Today’s reading: Ezra 08.01-09.15
Ezra 09.01-04 “1 Now
when these things had been completed, the princes approached me, saying, “The
people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves
from the peoples of the lands, according to their abominations, those of the Canaanites, the Hittites,
the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians and
the Amorites. 2 “For they have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and for their
sons, so that the holy race has intermingled with the peoples of the lands;
indeed, the hands of the princes and the rulers have been foremost in this
unfaithfulness.” 3 When I heard about this matter, I tore my garment and my
robe, and pulled some of the hair from my head and my beard, and sat down
appalled. 4 Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel on
account of the unfaithfulness of the exiles gathered to me, and I sat appalled
until the evening offering.”
In todays reading, Ezra records
the list of those who returned (Ezra
08.01-14), the Levites who were recruited for the
trip (Ezra 08.15-20), the preparations for the trip and the trip completed (Ezra 08.21-36).
The total trip was about 900 miles and must have been extremely difficult for a
group of people without military protection. Ezra was content to leave their
situation in the hands of God, knowing that even without protection, God could
and would protect them. Ezra then reveals to us the sin of the people by having
mixed marriages (Ezra 09.01-04) and his prayer for forgiveness (Ezra 09.05-15).
When the Jewish leaders reported
to Ezra the sin of the people, it caused Ezra great grief. Here was a man who
knew, studied and obeyed the Law (see THE HEART OF A MINISTER post), and to see his people, the people of
God committing this grave sin brought great despair to him.
By marrying Gentiles, the Jews were violating one of God’s
major bans on the children of Israel was not to marry outside of the body of
believers (Exodus
34.11-16; Deuteronomy 07.01-04). This was not a racial
ban, because many of the previous inhabitants of the land of Israel were of the
same Semitic race, so this was a religious not race ban.
God knew that if His people were to intermarry outside the
body of believers, they would be tempted to get involved with pagan religious
worship (i.e. Solomon 1Kings 11.03-05; see THE FOOLISH WISE MAN post).
Being unfaithful to God’s Law in the most intimate of human
relationships showed that they would be willing to forsake God in most
everything else.
Their time in captivity in Babylon
was not only a punishment, but was intended to cleanse the people of their sin
and restore their relationship with God.
When God’s people disobey His
Word, they will suffer the consequences of their disobedience.
Paul reminds us that light and darkness
do not mix (2 Corinthians 06.14-18)
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