Ezra 8-10; Nehemiah 1

It was important to protect the purity of the Jewish nation, not because interracial marriage was bad (physically), but because of their religious practices and traditions. Over time, these marriages would start to turn the hearts of the people away from God to the pagan gods of these women. It would have been a difficult thing to divorce a person you love and I don’t pretend to fully understand the cultural situation but there is a real importance to being equally yoked. Ezra does understand the seriousness of this situation and he takes the action he believes is the best for resolving the sin issue.

​-Pastor Doug

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