God's
people are to belong to Him alone. Influences which are foreign to the
Gospel of Christ, alien to the Word of God, are to be excluded from
our lives so that we might be, more truly and more fully, the people of
God. This is the message of Ezra 10, as it emphasizes the sinfulness
of God's people intermarrying with those who worship false gods. From
our lives as well as our lips, there is to be the song of praise, found
in Revelation 15:3-4. It is a song of praise which gives God His
rightful place in our lives. We acknowledge Him as the holy God, the
God of righteousness. We affirm that His ways are just and true.
We submit to Him - "Who would not fear You, O Lord." We seek His glory -
"and bring glory to Your Name?" (Revelation 15:4). This commitment to
singing the praise of the Lord involves the whole of our life - "I will
praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I
live" (Psalm 146:20. This lifelong commitment is not to be fulfilled
in our own strength. We need the strength of the Lord. "Blessed is he
whose help is the God of Israel" (Psalm 146:5).
What God did for His people, Israel, was very great. There is a striking contrast between their slavery in Egypt and their abundance in the promised land. God had multiplied His blessing upon them, just as Jesus did when He turned water into wine (John 2:1-11). If the blessing is to be maintained and increased, we must honour the Lord. We must cry to Him for blessing: "Hear my prayer, O God, listen to the words of my mouth." We must call upon Him with faith: "Surely God is my help; the Lord is the One who sustains me" (Psalm 54:2,4).
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