Ezra's Prayer, Confession, and Weeping

Good day to all. Let us continue our study of Ezra, chapter 10, the final chapter, with the theme "God's Wrath Turned Away from Us."

Ezra prayed, confessed, and wept, leading the exiles to return. About seventy or eighty years ago, Zerubbabel led the returned exiles back to Jerusalem. At that time, the city walls were only partially built! The temple seemed to be built, yet not quite.

Then, from the time of Haggai and Zerubbabel until the time of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Malachi, these returned priests, Levites, and common people took foreign women from the local population as wives.

Some might say, "Oh, it's just marrying a foreign wife! Is it that serious? Would God be so angry? Did Ezra need to confess, pray, weep, and prostrate himself before God in such a dramatic way?" Even now, many Christians think this way! They wonder if it's really necessary.

I tell you, the problem is that Ezra clearly saw the future disaster that would befall these people. Do you think disaster comes from demons? No! Demons are never the root of our calamities. The root of all disasters is God's wrath.

So Ezra saw that the returned exiles were committing a sin that greatly provoked God's anger, but these people said, "Isn't this good? Is there a problem?" It may seem like there isn't, but I tell you, what is God doing? God is about to bring disaster upon this place again.

Therefore, before God brought disaster, He chose Ezra and sent him back to Jerusalem, hoping that through Ezra's fervent cries, He would give the Israelites another chance. But people have a tendency to be unaware of the future, thinking that if they are doing well now, they will continue to do well tomorrow and the day after! But is that really the case?

But Ezra could see it, and God could see it. God gave the Israelites another chance, so they would still have some hope. When Ezra returned and saw the condition of the returned exiles, he understood: This is what God wants me to do.

People have different perspectives! Some people have very short-sighted views. If we look closely, which disaster was not brewed by us in the past? The dirty, filthy, worldly logic systems within us will surely brew disaster for people; it's only a matter of time.

If you look at this world with a compassionate heart, everywhere you look there are pitiful people; but if you look with God's logic, with cause and effect, then no one is wronged. We can say this now, but when I minister to you individually, I can't say it, can I? Would I say, "You deserve it!"? I can't say that! But in reality, they really do deserve it!

Let me give you an example. A girl suddenly falls for a boy and thinks, "Wow, my Prince Charming has entered my life." This "Prince Charming" is good, but slowly, how does he become gray? Because he was gray to begin with, a dyed "Prince Charming"!

He caused her deep hurt. So she said to me, "Teacher, I'm hurt. He hurt me." I asked, "What happened?" She said, "He left with another girl."

He initially saw her wearing glass slippers, like Snow White, but later, the more he looked at her, the more she looked like an old woman! But the one outside, the more he looked at her, the more she looked like Snow White. People are like that. They may enjoy looking at you now, but one day they may enjoy looking at someone else!

The woman is the same. She sees this person as Prince Charming now, but later, the more she looks at him, the uglier he becomes! Because people change! So who do you blame? Didn't you pick him yourself? So why are you hurt?

People's lives are all sown by themselves, but people don't know it when they sow! So it's painful to be a prophet. I can tell what her future will be like just by looking at her heels, so it's very hard. I'll read it to you:

Now while Ezra was praying and making confession, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, a very great assembly of men, women, and children, gathered to him out of Israel, for the people wept bitterly. (Ezra 10:1)

Finally, there are some who understand. If the Israelites didn't even have a few who understood, God would simply bring disaster and be done with it! I would say: God, be decisive, let's not delay, let's finish the battle.

Then Ezra rose up from before the house of God and went into the chamber of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib, where he spent the night, neither eating bread nor drinking water, for he was mourning over the faithlessness of the exiles. (Ezra 10:6)

Even now, some people say, "Isn't this all good?" But what people sow, they must swallow when it's time to harvest! This logic is not only effective for you, but for all of us. We reap what we sow. Why do you have to provoke God's anger?

Know that if you have spiritual eyes, you will see what is ahead; if you tremble at God's word, you will please God. But if you ignore and don't care about God's word, and do whatever you want, following your own desires, I tell you, disaster is only delayed for a while.

A few days ago, a brother's parents came to me, and I asked them directly, "Do you know what will happen in the future?" They said, "No!" Whether you can defecate or urinate in the future is not up to you! Whether you can breathe or eat in the future is not up to you!

And I gave him an example: About a year or two ago, a brother's father suddenly couldn't open his mouth. He couldn't even get the pills in. He could only drink liquids. He saw one doctor who talked nonsense, and then another doctor who talked nonsense. He couldn't open his teeth at all. It was like they were welded shut. He couldn't even pry them open with pliers. In the end, I prayed and he got better!

But how can he be so "confident" that it won't happen again in the future? Let's not talk about not being able to open his teeth. If he can't open his anus, any opening that can't be opened will be fatal, but he doesn't think so, so I can only say a little bit, and people can wake up as much as they can.

Even now, how many people tremble at God's word? They think they are doing well now and will continue to do well tomorrow, but then they become blind and know nothing.

Some say: Is it that serious? Some Israelites married a few foreign wives. Rahab also married an Israelite! Wasn't she a foreigner? Ruth was also a foreign wife of an Israelite, so why didn't they provoke God's anger?"

But that's not how the argument goes. Rahab and Ruth, though foreigners in the flesh, were Israelites in heart! But these Israelites, though Israelites in body, are foreigners in heart. Provoking God's anger is only a matter of time.

Everyone must remember, who can escape God's wrath? You don't have to be afraid of ghosts, and you don't have to be afraid of curses. Ghosts and curses are not important. What's important is the "snapping" in our brains that specifically offends God.

The root of solving all problems lies in loving the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and strength. If you explore for a long time, look at how those who please God, those who love God with all their heart, soul, and strength, live. They don't have these disasters. Of course, they paid some price for God, but it was definitely not God's wrath.

People Should Tremble at God's Word

"People should tremble at God's word." This is not what I said. Actually, the Bible has said it long ago! But not many people tremble. They are not afraid of anything! I'll read it to you:

Shecaniah the son of Jehiel, of the sons of Elam, addressed Ezra: “We have broken faith with our God and have married foreign women from the peoples of the land, but even now there is hope for Israel in spite of this. (Ezra 10:2)

Therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all these wives and their children, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God, and let it be done according to the Law. (Ezra 10:3)

Arise, for it is your task, and we are with you; be strong and do it.” Then Ezra arose and made the leading priests and Levites and all Israel take oath that they would do as had been said. And they took the oath. (Ezra 10:4-5)

The key point of what is being said is to tremble at God's word. Actually, I tell you, marrying a foreign wife, if she is really Rahab or Ruth, there is no problem! The problem is, why did these people marry foreign wives?

Let me give you an example. This chief priest returned with Zerubbabel. Later, his son or grandson took over as chief priest, and his mind was full of how to make the business bigger and stronger. Do you think it is appropriate for a priest to do business? It is not appropriate!

He is a priest and has political power in this place. Then there is a Samaritan on the other side whose business is doing very well. One day, they sit together for tea and chat, and say, "Why don't we marry your daughter to our family?" Then they unite together. This is a political and business relationship, do you understand?

The priest is a political title. He manages this area, and then the Samaritan daughter-in-law, as well as the parents-in-law, can do business in the area managed by the priest, and the money they earn ends up in their own pockets.

However, he is a high priest, and it is corruption for him to put money in his own pocket. He thinks it is okay to allocate a piece of land for his parents-in-law to do business, thinking that it is the same as giving it to anyone. People have no Mingding Doctrine; they just want to make money. The parents-in-law also make money. This is called the transfer of benefits.

So later, the son of the "section chief" marries the daughter of the "section chief," the son of the "department head" marries the daughter of the "department head," or the "section chief" marries a daughter with millions of wealth, and the "department head" marries a foreign wife with tens of millions of wealth. The family of the chief priest and the chief priest's family must also be well-matched! It turns out that these people are living for this little thing in the world, but when they are about to die, nothing can stop them.

So why doesn't God bring some disaster upon them to wake them up? Actually, God has not failed to bring disaster, but there are many stories in the lives of the wealthy! But they can't see it! Because their minds are filled with worldly things. Have they trembled at God's word? No!

God sent Ezra to this place, facing all the local bullies! They are all very powerful. If you make a decision that blocks people's path to wealth, can you still live tomorrow? Tomorrow you may disappear from the world, or you may be in the foundation of reinforced concrete, and you can't be found anyway.

So it is still terrifying for Ezra to do this kind of thing. Although I don't know Shecaniah, in that generation, he should have had some courage and ambition. Then he told Ezra, "Be strong and do it, and we will help you."

Shecaniah is the son of Jehiel, and Jehiel is also a person who married a foreign wife. This Jehiel married a foreign concubine, and his business is also booming. After we see it, we feel that Shecaniah is going to do what is right and destroy his own relatives? People should tremble at God's word. At this time, God sent people to help Ezra.

If you tremble at God's word, you will not have so many disasters, and you will not have so much of God's wrath. I emphasize again that disasters have little to do with demons, but are closely related to God's wrath. It is not up to the demons, but up to God.

Then why do demons bother you? Isn't it because you have incurred God's wrath? If you are pleasing to God, how can demons come near you? It is difficult. Even if demons come to bother you, they must obtain a permit from God.

Ezra Makes a Difficult Decision

"And they made a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the returned exiles to assemble at Jerusalem." (Ezra 10:7)

Did those who returned from exile learn their lesson? They had learned it long ago! Had they eaten pig slop? Yes! Now they have been released, and what do they say?

"And that whoever did not come within three days, according to the decision of the officials and elders, all his property should be forfeited, and he himself banned from the congregation of the exiles." (Ezra 10:8)

That is to say: We are those brought back by Zerubbabel or Ezra, those who tremble at God's word. If you do not come, you will be expelled from the congregation.

"Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled at Jerusalem within the three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month. And all the people sat in the open square before the house of God, trembling because of this matter and because of the heavy rain." (Ezra 10:9)

"And Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have trespassed and married foreign women, and so increased the guilt of Israel. Now then make confession to the Lord, the God of your fathers and do his will. Separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign women.” (Ezra 10:10-11)

"Then all the assembly answered with a loud voice, “As you have said, so we must do. But the people are many, and it is a time of heavy rain. We cannot stand in the open. Nor is it a work for one day or two, for we have greatly transgressed in this matter." (Ezra 10:12-13)

"Let our officials stand for the whole assembly. Let all in our cities who have married foreign women come at appointed times, and with them the elders and judges of every city, until the fierce wrath of our God is turned away from us in this matter.” (Ezra 10:14)

This was a difficult decision. Think about it, Ezra called them all together. How many of them had married foreign women? A whole bunch! How many of them had "knots" in their heads? Also a whole bunch! Those who had not married were probably not qualified, and they envied those who had married foreign wives.

They made a difficult decision: if you do not come within these three days, you will be expelled from the congregation. What was the purpose of making this difficult decision? Did you think it was to make Ezra more money? No! It was to turn away God's fierce wrath from us.

In fact, we often have to make difficult decisions. Living a God-centered life is difficult. But then again, I also thank God that my co-workers and I have indeed made these decisions in such difficult circumstances.

Think about it, who can bear God's disasters and God's fierce wrath? It is precisely because of this that the church pleases God, and the church will not collapse. On the other hand, many churches are run according to people's preferences. There are definitely many people, like a concert. The more people who come, the happier he is, but what is the use if God is not happy? I am very moved in my heart.

Trembling at God's word will lead to difficult decisions. This is a high requirement. But in fact, Ezra only made one request, which was to drive away these foreign wives. Is this difficult? What about those who have children? Are the children not wanted? People still want to carry on the family line! This is destroying people's families. Although Ezra only did this one thing, it was actually very difficult, but people's hearts were not changed! This is also regrettable.

So brothers and sisters, you must know that living a God-centered life, trembling at God's word, is for the sake of God's fierce wrath not coming upon us. When God's fierce wrath comes upon people, there is no power to reverse it! So sometimes I feel uncomfortable in my heart.

Some time ago, I was ministering to a sister who was a cancer patient. Her intestines were blocked, and she had to have an artificial anus made. Oh my God! That was not suffering that a human being should endure!

So I was thinking, when will people learn to tremble at God's word? May God have mercy! Until now, do we still have worldly logic in our minds? I tell you, a disaster can put an end to a person's life.

Ezra Faced Human Opposition

"Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahzeiah the son of Tikvah opposed this, and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite helped them." (Ezra 10:15)

They were qualified to oppose, which means they still had some influence in that place, which was to make trouble. This was a religious society, and it was also related to everyone's life. Why did these people have the courage to oppose the accomplishment of God's will? Because they did not know fear.

Throughout the ages, there have been Korah's rebels. If you want people to live a God-centered life, you will definitely be voted down in the election. So living a secular life, making money, and making the business bigger and stronger are very normal ideas.

What happened to those who later opposed this matter? Although their names are recorded here, we do not know their ending, but without thinking about it, God's wrath came upon them. So people just do not know that God is in control. If God is in control, where do you get the courage to incur His wrath?

Like I said, when you cannot defecate or urinate, it does not count! Making money cannot solve when there will be disasters. If you cannot defecate, thinking that you can defecate by creating another anus, how much suffering will you have to endure?

Brothers and sisters, do not be so confident. It is not that you work hard and make money, and then you will avoid disasters. There is no such thing! So it is not that you should not work hard, but rather encourage everyone to work hard in a God-centered life. Do not always squeeze God to the back.

Everyone thinks Singapore is very good, but to be honest, the local churches are empty during the holidays and when the children are on vacation. Some people say, "Can't I go on vacation?" Yes, not only go on vacation, but even God is thrown aside. Who goes on vacation and still prays and reads the Bible every day?

These words do not sound good, but those Christians look good now. When disasters come and God's wrath comes, it will not be good.

List of Those Who Had Married Foreign Women

Chapter 10, from verse 18 to verse 44, talks about a long list of people's names. What is the purpose of writing this? Is there a problem with recording these people's names? There is no problem. Life is going well. In order to avoid manifesting God's fierce wrath on them, God sent Ezra back to deal with these things first, but only dealt with the outside, not the inside.

A large number of priests, Levites, and Israelites who had married foreign women were found. Among the descendants of Elam, there was Jehiel. Shecaniah's father was also called Jehiel. As for whether it was the same Jehiel, we cannot match it, but it is likely to be the same person.

So the church must emphasize again and again that people must remove the things inside us that incur God's wrath, remove the worldly logic systems inside us. But how difficult is it to remove? Some people have not even solved the problem of food and clothing! If you tell him that money is not important, how can he listen? It is very difficult!

But the question is, why are people so poor? Because they have incurred God's wrath. I ask you, are there poor people among those who please God? No! If you do not believe it, you can count from Abraham and see which one is poor?

Even if you are exiled, but like Daniel and Nehemiah, they are all people who please God. Can God not feed you? Yes! The problem is that there are too many "cracks" in our brains! The poverty mentality inside us is too heavy.

This Movement Temporarily Turned Away God's Fierce Wrath from Us

This movement temporarily turned away God's fierce wrath from us. This is the key. Ezra promoted a movement, crying and wailing, and then dismantling these people. Did this movement solve the fundamental problem? No!

After another ten or twenty years, during the time of Nehemiah and Malachi, Malachi said, "People's hearts do not turn to God, people's offerings are withheld, and the priests offer lame things to God." How dare they! As a result, after the generation of Malachi, God turned away from the Israelites, and there were no more prophets. Then came Jesus Christ.

In the New Testament era, Jesus Christ rose from the dead, ascended to heaven, and gave the Holy Spirit. If you look carefully, has God's wrath turned away from us? What people fear most is the lack of reverence in their hearts, and the worldly things in their bones.
Chapter 10 is the last chapter of Ezra. He could not write any more and stopped here. I think he should have continued to write. The front only talks about a little bit related to him, and the rest is about others, from Zerubbabel to how he returned to Jerusalem, telling a lot of stories, writing how God was with him, but it ends here.

In fact, I tell you, he could not write any more. If he wrote another chapter, Ezra would definitely say: "It is only that God's wrath has temporarily turned away, your hearts have not changed! Your logic systems have not changed! The heart of trembling at God's word inside you has not been established!" They said: "Isn't this good? What problem do I have?" But is it really good? It is not good!

So I encourage everyone to continue to uphold trembling at God's word. Some people say: "Ezra must be very disappointed." I also feel very disappointed. How many years has it been from Zerubbabel to now? The temple is still desolate, and everyone's eyes are on money, but money can never stop God's wrath.

A sister had several million in her hand, which was left to her when she divorced her husband, but she did not spend it all when she died, and money could not stop death! So being a prophet is really painful. Sometimes I watch my brothers and sisters rushing into disasters, and sometimes I do things that are annoying, and I tell people who do not believe in the Lord these things.

Of course, I only tell them after I give them grace. I said: "Where do you get the courage, where do you get so much confidence, thinking that disasters will not come?" Now it is clear why there are so many cancers and disasters in the church?

The reason is very simple. Do not think that the victorious church is a haven. It is not like that! If you tremble at God's word, God is your refuge.

We will share this Bible study here. May God bless everyone!

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