When the Israelites returned from seventy years of captivity, they made some needed changes.  They no longer served other gods as they had before their captivity.  Sadly, they replaced one sin for another, violating the will of God by marrying foreign women.  Fortunately, due to the influence of Ezra, the people determined to repent and put away their foreign wives, along with the children they bore with them.

Ezra 10:3 (ESV)
³  Therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all these wives and their children, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God, and let it be done according to the Law.

It was important that the Israelites not mix with other people, keeping the ethnic line of Abraham pure, because it was through them that the Jewish Messiah would come.  This had been God’s plan from the time He separated Abraham from his people and made a covenant with him concerning the seed through whom all nations of the earth would be blessed (Genesis 12:1-3; 18:18; 22:18).  This is why it was so important that the Jews remain a separated people.

Ezra 10:11 (ESV)
¹¹  Now then make confession to the LORD, the God of your fathers and do his will. Separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign wives.”  

God’s people are still to be separated, but it has nothing to do with ethnicity.  It now has to do with holiness and purity.  It has to do with the privilege of being a part of God’s elect.  As such, being governed by the gospel of Christ, our standard of living is much higher than that of the world.  Paul wrote of this separation from the world in 2 Corinthians 6:14 when he said that we are not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers.  He then went on the write the following:

2 Corinthians 6:17 (ESV)
¹⁷  Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you,

Let us all separate ourselves from the world.  I know there is a natural tendency to want to be like the majority.  The truth is this has always troubled the people of God.  In the Old Testament, the Jews demanded an earthly king so that they could be like the nations around them (1 Samuel 8:19-20).  Since this desire continues to plague the people of God, Paul exhorted brethren to be different.

Romans 12:2 (ESV)
²  Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Do you want to know what you should do with yourselves—what we all should do as Christians?  We should make it our business to be different.  We should separate ourselves to the point that there is a clear and perceivable distinction between us and those outside the body of Christ.

Are you living a separated life?  It takes courage and conviction to be different, but this has always been the will of God for His people.  Let us all do our best to comply. 

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.