“Now 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, doing according to their abominations, even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, 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 hath been chief in this trespass.
And when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my mantle, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down astonied. Then were assembled unto me every one that trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the transgression of those that had been carried away; and I sat astonied until the evening sacrifice.
And at the evening sacrifice I arose up from my heaviness; and having rent my garment and my mantle, I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands unto the LORD my God,” Ezra 9:1-5.
In the morning services in Kilskeery Free Presbyterian Church of late, there has been a setting forth, by the minister, Rev Samuel Fitton, of the vital and very relevant teaching of the book of Ezra.
On two recent Lord’s Days, the above verses have been expounded. As is the case with most preachers, even when sitting under good preaching, thoughts arise in one’s mind from the passage under consideration that may be a little diverse from what the minister is setting forth. It is impossible in one message to comment on all that is contained in any given passage of God’s Word.
As the minister spoke, in his introductory summary of what has been noted so far in these opening verses of Ezra chapter 9, there occurred to me a thought very applicable to the situation in which the Free Presbyterian Church finds itself today.
I jotted down that thought for further consideration later. I want to share with you what presented itself to me from this passage.
1. EVEN IN THE MIDST OF REVIVAL, SIN MAY BE HARBOURED IN THE HEARTS OF GOD’S PEOPLE.
1. Note what Ezra said in his distressed praying in response to the revealing of the wickedness found amongst the Israelites.
“And now for a little space grace hath been shewed from the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage,” Ezra 9:8.
Revival has never removed all sin from the camp of God’s people! The days of the apostles were days of a mighty outpouring of the Holy Ghost. They were days we might rightly call, ‘days of revival’. Acts 4:4 gives us a definition of the ‘spirit’ of those days. “Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.”
Yet, consider what it was the writers of the New Testament epistles had to contend with amongst those but newly converted church members!
The Acts of the Apostles contains a record of some of the earliest controversies that arose.
A quarrelsome and begrudging spirit. “And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration,” Acts 6:1.
Infiltration by false professors. “Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done . . . And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity,” Acts 8:13, 18-23.
Resentment by some at the preaching of the gospel to the Gentiles. “And the apostles and brethren that were in Judaea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God. And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision contended with him, Saying, Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and didst eat with them,” Acts 11:1-3.
Conflict over the tactics employed to rebuke and oppose false prophets and error. “Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia: and John departing from them returned to Jerusalem,” Acts 13:13.
When this first missionary journey began, Paul was under the leadership of Barnabas. “As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. . . Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God,” Acts 13:2, 7.
But following the attack upon their preaching by “a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus”, Paul stepped forward under God to rebuke him and strike him with blindness. “Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him, And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand,” Acts 13:9-11.
I believe that it was Paul’s strong, robust response that offended John and caused him to leave the mission and return to Jerusalem.
His uncle Barnabas was ‘a son of consolation’ for that was the meaning of his name. Paul was a warrior who ‘took no prisoners, when fighting the servants of the devil. There is a need for both in the service of God. The apostles John and James were surnamed by the Saviour as “Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder,” Mark 3:17. Very obviously the Saviour believed that there was a place for a ‘thunderous protest’ in His service, despite John Mark’s squeamishness!!
Epistles
A survey of the cause of the writing of the epistles reveals that the apostles were faced by many sins and errors amongst the first generation of converts, born in the midst of the greatest revival the world has ever seen.
This fact demonstrates the truth of my first point.
II. THE REACTION OF EZRA SHOWS WHAT OUR RESPONSE TO SIN IN THE CAMP SHOULD BE.
“And when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my mantle, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down astonied. . . And at the evening sacrifice I arose up from my heaviness; and having rent my garment and my mantle, I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands unto the LORD my God,” Ezra 9:3, 5.
1. The sins reported to Ezra were very great indeed. That may be seen in his response. “I rent my garment and my mantle, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down astonied.” This was no mild reaction.The man of God was distressed above measure.
Furthermore, the details of the sins indicate just how far the departure amongst the Israelites had gone. “The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the people of the lands, doing according to their abominations, even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, 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 hath been chief in this trespass.”
There was a flouting and forsaking of the very core of God’s Law: abominations, transgressions and idolatry and a joining in affinity with the heathen.
2. The sin involved the leadership of God’s people. Please note what is said: “Now 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, doing according to their abominations, even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, 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 hath been chief in this trespass,” verses 1-2.
Even the house of the high priest was stained with this sin. “And among the sons of the priests there were found that had taken strange wives: namely, of the sons of Jeshua (the high priest) the son of Jozadak, and his brethren; Maaseiah, and Eliezer, and Jarib, and Gedaliah,” Ezra 10:18.
3. The disobedience had been active for quite some time. The inter-marrying with the heathen had resulted in children being born. “Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of those that tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law,” Ezra 10:3.
Nehemiah, shortly after these events, commented on the situation that had developed as a result of this backsliding. “In those days also saw I Jews that had married wives of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab: And their children spake half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews’ language, but according to the language of each people,” Nehemiah 13:23-24.
Today
I would say that we have a similar situation today amongst us in that many young people speak in the ‘tongue’ of the world and show a most improper interest in its ways and fashions and styles!
That is the result of the exact same failures amongst those who are the equivalent of the ‘culprits’ in the days of Ezra!
III. IT IS TO BE NOTED THAT EZRA DID NOT THINK THAT HE SHOULD SEPARATE HIMSELF FROM THE ERRING PEOPLE.
The late, Dr Alan Cairns, in his ‘Dictionary of Theological Terms’, states that the term ‘Apostasy’ is ‘properly used to describe a forsaking of the great truths of the written Word.’ It is important to note that definition for the term is often bantered about somewhat casually, being applied to that which is not truly an apostatising.
I have to say that the use and acceptance of ‘Contemporary Christian Music’ is wrong but in itself it does not constitute ‘apostasy’ from the cardinal doctrines of the gospel.
Doubtless, where you do find such a departure from the Word of God you will find such music but it on its own does not render a user an apostate.
1. Ezra did not count those who greatly sinned in his day as apostates. Had he done so, then he would have acted as we are instructed to do in the New Testament.
Paul’s instruction to the Thessalonians is to be noted carefully. “Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us,” 2 Thessalonians 3:6.
“And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother,” 2 Thessalonians 3:14-15.
This does not entail an utter rejecting of a ‘brother’ who has erred but is meant to be a means of restoring him to the right way.
However, Paul instructs us on how we should adopt a much stronger reaction to false doctrine.
“Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them (go out of your way to avoid them). For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple,” Romans 16:17-18.
“If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; he is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw (remove) thyself,” 1 Timothy 6:3-5.
A difference
I think we should distinguish between a person ‘acting’ or ‘setting a bad example’ and them deliberately setting out to teach that which is contrary to the Word of God.
I believe that distinction may be seen in 2 Thessalonians 3:6, 14-15. A brother acting foolishly can be recovered but one who sets out to teach false doctrine is to be utterly shunned and avoided.
Speaking of the latter-day “perilous times” and the ‘tsunami of sin’ that will sweep over Christendom, (2 Timothy 3:1-5), Paul says: “from such turn away,” verse 5. The phrase means to utterly ‘shun’.
He had instructed Titus in a similar fashion. “A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject (refuse, avoid); knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself,” Titus 3:10-11.
The apostle John was of the same mind. “Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: for he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds,” 2 John 1:9-11.
That is a clear definition of the extent of our separation from one who has embraced error and has begun to spread it.
The action of Ezra was not of this kind!
2. Rather, he acted in the fashion as did other great men of God before him. Moses is a prime example of obedience to God and his actions are to be followed.
I point you to the infamous incident of the golden calf.
“And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron. And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the LORD. And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.
And the LORD said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves: They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people: Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation. And Moses besought the LORD his God, and said, LORD, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand? Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people,”Exodus 32:3-12.
This was an evil which brought Israel to the borders of being abandoned by the Lord BUT HE DID NOT!
Rather, Moses prayed and the Lord answered him and did not destroy the nation. Yes, they were punished, for sin amongst God’s people will ever be punished. However, such punishment does not indicate the Lord terminating His covenant with His elect.
No, it is as Paul said: “But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world,” 1 Corinthians 11:28-32.
Distinction
There is a wonderful and merciful distinction between the punishment of the sins of the worldling and the sins of the true child of God. Toward the sinning believer, the Lord will act in a manner that is “faithful and just” and grant repentance and will “forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness,” 1 John 1:9.
In referring to Paul’s words to the Corinthians, we are reminded of how that he, in the spirit of Ezra, provides us with an example to how to react to error and acts of departure found amongst God’s people.
The Corinthian church had within its ranks sins of the grossest nature, unmentionable sins, sins of which Paul said, “It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife,” 1 Corinthians 5:1.
And yet . . .
And yet faced with these and other glaring and offensive sins which were not dealt with by the oversight but rather they gloried in their liberal attitude, Paul rebuked their attitude toward the evil that had broken out. “Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?” 1 Corinthians 5:6.
Of this verse, Dr John Gill says: ‘Their glorying in their outward flourishing condition, in their riches and wealth, and in their ministers, in their wisdom and parts when under such an humbling dispensation; and especially if their glorying was in the sin itself, and their connivance at it, it was far from being good, it was very criminal, as the consequence of it was dangerous.’
If ever there was a case for abandoning a people to their sin, this was it! But we know that Paul instead reprimanded them, instructed them, exhorted them and saw God in mercy recovering that church from its dreadful backsliding.
These words show how Paul dealt with the backsliding and the outcome of it and how he would have the repentant and recovered backslider dealt with.
“For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you. But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part: that I may not overcharge you all. Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many. So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him. For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things. To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices,” 2 Corinthians 2:4-11.
The members of the church who had been sinfully indulgent toward the man who had gravely violated common decency and sinned against the Law of God, were stirred to repentance by Paul and they then acted toward the violator of God’s Law in a proper fashion and this in turn promoted repentance in him and he is recovered.
Then Paul said, “Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many. So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow,” 2 Corinthians 2:6-7.
I say again, if we were aware of the most blatant of immorality, of drunkenness at the Lord’s table, arguing and schisms amongst the members and a taking one another to law before the ungodly, in a Free Presbyterian congregation, we could never act in any other way than to instantly withdraw from fellowship with it WERE IT NOT FOR THE TEACHING OF 1 & 2 CORINTHIANS!
In truth, withdrawal from a church as fallen as was Corinth, is contrary to the will of God. Rather, Ezra, Moses and Paul set us the example to follow — pray and exhort and seek repentance amongst the erring one.
If that is rejected — then separation is required.
3. In closing, let me state that the case of the Corinthian church was not isolated. Paul said of the churches of Galatia: “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed,” Galatians 1:6-9.
Jude informs the churches to which he wrote: “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ,” Jude 1:3-4.
The Saviour said to the church at Thyatira: “These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass; I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first. Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden. But that which ye have already hold fast till I come. And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. And I will give him the morning star. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches,” Revelation 2:18-29.
Grave and dreadful sin and disobedience to God and His truth, YES, THERE WAS, but no demand that these churches be abandoned by the faithful. No, there is every evidence of the Lord calling them back to Himself, or as I depicted in the last epistle to the seven churches of Asia: “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me,” Revelation 3:20.
We must learn from these truths and act when wrong is done in strict accordance with the teaching of Scripture or else we will find ourselves taking steps which lead us into error and defiance of God’s Word, no matter how well intended those actions may have been!
That is to be the response by the faithful believer to today’s breaches of God’s standards within the Free Presbyterian Church .
Let us pray, and witness, and exhort and stand up against the embracing of errors such as the endorsing and usage of ‘Contemporary Christian Music’.
That is, I believe, the will of God for His faithful ones today.
Rev Ivan Foster (Rtd).
26th February 2025