THE SERMON - National Repentance Is Not Easy | Ezra Tells Israel To Send Away Their Foreign Wives & Children

Israel sinned by getting too close to the people from other lands. They traded with them, talked with them, got to know them well, and even married their daughters to their sons. We may assume that thus far they did not compromise in idolatrous worship of the false gods of those people, but it is said that they mimicked many of the heathen's other worldly behaviors. Most notably, they disobeyed God's clear command not to get too close to these people who did not follow him, especially by marrying them. This was a clear violation of God's command in at least two regards: 1) The older generation in Israel, while resisting idolatry themselves, sold out their own children's future by setting the stage for their inevitable apostasy, and 2) Israel was willing to make this deal with the devil because they ultimately did not trust God to protect and provide for them, instead relying on alliances with their neighbors for their strength and support (AKA: The GDP must keep climbing).