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Let's start there in the book of Ezra, Ezra chapter 10, we are up to the final chapter and brother Matthew did a great job reading through those names. Yeah, amen brother Les, next time, next time. But we're going to do the preaching a little bit different this time around. Instead of starting with verse number 1, we're going to start with verse number 18 all the way to verses number 44. And then we're going to go back to verse number 1 and preach through verse number 17. So we're just going to break in that passage in half and we'll start with the second half first with all the names. But let's start there in verse number 18, Ezra chapter 10 verse number 18. And among the sons of the priests there were found that have taken strange wives, and by strange it means ungodly wives, ungodly wives of other nations. Namely of the sons of Joshua, the son of Josadak. Now you should know the name of Joshua by now, it's another variation of Joshua and he's the high priest. He's the chief priest there at this time and his own children, his own children the priests would have taken wives, strange wives of other nations for themselves. And his brethren, Maasiah and Eliezer and Jarab and Gedaliah and they gave their hands, they would put away their wives, put away the wives means divorce. Alright, so they decided okay well let's just divorce our strange wives, let's divorce our wives that are not saved. And being guilty they offered a ram of the flock for their trespasses. They said well we'll offer a sacrifice to God. We'll put our wives, we'll offer a sacrifice to God. Thinking that you know as long as we just offer a ram, we offer a sacrifice, God will take that. No, God wants obedience over sacrifice. If you can only offer God one thing, you know your sacrifice to God or your obedience, God wants your obedience. These people are getting divorced, they're putting away their wives and Ezra chapter 10 can be challenging but you need to remember that the book of Ezra is a history book. It's a history book. It just tells us what happens. It doesn't necessarily tell us what is right and wrong. We determine what is right and wrong by the commandments of God. What God commands supersedes the stories that you read and I want you to remember this. So they married strange wives and by strange the key issue here is they were ungodly wives. They were not saved. They did not worship the God of Israel. And so was that the wrong thing to do? Absolutely. Hey you know when we desire to get married we should choose someone that is saved. Save yourself from unnecessary problems. But do you think that divorce is the answer? Is getting divorced from that ungodly spouse the answer? No, the title for the sermon this morning brethren is two wrongs don't make a right. Two wrongs don't make a right. What are they trying to do? They're trying to make things right with God. Let's just offer the sacrifice and maybe we'll be right with God after we divorce our wives. Two wrongs don't make a right. Now let's keep going there. Verse number 20. And the sons of Imah, Hanani and Zebediah and the sons of Harim, Maheshah and Elijah and Shemaiah and Jehuel and Uzziah and the sons of Pasha, Eliyahu, Niah, Maheshah, Ishmael, Nethanil, Josabad and Elisha. Now look at verse number 23. Also of the Levites. So the Levites who are serving the house of God. They've also taken these wives. Why all these names here Pastor Kevin? Just to show us how many of God's people disobeyed God's commandments. Took on these wives. Even the Levites. Josabad and Shemaiah and Kalaiah which is Kalita, Pathaiah, Judah and Eliezer. Of the singers also. Even those that are positioned to sing, worship, praises to God. They've taken of themselves strange wives. Eliashib and the Porters. Porters are people that service the doors as it were. They work in people like ushers. Some churches have ushers. The same people also taken of themselves strange wives. Shalom and Telom and Uriah. Moreover of Israel the sons of Parosh, Ramiah and Jeziah and Malchiah and Minamin and Eliezer and Malchijah and Benaiah. I can't pronounce all these names. But what are we seeing here? A lot of the Levites, the Porters, the priests. You know we've got to be careful not to exalt man. Even if he holds a full time office. Yes even this pastor. Anybody that holds an office that is a religious leader you should not uphold these men too highly because they can make major mistakes. And you see these men they're making major mistakes. Taking on these strange wives. Verse number 26. I mean what are we seeing? We're seeing that this bad practice. You know if you allow it to foster. If you allow it to creep in. It just affects family after family after family. And as we keep going through this I don't want to lose my spot in verse number 31. But we need to remind ourselves that when we read about the New Testament. 1 Corinthians chapter 5. There are certain sins that if they're done by church brethren they're to be kicked out of the church. There's a reason for that. It's not just oh we just have this hatred for that person. No. You know because a little leaven, leaven of the whole lump. I mean we're all sinners. We all do wrong things but there are certain things that are just so wrong that it starts to affect the entire church. And you see here. You know what do you think? It just started the leaders. They started to marry these strange wives. These wives that did not love the Lord. I'm not sure why. Maybe there was a lack of ladies. I don't know. Maybe they're taking on multiple wives. They're doing wrong things. It's affecting family after family. It's growing like a cancer. Verse number 31. What an embarrassment to have your name listed. Not only that you're taking strange wives and then you decide yeah let's just divorce our wives. What an embarrassment to have your name forever written in the word of God for this great shame. Sometimes we read lists of men right? Lists of names and we know they're you know maybe of the lineage of Jesus. Maybe they weren't perfect people. Hey but what a wonderful thing to make up family of that which brought forth Jesus Christ into this world. You know there are lists like Hebrews 11 where we have the great men of faith listed there. What a great list to be part of. What an embarrassment to be part of this list though. You know what list brethren would you be part of though? You know if God were to write the Bible today with our names written in them. What list would you make up? Let's keep going there. Verse number 44. All these had taken strange wives and some of them had wives by whom they had children. So many of these were well established families. Not just married but children involved in this relationship. Alright. Now the wrong thought here is well maybe God wants to you know maintain these pure bloodlines right? God just wants whites to marry whites. God wants blacks to marry blacks. God wants Hispanics to marry Hispanics. God wants Asians to marry Asians etc. etc. Some people have that stupid attitude. That's not the issue with the strange wives. In fact even in the lineage of Jesus Christ he has gentiles. He has ladies that were gentiles in his lineage. You know it didn't really matter to the Lord. What makes them strange brethren, we already saw this in chapter number 9 is they did not serve the God of Israel. They were unsaved godless people. And not only that they then would turn the hearts of their husbands and of their families away from the Lord God. Okay this is not oh just make sure you marry the right race or the right blood. Okay that's stupidity. We're one blood. We're all of Adam and Eve. And even all the way to Noah and his family. We're all part of that one family. It doesn't matter what background we have. But the issue here is they had married godless people alright. Some people say well this proves you know that God wanted this pure Jewish race. You know even today when you think about those that call themselves Jews they're so pure and they keep themselves. There is that stupid teaching out there. And look you just read the Bible. How many times do they intermingle with people? This is just one example. And even when Israel was made a nation and they came out of Egypt. Two of the great tribes were half Egyptian. The wives of Joseph she was an Egyptian. Manasseh and Ephraim these two great tribes they're half Egyptian. And even the leader that God uses Moses married is an Ethiopian woman. Okay and this is the birth of the nation. Oh they're keeping themselves pure. Rubbish. You know if you serve God you can be part even back in the Old Testament days. If you love the Lord serve the Lord God of Israel you could be part of that nation. Even if you're a stranger and you wanted to become a servant of the Lord God. They would have to receive you as one born in their own land. Alright so please don't have this racist idea that God cares about this pure breed blood or something like that. You know when I hear about pure breed dogs they're normally the ones that have most defects. Most diseases. Issues with their eyes and they die earlier. You know the best thing for a dog is to be mixed. Okay because you get rid of all those genetic defects that are part of that bloodline. But anyway you know that's what some people teach. Now let me just keep your finger there please. Keep your finger there and turn to the book of Malachi. It's the last book of your Old Testament. Malachi please. Malachi chapter number two. Malachi chapter number two. Now the book of Malachi takes place several generations after the book of Ezra. Alright. It might be estimated to be about a hundred years after they finish building the temple that the events of Malachi take place. Okay. Approximately. So maybe consider at least two or three generations after the generation that we're reading about in Ezra. Now notice in Malachi chapter number two. Malachi chapter number two verse number eleven. Because this is not a one time event where they intermingle with strange wives. They take strange wives. Malachi chapter two verse eleven. It says Judah have dealt treacherously and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem. For Judah have profaned the wholeness of the Lord which he loved. Look at this. And have married the daughter of a strange God. So what makes them strange wives as we read there in Ezra? They worship strange gods. They're not saved. Again it's not their bloodline that's the issue. It's that they worship strange gods. We've got two or three generations going on after the book of Ezra. And they're making the mistake again. I haven't got time to explain to you what Malachi is all about. But once again the religious leaders, the political leaders, they're making a mess of the nation. Which is why the answer eventually is the New Testament. It gets in the next book. Some four hundred years pass by and then Jesus Christ comes on the scene. But anyway drop down to verse number fifteen please. Malachi chapter two verse number fifteen. Let me just show you what God has to say about marriage. And did not he make one? That's like the one flesh. One man one woman right? Yet he had the residue of the spirit and wherefore one that he might seek a godly seed. Now brethren if you're married today what does God want you to do in your marriage? To raise a godly seed. To raise your children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Brethren part of the service today is just to celebrate the birth of baby Titus. And it's a wonderful thing when God brings a child into this world and into a Christian family and into a church. Because he wants a godly seed. He wants a generation that will love him and serve him. And it's the job of the parents that we raise them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. This is the wonderful promise that God has given us. These children to raise them for him. Then it says this. Therefore take heed to your spirit and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth. For the God of Israel saith that he hateth put in a way. God hates divorce. Say oh my situation is different. God hates it. God hates divorce. Don't let the word divorce come out of your mouth. Don't let it be processed in your mind. If you ever fight your spouse don't allow it to come out. Don't. God hates it. God hates the putting away. For one cover of violence with his garment saith the Lord of hosts. Therefore take heed to your spirit that ye deal not treacherously. Don't deal treacherously with your spouse. Don't talk about divorce. If you're having problems figure out the problem. It's going to help your marriage when you figure out the problem. God sometimes introduced trials and difficulties and problems into your marriage so you can work together and strengthen it. Oh divorce is the answer. God hates it. Please don't come to me saying that I'm thinking about getting divorced. All I'm going to say to you is God hates it. There is no solution. Say about the book of Ezra. Ezra was wrong. Two wrongs don't make a right. I'll prove to you soon that Ezra was wrong. Alright please go back to Ezra chapter 10 verse number 1. Ezra chapter number 10 and verse number 1. Divorce might look like an option. I promise you it just creates more problems. It creates more problems, more trials, more hardships, more hurt, more pain, more damage to the coming generations. We're to raise a godly seed. You divorce your spouse you're going to destroy your children. They're going to lose a lack of trust in their parents. They're going to lose a lack of trust in the Lord God. They're going to be broken. They're going to be hurt for the rest of their lives. If you don't show a good example of a loving husband and wife to your children they're almost destined to make the same mistakes. Alright so be careful brethren. Be careful. We all have problems in our marriages. All of us. None of us are perfect. There's things about my wife that I don't like. There's things that I do that I'm sure my wife doesn't like. We don't always talk about it though. We don't always try to bring it up every single moment or every single fight or whatever. And whatever we've resolved is in the past. We don't have to keep bringing up the past over and over and over again to get on with our lives. Love the spouse that God has given you. Now Ezra chapter 10 verse number 1 please. Ezra chapter 10 verse number 1. Well maybe Ezra was right. Maybe this is the solution to my problem of getting divorced. Alright let's read it. Verse number 1. Now when Ezra had prayed, so remember he was praying to the Lord, confessing the sins of the nations in chapter number 9. And when he had confessed, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there assembled unto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children, for the people wept very sore. So there's a great number of people coming along Ezra saying, yeah man, our nation has messed up. You know, we've made such a mistake again. And they're broken hearted. Now notice, who comes up with this idea of getting divorced? It says, And Shechemiah, the son of Jehill, one of the sons of Elam, answered and said unto Ezra, We have trespassed against our God, and have taken strange wives of the people of the land. Yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing. He goes, I've got an answer Ezra. There's hope for us. We've got a way to appease God. Verse number 3. Now therefore, notice the next words. Hey, let's make a covenant with Ezra. Let's all agree. Let's make a covenant with God. And in this covenant we're going to tell God we're going to divorce our wives and we're going to get rid of the children that we've had with these strange wives. Does that sound godly to you? Does that sound like something God wants us to do? No, the Bible says that if a man provides not for his own, he's worse than an infidel. An infidel is an unbeliever. These guys put away their families, who God says you've got to provide for and take care of, they're worse than an unbeliever. How can this be the answer? How can this be a solution? Oh, but there's hope, Ezra. Say, Pastor Kevin, they're praying for it. Maybe this is the answer to the prayer. No, this is the answer of a man. Of a man who doesn't know any better. Who should know better what God's word has to say, okay? Let's keep going there. I'll read verse number three again. I can't remember what I'm up to. Now, therefore, let us make a covenant with our gods, put away all their wives and such are as born of them according to the counsel of my Lord. So according to the counsel of my Lord. This is not talking about the Lord, capital L-O-R-D, Lord. This is talking about counsel of the men that are here, you know, the people that are in this midst. And of those that tremble at the commandment of our God, those that fear God, let it be done according to the law. According to what law? What law says divorce your wife and get rid of your kids that you had with your wife that you divorced? I mean, look, listen, this is not telling us, this is not giving us a solution to our marriage problems. And even if you married an unsaved person, this is not giving you a solution to that. This is a history book. This is explaining to us what happened, what took place. Just because people do certain things doesn't mean it's right. We have to compare what people do in comparison to the commandments of God, what God says. God's commandment comes first and then you interpret the stories of the Bible in light of God's commandments. Then you can determine, is this right? Is this wrong? Because you know the commandments of God. Verse number four. Arise, for this matter belongeth unto thee. We also will be with thee. Be of good courage and do it. Let's do it, guys. Let's just strengthen ourselves. Let's divorce all our wives and get rid of our kids. What a solution. What stupidity, you know? Well, you know, it happens today. I mean, divorce is remnant in Australia. It's rampant in Australia, okay? People getting divorced, you know, fathers not looking after their children. What do they call it when you have to give a certain amount to the families? Maintenance fees. Child support. You know, fathers trying to avoid the child support even though it's his responsibility. Like, even our government, as wicked as it is, knows that the father should be paying child support at least, providing for the children. I mean, these guys are worse than our governments, okay? So, what do we notice here? A problem. A big problem. A wrong that they've done, okay? Did they seek God? Did they wait for God to answer? Does the Bible say that God told them to do this? They say, no, let us make a covenant God. We'll decide this. All of us will come together. All of us that fear God. All of us that are concerned and worry about these problems will come together and will come up with a solution. Wrong. Wrong. Okay? God versus man. Who are you going to listen to when you're having problems? Because man can come up with solutions, but I'm going to tell you they're going to cause greater problems. Did they fix their problem? We already read, we went back to Malachi several generations later. They're still marrying strange wives. So, this answer, and they do get divorced, this answer doesn't fix anything. They continue down the dark path of marrying women who are not even saved. Okay? So, let me just show you, we've got the book of Ezra, right? And this is the last chapter. Let me show you that this is not the work of God. This is not what God desires this nation to do. Let's backtrack to Ezra chapter 8, please. Ezra chapter 8, and look at verse number 23. Now, Ezra chapter 8 is when Ezra would exit, sorry, would, yeah, exit basically out of Persia with a great multitude of people. And when they got ready to do this great work, this great movement of people back to Jerusalem, Ezra, remember, he prayed and fasted. Remember that? It says in Ezra chapter 8, verse number 23, So we fasted and besought our God, that's like praying to our God for this, and he was entreated of us. So, what do we notice there? When we're reading the book of Ezra, when they're getting ready for their journey to Jerusalem, they fast, they pray to God, and the Bible tells us God entreated us. God heard us. God answered our prayers. Did we have the same response in Ezra chapter 10? No. It doesn't mention God at all. It mentions we come up with a solution and we'll tell God what we're going to do. Don't forget to offer your sacrifices to make God happy. Two wrongs do not make a right, okay? Go to Ezra chapter 1. Go to Ezra chapter 1 and verse number 1. Ezra chapter 1 and verse number 1. Just a reminder, we have King Cyrus from Persia, you know, allowing the Jews to go back into their land and rebuild the temple, the house of God. In Ezra chapter 1, verse number 1, it says, Now in the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, look at this, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying. That's the writing of allowing them to go back, making that law, to allow them to go back into their land. But let brethren, who stirred the heart of Cyrus to do that? The Lord God. So we start at Ezra chapter 1, seeing the work of God, the guidance of God, the direction of God, even in a heathen king. And then we see Ezra, when he goes to pray and fight for the Lord, we see that the Lord answers. And then we get to Ezra chapter 10, and the Lord doesn't answer. They come up with their own solution. We'll figure it out, Ezra. Let's just all get divorced and get rid of our kids. What a solution. What a solution. I mean, man, if that was allowed, how many people would actually get divorced and get rid of their families, you know? We have a plague of lazy men. We have a plague of men who do not want to take responsibility for their own families. And just a reminder, brethren, the book of Ezra, again, is a history book, all right? We interpret the events with the commandments of God. Let me just give you an example of this. Please turn to the book of Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy chapter 17, please. Deuteronomy chapter number 17. Deuteronomy chapter number 17. One question that often gets brought up is, you know, why did so many men in the Bible have multiple wives? You know, did God allow that or, you know, when did God change his mind? And now he said, you know, you can only have the one wife. When did God never change his mind? Adam and Eve, one. Two become one. That was God's plan from the very beginning. God's never changed his mind on this. Oh, but what about King Solomon, a thousand, right? Seven hundred wives, three hundred concubines, or is it the other way around? I keep forgetting. All right, and even King David, even someone as righteous as King David had multiple wives. Why did God allow that? You know, did he really allow it or did men just do what they wanted to do? Okay, so we interpret what takes place in history in light of God's Word. Look at Deuteronomy chapter 17. Now this is before they even had a king. Hundreds of years before they even had a king. We're looking at the commandments of God. It says in Deuteronomy 17, 15. Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, speaking about kings over Israel, whom the Lord thy God shall choose, one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee. Thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother. All right, now let's drop down to verse number 17. Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away. Did God ever say a king can have multiple wives? Did God ever say a king can have two wives, three wives, a thousand wives? No. He says neither shall he multiply wives to himself. A king was not allowed to have more than one wife. No man is allowed to have more than one wife unless he has passed on and now he can remarry. All right? This is the commandment of God. Oh, but King David. Oh, but King Solomon. Oh, but Abraham. Yeah, they were all wrong. They were wrong, brethren. Okay? And so look, oh man, I can't believe it then. All these men that looked up to their wrong. Yeah, they're sinners like you. They're sinners like you. And when you have too much power, too much influence, too much money, too much wealth, you're going to end up doing greater sins than what the average person does. But you know what that teaches us? That the reason they were great men is not because they were necessarily great in the flesh. They weren't. They were great men because they served a great God. Because even when we make mistakes, God is merciful and allows us to continue to serve him and do the best that we can in whatever situation, whatever problem we find ourselves in. That's the answer to this, brethren. It's not, oh, kings were allowed to have multiple wives. Oh, they're allowed to get divorced if your wife is not saved. No. You know, interpret the stories, the history of what took place in light of God's commandments. All right? Do you think that King David had a good time having multiple wives? His family fell apart. His kids are fighting amongst themselves, fighting amongst the nation. Nation gets split after Solomon. Did Solomon have a great time with his multiple wives? He turned his heart against the Lord. And later in Solomon's life, he looks back at all that he has. He says it's all vanity. It was all a waste of time. It was all nonsense. But he had a thousand wives to look after now. Just because you have a thousand wives doesn't mean you get divorced a thousand times. Now you've got to provide for a thousand people. And a thousand, having children, I don't know. Why did I go with that? You've got to, what's the saying? You've got to sleep in the bed that you make. I don't know how the saying goes. Does anyone know? Sleep in the bed that you've made. Anyway, there are consequences to our mistakes. You don't run away from the consequences. There are consequences, you've got to deal with the consequences. Two wrongs do not make a right. You can't run away from the problems you've created and think, oh, now I'm going to be right with God. No. You've got to deal with them. You wanted to marry a strange wife? You wanted to get divorced and remarried or whatever the situation is? Then you've got to deal with it now. This is your life. Do what is right in the eyes of God. Love your wife, raise your children to love the Lord. Win your wife to the Lord. Raise your children, nurture and admonition of the Lord. Not divorce, that's not the answer. Let's keep going there. Back to Ezra, chapter 10, verse number 5. Then arose Ezra and made the chief priests, the Levites and all Israel to swear that they should do according to this word and they swear. According to this word. The words that the consensus came up with. The majority came up with. Not the words of the Lord. And they swear. Verse number 6. Then Ezra rose up from before the house of God and went into the chamber of Johanan, the son of Eliashib. And when he came together, he did eat no bread nor drink water for he mourned because of the transgression of them that had been carried away. I understand the mourning, I understand the pain, I understand what he's going through. But this solution to get divorced is not the right answer. Verse number 7. And they made proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem unto all the children of the captivity that they should gather themselves together unto Jerusalem. And that whosoever would not come within three days, according to the council of the princes and the elders, all his substance should be forfeited and himself separated from the congregation of those that had been carried away. They've been mandated to get divorced. If you don't come within three days, we take everything that belongs from you. Is that right? You know, I mean, look at these solutions. And brethren, we have to be careful as a church that we don't come up with solutions that are ungodly. Don't create solutions that are ungodly. You know, sometimes an entire church, even the pastor, can make a certain decision for the church and it could be wrong. You know what? We need to do things in accordance to God's Word all the time. If we want blessing of Baptist Church to be blessed and to continue serving the Lord, then we need to make sure that what we do is right. Right in accordance to God's Word. Regardless of whose feelings it affects, regardless of how it might offend somebody, we just do things right in accordance to God's Word. What are you doing? If you don't come in three days, we take it all. We take all your substance. They've been mandated. Okay? We know a lot about mandates these days. Doesn't feel good, does it? Alright? What am I up to, brethren? Verse number nine. Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered themselves together unto Jerusalem within three days. It was the ninth month. Now notice this. So they're coming together, because they're going to a mass divorce. Alright? This is why they're coming together. And notice what happens to the weather. It was the ninth month and on the 20th 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. Now, brethren, I don't know. If you as a people, as a nation, think, let's get together and divorce all our strange wives, and God sends not just a rain, but a great rain, and the trembling, I mean, it's such a heavy rain. Shouldn't that, hold on, hold on. I mean, God's in control of our weather. If what we're doing thinks is going to make us right with God, then why is he sending this great rain? That should cause you to stop for a moment and reassess what you're doing, whether it's right or wrong. Okay? This doesn't look like God's blessing, the events that are coming up. Verse number 10. To God's pleasure? God's going to be pleased when you divorce your wives. This is horrible, brethren. This is bad preaching. Could you imagine me coming behind this pulpit saying, hey, guys, just go and commit some sin. It's going to please the Lord. What are you going to think of me? Ezra's destroying his testimony, all right? He's destroying his reputation here. You know, I'm sad because Ezra seems such a great man. He's so caught up by the sin of his nation. Comes up with this crazy idea. Well, he didn't come up with it, right? But he came up with others. But I guess when you're in this mass gathering, you're going to come up with some strange ideas. Where am I up to? 12. I didn't finish verse 11. Oh, this will please God. You're getting divorced. Getting rid of all your kids. Yeah. Rubbish. Look at verse number 12. Thou hast said, so must we do. Wow. What a great thing that they're doing. No. As thou hast said. What does God have to say about this matter, Ezra? How about that instead? Hey, Ezra, can we turn to the Bible? Can we turn to the writing? Can we turn to the commandments, the law of Moses, and see what God has to say? Brethren, please be careful with the preachers that you listen to. Brethren, if I come behind this pulpit, and I lie to you, and I tell you to commit some wicked sin, you know, please don't take the attitude, as thou hast said, so must we do. No. The preacher behind this pulpit preaches God's word. Preaches what God says. Not what man has to say. We come up with stupid solutions for silly problems, two wrongs. No. That's not the answer. Okay? And you can see, they want to do what man says. Ezra, you've got a solution for us. You're right. We're in a bad place. Maybe they wanted a new wife. Maybe it's just, I don't want to pay child support anymore. Let's get rid of them all. Okay? This is just a wicked heart. The wicked heart of man. Now, keep your finger there. Please turn to Matthew chapter 19. Please turn to Matthew chapter 19, verse number 3. As thou hast said. No. It's not what man says. Not even Ezra. Even someone as godly as Ezra has been so far, okay, if it's contrary to God's word, we don't do what Ezra says. Okay? How about, let's do what Jesus says. That's better. The Son of God, God manifest in the flesh, let's do what Jesus says. Okay? Matthew chapter 19, verse number 3. Matthew chapter 19, verse number 3. Well, if she's a strange wife, and we have the book of Ezra, then yes. Is that how Jesus responds? Verse number 4. Have you not read that he which made them at the beginning, made them male and female, and said for this cause shall a man leave father and mother and shall cleave to his wife, one wife, one man, one wife, and they twain, that's two, shall be one flesh. No two wives, no two husbands, no three wives, four wives, not a thousand wives, okay, a man, his wife, twain, one flesh. That's what Jesus says. Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. Listen, you're married today, God has put you together, that's it. We're one flesh, it's done. What God has put together, let not man put asunder. No divorce, no separation, none of this going on, we're one flesh, that's what God says. You're going to sort out your problems, one flesh. You're together till death do us part, alright. But what if I married the wrong person? You said I do, that's the right person, it's done. Okay, God's put you together. Verse number 7. So why does Moses allow divorce? Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you or allowed you to put away your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. Oh man, finally, okay Lord, I've got a hardness of my heart, I can divorce my wife. Is that what it's saying? We're going to get to Moses in a moment, okay. And they should have gone, Ezra should have gone to Moses. He's a scribe, he knows the word of God. He should have gone back to Moses. Verse number 9. What is this teaching us? That if you get divorced, you are not to get remarried. You are not to get together with someone else. This is adultery, you are not allowed to do that. Now, the only time you're allowed to get divorced is because of fornication, except it be for fornication. Alright, if you get divorced for any other reason and you get remarried, it's adultery. Okay, God does not allow it. You say, what about me Pastor Kevin, I've been divorced and remarried. Well, okay, you made a mistake in the past. Now, you've got your situation, you move forward and serve God as best as you can. Alright, you know, two wrongs don't make a right. Three wrongs don't make a right. Ten wrongs don't make a right. Solomon, a thousand wrongs is not going to make a right. A thousand divorce of Solomon, he didn't have to do it. Anyway, let's understand what we read about here with Moses. So, let's go back to Deuteronomy chapter 24 please. Deuteronomy chapter 24 and verse number 1. While you're turning to Deuteronomy 24 verse number 1, there's one verse that I forgot to read to you. Which says, so this is after Jesus Christ speaks, it says, His disciples say unto him, if the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry. The disciples say, well, if we can't get divorced over any issues, then it's probably better not to get married. Is that? I mean, that's the answer of man. It's too hard to say with one person, my whole life God, let's not get married. Listen, this just shows you poor leadership. You know, men who don't grow up, they stay as little children, okay. They don't want to take responsibility. They don't want to take accountability for their family. They don't want to be a leader for their family. What's a leader? Oh, a leader means everyone does what I tell them to do. No, a leader is you lead, you show by example. You know, if you want your wife and your children to serve God, you serve God. If you want them to do and follow God's ways, you do it. You love your wife, you show your kids how much you love God. That's what a leader does. He takes that first step. Oh, I'll only lead if my wife is submissive, then you're not a leader. That's not a leader, then your wife's the leader, okay. No, men, you're the leader. Don't be a weak leader. We have a pandemic, not COVID, of weak leaders, of weak men. You know, our society hates masculinity. They do, right. They're trying to turn men into sissies. Or they're trying to turn men into women and women into men. We live in a strange world. No, men, we're to be leaders of our homes. Deuteronomy, please, Deuteronomy chapter 24, verse number 1. We're going to look at what Moses said here. When a man have taken a wife and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes. Now, what is this no favour? Because he have found some uncleanness in her. I don't love my wife anymore. Why? Alright, we just don't get along. That's not, no. You've got to find this uncleanness in her. This is a bodily uncleanness, okay. Then let him write her a bill of divorcement and give it in her hand and send her out of his house. This is the only time that you're allowed to get divorced, okay. Jesus Christ said, except it be for fornication. So when we read about what has been allowed here, what is this? What is this uncleanness? Fornication, okay. So, and you need to remember, again, remember to bring yourself back to the times of the Israelites, and also in some other nations, I know some places in Europe, some places in South America, it's the same. You get married, married is a legal contract, okay. You get married, but you may not come together, you know, and consummate that marriage immediately. You might go weeks to prepare the wedding or whatever it is, okay. Some places, I know South America, Chile has this process, okay. You get legally married, like you might go to a celebrant here, okay, and get that old paperwork done, but you don't necessarily live together and consume that marriage. Well, in that time period, if it doesn't, you know, let's say that might go weeks, that might go months, the classic example in the Bible is Joseph and Mary, all right. And if in that period you find out that your spouse has committed fornication, that she's cheated on you, she's no longer clean, then you can give her a bill of divorcement, divorce her. That's the only exception. Once you've consummated the marriage, if you cheat on your spouse, it's not fornication, it's adultery, okay. And if we had righteous laws, when your spouse commits adultery, if it's all checked out by multiple witnesses and it's proven to be true that spouse is to be put to death, then you can get remarried. But we don't have that law in Australia, okay. You can't kill your wife, you can't kill your spouse, as hurtful as it is. You've got to just put up with it somehow. I don't know, you've got to find a solution, okay. But, you know, this is what the Bible is teaching us, okay. Fornication, before you've consummated your marriage, all right. Because notice, let's look at verse number two. Remember, because any other forms of divorce, you are not allowed to get remarried. Remember, according to Jesus Christ, otherwise you're committing adultery. But look at this, in this scenario, if it's fornication, verse number two, and when she's departed out of his house, she may go and be another man's wife. So notice you're allowed to get remarried in this scenario, because this scenario is fornication, before you've consummated your marriage. Once you've consummated your marriage, okay, in your one flesh, in that very physical sense, then you're not allowed to get divorced. And if you do, you know, you're not allowed to get remarried, all right. So please understand what the Bible says here. These are the commandments of God. These are the clear words of Jesus. We've seen the commandments that God gave Moses, and there is no permission for someone to get divorced after being married, having kids, having a family. That is wrong. That is wrong, okay. So interpret Ezra chapter 10 in light of God's commandments. Ezra is wrong. Please don't take Ezra chapter 10 and try to justify your desire to get divorced one day, because of what Ezra did, okay. Ezra was wrong, and you'll be wrong if you make the same decision. Back to Ezra 10, please. Ezra chapter 10 and verse number 13. And I told you the classic example, we haven't got time to go through all this, was Joseph and Mary. And remember when Joseph found out that Mary is pregnant? The Bible says that was his spouse. They were legally married already, okay. And Joseph wanted to privately divorce her, okay. And the Bible says he was just for doing so, because he thought she must have committed fornication, you know. This breaks my heart. I'm going to divorce her. But he was just to do that. And then of course the angel comes to Joseph. He goes, no, it's of the Lord, okay. So anyway, let's keep going there. Verse number 13. But the people are many. So they're coming together for this mass divorce. But the people are many, and it is a time of much rain. Notice the rain's mentioned twice there, okay. I think, the Bible doesn't clearly lay this out, but I truly believe God is just trying to stop them. This great rain, right. It's not going well for them. And we are not able to stand without, we can't even stand outside. It's such heavy rain. So they're getting together for this mass divorce. We can't even stand in line to go through this, you know, divorce proceedings. Neither is this a work of one day or two. For we are many that have transgressed this thing. All right. So, you know, when we make decisions, or we make decisions of the church, let me just pause and give you two thoughts to think about. You've got a big decision to make. You've got a problem. You've sinned. You've got an issue. Whatever it is, whatever trial it is, whatever plans you've got. In order to make right decisions, number one, Reverend, is does God's word clearly lay out what you need to do? Go to God's word. Does God have an answer to my current situation? Okay. Now, you know, God's word can be applied to every situation, but God's word doesn't necessarily give commandments about every situation, if that makes sense. Okay. Otherwise, this book would be massive. Of every mistake, every error, every situation we can find ourselves in. Okay. We would have an unending Bible if that's the case. Of course, God's word is written, not so much to deal with all the mistakes, but primarily to show us what is right. Okay. And as long as we work in God's right ways, we won't have to worry about all the mistakes that obviously are being made when you go contrary to God's word. But number one, does God's word clearly lay out what to do? And if God's word does clearly lay out what to do, then go with that option. Walk in God's paths. You say, well, my situation is so mixed up, so messed up, it's not in the Bible. Okay. Well, the next thought is, is your option that you're thinking of doing contrary to scripture? Is it contrary? If you haven't got a clear do X, Y, and Z in this situation, okay, you might not be in that situation, but is the Bible contrary to what your other plans are, your other thoughts are? And if the Bible is contrary to it, then you don't do it. Okay. So this is just two simple ways for you to know what is right and wrong. If God's word clearly says, do it. If you're in a situation where you don't, you know the Bible doesn't give you an answer to your current situation, but you think about all different options, all different possibilities, then start filtering it. Is it contrary to God's word? Then get rid of it. And if you find a solution, an answer, which is not contrary to God's word, then you can go ahead and proceed and do what you need to do. All right. Now, what is Ezra doing in this great multitude? It's contrary to the word of God. Okay. God's word does not say, well, since he marries a strange woman, this is what you're going to need to do. Okay. No. But what they're deciding to do, this divorce is contrary to God's word. God hates to put it away. God hates divorce. Please remember this. I don't care what fight you're going through. I don't care what struggle you're going through, husbands and wives. Just remind yourself, God hates divorce. How can God bless me? How can God even bless me getting divorced when God hates it? I'm doing something that God hates. Please remember this. You're going to be with your spouse for the rest of your life. Just make it work. Be happy. Okay. Be happy. Make it work. And you're never going to iron out every single wrinkle and every single problem that you see in your spouse. Because you're not going to iron out all your problems, are you? We're sinners. We've got issues. We've got mistakes. Okay. The answer is to find a solution. Husbands and wives, put your heads together. Love each other. Try to do what is right and best for your family. And every family is different. Every family is different. Okay. Verse number 14. Ezra chapter 10, verse number 14. Let now our rulers of all the congregation stand and let all them which have taken strange wives in our cities come at 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. So they think, man, let's just get divorced until God's wrath goes away. You're bringing God's wrath. Two wrongs don't make a right. Verse number 15. Jonathan the son of Ashiel and Jehoziah the son of Tikva were employed about this matter and Meshelem and Shebaathai the Levite helped them. So they've got a few people going for this divorce proceedings. Verse number 16. The children of the captivity did so and Ezra the priest with certain chief of the fathers after the house of their fathers and all of them by their names were separated and sat down, notice this, in the first day of the tenth month to examine the matter. So every couple's coming before them or every man's coming before them, right, to get divorced. They start on the first day of the tenth month. All right. So for us that would be, what's our tenth month? October. Pretend they're using our system. So that's the first of October. They start with this matter. Verse number 17. And they made an end with all the men that had taken strange wives by the first day of the first month. So that would be like our first of January, for example, of the new year. So this whole divorce proceedings of all these names that we read about takes three months, three months to go about doing this wicked thing. And that's how the Bible ends. Then we have a list of all the names and we've gone backwards, right? But, you know, brethren, this just shows you that even if you're an Ezra, even if you're a religious leader, you love the Lord, you love God's house. And it breaks your heart to see the disobedience and the weakness of man that when you take matters into your own hands, you're going to fail. God's word is here to give us guidance, to give us direction. Again, all right, a mass divorce, three months of divorce. What happens a few generations later in the book of Malachi? They're doing that all over again. They did not fix the matter, okay? Two wrongs don't make a right. You know, sometimes I'm approached as a pastor and someone's done a mistake, someone's got a problem, someone's there, I've done wrong. What do I do? How do I get out of this? You know, and the answer is not to do another thing that is wrong. You know, those are the consequences. You know, you've got to deal with them, you know? And again, God's allowed you to have those consequences, maybe to humble you, maybe to chasten you, maybe to equip you, to strengthen you, that you would strengthen, be strengthened by the hand of the Lord, remind yourself of your weaknesses, remind yourselves of your troubles, maybe to draw upon God even closer, to be strengthened by Him, okay? To read God's word more, you know, just to, well, I've messed up this part of my life, but you know what, the rest of my life I'm going to commit it to the Lord and do the best that I can for the Lord. You know, there are several reasons why God may allow you just to continue in your path, just to guide you, to strengthen you, all right? Don't think, oh, just get out of this. I'll run away from my problems, two wrongs, make a right. I'll divorce my wife, I'll get rid of my, you know, providing for 11 kids is not easy. Providing for 11 kids as a pastor of an independent, fun little Baptist church is not easy. Oh, maybe I'll get divorced. Hey, mate, how do you deal with it? I'm going to go somewhere else. I'll go overseas somewhere else and start all over again. Wrong. Wrong. Okay, but that's what man thinks. Man thinks like that, you know, and don't forget, brethren, if you're in a tough pickle, go to God's Word. Does God give us an answer to our issue? If not, are the other options that I'm considering, are they contrary to God's Word? And if they are, don't do it. Even someone as godly and good as Ezra has made some major mistakes, so can you. So can you. Be close to the Word of God. Be close to the Word of God and make sure your decisions line up with what God commands. Let's pray.