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Day 9 – Covenant Ezra 10 People make covenants or agreements for many varied reasons. Agreements today are contracts people make that cannot be broken without penalties enforced. People make promises to do something for someone else. Covenants are also made in marriage, promising each other they will be faithful to death. Judah had transgressed against God. They had broken His laws and stood guilty as a nation. Ezra wept before God for the people to the point the people stood before him and made a covenant with God to get rid of all the women and children they had taken as wives from the countries who served false gods and were not from their own people. It took two months to take care of the matter. Today most people do not think about the consequences of their actions and how it will affect their faith in God when they decide to marry someone who doesn’t believe in God as they do. As Christians we are admonished against being unequally yoked with unbelievers. 2 Corinthians 6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? However, divorce is still not an option unless the unbeliever wishes to break their marriage. 1 Corinthians 7:10 And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband: 11 But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife. 12 But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believes not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away. 13 And the woman which hath an husband that believes not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him. 14 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. 15 But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace. 16 For what know thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? Or how know thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife? This is the only exception to our marriage vows. God does not take any covenant we make with Him lightly, but considers it an unbreakable vow. It is the unbeliever who can break the marriage, not the believer. When Judah returned home and took strange wives of the land, they committed gross sin against God. They were under the law and not grace at the time and needed to reconcile their actions with God. As Christians we too are under obligation to God’s Word regarding marriage, and must obey so the grace of God will rest upon us. Let’s pray: Father, help me to live my life before You in peace and love, loving the person You gave me as my lifelong mate. Show me how to be a loving spouse and keep peace in my home. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen. Copyright © 26 January 2016 by Valerie Jean Routhieaux All scripture is King James Version, edited by me into common English. Image courtesy of Pixabay