the "Balaam" in our life that we fall back on? When we do this, does God weep for us?

Balak knew he couldn't defeat Israel militarily, so he calls upon Balaam to try to defeat Israel supernaturally by putting a curse on them.  When this didn't work, he results to even a more deceptive means to defeat the Israelites, allow the Israels to fall out of God's favor through sin. The order of how this happens is significant. First, entice the men into sexual activity, then as the men fall physically into sin, this leads to them to fall away from God.

Numbers 25: ¹ While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women, ² who invited them to the sacrifices to their gods. The people ate the sacrificial meal and bowed down before these gods. ³ So Israel yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor. And the LORD’s anger burned against them.

This is a very critical event in Israel's history, this is the first account of Israel being lead astay by its intermingling with neighboring peoples. Sadly this is just the beginning.

We find out in Numbers 31 that it was on Balaam's advice that the Moabites enticed the Israelites into sin. (It appears that Balak did get his money's worth after all.) Numbers 31:16 “They were the ones who followed Balaam’s advice and enticed the Israelites to be unfaithful to the LORD in the Peor incident, so that a plague struck the LORD’s people.

In the midst of a plague with 24,000 people dead or dying, one Simeonite flagrantly brings a women into the camp in front of everyone to witness. Phinehas kills both of them. It was because one man stood up for God that the plaque was stopped.  It is said in Psalm 106 that this was credited to him as righteousness.  (Remember?..The same thing was said of Abraham's faith in Genesis 15:6.)

 Psalm 106:

 ²⁸ They yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor
   and ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods;
²⁹ they aroused the LORD’s anger by their wicked deeds,
   and a plague broke out among them.
³⁰ But Phinehas stood up and intervened,
   and the plague was checked.
³¹ This was credited to him as righteousness
   for endless generations to come.

Because of the righteousness of one man, the nation of Israel was spared from the wrath of God that would have continued to consumed them. Likewise, we are spared from the wrath of God because of the righteousness of Jesus. 

Thank you, LORD, that you show us what ONE righteous person can do if he is zealous for Your honor.  AS Pastor Steve talked about last Sunday, let us remember that God has already given us the divine POWER to live the godly life.

In this section of our reading, a second census is taken. Although the total number remains similar, there is a huge difference within individual tribes.  Most significantly, the tribe of Simeon dropped from 59,300 (Numbers 1:22) to 22,200 (Numbers 26:14) a 63% declined.  So what happened to the tribe of Simeon?

If we go back to Genesis 46:10 and Exodus 6:15, six sons of Simeon are listed: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar and Shaul.  In the First Census, only the total numbers are listed but doesn't name the individual clans. However, in the Second Census, only 5 clans of Simeon are listed.  Simeon's son, Ohad, is missing entirely from this census.  1 Chronicles 4:24 also only list 5 sons, again Ohad is missing from this list ...So what happened to the clan of Ohad?

The previous chapter described the plague that killed 24,000. Numbers 25:14 also says that it was a Simeonite leader, Zimri son of Salu, that brought the Midianite woman into the Israeli camp, but it doesn't say that the 24,000 killed were all Simeonites, although perhaps we can assume that many, or perhaps the majority were Simeonites. Perhaps Zimri was the leader of the Ohad clan (?), it is a possibility but still speculation as well. 

In any case, an entire clan of Simeonites went missing during the time of their wandering in the wilderness.  In Deuteronomy 33, Moses blesses all the tribes of Israel before he dies, however, Simeon is missing from this list. It seem perhaps the sins of Numbers 25 was much deeper than we first thought. When the lands are alloted to the Israelites, Levi is not given an inheritance of land (they are given cities) and Simeon gets a portion of land within Judah. In Genesis 49:5-7, Jacob does curse Simeon and Levi because of their anger and violence in the massacre involving their sister, Dinah and the Shechemites (Genesis 34), "I will scatter them in Jacob and disperse them in Israel." But the Lord is faithful and does not completely wipe out all the Simeonites, they are named among the 144,000 in Revelations 7.

Although we are all individually responsible for our actions, this does show how a leader can pave the course of destruction for his followers. Although we may not be the head of a clan, we are leaders within our own family and so must take that responsibility seriousness.  Our children follow our example whether we tell them or not.

Likewise, a good leader can inspire others to follow as well. Yesterday, Pakistan Minorities Minister Shahbaz Bhatti was shot dead in broad daylight. He was the only Christian cabinet member.  He was openly against the anti-blasphemy laws and received numerous death threats. In an interview 4 months ago, he openly declared that he was a follower of Jesus Christ and that he was willing to die for the cause. It is amazing how the LORD works, when he was alive, I knew nothing about him, but in his death, the message he proclaimed as a "follower of the Cross" is being spread thoughout the world.

 Let us pray for the persecuted church and those who face life and death choices for their faith in Jesus Christ.

A new generation of Israelites (those who were not under Egyptian slavery) are about to cross in to Canaan. In Numbers 33:51-53, The Lord tells them to drive all out the inhabitants and destroy all their carved images and idols and in Numbers 33:55-56, He warns them “‘But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will give you trouble in the land where you will live. And then I will do to you what I plan to do to them.’”

 The book of Joshua documents their conquest of Canaan. At the end of the Book of Joshua, he reconfirms the covenant with God's people and dismisses the tribes to the land that they were each allotted. But in the 1st chapter of Judges, we find out that they did not drive out the inhabitants as the LORD had commanded. Judges 1:28 When Israel became strong, they pressed the Canaanites into forced labor but never drove them out completely. In Judges 2, we find that the next generation of Israelites didn't even know the LORD, they followed the various gods of the people around them. Judges 2:10-13 ¹⁰ After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel. ¹¹ Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD and served the Baals. ¹² They forsook the LORD, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. They aroused the LORD’s anger ¹³ because they forsook him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths. 

So by the 3rd generation, they knew not the God who brought their grandparents out of Egypt and they knew not the God who went before their parents as they conquered Canaan. This failure of the parents to completely wipe out the Canaanites becomes the barb in the eyes and the thorn in the sides of the next generation.  The generation that conquered Canaan probably reasoned to themselves that it would be better for them and their children to use the Canaanites as forced labor instead of killing them. From a human perspective it makes perfectly good sense. The parents were using human reasoning to justify their actions instead of following the commandments of God.

Likewise, Jesus also gave us rules to live by. For example, Matthew 5:38-48 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?  And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Some of these guidelines don't make any sense from a human perspective. So are we to ignore the words of Jesus and follow what makes sense to us or are we to trust in the LORD because His ways are perfect. If we do not follow the ways of the LORD in our generation, what will our children learn? By the 3rd generation, will they know our God or  what He has done for us?

My favorite verse in the song Amazing Grace is

T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear And Grace, my fears relieved. How precious did that Grace appear the hour I first believed.

It all begins with a reverent fear of the Lord. Solomon in his wisdom wrote The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:7

Deut 10:12-13 begins with the fear of the Lord also.   ¹² And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, ¹³ and to observe the LORD’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?  It is this fear that causes us to obey, and through obedience we show our love, and because of love, we serve. But with familiarity, we become too comfortable and lose this holy fear.  As we loose fear, we stop obeying and stop loving and stop serving.

The word "fear" has a negative connotation for many people.  Even a quick survey of the Book of Proverbs shows fear of the Lord in a positive light.  Fear of the Lord is associated with knowledge (Proverbs 1:7), wisdom (Proverbs 9:10), secure fortress (Proverbs 14:26), fountain of life (Proverbs 14:27), better than great wealth (Proverbs 15:16), a good night's sleep (Proverbs 19:23) and much more.

Let us remember to Fear the Lord for He is above all created things and He is the One who directs our path in the way we show go.

Deut 32: ³ I will proclaim the name of the LORD.  Oh, praise the greatness of our God! ⁴ He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.

Wow! What a powerful statement. No matter what circumstance we are currently in, let us remember that our God is perfect and His ways are just. As a child of God, we should have comfort in this alone. Whether the road we each take leads us to blessing or suffering on this earth, man's chief end is to glorify God.  May the name of the LORD be praise!

No matter how much historical or religious significance Shechem or even Jerusalem has, Jesus tells us that it is NOT the place of worship that is importance...It is the HEART of worship! And not just the heart of worship for sincerity or zeal does not lead to salvation, but we must worship in TRUTH! 

Joshua was a book of victorious conquest. Now we reach Judges, a book of defeat and failure. The Israelites have occupation of the Promised land, at least a large portion of it, however, they did not drive out the nations as instructed by God. The book of Judges document the repetitive failure of the Israelites and how God brought up judges to deliver them.

Judges 2:10-19 essentially summarizes the entire book of Judges. 

Let us each examine the impact of our lives...Are people around us enjoying the fruits of our labor or are they being hurt by the "fire" we cause?

God's will in the life of Samson:

 ² A certain man of Zorah, named Manoah, from the clan of the Danites, had a wife who was childless, unable to give birth. ³ The angel of the LORD appeared to her and said, “You are barren and childless, but you are going to become pregnant and give birth to a son. ⁴ Now see to it that you drink no wine or other fermented drink and that you do not eat anything unclean. ⁵ You will become pregnant and have a son whose head is never to be touched by a razor because the boy is to be a Nazirite, dedicated to God from the womb. He will take the lead in delivering Israel from the hands of the Philistines.” (Judges 13:2-5)

So why didn't Saul wait for Samuel? I think it is understandable why he panicked. His small army was facing "soldiers as numerous as the sand on the seashore" and "all the troops with him were quaking with fear."  He had been waiting 7 days already and Samuel had not yet arrived as promised. But why not just pray to God?  or just go into battle without performing the sacrifice? Why did Saul think performing the sacrifice was so critical for this battle?  If we look back to 1 Samuel 7, I think there is a clue to why Saul thought that the sacrifice was so important. The Philistines came to attack the Israelites as they gathered before the Lord at Mizpah and the Israelites were afraid. When the Philistines heard that Israel had assembled at Mizpah, the rulers of the Philistines came up to attack them. When the Israelites heard of it, they were afraid because of the Philistines. (1 Samuel 7:7) So what did Samuel do? Then Samuel took a suckling lamb and sacrificed it as a whole burnt offering to the LORD. He cried out to the LORD on Israel’s behalf, and the LORD answered him. (1 Samuel 7:9) What did the Lord do in response? the LORD thundered with loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic that they were routed before the Israelites.  The men of Israel rushed out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, slaughtering them along the way to a point below Beth Kar. (1 Samuel 7:10-11)  Perhaps Saul thought the Lord would do the same thing again if only the sacrifices were performed. Saul mistakenly thought that it was the sacrifice that pleased the Lord.  However, if we go back to what happened at Mizpah, we see that the Israelites had gathered there to repent of their sins.  When they had assembled at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the LORD. On that day they fasted and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the LORD.” (1 Samuel 7:6) The Lord was pleased with the heart that was right before the Lord and therefore accepted the sacrifices that were made in repentance.  David understood this when he wrote Psalm 51. 

¹⁶ You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
¹⁷ My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;  a broken and contrite heart, you, God, will not despise. (Psalm 51:16-17)

Again, the story of Saul and his sacrifice points out how many people even today tend to put more value in religious rituals or in sacred relics than in actually having a heart that is pure before God.  Is changing our heart an impossible task?  Yes, on our own it is impossible, this is the work of the Holy Spirit. As we grow and mature in our faith, the fruit of the Holy Spirit should become evident in our lives.  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23)

The story of David's repentance seems too simplified in its presentation in 2 Samuel 12.  Nathan confronts David, David says "I have sinned" and the Lord takes away his sin.  I think we have to look at Psalm 51 to see David's heart of repentance. (Psalm 51:1-19)   David wasn't forgiven for the words "I have sinned," he was forgiven because his heart was right before God. Psalm 51 reflects David's "broken and contrite heart" before the LORD. 

Let us all have a "broken and contrite heart" before the Lord as we come together for Palm Sunday tomorrow, remembering Jesus as he entered Jerusalem as the Lamb of God who was about to take away the sins of this world! (John 1:29)

¹ When the time drew near for David to die, he gave a charge to Solomon his son. ² “I am about to go the way of all the earth,” he said. “So be strong, act like a man, ³ and observe what the LORD your God requires: Walk in obedience to him, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and regulations, as written in the Law of Moses. Do this so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go ⁴ and that the LORD may keep his promise to me: ‘If your descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.’

What a legacy for a father to leave his son. "Act like a man and observe what the Lord your God requires! If only more fathers instructed their sons in such a way... Even though David wasn't a sinless man, he remained faithful to the one true God of Israel.  When he sinned, he repented and found forgiveness as he turned his heart back to the LORD. One sin that David did NOT commit was idol worship.

Solomon had a great beginning. He firmly established his kingdom against all his enemies, the LORD gave him wisdom, wealth and honor. What was Solomon's downfall? He married foreign women who turned his heart to other gods.  As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God... The LORD became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. Although he had forbidden Solomon to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the LORD’s command. (1 Kings 11:4, 9-10)   Because of this sin, the Lord tells Solomon that he will take tear the kingdom away from his son.  When Solomon's son Rehoboam comes to power, the kingdom is divided as the LORD said he would do. Our God is a jealous God. He will not be worshipped along side other false gods....but it appears that the LORD was gracious to even Solomon, for as he begins the book of Ecclesiastes with  “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” (1 Ecclesiastes 1:2), he ends the book with "here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14) The man who had everything (money, women, power) says everything is meaningless and that the one thing that remains is to fear the Lord and obey his commands.  Isn't that exactly what his father David told him even before he became the biggest and the greatest king on earth?

How far will we fall before we learn the same life lessons that Solomon came to realize at his old age?

It took 7 years for Solomon to build the temple. This temple was later destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.

The place of worship is no longer important, it is the person of worship! He could not even be destroyed by death on a cross.

Praise the LORD, Hallelujah, HE has RISEN!!!!

The Prophet Elijah comes into the scene during the reign of Ahab, king of the Northern Kingdom.  King Ahab "not only considered it trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, but he also married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and began to serve Baal and worship him." (1 Kings 16:31) So Ahab's wife was a daughter of the King of Sidon, a Phoenician city north of Israel in modern day Lebanon.  Baal was the Phoenician god of rain and fertility (rain makes the land fertile). It is in this setting that Elijah comes into the scene with his great proclamation: drought throughout the land! Essentially saying if Baal is a true god, he will bring rain, but the God of Israel pronounces drought. The drought is so severe that even the brook at the Kerith Ravine from which Elijah has been drinking dries up.  So what does God tell Elijah to do? Go to SIDON! What? Sidon is in heart of Baal territory, why would God tell Elijah to go there? When Elijah arrives at Sidon, he finds a widow who is about to eat her last meal with her son and is prepared to die. It appears that the drought not only affected Israel, but also Sidon and perhaps the other neighboring nations as well.

Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD sends rain on the land.’” (1 Kings 17:13-14)

On hearing this, the woman must choose whether to believe Elijah or not. She only had enough food for one last meal for her and her son.  Will she believe this foreigner and give him her last bit of food? From her personal experience, the god of her nation, Baal, had failed her. Will she believe the God of Israel? But of course we know that she will believe for God had already ordained it.  So for approximately 3 years the Lord provided for Elijah, the widow and her son. It is puzzling why God saved this particular Sidonian widow.  In such a severe drought, there were probably numerous starving widows throughout the land of Israel, but God chooses to send Elijah to a Gentile woman living in the heart of Baal country. Perhaps God was teaching Elijah that He is not only the God of Israel but the God of all peoples and He will have mercy on whom He will have mercy and compassion on whom He will have compassion. (Exodus 33:19) Upon Elijah pleading for her dead son, he is brought back to life.  This is the first recorded resuscitation in the Bible.  Seeing this, the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD from your mouth is the truth.” (1 Kings 17:24) The widow gives a profession of faith in the one true God, the only God who can bring life from death!

I am the First and the Last.  I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. (Revelation 1:17-18)

Even though Ahab was the worst of the kings of the Northern Kingdom, God graciously showed him some mercy because he humbled himself. Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite: “Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day, but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son.” (1 Kings 21:28-29)

It was after Ahab's death that judgment would fall on his entire household through Jehu.

When Jehu came to Samaria, he killed all who were left there of Ahab’s family; he destroyed them, according to the word of the LORD spoken to Elijah. (2 Kings 10:17)

If only Ahab repented further and actually got rid of Baal worship in Israel, I wonder if God would have been even more gracious in extending his mercy. As I read this section on Naboth's vineyard, Ahab appears to be a man of weak character, easily intimidated and somewhat childish. When Naboth refuses to sell his vineyard, he goes home sullen and angry. He lay on his bed sulking and refused to eat. (1 Kings 4)  It seems that his wife had a much stronger personality, unfortunately she was the most evil of all woman in the Bible. With a woman like Jezebel at his side, a man of Ahab's weak character probably couldn't do much against her wishes. It just shows how much influence our spouse has on our lives. 

 I must admit that when I got married, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. When I look back on my mental list of what I wanted in a husband, "god-fearing" was NOT on the top of my list. These things we learn as we mature in our walk with Christ. The Bible clearly teaches us that it is never too late to humble ourselves before the Lord. Let us each examine where our heart is today.

 When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:13-14)

 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. (John 10:27-28)

⁴¹ As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it ⁴² and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. ⁴³ The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. ⁴⁴ They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you." (Luke 19:41-44)

God's justice demands judgment for sin and disobedience, but his heart is that no one should perish.  As Americans rejoice over the death of what Osama bin Laden represents, I think we should weep even over the death of this lost soul.

Fulfilling the words of this prophetic message, all of Jehoram's son were killed by raiders except his youngest, Ahaziah,  Jehoram himself dies a painful death from his bowel ailment. After Jehoram's death, Ahaziah becomes the next King of Judah (The Southern Kingdom). He too followed the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother encouraged him to act wickedly. He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, as the house of Ahab had done, for after his father’s death they became his advisers, to his undoing. (2 Chronicles 22:3-4)

In 2 Kings 14, we read the story of King Amaziah. There is also a parallel account of his story in 2 Chronicles 25. Amaziah is the story of a man who "did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, but not wholeheartedly." 

In the account of killing his father's slayers, he did good. ⁵ Now it came about, as soon as the kingdom was firmly in his hand, that he killed his servants who had slain the king his father. ⁶ But the sons of the slayers he did not put to death, according to what is written in the book of the Law of Moses, as the Lord commanded, saying, “The fathers shall not be put to death for the sons, nor the sons be put to death for the fathers; but each shall be put to death for his own sin.” (2 Kings 14:5-6)  He followed the written word of the Law. 

The next event describes his battle with Edom. He killed of Edom in the Valley of Salt 10,000...(2 Kings 14:7) However, the 2 Kings account doesn't tell the full story. The account in 2 Chronicles described what he did after the battle. When Amaziah returned from slaughtering the Edomites, he brought back the gods of the people of Seir. He set them up as his own gods, bowed down to them and burned sacrifices to them.  (2 Chronicles 25:14)

The anger of the Lord burned against Amaziah, and he sent a prophet to him, who said, “Why do you consult this people’s gods, which could not save their own people from your hand?” (2 Chronicles 25:15)

Why would King Amaziah bow down to Edomite idols that could not even save his own people? Is doesn't make sense! As I read this account it made me think about whether we are doing the same thing today.  We follow some of God's laws and like to think of ourselves as righteous in what we are doing, but are we truly wholeheartedly devoted to the LORD or are we trusting in "gods" which can not save. Is our hope in our education? in our finances? In our children? In our physical appearance? We know that these do not save, but we still strive for these things more than striving toward living a life wholeheated devoted and obedient to one true God.

 To God be all the glory!

 Thank you LORD that you are "compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love." You forgive the sins of those who humble themselves before You.

 Let the name of our God be glorified in our lives and in our prayers!

 Of the three family of musicians, only the descendants of Asaph are listed as returning from Babylonian captivity. The musicians: the descendants of Asaph 128 (Ezra 2:41)

 Our God is faithful and his mercies endures forever. 

 Let us not forget to show kindness to others for the LORD sees and remembers what is done with pure hearts and pure motives.

Out of pure motive, David attempts to bring back the Ark of the Covenant.  They put the ark on a new cart and are celebrating as they are travel back. However, when Uzzah sees the ark about to fall off the cart, he touches it and dies. What exactly did Uzzah do to deserve death. Uzzah was only trying to prevent the ark from falling. However, if David had transported the ark in the manner that God had instructed in the first place, then it wouldn't have fallen and Uzzah wouldn't have died.  

What did God instruct? Of the three sons of Levi, the Kohathite clan was given the responsibility for the care of all the holy objects including the ark. 

When the camp is to move, Aaron and his sons are to go in and take down the shielding curtain and put it over the ark of the covenant law.  Then they are to cover the curtain with a durable leather, spread a cloth of solid blue over that and put the poles in place. (Numbers 4:5-6)

“After Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy furnishings and all the holy articles, and when the camp is ready to move, only then are the Kohathites to come and do the carrying. But they must not touch the holy things or they will die. The Kohathites are to carry those things that are in the tent of meeting. (Numbers 4:15)

So Moses took the carts and oxen and gave them to the Levites.  He gave two carts and four oxen to the Gershonites, as their work required,  and he gave four carts and eight oxen to the Merarites, as their work required. They were all under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron, the priest.  But Moses did not give any to the Kohathites, because they were to carry on their shoulders the holy things, for which they were responsible. (Numbers 7:6-9)

God had given specific instructions through Moses how to transport the ark. The priests were to prepare the ark for transport by covering it and placing the carrying poles in the 4 rings surrounding the ark. Only after it was prepared, then the Kohathites were to "hand carry" it on their shoulders. Numbers 7 even says specifically that the Kohathites were NOT given any carts.

Uzzah's punishment wasn't unfair. It was just because God had already given the Israelites exact instructions as well as warning of death for touching the holy things of God. Even though David's motive may have been good, he was not obedient to God's commands. 

 David's initial response was anger.  "Then David was angry because the LORD’s wrath had broken out against Uzzah" (1 Chronicles 13:11). How often do we react with anger toward God to things we think are unfair. Even certain topics in the Bible such as eternal damnation or a literal hell are rejected because many think it is unfair. "My loving God wouldn't do that!" They distort God to conform into their own image instead of conforming their minds to the truth that has been revealed in his WORD. David may not have liked that Uzzah died, probably even thought it was unfair, however, from this incident, David learns to fear the LORD and his written WORD. 

 Let us remember that wives want to feel loved by their husbands and husbands want to feel respected by their wives. In all problematic areas of our marriage, a gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. (Proverbs 15:1)

 Praise be to our LORD and Savior, Jesus Christ, the King of Kings, "for he bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors."

 As I read about this, I thought about all the time and effort I spend in planning things in my life, whether it is a family vacation or making a big purchase such as a house or new car or even in other minor things in my life.  I admit I spend quite a bit of time on researching and carefully planning every minute detail. But all of these are for my personal gain. What about God? Do I expend the same amount of energy and attention to detail when it concerns the work of the LORD? What if the outcome or end product will not be seen in my lifetime?  Many missionaries spend years of their life without necessarily seeing the fruits of their labor, they are planting seeds for a harvest that may not come about in their lifetime. Moses spent 40 years in the wilderness but was not able to step his feet onto the Promised Land.  David spent the last years of his life making plans for a Temple that he would not see. In whatever role the Lord has for us in his Kingdom work, let us do it faithfully and diligently. 

³ Besides, in my devotion to the temple of my God I now give my personal treasures of gold and silver for the temple of my God, over and above everything I have provided for this holy temple: ⁴ three thousand talents of gold (gold of Ophir) and seven thousand talents of refined silver...Now, who is willing to consecrate themselves to the LORD today?” ⁶ Then the leaders of families, the officers of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and the officials in charge of the king’s work gave willingly. ⁷ They gave toward the work on the temple of God five thousand talents and ten thousand darics of gold, ten thousand talents of silver, eighteen thousand talents of bronze and a hundred thousand talents of iron. ⁸ Anyone who had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the temple of the LORD in the custody of Jehiel the Gershonite. ⁹ The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the LORD. David the king also rejoiced greatly. (1 Chronicles 29:3-9)

 Let us not grow weary and lose heart, but persevere in our faith so as to win the prize, the crown of life.

Then the Spirit of the LORD came on Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite and descendant of Asaph, as he stood in the assembly.  He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.  Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel.  You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.’” (2 Chronicles 20)

Let us live victorious lives for the battle has already been decided and God has won! 

 This makes me question how I react when someone "forsakes" me. The command to "love my neighbor" goes right out the door when I feel wronged by someone.  That is why the Love of God is so much greater than any love that I could possibly have for someone. Even though the Lord instructed us to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." (Matthew 22:37) the truth is that God's love for us is greater than any love we could possibly give to Him.

It seems King Uzziah was a gifted military leader. He had a well trained, well armed army, he built towers and invented devices to help protect the walls of the city. However, this God-given gift for military ingenuity gets the better of him as victory upon victory puffs up his pride.  He forgets who gave him success. "God gave him success" (2 Chronicles 26:5) Uzziah's pride leads to his downfall and his unfaithfulness is not tolerated by the LORD. Uzziah is afflicted with leprosy and dies alone. 

What I find remarkable is the courage of Azariah and the other 80 priests. They boldly confront King Uzziah in his sin.  They confronted King Uzziah and said, “It is not right for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the LORD. That is for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who have been consecrated to burn incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful; and you will not be honored by the LORD God.” (2 Chronicles 26:18) However, instead of humbling himself when confronted with sin, Uzziah became angry. It was because of his rebellious attitude that the LORD afflicted him with leprosy. 

 Pride is such a destructive force. Even when we know we are in the wrong, it is difficult to admit it and it is especially difficult when others point it out to us.  At the end, as in Uzziah's example, this kind of pride brings more destruction into our lives than any good.  Isn't it pride that makes so many reject Jesus.  It is their pride that makes themselves their own god. Even within the Christian circle, spiritual pride is a huge problem. Just like Uzziah, many Christians take pride in their God-given spiritual gifts. Many use spiritual gifts to judge the spiritual maturity of a person, and certain gifts are given a higher status within the pecking order than others, but ultimately all this comparison is because of pride. Let us remain humble before the LORD remembering that every gift is from God, and our greatest gift is that of Jesus Christ himself. 

 Jeremiah told the people of his time to reform their ways and actions for Temple services itself does not please God.  Paul told the Romans to be transformed by the renewing of their minds. Religious rituals does not bring someone into a right relationship with God. God desires transformation of our actions and our minds and this is not something we can do ourselves, it is the work of the Holy Spirit for those who are in Christ. 

 What kind of offering are we giving to the LORD? Is it costing us nothing or is there some personal sacrifice?   Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.  Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:1-2)

 The LORD our God is absolutely sovereign over the affairs of mankind and his purposes will come to fruition. It is because of His sovereignty that we can trust in the promises that He makes and therefore live in obedience to His commands. 

 Let us return to the LORD with wholehearted devotion and re-examine where our priorities are.

Ezra was the spiritual leader of the returning exiles, he was well versed in the Laws of Moses. When he hears that some the people including the priests and Levites had intermarriaged with the woman of the neighboring nations, he became understandably quite upset. When I heard this, I tore my tunic and cloak, pulled hair from my head and beard and sat down appalled. (Ezra 9:3) Ezra understood that Moses specifically warned against such marriages and knew from their history that these marriages caused the downfall for even great kings like Solomon.

When the LORD your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out before you many nations—the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites, seven nations larger and stronger than you...Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, for they will turn your children away from following me to serve other gods, and the LORD’s anger will burn against you and will quickly destroy you.  (Deut 7:1,3-4)

However, from the account of how many men had actually married foreign women it is just over 100. Ezra 2 list 29,000 men who returned from exile.  Therefore the actual percentage of men that were involved in intermarriage was very small.  However, no matter how "small" this problem was, Ezra falls prostate before the LORD, praying and confessing, weeping and throwing himself down before the house of God (Ezra 10:1) for the sins of his people.  (Remember Joshua 7, God's anger burned against all Israel because of the sin of one man, Achan)

Then Shekaniah rises up and proposes a plan: send away all these women and their children, in accordance with the counsel of my lord and of those who fear the commands of our God. Let it be done according to the Law. Rise up; this matter is in your hands. We will support you, so take courage and do it.” (Ezra 10:3-4) So Ezra proceeds to follow this advice.

I am a little conflicted by this advice. Shekaniah is not identified as a prophet of the LORD and it doesn't specifically say "Thus saith the LORD". In other words, the Scripture doesn't specifically say that this was a declaration from the LORD. Shekaniah even tells Ezra "this matter is in your hands," however, he does say "Let it be done according to the Law." (Ezra 10:3-4) When a specific direction isn't given by God, following the revealed word of the LORD would be the wise approach in dealing with such an issue especially since it involved a violation of God's Law. 

Nehemiah, a contemporary of Ezra, also dealt with the same issue.  Moreover, in those days I saw men of Judah who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon and Moab... I rebuked them and called curses down on them. I beat some of the men and pulled out their hair. I made them take an oath in God’s name and said: “You are not to give your daughters in marriage to their sons, nor are you to take their daughters in marriage for your sons or for yourselves...” (Nehemiah 13:23-25) However, Nehemiah doesn't specify what he did with the men who had already married foreign wives.

(Did you notice the difference between Ezra's response and Nehemiah's response...Ezra pulled out his own hair, Nehemiah beat some of the men and pulled out their hair. )

Now Malachi, a post-exilic prophet, also addressed this same issue.   Judah has been unfaithful. A detestable thing has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem: Judah has desecrated the sanctuary the LORD loves by marrying women who worship a foreign god.  As for the man who does this, whoever he may be, may the LORD remove him from the tents of Jacob—even though he brings an offering to the LORD Almighty. (Malachi 2:11-12) 

Essentially all this is about being "unequally yoked together with unbelievers." (2 Corinthians 6:14) Ezra, Nehemiah and Malachi all acknowledge that this was a major problem of concern. 

 For Christians, Paul clearly addressed this question specifically: To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. 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.  For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. But if the unbeliever leaves, let it be so. The brother or the sister is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace. How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife? (1 Corinthians 7:12-16)