Painful Sacrifices

Ezra 9-10 gives an account, of a point in Israel's renewal of their commitment to follow God and His commands where they were forced to choose between God and their families. I think we’d be unrealistic to think that this was not a difficult and painful experience. They were as human as we are and felt love and compassion as much as we. While it is true that this historical event and the law of God that dictated it are "Old Testament" that in no way negates its importance, significance and the principle set for us to follow.

If I were to have to choose between my family and following God it would rip my heart out. From one perspective it may seem a very cruel thing for God to dictate and if I did not know God and his character as I do I might agree with you. Yet for some it is a choice they have to make. One I do not fully understand. I wrestle with understanding it all but Scripture is pretty clear that homosexuality is a "sin" and while it is not the only sin in the world it bears a unique burden to its prisoner.

It feels very personal to one who feels such strong attraction to those of their same sex, to call this sin. I would imagine it feeling something akin to people saying it was a sin to have a right arm and demand that you chop it off to be able to please God. Why would a loving God demand that we live contrary to something that seems so natural. Then to top that all off the adult that is in a committed relationship with years of history and perhaps children there is the extreme of having to walk away from that. The thought of that pain breaks my heart.

What I know of God causes me to believe that it hurts him too but because he knows that the end justifies the means and this too is for your good he holds firm to his command. I know that the times I had to watch my children suffer through a painful surgery or other medical treatment I wanted so much to protect them from that experience. In the end though my greatest desire was for their long term health and good. So the pain had to be experienced and endured for the sake of the end result. The Jewish historian Josephus wrote in his account of the events recorded in Ezra in Book XI: great many of the posterity of Jeshua the high priest, and of the priests and Levites, and Israelites, who had a greater regard to the observation of the law than to their natural affection, and immediately cast out their wives, and the children which were born of them." I cannot deny the severity of God's commands nor can I deny the love and wisdom that authored those commands. So in the end the decision must be made: Do you/I trust God?

The more you know God the easier it is to trust Him but for every step deeper into our relationship with him a new level of trust is needed. Take it step by step. But don't turn back and don't hold anything back. Even those things and people that are the most important to you. As painful as it is the results are priceless.