Ezra 9-10

“The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands with their abominations” (9:1). Ezra was horrified to learn that after all the Lord had done to rescue His people and bring them home (v8), the Israelites had begun intermarrying with their idol-worshipping neighbors (9:2).  This embracing of pagan ways at the family level (the problem wasn’t ethnic mixing, but marrying idol-worshippers, v14) meant their children were unlikely to serve God.  Ezra demanded that they repent.

“… that God may brighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving” (9:8). God calls us to give Him our total allegiance at every level, because His desire for us is abundant life.