To discover:
As you read consider why the
people’s sin is so serious
To ponder:
The leaders may have come to Ezra
because they had learnt what God required from his teaching. They reported that
the people and even priests and Levites had intermarried with the Canaanite
nations, which God had always forbidden (Deut 7v1-4). Indeed, the leaders had
led the way. This was serious as God’s promises and blessing depended on the
people remaining faithful, whereas intermarriage with those who followed false
gods and their practices could so easily lead them astray (Deut 7v4). In short,
the act of intermarriage implied a profound lack of concern for the LORD and
for the spiritual wellbeing of the next generation. This is why Ezra displayed
such violent grief (9v3-4).
The
faithful, defined as those who trembled at God’s word (Is 66v2), gathered
around him. His prayer did not request forgiveness, but simply confessed the
people’s sin and expressed grief. Ezra identified with the people, being
ashamed and disgraced because of the height of their sin and guilt. He
acknowledged that after the exile, the LORD had graciously left a “remnant” and
given the nation a “firm place in his sanctuary” – perhaps a reference to the
land as the place of his presence. This was a “new life” to rebuild the temple
and enjoy security for Judah and Jerusalem. These words are deeply significant
as they imply God had re-established his kingdom, whilst acknowledging that
this was only for “a brief moment,” which means that the everlasting kingdom
promised to David was yet to come (1 Chr 17v11-12).
Ezra
sees that the people had disregarded God’s word. It was actually Moses that
gave the instructions he ascribes to the prophets (9v10-12, see Deut 7v1-4).
However Moses was a prophet, and the later prophets called people back to his
instructions. Ezra is astonished that the people have sinned again after the
punishment of the exile and the keeping of a remnant, and acknowledges that God
should be angry enough to totally destroy them. Their survival is therefore
testimony that in his grace, God had more for his people. So the Old Testament
ends with their need to look not only to the day when he would send his Christ,
but circumcise their hearts (Deut 30v6-10).
Ezra’s
prayer and tears moved a crowd to gather and mourn with him, with one
encouraging him that there is hope if the people covenant to send away their
non-Israelite wives and children. This was to act according to the law in the
sense that the law forbid the marriages. We must be very clear that it was an
extreme measure, warranted by the context in which the purity of the relatively
small remnant’s religion had to be maintained. Although Christians are called
only to marry “in the Lord” (1 Cor 7v39) for the same reasons the Israelites
were to marry only Israelites, the New Testament is clear that if a Christian
does marry an unbeliever, they are not to divorce them (1 Cor 7v12-14).
With
the threat of losing their property the exiles were called to assemble in
Jerusalem. They met in front of the temple “greatly distressed” by their
situation but also the “heavy rain” which provided a sort of ominous air. Ezra
charged them with their sin, urging them to confession and separation from the
foreign people and wives. They agreed this was “right,” and due to logistics,
it was arranged that this would be overseen by the elders and judges in each
town until “the fierce anger of our God” was “turned away.” It is a slight on
the church today that such seriousness with corporate sin is so lacking. God’s
people still need to be charged with their unfaithfulness and called to
separate from the practices of unbelievers (2 Cor 6v14). And church elders may
need to ensure this is done.
The seriousness
of disobeying God is seen in the fact that the book ends with the names of
those proved unfaithful. The people had returned as the prophets predicted, but
they were not yet renewed as was also promised. But the fulfilment of the
former should have encouraged the faithful to wait on the LORD for the latter.
Praying it home:
Praise God that no matter how
unfaithful his people, he graciously keeps building his church. Pray that
corporately and individually ministers would face Christians up to their sin
and be diligent and organised in leading them towards greater purity.
Thinking further:
None today.
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