The Deceitfulness of Sin

7/20/2011 9:17:49 AM

SPIRITUAL DIARY

My Worship Time                                                                                                             Focus:  We have sinned

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                                         Reference:  Ezra 9:5-7

                Message of the verses:  “5 ¶  But at the evening offering I arose from my humiliation, even with my garment and my robe torn, and I fell on my knees and stretched out my hands to the LORD my God; 6  and I said, "O my God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift up my face to You, my God, for our iniquities have risen above our heads and our guilt has grown even to the heavens. 7  "Since the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt, and on account of our iniquities we, our kings and our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity and to plunder and to open shame, as it is this day.”

                It was my intention to include these verses in yesterdays SD, but it did not work out that way.  This section “we have sinned” is the first sub-point under the second main point in Dr. Wiersbe’s outline for this last chapter in his commentary on Ezra “Be Heroic.”  He has entitled this second main point  “Concern: a privileged people.”

                I have heard it said that the one thing that we have learned from the past is that we have not learned anything from the past and this is the case for these returning exiles who had been punished for their sins by giving them into the hands of the Babylonians and not they are repeating some of the same sins that they committed that put them in the position they are in now.

                If you look closely at how Ezra wrote this confession you will see that like Daniel and Nehemiah he included himself in his confession before the Lord, for he uses the words “our iniquities and not their iniquities.  Like Daniel and Nehemiah, Ezra knew that he was a sinner thus the title to this sub-point “we have sinned.”  Another reason Ezra includes himself is because the nation of Israel was one covenant nation before the Lord, and the sins of one person affected all the people.  If you look back on the story of Achan when he sinned by taking articles from Jericho that were forbidden, that sin affected the entire nation of Israel for they not only lost their first battle with AI, but they lost thirty-six men in that battle.  Joshua acted nearly in the same way that Ezra is acting in this situation.  This same principle applies to the local church as can be seen in 1Cor. 5:6-8 “6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? 7 Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. 8 Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”  Dr. Wiersbe writes “Unless sin is dealt with, the whole assembly becomes defiled.”

                In verse six it can be seen that Ezra is too ashamed to lift his face before the Lord.  “"But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ’God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ 14  "I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted,’”  (Luke 18:13-14).  Ezra and this tax collector were greatly embarrassed over their sin and you can see it in how they prayed, by not even looking into heaven.  Jeremiah writes the following about those who would soon be taken into captivity, “"Were they ashamed because of the abomination they had done? They certainly were not ashamed, And they did not know how to blush; Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; At the time of their punishment they shall be brought down," Says the LORD,” (Jeremiah 8:12).  One can look at life in 21^st century America and see many things on TV that are sinful and there are few if any blushing over this and other things that are going on.  Sin is a serious thing, and according to Hebrews Moses refused to” be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin.”  Sin has its pleasures, but it is only for a season.  Dr. Wiersbe writes the following: “When a nation turns sin into entertainment and laughs at what ought to make us weep, we are in serious need of revival.”

                One of the reasons that these exiles could not see their actions were sinful was because they had grown up in Babylon where sin was the normal thing to do, and now when they move to Jerusalem they still had those sinful habits, similar the generation that was taken out of Egypt in the Exodus.  When Paul was in Athens that is recorded in Acts 17 it can be seen that he grieved over the sinfulness that he saw.

                I will conclude this section with a quote from Dr. Wiersbe that is a fitting ending:  “The spiritual history of Israel, summarized in Ezra 9:7, is living proof that privileges bring responsibilities, and that much is required from those to whom much is given (Luke 12:48).

                Spiritual meaning for my life today:  As a NT believer in Jesus Christ I have been given much, and I am not speaking of material blessings, but spiritual blessings.  Right before Jesus died on the cross He said “It is finished” and the Greek word that is translated here means “paid in full” and was stamped on the paper of someone who had just finished a prison term, meaning his dept had been fully paid.  This opened up the privileges for NT believers as the things in the OT were only shadows of what was real.  Like Jesus said in Luke 12:48b “From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.”  Privilege brings about responsibilities.

                Another thing that I must think about is how I deal with sinfulness, not only in my life, but what I see around me.  Will I be like Ezra and Paul or will I go with the flow and not be too embarrassed lift my face to the Lord in repentance because of sin?  This is a good question for me to ponder this day.

My Steps of Faith for Today:

1.       Psalm 139:23-24 are the verses for my step of faith today:  “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:  And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

2.       Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation And sustain me with a willing spirit.”

7/20/2011 10:15:27 AM