Paul the Apostle, many years after Ezra lived and died, wrote these words: “Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 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 11:27-32
Paul was admonishing the Corinthians NOT to abuse the “Lord’s Supper,” the ordinance we now call “Communion,” when observed in their local Church! Some of those believers it seems were turning the accompanying meal (called back then a “love feast,” as in “agape” love) into a gluttonous affair (apparently eating up all the food before others could approach the table and get a bite), and drinking so much they became intoxicated! (Look: “For in eating every one taketh before another his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.” Verse 21 of 1 Corinthians 11.
Wow!
And God was judging these carnal Corinthians for their misdeeds, their sins, their desecration of the Lord’s Table! “For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.” That is, many are “dead” (Their bodies now in the grave! Although their spirits would have been with Jesus.)
The solution!
STOP EATING THAT BREAD AND DRINKING THAT CUP SO UNWORTHILY!
Correct the problem!
In two words, “judge yourselves!”
In Paul’s words … “For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord ….”
Cleaning up our own lives … before the Lord DOES IT FOR US! (In the fires of adversity, usually!) “Whipping” us, like a good father does his erring son or daughter!
And that thought now brings me to Ezra chapter 10, the last (although 44 verses long) section of that amazing little Old Testament Book of history.
There we have the Jews judging the Jews!
Believers judging themselves in the matter of wrong marriages!
Dozens and dozens of couples separating … because their unions had been wrong in the first place!
Had they not done so … God’s “fierce wrath” would have (even more heavily) fallen upon them! “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.” Ezra 10:14
This is nearly applying (though metaphorically) Jesus’ seemingly stringent word picture given in the Sermon on the mount. “If thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.” Matthew 5:29-30
Divorcing one’s wife?
Even though the marriage was illegal according to the Law of Moses?
And the offending Jews were required to do this! The men who had married women who worshipped idols were duly (sternly) warned: “Whosoever would not come within three days (to “divorce court”), according to the counsel 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.” Wow, Ezra 10:8.
And when this self-imposed (Judeans to Judeans) judgment had been completed, the Book of Ezra ends … with (presumably) God’s blessings again upon the people, His people. (Then comes Nehemiah … rebuilding the City’s walls, and repairing the 10 gates, in a spirit of great harmony among the citizenry of Judah!)
By the way, the “judgment” upon these unseparated families was applied “across the board.” From leaders to followers! From the Priests to the common people!
What an unusual chapter!
Folks, as I have already tried to say … this same principle applies to us today. Maybe we all had best finish reading the Lesson, retire to our prayer closets and search our hearts!
One more time: “For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.”
— Dr. Mike Bagwell