Where the rubber meets the road, part III

"A peculiar people"

Yesterday we mentioned that the people were "signing on" for some specific commitments. Their civil and religious leaders and family leaders, too, were setting an example for them, and they all were committing to keep each other accountable and to strive to be holy. Along with that, they did something else important:

The rest of the people—priests, Levites, gatekeepers, musicians, temple servants and all who separated themselves from the neighboring peoples for the sake of the Law of God, together with their wives and all their sons and daughters who are able to understand— 29 all these now join their fellow Israelites the nobles, and bind themselves with a curse and an oath to follow the Law of God given through Moses the servant of God and to obey carefully all the commands, regulations and decrees of the Lord our Lord. (v. 28-29)

They "separated themselves from the neighboring peoples for the sake of the law of God." Scholars call this the doctrine of separation. I call it being different but not stuck up. (Grin) Let's focus on this today, ok?
It's probably a doctrine that needs to be emphasized in our world today. It's one of those that we humans tend to look at in terms of extremes . . . sometimes, God's people separate themselves from the world so much that they are isolated from the world that they are called to influence for good! But many Christians have swung to the other extreme -- where there's no significant difference between the way that we live and the way that the folks in the world, the unbelievers, live.
Sure, we may go to church a bit more. But what about our values and our goals? We're living for personal success. We're striving for our own happiness. If God can help us in those goals, we're happy to use Him and follow His Word. But if obedience to Him gets in the way, we are quick to set Him aside and follow our own agendas.
Ouch.
The proper balance is that we are tasked with being IN the world, but not OF the world. We are to be distinct, a "peculiar people," because we know and obey God's Word.

 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. (John 17:14-16)

That knowledge of God's Word should make us distinct from the world, just like it made the Jewish people in this chapter distinctly different from their neighbors. It will make us be more careful about our relationships, our goals, and our values.
How does this doctrine of separation work in our daily lives? It sure can wreak havoc in our church lives! Some folks argue that we should stay in the midst of churches and fellowships whose sins and follies upset us -- in the hope of affecting them and saving them for God. A strategy like that might work in the first phase of decline in a church. A strong, Biblical protest can stop the errors. But with the passage of time, our protests may be disregarded; the majority of the believers may take their position against the truth; in that case, we have no choice but to come out and be separate.

Paul's words about separation in II Corinthians 6 have been applied to not just religious fellowship, but also to mixed faith marriages, and even improper business associations. The idea of the unequal yoke comes from Deuteronomy, as well as the instruction to not yoke a clean animal and an unclean animal together to plow.
It's unfortunate that some sincere Christians have turned separation into isolation. They can barely get along with themselves. But on the other end of the spectrum we have believers that just want to get along and to avoid conflict, so they have torn down all the walls and they will fellowship with anyone - no matter what they do or don't believe, or even how they live!
I believe it's important to remember that separation is not just a "negative" concept. It's also a "positive" one, since we are showing our dedication to God in our lives.
But it's a delicate balancing act! We must stay true to God's Word, but not isolate ourselves from those who so desperately need to hear it. We must keep the lines of communication open to unbelievers while maintaining our testimony. We must strive to turn away from sin, but not from sinners. We must be able to show the love of God and speak the good news of the gospel to those who need to hear.
Next time we study, we will see a practical way that Nehemiah, the other leaders, and the people were able to walk that fine line we've talked about.