WEBVTT - Ezra 9

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<v Speaker 1>Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your

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<v Speaker 1>walk with Christ, please visit us at Bible Study Headquarters

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<v Speaker 1>dot com. You're listening to the chapter today Audio Bible.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm John Stanghy, and today we're in Ezra chapter nine,

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<v Speaker 1>and we'll be reading from the contemporary English version. Later,

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<v Speaker 1>the Jewish leaders came to me and said, many Israelites,

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<v Speaker 1>including priests and Levites, are living just like the people

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<v Speaker 1>around them. They are even guilty of some of the

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<v Speaker 1>horrible sins of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizites, the Rebusites,

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<v Speaker 1>the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. Some

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<v Speaker 1>Israelite men have married foreign women and have let their

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<v Speaker 1>sons do the same thing. Our own officials and leaders

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<v Speaker 1>were the first to commit this disgusting sin, and now

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<v Speaker 1>God's holy people are mixed with foreigners. This news made

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<v Speaker 1>me so angry that I ripped my clothes and tore

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<v Speaker 1>hair from my head and beard. Then I just sat

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<v Speaker 1>in shock until time for the evening sacrifice. Many of

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<v Speaker 1>our people were greatly concerned and gathered around me because

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<v Speaker 1>the God of Israel had warned us to stay away

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<v Speaker 1>from foreigners. At the time of the evening sacrifice, I

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<v Speaker 1>was still sitting there in sorrow, with my clothes all torn.

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<v Speaker 1>So I got down on my knees, then lifted my

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<v Speaker 1>arms and prayed. I am much too ashamed to face you,

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<v Speaker 1>Lord God. Our sins and our guilt have swept over

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<v Speaker 1>us like a flood that reaches up to the heavens.

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<v Speaker 1>Since the time of our ancestors, all of us have sinned.

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<v Speaker 1>That's why we, our kings and our priests have often

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<v Speaker 1>been defeated by other kings. They have killed some of

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<v Speaker 1>us and made slaves of others. They have taken our

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<v Speaker 1>possessions and made us ashamed, just as we are today.

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<v Speaker 1>But for now, Lord God, you have shown great kindness

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<v Speaker 1>to us. You made us truly happy by letting some

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<v Speaker 1>of us settle in this sacred place, and by helping

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<v Speaker 1>us in our time of slavery. We are slaves, but

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<v Speaker 1>you have never turned your back on us. You love us,

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<v Speaker 1>and because of you, the kings of Persia have helped us.

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<v Speaker 1>It's as though you have given us new life. You

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<v Speaker 1>let us rebuild your temple and live safely in Judah

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<v Speaker 1>and Jerusalem, Our God, what can we say now, even

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<v Speaker 1>after all this, we have disobeyed the commands that were

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<v Speaker 1>given to us by your servants, the prophets. They said,

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<v Speaker 1>the land you are giving us is full of sinful

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<v Speaker 1>and wicked people who never stop doing disgusting things, and

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<v Speaker 1>we were warned not to our daughters and sons marry

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<v Speaker 1>their sons and daughters. Your prophets also told us never

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<v Speaker 1>to help those foreigners or even let them live in peace.

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<v Speaker 1>You wanted us to become strong and to enjoy the

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<v Speaker 1>good things in the land, then someday to leave it

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<v Speaker 1>to our children forever. You punished us because of our

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<v Speaker 1>terrible sins, but you did not punish us nearly as

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<v Speaker 1>much as we deserve, and you have brought some of

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<v Speaker 1>us back home. Why should we disobey your commands again

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<v Speaker 1>by letting our sons and daughters marry these foreigners who

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<v Speaker 1>do such disgusting things that would make you angry enough

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<v Speaker 1>to destroy us. All, Lord, God of Israel, you have

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<v Speaker 1>been more than fair by letting a few of us survive.

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<v Speaker 1>But once again our sins have made us ashamed to

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<v Speaker 1>face you. Let's pray, Lord, We thank you for your word,

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<v Speaker 1>and we thank you for the privilege of being able

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<v Speaker 1>to look at it together today, And Lord, it's fascinating

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<v Speaker 1>to have the privilege to be able to look at

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<v Speaker 1>Ezra's prayer and to think a little bit about what

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<v Speaker 1>he's talking about here as he describes the fact that

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<v Speaker 1>the Jewish people were marrying their pagan neighbors, and as

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<v Speaker 1>a result, they were adopting the pagan practices of the

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<v Speaker 1>neighboring nations, and their children were taught to practice these

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<v Speaker 1>things as well. Lord, we know that some of those

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<v Speaker 1>practices involved all kinds of debauchery, and in some cases

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<v Speaker 1>it also involved the sacrifice of children to false deities. Lord,

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<v Speaker 1>we know that that was not your will for your people.

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<v Speaker 1>And Ezra's heart was broken as he observed this kind

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<v Speaker 1>of intermarriage taking place among the people. Lord, you tell

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<v Speaker 1>us in your word that marriage is designed to represent

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<v Speaker 1>the love of Jesus Christ for the Church. And even

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<v Speaker 1>now you call us as believers to only make marry

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<v Speaker 1>those who share faith in your son, Jesus Christ. And

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<v Speaker 1>you call us to raise up our children to know

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<v Speaker 1>you and to love you. And you invite us to

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<v Speaker 1>come before you and to confess our sin like we

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<v Speaker 1>see Ezra doing, and to live in holiness and righteousness.

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<v Speaker 1>Before you, but not a holiness or righteousness that comes

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<v Speaker 1>from us, but one that is fostered by and imputed

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<v Speaker 1>to our account through faith in your son Jesus Christ.

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<v Speaker 1>So we're thankful for the gift of Christ's righteousness, and

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<v Speaker 1>we're thankful for the privilege to walk with you day

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<v Speaker 1>by day. And we're thankful Lord for the fact that

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<v Speaker 1>you love us. And we are likewise thankful that you

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<v Speaker 1>love the people of Israel and Judah, and we're extremely

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<v Speaker 1>patient with them. Lord, in our context, help us not

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<v Speaker 1>to test your patience, but rather we pray that we

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<v Speaker 1>would delight to live in a true and serious relationship

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<v Speaker 1>with you, and that our lives would show that our

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<v Speaker 1>faith in your son Jesus Christ is genuine. Lord, We're

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<v Speaker 1>grateful for what you reveal to us and your word,

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<v Speaker 1>and thank you for the privilege of being able to

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<v Speaker 1>look at it together. Today. We commit this day to

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<v Speaker 1>your care, and we thank you for your presence with

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<v Speaker 1>us in it. We pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen.