I was taught, if you don't like how I pronounce these Hebrew names, you just pronounce them silently to yourself. Ezra chapter 10, and we'll begin reading at verse 9. I guess if I title this, I would say it would be Hope is Realized, or Hope is Experienced. Remember, Sheck and I had said, yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing. And now they're going to experience that assurance that God gave them. Ezra chapter 10 and verse 9, Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered themselves together unto Jerusalem within three days. It was the ninth month on the twentieth day of the month. And all the people sat in the street of the house of God trembling because of this matter and for the great rain. And Ezra the priest stood up and said unto them, Ye have transgressed and have taken strange wives to increase the trespass of Israel. Now therefore make confession unto the Lord God of your fathers, and do his pleasure, and separate yourselves from the people of the land and from the strange wives, Then all the congregation answered and said with a loud voice, As thou hast said, so must we do. But the people are many, and it is a time of much rain, and we are not able to stand without, neither is this a work of one day or two, for we are many that have transgressed in this thing. Let now our rulers of all the congregations stand, and let all them which have taken strange wives in our cities come in appointed times, and with them the elders of every city, and the judges thereof, until the fierce wrath of our God for this matter be turned from us. Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jehaziah the son of Tikva were employed about this matter, and Meshulam and Shabbatai the Levite helped them. And the children of the captivity did so. And Ezra the priest was certain chief of the fathers after the house of their fathers, and all of them by their names were separated and sat down in the first day of the tenth month to examine the matter. And they made an end with all the men that had taken strange wives by the first day of the first month. And among the sons of the priests there were found that had taken strange wives, namely, of the sons of Jeshua, the son of Josedach, and his brethren, Massiah, and Eleazar, and Jerob, and Gedoliah. And they gave their hands that they would put away their wives, and being guilty they offered a ram of the flock for their trespass. and the sons of Emer, Hanani, and Zebediah, and of the sons of Haram, Masiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah, and of the sons of Paschur, Eli, Onei, Masiah, Ishmael, Nethaniel, Josabad, and Elisah. Verse 23. Also the Levites, Josabad, and Shimei, and Kaliah, the same as Kaliah, Petahiah, Judah, and Eleazar, of the singers also, Elishab, and of the porters, Shalem, and Telem, and Uri. Moreover of Israel, the sons of Parash, Rami, and Jeziah, and Malchiah, and Miamin, and Eleazar, and Malchijah, and Benaiah, and of the sons of Elam, Madaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, and Abdiah, and Jeremoth, and Eliah. Verse 27. And of the sons of Zadtu, Eli, Onei, Eli Shib, Madaniah, Jeremah, Zabad, and Aziza. Of the sons also, Babai, Johanan, Hananiah, Zabai, and Athali. Of the sons of Bani, Meshulam, Malik, and Adiah, Jashub, and Sheal, and Ramoth. Verse 30. And of the sons of Pahath-Moab, Adna, and Kelal, Benaiah, Masiah, Madaniah, Bezalel, and Binuai, and Manasseh. And of the sons of Haram, Eliezer, Ishajah, Malchiah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, Benjamin, Malak, and Shemariah. Of the sons of Hesham, Madaniah, Maritah, Zabad, Eli-Phelet, Jeremiah, Manasseh, and Shimei. of the sons of Bani, Midiah, Amram, and Uel. Verse 35, Baniah, Bediah, Calum, Baniah, Merimoth, Eliashib, Madaniah, Madani, Jesau, and Baniah, and Binuah, Shimei, and Shelemi, and Nathan, and Adiah. Verse 40, Machnadabai, Sheshai, Sherai, Azariel, and Shalamiah, Shemariah, Shalem, Amariah, and Joseph. Of the sons of Nebo, Jaelal, Mattathiah, Zabad, Zebaniah, Jadu, and Joel, Benaiah, all these had taken strange wives, and some of them had wives by whom they had children. So we have the record that was made. And this wouldn't be one you'd want to be found on because it's a record of those who transgressed against God. Yeah, God keeps track of that stuff. But aren't you glad He blots it out with the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ? And we have a clean slate in Him. There's no record of our sin, is there? Because Jesus has kept it perfectly. But everybody outside of Christ, there's a record, isn't there? And one day that book is going to be opened at the great light-thrown judgment. There's another book for you and I who are saved. It'll be opened at the judgment seat of Christ, and that'll be a judgment of our good works. or good works we didn't do. Some are going to suffer loss. Some will be rewarded. Some will suffer loss and be rewarded. We'll suffer loss for the things we weren't faithful in. We'll be rewarded for the things we were. We come now to the final message in the book of Ezra. There are many ups and downs, ebbs and flow, which portrays the spiritual life of a believer very clearly. The temple had been started, then stopped, then God gave revival, and it was completed. And at the latter part of this book, which we've been studying now, we have a new generation, Ezra's generation, that comes on the scene. And all too often, a lot of similarities happen, you see in the life of a church, that a church will be established that will be built, a people full of zeal, and then a waning, a decreasing position is observed. And this was the case here in Israel. They had gone away from, they had decreased from following after the Lord. If you look back in chapter 9, verse 1 and 2, here's where they had gone away from the Lord. He tells us, verse 1, Now when these things were done, and these are the things that we're going to realize hope in. When these things were done, the princes came to me saying, the people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the people of the lands. So they didn't separate or distinguish themselves from the people of the land. They acted just like them. I want to ask you, how much are we like the people of our land? A whole lot. Very little distinguishing between God's people and the people of this nation that we dwell in. You didn't distinguish yourselves. You didn't separate yourselves. You didn't make a difference. He said, "...doing according to their abominations, even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. For they have taken of their daughters for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those lands. Yea, the hand of the princes and rulers have been chief in this trespass." We just read all their names. We just passed through a season where Many people did things that pertain to the customs of this world. A lot of people, a lot of Baptists patting themselves on the back. Well, I don't do that. Well, you do a whole lot of other things the world does. We do a whole lot of things. So we're not without sin either. But I want you to turn over to the New Testament, and this I believe was the hope that Shekiniah spoke of, 1 John chapter 1. I believe he spoke of the hope or the assurance of what God had said to Moses, we read it last week in the book of Leviticus, about the trespass offering. He said, if you trespass against Me and you come and you confess and you offer this, He said, I'll what? There'll be atonement made for you by the priest and I'll forgive you. And I believe that was the hope, and that's our hope too. That's our assurance. Listen to 1 John 1 and verse 9. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. That's right there. That's our hope, isn't it? We have no hope except Jesus Christ is faithful unto His Word. That's it. What's our hope today? Our hope is that the Lord's going to return and take us home to be with Him. That's our hope. Say, well, what makes you believe that He's going to come again and do that? He said He would and He's faithful to His Word. So that's our hope. Why is it that we assembled here this day? Because Jesus said, where two or three are gathered together in my name, there are mine in the midst of them. That's why we assemble. He said he'd be here. That's our hope. That's our assurance. He is faithful to do as he said he would. Look in chapter 2 and verse 1. My little children, these things write I unto you that ye sin not, and if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and He is the propitiation or the satisfaction for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. That's our hope, that His blood, that the person of Jesus makes satisfaction for our sins. That's it. If your hope is in your works, if you think deep down inside, well, God, you know, I'm a good person, I do this, I go to church, and that's your hope, you have misplaced your hope and faith. It must be in Christ. Why do we go and talk to complete strangers about their need of the gospel? Why are we supporting ministries, men in their ministries? Why are we supporting and why did we go to other states and other countries and why do we go preach at Bible conferences? Because our hope is Jesus Christ. That He would save and then edify those that are already saved. That's our hope. If you lose that, you're gonna be in a lot of trouble. We can't let circumstances or experiences change that God is faithful. Because they don't change that He's faithful, but it'll change our conduct. We'll start acting like He isn't faithful. Look back in 1 John 1 and verse 9. Notice, there's an if in that verse, and it's not about God. There's a question involved in that verse. He says, if we confess our sins. See, the thing that we don't know is if you or I are going to confess our sins or not. It's not God. God's not a question. The question is you and me. It's the same thing in everything. God's going to do what God said He's going to do. Where are the variables? Where are the things that we don't know? And so, that's always been the case. But God, He's always consistent with His Word. So here's what they had. The hope was in none other than Jesus and His sacrifice. That's what that trespass offering pictured. That they would bring that unto the Levitical priest and they would kill that sacrifice, that animal. In the instance of the priest, they would have to kill the ram and they would offer it unto the Lord and atonement would be made and they would be forgiven. That's what they were doing. So let's take a look here in Ezra chapter 10. We noted that this was not a mass divorce ceremony. Isn't it amazing how people say that? I really think that we go by the standards of the world today in a lot of things. And a lot of things we say, well, how many people you talk to and they say, well, there's nothing else we can do. Sure there is. You can get down on your knees and you can pray unto God. I remember listening to my grandfather as he went to meet with some people, and they were husband and wife, and I can't remember all about it, but he said, he said, alright, well let's get down on our hands and knees and pray. They were having marital issues. You know, the only person who got down on their hands and knees and prayed was grandpa. The husband and wife weren't interested in it. Isn't that an amazing thing? Well here's what they did, they offered these sacrifices. I want you to notice here, as we study and we look, Ezra chapter 10 verse 16 and 17. Well let me back up just a minute here. When was this? Well, the Bible tells us, verse 9, it was in the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month, that all the people sat in the street of the house of God trembling because of this matter and for the great rain. In fact, the Bible tells us, you read down a little bit further, in verse 13, but the people are many and it is a time of much rain. Now as I understand it, this was the month of December, a time of great rain, a time when shepherds would not be out in their fields with their flock, as many would have us to believe. And so they had come here, And they had assembled with them and they said, this is a great work. Well, what was the work? Verse 11, Now therefore make confession unto the Lord God of your fathers, and do His pleasure, and separate, or make a distinguishment, make a difference, separate yourselves from the people of the land and from the strange wives. We have here that God gives us His Word and He tells us this is what they were to do. And I want you to notice down in verse 16 and 17, there were so many of them. And it was a great work that it took them three months to do this. Look at verse 16. And the children of the captivity did so, and Ezra the priest was certain chief of the fathers, after the house of their fathers and all of them by their names were separated, and sat down in the first day of the tenth month to examine the matter, and they made an inn with all the men that had taken strange wives by the first day of the first month." So month 10, month 11, and month 12. That's how long it took them. So it was January, February, and March because April is the first month in the Jewish calendar, our April. So it took three months to do this. Well, why did it take so long? What were they doing? Well, again, they were offering trespass offerings. But I want you to look and see if you would turn over to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 21. The book of Deuteronomy chapter 21. Again, God's word has all the answers. It teaches us everything. Deuteronomy chapter 21 and verse 10. Here God gives a divine judgment about what's to take place. He says, Deuteronomy 21 10, When thou goest forth to war against thine enemies, and the Lord thy God hath delivered them into thine hands, and thou hast taken them captive, and seest among the captives a beautiful woman, and hast a desire unto her, that thou wouldest have her to thy wife, Then thou shalt bring her home to thine house, she shall shave her head and pair her nails, and she shall put the raiment of her captivity from off her, and shall remain in thine house, and bewail her father and her mother a full month. And after that thou shalt go unto her, and be her husband, she shall be thy wife. And it shall be, if thou have no delight in her, then thou shalt let her go, whither she will. But thou shalt not sell her at all for money, thou shalt not make merchandise of her, because thou hast humbled her. Now I want you to see here, God had given them divine instruction that if they were to take one in from among the heathen nations, this is how they were supposed to do it. So what would it take them three months for? Well, the wives had to go home and shave their heads, pair their nails, and they had to bewail their moms and dads a month. You know why? Because they were going to be separated from their parents. Their parents were heathens. They were going about ungodly customs. They were still offering their children in the fire. We don't go to Christmas parties. We got a family who does Christmas. We don't go. We've got other people that do other things in the family. We don't go. You know why? Because there's a difference and a distinguishment. People say, and you can ask, I've heard other people give the same testimonies. I remember last year we taught on this in one of the seminars. Brother Waddell talked about how his family members got mad at him. They get mad at him. They say, well how come you don't, well you don't gotta participate but just come. How come you don't come to church? I'm just throwing it out there. Why don't they come to church? You don't have to participate, you just come. How about that? There's a distinguishment that God makes between His people. And that's what they were doing. And so she was, God in His mercy, He was saying to these wives who were now going to become Jews and live among the Jews, they weren't going to say, He says, you're going to bewail your mother and your father. You know why? Just like when Abraham said, come on Sarah, we're leaving. We're leaving the land of Ur of Chaldees and we're going to another place and you're never going to see these people again. He was cutting them off. Now, this isn't typical husband and wife things. Yes, I know a man's supposed to leave his father and mother clinging to his wife and she's supposed to leave her father and mother clinging to her husband. I understand that. That's not what this was about. There was to be no longer any influence of heathen practices upon this family. You ever see a home where they're trying to live for the Lord and yet they're still trying to accommodate lost people? You don't have a distinguishment, do you? I know folks who the Lord saved them, and again, I'm just using this because it's recent, and they didn't celebrate Christmas, But they continued to go over to one of the parents' houses and they did, guess what? Now their kids, the grandchildren are celebrating it. What happened? They didn't get distinguished from it. They didn't make a difference in it. And what happened? Now the kids have departed from the teaching of God's Word. Now they're not going to the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's not always the case, but you see what takes place. And so God says, if you're going to take a wife in who's a non-Jew, she gets a month to bewail her mom and dad. She's to shave her head and to pair her nails, and then you can go in unto her. They hadn't done that yet. And that's why they had gone into the abominations and had done all the things they'd been doing. Because they hadn't made a distinguishment. They hadn't separated themselves. See folks, either you're going to be a child of God or you're not. You're going to live like one or we're not. You can't have your foot in the world and follow Christ at the same time. It's an impossibility. No man can serve two masters. And you see this happen all the time. People say, well, I'm going to marry them and then they'll change. No, they won't. No, they won't. That's the stupidest thing anybody ever said about marriage is that they'll change. They will if God changes them. And that's the kind of change we ought to want to have. God changing them. Look here in Numbers chapter 31. Numbers chapter 31. So they would bewail their mom and dad, be separated from them. Say, well you mean they couldn't go over to their house? Why'd you want to go over to their house? They got their idols there, you want to introduce your children into that nonsense? People say, well, you can't tell people what to do. No, but I don't mean my kids gotta be around it, be influenced by it. Well, you're keeping your kids away from satanic practices? You bet I am. That's what I'm doing. Now, I don't mean that They're going to grow up and be great Christians. That's in God's hands still. But I'm going to give an account of how I raised them. And in Numbers chapter 31, notice if you would hear verse 7. Numbers 31 and verse 7. It says, And they warred against the Midianites as the Lord commanded Moses, and they slew all the males. And they slew the kings of Midian beside the rest of them that were slain, namely Evi, and Recham, and Zer, and Hur, and Reba, five kings of Midian. Balaam also, the son of Beor, they slew with the sword. And the children of Israel took all the women of Midian captives, and their little ones, and took the spoil of all their cattle, and all their flocks, and all their goods. And they burnt all their cities, wherein they dwelt, and all their goodly castles with fire. And they took all the spoil, and all the prey, both of men and of beasts. And they brought the captives, and the prey, and the spoil unto Moses, and Eleazar the priest. And unto the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the camp at the plains of Moab, which are by Jordan near Jericho." Verse 13. And Moses and Eleazar the priest and all the princes of the congregation went forth to meet them without the camp. And Moses was wroth with the officers of the host, with the captains over thousands and captains over hundreds which came from the battle. And Moses said to them, Have you saved all the women alive? Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the Lord in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the Lord. Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath not known man by lying with him. But all the women, children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves. So he says, I want you to kill all the boys, the men, I want you to kill all the women who've been married or they've already been with a man, and you can keep the young girls or the virgins for yourselves. Verse 19, And do you abide without the camp seven days, whosoever hath killed any person, and whosoever hath touched any slain? Purify both yourselves and your captives on the third day and on the seventh day. And purify all your raiment, and all that is made of skins, and all work of goat's hair, and all things made of wood. And Eleazar the priest said unto the men of war which went to battle, This is the ordinance of the law which the Lord commanded Moses. So here's an example of what we read in Deuteronomy, and also we see in the book of Ezra, that they had those who were non-Jews, and if they were going to bring them in, this is what they had to do. They took them captives, or if they were going to take a non-Jew and she was going to marry them, this is what had to be done. Now it didn't make them saved. There were Jews who weren't even saved. Because just because you were Jewish doesn't mean you were saved. We know that from Scripture. But this is what was taking place. You see, they had to be brought in and separated from their idolatrous practices. Now again, I use this reference, if you marry a woman, or if you're a woman, you marry a man, and say they're Catholic, say they're something else, and you let the kids go to church with them, and they're taught things that are unscriptural, taught abominable things, taught that they can be saved through baptism, or saved by works, That's no different than what was going on here in Ezra's day. Say, absolutely not. You're not going to be teaching these things, you're not going to be doing this. God said, in fact, you're going to be separated from them completely. So that's what was being done. A distinguishment and a difference had to be made. Well, it took a full month for the women to shave their heads and to pair their nails and to bewail mom and dad. No wonder it took three months. They pointed and said, well this is a great work, we've got this terrible weather here in Jerusalem because it's raining. So, we're going to say, you come this month, and then you all come this month, and then you all come the third month. And so they had to prepare for those things, and they had to bring the trespass offerings. So it took them three months. Look here in Ezra chapter 10. Ezra chapter 10. The word here, separated. Ezra chapter 10 verse 8, it says, and that whatsoever would not come within three days according to the counsel of the princes and elders, all his substance should be forfeited and himself separated divided, distinguished, a difference made from the congregation of those that had been carried away. Look in verse 11. Now therefore make confession unto the Lord God of your fathers, and do His pleasure, and separate yourselves from the people of the land and from the strange wife. Make a distinguishment. Just like God distinguished the children of Israel when they were circumcised the eighth day according to the law of Moses. No other people on earth did that. Not at that time. That was a distinguishment that was made. How about verse 16? And the children of the captivity did so, and Ezra the priest was certain chief of the fathers, after the house of their fathers, and all of them by their names were separated, or a distinguishment was made, and sat down in the first day of the tenth month to examine the matter." So here it was, there was this distinguishment that was made. Look over in Leviticus chapter 20. Leviticus chapter 20 and notice here if you would 24 Leviticus chapter 20 verse 24 He says, but I have said unto you, ye shall inherit their land, and I will give it unto you to possess it, a land that floweth with milk and honey. I am the Lord your God, which hath separated you from other people. I've made a difference in you from other people. Now, isn't that what Paul wrote to the church at Corinth about in 1 Corinthians 4, verse 7? Who hath made thee to differ from another? Israel didn't make themselves different. And you and I didn't make ourselves different. It was the Lord who distinguished us. Well, we have to live that difference now. And Israel, in Ezra's day, hadn't done that, and so now he says, here's the ritual, or the ceremony, or the work that needs to be done, and then you need to live it out. So that's what was transpiring here. Look if you would in 1 Peter chapter 2. 1 Peter chapter 2. I tell you, Satan's done a marvelous job of blurring the lines, hasn't he? In fact, there's so many of God's people today in His church, His pastors, they're enamored with this person and that person and this ministry and that ministry, and they're not even God's ministers. You can't tell me they are because they're not involved with the Lord's church. And I just, based on Scripture, don't believe God gives His ministers, not His church. 1 Peter 2 verse 9, But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, and holy nation, a peculiar people. Now that's what we are. That's what God made us. He chose us and we became a royal priesthood. A priesthood of kings. Or a kingdom of priests. That's what we are. Everybody who's saved is a priest, aren't we? And we come to His house to offer spiritual sacrifices. We're a holy nation. A nation that is set apart and different and distinguished by God. We're a peculiar people, which means a people for His possession. Now the English is true as well. God's people are peculiar. I mean, they're different. What do you mean you don't gamble? What do you mean you don't go to the movies? What do you mean you don't go to places that serve alcohol? You're peculiar. The world looks at you like they look at a screen door on a submarine, as brother Larry Wilson would say. We ought to stick out like a sore thumb. Now what's the purpose of this distinguishment? Well, the rest of verse 9, that ye should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. See, over here is darkness. See, that's where your strange wives, that's where you found them was darkness. And now you've brought darkness over here to light. And you need to do this. It's not going to save them. It doesn't make them saved. Only the blood of Jesus can do that. But you need to make a distinguishment and you need to sever all ties with darkness. That's what he was telling them. And that's what they were to do. Well, let's look over here in the New Testament, if you would, in 2 Corinthians chapter 6. You know, God says the same things. I mean the same things. Number one, don't marry a lost person. Right? And now what it says? Say, well, so and so did it and it worked out for them. Well, let's wait and see. Let's wait and see what Jesus says about it at the judgment seat of Christ. how things worked out. I want you to remember, the ends do not justify the means. You understand that? Now, if you're in this situation, you don't have to beat yourself up because there is forgiveness, there is hope concerning this thing. I just read you what they had to do. 2 Corinthians 6 verse 14 says, Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers? For what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? What communion hath light with darkness? What concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God. As God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore, come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord. And touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you, and will be a father unto you. Ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." So that's the first thing, isn't it? Don't make a concord or agreement with a lost person. You know, marriage is an agreement, isn't it? It's a covenant. It is a covenant relationship, and it's lifelong. And it doesn't mean that, well, I found out that I shouldn't have done it, so let me divorce him. That's not what Scriptures teach. That's not what Ezra did. God has stuff to say about this too. Look over to 1 Peter chapter 3. We're going to come back a little bit here in just a minute, but look at 1 Peter chapter 3. What's the Bible say? Say you're a person who's saved and you marry a lost person. Maybe you didn't know you were supposed to do it. Maybe you knew you weren't supposed to and you did it anyways. What should you do? Well, first thing you ought to repent. Ask God to forgive you. But in 1 Peter 3 verse 1, Likewise ye wives be in subjection to your own husbands, that if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation or the lifestyle of the wives. While they behold your chaste conversation, your chaste lifestyle, coupled with fear. And you can keep reading there, but that's the thing, he says, Ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands, that if any obey not the word, if any of them are lost, if any of them don't obey the gospel, they also may without the word be won by your lifestyle. What lifestyle? A lifestyle of a meek and quiet spirit. One that obeys the husband, one that obeys the Lord. Say, well, sometimes those things contradict each other. Yep, you got yourself into that mess, didn't you? There are going to be consequences for it. Nobody can serve two masters. You can't serve God and you can't serve a lost person at the same time. It's not going to work. Look in 1 Corinthians chapter 7. 1 Corinthians chapter 7, and God gave instructions. He says, you ought to have a holy lifestyle. Same thing's true if a man marries a woman who's lost. First of all, repent. Second of all, you love her like Christ loved the church. And perhaps by your loving lifestyle, The Lord will use it to save her. Now again, I'm going to say this, this does not excuse doing wrong in the first place. We don't get to say, well, I can marry who I want and then I'll just ask for forgiveness. That's not what Scriptures say. Any different than, well, I can go kill a person, I can go steal, I can go cheat on my spouse, I can do whatever I want. All I've got to do is ask for forgiveness. Next thing you know, we'll have a little box here and you can come in and we'll tell you, say, 10 Hail Marys and 10 Our Fathers and be on your way. Because that's all that is. 1 Corinthians 7, verse 10. 1 Corinthians 7, verse 10, it says, And unto the married I command, yet not I but the Lord, let not the wife depart from her husband. But, and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband, and let not the husband put away his wife. Again, he's dealing with those who are married to lost people. Verse 12, But to the rest speak I, not the Lord, if any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away. And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband. Else were your children unclean, but now are they holy. But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God hath called us to peace. For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband, or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife? But as God hath distributed to every man, and as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk, and so ordain I in all the churches. Do you know what God said here? You know what Paul is writing here, being led of the Spirit of God? He says, listen, if you're married to a person, and you're saved and they're lost, and they're pleased to dwell with you, then dwell with them. And he said here in this verse, in verse 14, for the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife. Does that mean that the husband is saved? No. What does that mean, sanctified? The unbelieving husband is sanctified. What does it mean the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the believing husband? And the children are holy. What does that mean? Well, it means they are withdrawn from the contamination of heathen impiety and they are under the saving influence of the Holy Spirit displaying Himself among Christians. I'll put it to you this way. My grandmother, my mom's mother, she was married and then the Lord saved her years later. And she didn't go to her husband and say, well, I'm saved and you're lost so we need to get a divorce. They were pleased to dwell with one another. and her holy influence separated or made a distinguishment in their lives. So much so that her children were saved. Why? They were brought under the preaching and teaching of the gospel. That's what that sanctified in verse 14 is dealing with. It doesn't mean they're set apart unto God in the person of Jesus Christ. It means they're kept back from the influences of this world. It means, and my mom can attest to this, she said, all of a sudden we start going to church every Sunday. Why? Because the Lord had saved her mother. And my mom would say, oh, you need to be saved. And he'd say, oh, I'm going to be saved as much as you are. And as far as we could tell, the Lord never saved him. But all her children made a profession of faith that the Lord had saved them. because they were then brought under holy influences. So that's what was happening. That's what Ezra's doing. We see the same thing in the New Testament. See how it's the same God and the same word in the Old and in the New? Pilate said, well it was different in the Old Testament. I don't know what book they're reading. That's what God's Word says today. First of all, don't marry those God says not to, and then if the Lord saves one, or if you've done that, you need to repent, and then you need to have a holy influence over them. You need to live a life that is just a light in a dark place. I've known folks, not real well, but I've heard of folks, and I know them, but I don't correspond with them. but where the wife was saved and then she had such an influence. In fact, we met one last summer. A wife came home and she told her husband, she says, you need to be saved, you're going to the lake of fire. I mean, that's what she said. Told her husband that. He's now a pastor at one of the Lord's churches. Because the Lord saved her first. They were already married. And then the Lord saved him. And then taught him the truth about salvation, taught him the truth about the Lord's church, brought him out. And so, we, again, like Sheck and I said, yet there is now hope in Israel. Now they realized it. Now they experienced it. I don't know what God's going to do, but I know He's going to be faithful. We need to be faithful. You know, not everything is easy, is it? And I'll tell you this, if the world's doing it, it's most likely wrong. If the world's in favor of it, it's most likely unbiblical. So here's what they did. They put their hands to it, they pledged, they said, Ezra, whatever you say, we'll do. Boy, that must have took something. Can you imagine saying that? Brother, whatever you say, we'll do. I wish we'd act like that to our Lord and Savior. Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And do it. Well, let's stand and we'll close in prayer this morning.