"Astonied"?

Good morning!

It is fascinating to me, reading the Bible in different translations.  This morning, reading in Ezra 9 (yes, welcome back to Ezra!  Grab your Bibles), I came across the word, "astonied", which, for you wiseacres out there has nothing to do with illegal substances!  No, this word is an old form of our more modern English word, "astonished", which means the jaw-dropping, wide-eyed state of being dumfounded.

We see the word first in verse 4, where Ezra is struck so very "astonied" that he can only sit for several hours in paralyzed bewilderment.  What has reduced him to such a state?

He has learned from his advisors that the Jews returned from Babylon had intermarried with the children of pagan people.  The Jews had a long history of forbidden intermarriage.  Over and over again in His interactions with His chosen people, He forbade them to marry outside the Jewish race. While this sounds overly controlling (a laughable term when directed at God Almighty....), God's purpose in this command was to preserve a genealogical line through which Messiah could be born. Furthermore, He knew, in His omniscience, that for His people to intermarry with pagan peoples would generate idolatry.  And, that is exactly what happened, over and over and over again.

So, not only is Ezra dumbfounded, he is greatly grieved.  The Message version says in verse 3 that he was SO appalled that he tore the hair out of his beard and off his head.  Ouch!!  He, frankly, cannot EVEN believe this has happened.  His question to himself and to God might have been, "Didn't we learn anything?!"  For a people carted off to live under the rule of a foreign empire as a result of their idolatry to leap back into the same behaviors that got them there, especially after God graciously delivered them back to their promised land....well, such a return to idolatry was inconceivable to Ezra. Look what he says in verse 6:  "My dear God, I am so totally ashamed I can't bear to face you!"

Ezra felt the full weight of the sin of his people, and it is their idolatrous behavior that has flung him on his face before a holy God.  I don't know about you, but when I look at the Israelites and their idolatry, I see myself.  There have been times when I have felt the same way about the evil running rampant in my country, the supposedly "Christian nation", but more so, about my own personal sins.

This morning, I have a terrible headache and have been awake since 5:16 (or so).  I will confess to you that this is due to a personal sin I committed last night.  And, I'm pretty appalled over it.  I am "astonied".  Although I have confessed it and received forgiveness, I still bear in my body the consequences of it this morning.

Anything that comes between us and our loving, holy God, is sin.  And, brothers and sisters, we should never cease to be appalled by its presence in our lives.  That is God's attitude.  Although He loves us with an everlasting love, He hates sin with an everlasting hate.  He hates sin because it separates Him from His Beloved, His Bride, His children, us.  He hates it because it prevents the non-believers from coming to know Him, keeping them enslaved and in bondage, headed for an eternity apart from His presence.

But, y'all, oh HALLELUJAH!  There is Ezra 10!  Let's look.
In the beginning of the chapter, we find Ezra on his face in the temple of God, that new temple that seems almost a mockery to him now; and, he is weeping from his broken heart.  Apparently, he is making such a spectacle that people milling around in the temple gather to see what is going on!  But, he doesn't care.  He is so heartbroken that it would not matter to him if King Artaxerxes walked in. And, you know what?  Those around him start weeping too - - men, women, children.  Seeing Ezra's broken heart over the nation's idolatry breaks their hearts too.

Think about that, Christian.  Do we let an unbelieving world see our broken hearts, our grief over the sin that surrounds us, that is in us?  Should we?

Next, an amazing thing happens: the people begin to confess their national sin and their personal sin. And, then, they repent!  This repentance does not consist merely of an "Oh, I'm so sorry, Lord, please forgive me." They formulate a plan of corrective action to right the wrongs they have committed.  The remainder of the chapter details not only the plan they devised, but provides a detailed list of those who had transgressed.  (Now, that takes "confessing your sins to one another" pretty far, doesn't it?)

I tell you truly:  revival must start among the people of God.  Those of us praying for a Third Great Awakening in America, along the lines of the first and second that occurred earlier in this nation's history, had better take a look first at our own sin and deal with it before our holy God.  Until we realize and deal with our own idolatry, God will not hear us as we moan and groan about the idolatry of our neighbors who do not know Christ.

Are there idols in your own life today?  Have you allowed anything to set up a stronghold in your life, anything that is driving you away from the love of your Father?  If so, I beg you to tear it down and make things right, so that His Holy Spirit can engulf you, purify you, and set you on fire with Jesus' love.

Dearest Lord, may our hearts be broken today over our own sin.  Reveal to us right now any idols in our own hearts and then, may we through your Holy Spirit, yank those idols down.  Overwhelm us with your holiness, as well as your forgiveness, because You are both a loving and a righteous God. And, You expect holiness in Your Bride.  Thank you for forgiveness, for cleansing, for restoration, for grace to face each new day.  With love, in Jesus' name, amen.