Focus On Leaders

Focus On Leaders

Ezra 10:18-21, 23-24 NKJV

[18] And among the sons of the priests who had taken pagan wives the following were found of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah. [19] And they gave their promise that they would put away their wives; and being guilty, they presented a ram of the flock as their trespass offering. [20] Also of the sons of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah; [21] of the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah; 

[23] Also of the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (the same is Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer. [24] Also of the singers: Eliashib; and of the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri...[44] All these had taken pagan wives, and some of them had wives by whom they had children.

      The enemy is very strategic. Its focus on breaking this law appear to have affected principal costudians of God's sacrifices and laws...the Priests, Levites before Community leaders.  Imagine the community that was now gradually being raised without God. In a few short decades, the worship of Jehovah would have fallen apart. This deceitful strategy is still at work today.

    Keith Thomas explains that the cornerstone of the enemy's success is deception. " Deception is a powerful tool of the enemy; in fact, you could say that it is the cornerstone of its operations. Satan is a master of fraud, and his big con is being perpetrated worldwide. He is the ultimate, clever conman deceiving the world and the Church. Scripture tells us that he deceives the whole world (Revelation 20:3)". The people thought they had  families. In actual fact, they had been set up for exterminating the worship of Jehovah. So there had to be a separation.

   When leaders are deceived by the devil it results in a whole range of negative consequences. In 1Tim.3:6-7, that deception is called the 'snare of the devil'. The only solution left is separation. Be careful who you plan to marry. Good morning.