7/24/2011 7:23:34 AM
SPIRITUAL DIARY
My Worship Time Focus: Cleansing: an obedient people
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Ezra 10:9-44
Message of the verses: “9 So all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled at Jerusalem within the three days. It was the ninth month on the twentieth of the month, and all the people sat in the open square before the house of God, trembling because of this matter and the heavy rain. 10 Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, "You have been unfaithful and have married foreign wives adding to the guilt of Israel. 11 "Now therefore, make confession to the LORD God of your fathers and do His will; and separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign wives." 12 Then all the assembly replied with a loud voice, "That’s right! As you have said, so it is our duty to do. 13 "But there are many people; it is the rainy season and we are not able to stand in the open. Nor can the task be done in one or two days, for we have transgressed greatly in this matter. 14 "Let our leaders represent the whole assembly and let all those in our cities who have married foreign wives come at appointed times, together with the elders and judges of each city, until the fierce anger of our God on account of this matter is turned away from us."
“15 ¶ Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahzeiah the son of Tikvah opposed this, with Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supporting them. 16 But the exiles did so. And Ezra the priest selected men who were heads of fathers’ households for each of their father’s households, all of them by name. So they convened on the first day of the tenth month to investigate the matter. 17 They finished investigating all the men who had married foreign wives by the first day of the first month. 18 Among the sons of the priests who had married foreign wives were found of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib and Gedaliah. 19 They pledged to put away their wives, and being guilty, they offered a ram of the flock for their offense. 20 Of the sons of Immer there were Hanani and Zebadiah; 21 and of the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel and Uzziah; 22 and of the sons of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad and Elasah. 23 Of Levites there were Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (that is, Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah and Eliezer. 24 Of the singers there was Eliashib; and of the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem and Uri. 25 Of Israel, of the sons of Parosh there were Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malchijah and Benaiah; 26 and of the sons of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth and Elijah; 27 and of the sons of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad and Aziza; 28 and of the sons of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai and Athlai; 29 and of the sons of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch and Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal and Jeremoth; 30 and of the sons of Pahath-moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui and Manasseh; 31 and 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 Bani, 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 there were Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel and Benaiah. 44 All these had married foreign wives, and some of them had wives by whom they had children.”
I wish to, at the beginning of this portion of the SD show the dates of when all this happened in the Julian calendar so it can be better understood when this occurred. The first meeting in the rain that may have took place at the Water Gate where Ezra later expounded the Law to the people as seen in Nehemiah 8:1 and following. The date was December 19, 458 BC. It was because of the rain and the subject matter the people were trembling and so it was agreed to meet at a later day, but before that happened Ezra would again appoint a number of people to investigate the problem of mix marriages and this would take three months for their results to come about. It was good for Ezra to involve others in this matter for he had just arrived and the leaders whom were appointed to do this investigation had been there for a long time, perhaps all of their lives as it was eighty years since Zerubbable and Joshua had brought the first exiles to Jerusalem.
Ten days after this meeting the committee began to meet and this was on December 29, 458 BC. On March 27, 457 BC their work would be completed and the names of the people involved are listed in this last chapter of Ezra. In verse fifteen of Ezra 10 there are four names who protested against how this matter should be taken care of.
Many of the people who had sinned by taking foreign wives were leaders of Israel; some were priests, Levites, and also singers. Dr. Wiersbe writes “When spiritual leaders begin to sin, it doesn’t take long for other people to follow.” The total of offenders was over 100 and even though this was perhaps one percent of all the people there it was still sin against the Lord and needed to be cared for. “Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good,” (Ec. 9:18).
The guilty priest promised to put away their foreign wives and offered sacrifices to the Lord for their sins and God in His graciousness forgave their sins. It is hoped that the others on this list would follow the example of the priests and be forgiven too. This still would cause a problem for the wives, who would be sent back to their families along with their children. Dr. Wiersbe writes “It’s easy to pull the nails out of the board, but it’s impossible to pull out the holes that they leave behind.” Sound words for situations like this. Sin always causes problems even though people can be forgiven by the Lord the ramifications of their sins are still around.
This problem would come again to the exiles some thirteen years later and it can be seen in Nehemiah 13:23-31.
In the second chapter of Ezra there is a list of names of Jewish exiles willing to leave their homes and return to Jerusalem, and the book of Ezra ends with a list of people willing to repent of their sins publicly cleansing the land of their sin.
Twenty-one days ago I began this study of Ezra as part of my devotions to the Lord. It has been a good study for me to do and I am one more book closer to my goal of studying every book in the Bible. I have decided to share this adventure with others and my prayer is that all who have been a part of this will be drawn closer to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: I think that in my life I would rather not have to pull so many nails of of boards, but be more like Ezra in following the commands of the Lord, as these will surely set me free.
My Steps of Faith for Today:
1. Continue to learn contentment even though the path is difficult to follow.
7/24/2011 8:14:38 AM
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