Ezra 9 and 10
All scripture is quoted from the English Standard Version
unless otherwise noted.
Ezra
9
1 After these
things had been done, the officials approached me and said, “The people of
Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the
peoples of the lands with their abominations, from the Canaanites, the
Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the
Egyptians, and the Amorites.
“the
Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites….” This list in Ezra would have immediately reminded Ezra of God’s
command in Deuteronomy 7:1-4, in which God commands that those nations that inhabited Canaan
were to be driven out and that the Israelites were not to intermarry with them,
and if they did intermarry then they would be turned away from the God of
Israel. Five of the eight pagan nations listed here in Ezra 9:1 are in the list in Deuteronomy 7:1, and the Israelites who lived in the land were living according
to ungodly pagan practices. No wonder Ezra was stunned and ashamed. Even the
leaders and the priests and Levites had shown no concern for the Law of God,
but openly disobeyed it. Ezra knew it was because of that kind of willful
disobedience that Israel and Judah had been defeated by their enemies, causing
incalculable amounts of physical and emotional pain, and he was concerned that
the Israelites might now be wiped out completely (Ezra 9:14).
Upon
hearing about the sin of the leaders and the people, Ezra’s response was to
pray. He sets a good example for us today. Many people, including God’s people,
openly thumb their nose at God’s commands today and live the way they want to
as if God did not see or care. It is appropriate for God’s people to pray for
His mercy to intervene and prevent disasters coming upon the earth, because
flagrant sin opens doors for the Adversary to act against the earth and all who
live on it.
Israel was notorious for doing this getting instruction from God
and then ignoring it. Our country has the same thing going on. We simply ignore
what God has to say about things and expect no negative consequences. We as a
nation have had a blessed existence because we recognised God but ever since
the mid last century all we have done is moved away from the Lord and followed
our own ideas.
2 For they have taken
some of their daughters to be wives for themselves and for their sons, so that
the holy race ( could also be translated offspring) has mixed itself with the peoples of the
lands. And in this faithlessness the hand of the officials and chief men has
been foremost.” 3 As soon as I heard this, I tore my garment and my cloak and
pulled hair from my head and beard and sat appalled.
To tear your clothing was a sign of discuss for the actions
taken. The same for pulling out your hair See Acts 14:14 as well as others.
4 Then all who trembled at the words of the God of Israel,
because of the faithlessness of the returned exiles, gathered around me while I
sat appalled until the evening sacrifice. 5 And at the evening sacrifice I rose
from my fasting, with my garment and my cloak torn, and fell upon my knees and
spread out my hands to the LORD my God, 6 saying:
“O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my
God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has
mounted up to the heavens. 7 From the days of our fathers to this day we have
been in great guilt. And for our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests have
been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity,
to plundering, and to utter shame, as it is today. 8 But now for a brief moment
favor has been shown by the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant and to give us
a secure hold within his holy place, that our God may brighten our eyes and
grant us a little reviving in our slavery. 9 For we are slaves. Yet our God has
not forsaken us in our slavery, but has extended to us his steadfast love before
the kings of Persia, to grant us some reviving to set up the house of our God,
to repair its ruins, and to give us protectionc in Judea and Jerusalem.
In verse 7it says Utter Shame:
“shame of face.” That is, open shame; shame
everyone can see.
From
the REV
“and to give us a peg in his holy place.” Ezra here uses an illustration from the culture in which
he lived and that would have been clear to the people. Houses, and even tents,
had “pegs” in the wall or posts to hang things on that kept things orderly and
secure so they would not be kicked around on the floor (and most floors were
dirt floors). Ezra refers to a “peg” in his holy place, in the new Temple that
they had permission to build.
Nebuchadnezzar had destroyed the Temple that Solomon had
built, and Israel had been without a house for God for decades, which implied
that God could not live among His people. Now it seemed that God would soon
once again have a dwelling place among His people, and in the very spot where
He had chosen to live. The fact that God would once more be among His people in
His house was a “peg” that the people could cling to and draw strength from.
So Ezra’s first response to the info that there had been inter
marriage was to pray. Is that your response when you find that someone isn’t
walking the word? I know I want to fix things
when I find them broken so many times I don’t start with prayer and that is
where we should always start. God knows what is going on and if there is a
solution he knows that as well. I am just not smart enough to figure everything
out. Look at 2 Kings 5 with Naaman.
I never would have come up with washing in the Jordan River 7 times as the
solution.
10 “And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? For we
have forsaken your commandments, 11 which you commanded by your servants the
prophets, saying, ‘The land that you are entering, to take possession of it, is
a land impure with the impurity of the peoples of the lands, with their
abominations that have filled it from end to end with their uncleanness.
“end to end.” The Hebrew is idiomatic;
literally “from mouth to mouth.” The entrances to the land are seen as mouths
by which one can enter the land. Thus the meaning is “from end to end,” or
“from one end to the other.”
12 Therefore do not give your daughters to their sons, neither
take their daughters for your sons, and never seek their peace or prosperity,
that you may be strong and eat the good of the land and leave it for an
inheritance to your children forever.’ 13 And after all that has come upon us
for our evil deeds and for our great guilt, seeing that you, our God, have
punished us less than our iniquities deserved and have given us such a remnant
as this, 14 shall we break your
commandments again and intermarry with the peoples who practice these
abominations? Would you not be angry with us until you consumed us, so that
there should be no remnant, nor any to escape? 15 O LORD, the God of Israel,
you are just, for we are left a remnant that has escaped, as it is today.
Behold, we are before you in our guilt, for none can stand before you because
of this.”
This is always turned out badly. Take a look at Joshua, Judges,
and many times it always led to problems. These people always wanted to bring
their gods along with them.
Ezra 10
1 While Ezra prayed and made confession, weeping and casting
himself down before the house of God, a very great assembly of men, women, and
children, gathered to him out of Israel, for the people wept bitterly. 2 And
Shecaniah the son of Jehiel, of the sons of Elam, addressed Ezra: “We have
broken faith with our God and have married foreign women from the peoples of
the land, but even now there is hope for Israel in spite of this. 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. 4 Arise, for
it is your task, and we are with you; be strong and do it.” 5 Then Ezra arose
and made the leading priests and Levites and all Israel take an oath that they
would do as had been said. So they took the oath.
6 Then Ezra withdrew from before the house of God and went to
the chamber of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib, where he spent( Hebrew where he
went) the night, neither eating bread nor drinking
water, for he was mourning over the faithlessness of the exiles. 7 And a
proclamation was made throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the returned exiles
that they should assemble at Jerusalem,
“the returned exiles.” Literally, “the sons of the
exile,” an idiom for those who had been taken as captives to Babylon in the Babylonian
Captivity.
8 and that if anyone did not come within three days, by order of
the officials and the elders all his property should be forfeited, and he
himself banned from the congregation of the exiles.
9 Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled at Jerusalem
within the three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the
month. And all the people sat in the open square before the house of God,
trembling because of this matter and because of the heavy rain. 10 And Ezra the
priest stood up and said to them, “You have broken faith and married foreign
women, and so increased the guilt of Israel. 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.” 12 Then all the assembly
answered with a loud voice, “It is so; we must do as you have said. 13 But the
people are many, and it is a time of heavy rain; we cannot stand in the open.
Nor is this a task for one day or for two, for we have greatly transgressed in
this matter. 14 Let our officials
stand for the whole assembly. Let all in our cities who have taken foreign
wives come at appointed times, and with them the elders and judges of every
city, until the fierce wrath of our God over this matter is turned away from
us.” 15 Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahzeiah the son of Tikvah opposed
this, and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supported them.
16 Then the returned exiles did so. Ezra ( Syriac; Hebrew And
there were selected Ezra) the priest selected men,
heads of fathers’ houses, according to their fathers’ houses, each of them
designated by name. On the first day of the tenth month they sat down to
examine the matter; 17 and by the first day of the first month they had come to
the end of all the men who had married foreign women.
Those Guilty of Intermarriage
18 Now there were found some of the sons of the priests who had
married foreign women: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah, some of the sons
of Jeshua the son of Jozadak and his brothers. 19 They pledged themselves to
put away their wives, and their guilt offering was a ram of the flock for their
guilt.(Or as
their reparation) 20 Of the sons of Immer:
Hanani and Zebadiah. 21 Of the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah,
Jehiel, and Uzziah. 22 Of the sons of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael,
Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah.
23 Of the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (that is, Kelita),
Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer. 24 Of the singers: Eliashib. Of the gatekeepers:
Shallum, Telem, and Uri.
25 And of Israel: of the sons of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah,
Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Hashabiah, and Benaiah. 26 Of the sons of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah,
Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah. 27 Of the sons of Zattu: Elioenai,
Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza. 28 Of the sons of Bebai were
Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai. 29 Of the sons of Bani were Meshullam,
Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth. 30 Of the sons of Pahath-moab:
Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh. 31
Of the sons of Harim: Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, 32
Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah. 33 Of the sons of Hashum: Mattenai,
Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei. 34 Of the sons of
Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel, 35 Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi, 36 Vaniah, Meremoth,
Eliashib, 37 Mattaniah, Mattenai, Jaasu. 38 Of the sons of Binnui:Shimei, 39 Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, 40 Machnadebai, Shashai,
Sharai, 41 Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, 42 Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph. 43 Of
the sons of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah.
44 All these had married foreign women, and some of the women had even borne
children.
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