Ezra’s Grief: When Compromise Creeps In
After these events had taken place, the leaders approached me and said, “The people of Israel, including the priests and the Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the neighboring peoples and their detestable practices—like those of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, and Amorites. They have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, and have mingled the holy race with the surrounding peoples. Furthermore, the leaders and officials have taken the lead in this unfaithfulness. Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel gathered around me because of this unfaithfulness of the exiles. And I sat there appalled until the evening sacrifice.” [Ezra 9:1–2,4]
Ezra was overwhelmed and embarrassed about the fact that they had been intermarrying with the people around them. In response to their actions, Ezra was deeply troubled. He tore his robe and began to pray, expressing his shame and disgrace, even to lift his face to God. He referred to their actions as unfaithfulness.
He acknowledged that the people had been sinning since the days of their ancestors, and pointed out how God had loved them, a remnant, despite their ancestors’ guilt. By ancestors, he was referring to their fathers, forefathers, parents [those before them physically, biologically, and spiritually]. They had committed certain wrongs and brought guilt upon themselves through their actions. Scripture states that because of these sins, they were subjected to the sword, captivity, humiliation, and subjugation under foreign kings.
“Since the days of our ancestors until now, our guilt has been great. Because of our sins, we and our kings and our priests have been subjected to the sword and captivity, to pillage and humiliation at the hand of foreign kings, as it is today.” [Ezra 9:7]
He was saddened to discover that the children of Israel were still repeating the same errors that led to their original troubles. This is how the ruling powers of darkness have oppressed God’s people over time, due to persistent acts of disobedience.
“They forsook the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshipped various gods of the peoples around them. They aroused the Lord’s anger because they forsook Him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths. In His anger against Israel the Lord gave them into the hands of raiders who plundered them. He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist. Whenever Israel went out to fight, the hand of the Lord was against them to defeat them, just as He had sworn to them. They were in great distress.” [Judges 2:12-15]
“For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done.” [Romans 1:21–24, 28]
When God’s people persist in disobedience, they open themselves up to oppression, both natural and spiritual. Disobedience is shown to result in defeat, captivity, humiliation, and spiritual darkness. God warned Israel that turning to the detestable practices of surrounding nations would lead to judgment—loss of inheritance, bondage under foreign rulers, and separation from His presence. And these consequences were repeatedly fulfilled.
Yet, the scripture goes on in verse eight to say,
“But now, for a brief moment, the Lord our God has been gracious in leaving us a remnant and giving us a firm place in His sanctuary. So our God gives light to our eyes and a bit of relief in our bondage.” [Ezra 9:8]
When God gives us light—understanding, illumination, and help—it is meant to lead us out of bondage. This is what the Lord Jesus ultimately came to do.
“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” [John 8:12]
“For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves.” [Colossians 1:13]
Disobedience still brings oppression and bondage. But God’s mercy also endures. When His people repented, God raised deliverers and restored them. It is through repentance and obedience that we remain in the light and enjoy God’s mercy, avoiding the oppression that comes with compromise.
Detestable Practices and Partnerships
“But now, our God, what can we say after this? For we have forsaken the commands You gave through Your servants the prophets, when You said, ‘The land you are entering to possess is a land polluted by the corruption of its peoples, by their detestable practices. They have filled it with their impurity from one end to the other. Therefore, do not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters for your sons. Do not seek a treaty of friendship with them at any time, that you may be strong and eat the good things of the land and leave it to your children as an everlasting inheritance.” [Ezra 9:10–12]
Notice the instruction in verse 12. While it seems very radical, disobedience to it is what led to the troubles. One must always go after the root issue, and the root issue here was that God had said intermarrying with the peoples of the land would corrupt them.
There is something like the good things of the land which you can enjoy, and who you are hooked with will affect whether you will be able to eat them or not. The influence of your choice will manifest gradually, even over decades and centuries. But know for sure that you are at great risk of experiencing bad things in the place God appoints for you if you are joined up with someone who practices wrong things.
In the following verse, the people began to acknowledge their guilt and God’s mercy.
“What has happened to us is a result of our evil deeds and our great guilt, and yet, our God, You have punished us less than our sins deserved and have given us a remnant like this. [Ezra 9:13]
They confess that they are just a remnant, and that they truly did not deserve the mercy they had received. This in itself is a good sign, and it is what God expects of us when He points out our errors. Refusing to acknowledge our errors will hinder us from truly enjoying God’s mercy.
But does it stop at just acknowledging wrong? Is there more? YES.
“Shall we then break Your commands again and intermarry with the peoples who commit such detestable practices?” [Ezra 9:14]
When you join up or partner closely with people who have impure and detestable practices, they will corrupt you, and you will offend God. We must believe God and what He says about bad company. Acknowledge that God is wiser and if He says we are at risk, then we are at risk.
The nature of darkness is that even though it’s a little, it corrupts extensively. Think of sewage—a tiny sprinkle touching you is enough to corrupt you and mess up your smell and everything about you.
These partnerships do not come without consequences — idolatry. They turn your heart away from God!
“Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, for they will turn your children away from following me to serve other gods.” [Deuteronomy 7:3–4]
“Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land… and when you choose some of their daughters as wives for your sons, those women will lead your sons to prostitute themselves to their gods.” [Exodus 34:15–16]
Marriage and Spiritual Discernment
No one should ever marry someone who thinks it’s okay to practice and carry out acts like an unbeliever, or, according to the Scriptures, detestable things. Unfortunately, some people believe they can combine both, and they hide it. If God doesn’t reveal it, which He should, it is usually difficult to identify them. This is why we should pray until He does. We should learn to investigate and seek out God’s will deliberately and diligently.
If someone believes it’s okay to go to a native doctor, to worship an idol, to attend demonic occasions, and engage in detestable practices; or in this day and time — a good example would be to go for wild parties and just live like an unsaved person, we must identify such things as a no-go area. It is not okay to be joined intimately with such a person.
“Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?” [2 Corinthians 6:14]
“Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.” [Ephesians 5:11]
If that person was not a Christian and used to practice those things, and then recently became a Christian, you should give them time to change their mind about such things. But if they still think it’s okay, and say, “To me there is nothing wrong with this thing,” then avoid them. Because you aren’t meant to base your judgment of good or evil on what you think, but rather it is according to the word of the Lord. What does the word of God say? Is it okay according to the word of the Lord? If it is not okay according to the word of the Lord, do not at any time welcome that practice. Fight it.
“Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.” [1 Thessalonians 5:21–22]
The End of the Story
Do you know how this story ended? They chased away their wives and sons.
“So all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered in Jerusalem within the three days… Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, ‘You have been unfaithful; you have married foreign women, adding to Israel’s guilt. Now honour the Lord, the God of your ancestors, and do His will. Separate yourselves from the peoples around you and from your foreign wives.’” [Ezra 10:9–11]
Detestable practices are not acceptable to God. Stay away from people with this, and you will not be displeasing to God, especially if you are in the remnant company. This can disqualify and cost you your inheritance. We also see that according to the order God gave, He said you shouldn’t have a treaty of peace with them.
“A little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough.” [Galatians 5:9]
The nature of bad company is to corrupt, no matter how we try to overcome its influence. It is so utterly recognised that 1 Corinthians 15 says you should not be deceived about it, that it will corrupt you.
“Do not be deceived: Evil company corrupts good habits.” [1 Corinthians 15:33]
1 Corinthians 5 tells you if you have certain kinds of people, put them away. Do not let them stay in and around you because their capacity to corrupt is too strong.
“Expel the wicked person from among you.” [1 Corinthians 5:13]
You must be very careful to teach loud and clear the importance of expelling certain kinds of people. I know it can be hard to know someone who is struggling, especially when you are trying to help and not condemn them due to their struggle. But when someone who calls themselves a brother or sister has a practice and has made sinning a habit, then put them away, or they are corrupting, and will corrupt the brethren.
This is the provision God made for the safety of His people and the purity of His people. Where it is not handled, it results in terrible destruction and harm.
Let us take these warnings to heart. As believers called to live as God’s holy remnant, we must walk in discernment and separate ourselves from every form of impurity, no matter how culturally acceptable or emotionally convenient it seems. God’s mercy may spare us for a time, but continued compromise will cost us. Whether in marriage, friendship, or spiritual alliances, we must not partner with those whose lives are marked by detestable practices.
Instead, we should honour God by clinging to His commands, exposing darkness, and remaining pure in heart and conduct. Do not allow compromise to creep in.
Ita Udoh
17th May 2025
