#602 Deeper

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[a] 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 the night,[b]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, 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 the priest selected men,[c] 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.[d] 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,[e] 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:[f] 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. Ezra 10

We have broken faith, not interracial codes like the Egyptians had against the Jews, and not for sins of neglect and ignorance, no, the Chronicler had read to them and their parents the law. They saw the damage that David and Solomon's house, all of Israel had incurred forsaking a Godly yoke. Our leaders do not set the absolute, and we err if we let them set the pace. What they permit is not the bar, and though look, while we may try to persuade men, it is not in our might nor power, but only God's spirit. The people wept bitterly, aware of their sin and in fear of God's wrath, but also recognizing that this hurt, this shame, is so much more hopeful than disdain. Having all these lamps about, they did not do this accidentally, remember the story of Balaam below. Those men hardened themselves towards God in their pursuit of the women of Moab.

Link to Numbers and Moab

This is where some would start to apologize for what is here, but I think God need not apologize for anything. Israel had long gone after it's leaders to allow for divorce, but God said that it was only because of the hardness of our hearts. The men who traveled all that long way from Babylon probably found their wives weathered and the local women exotic, young. Sure, that is how we are, it is not a stretch for us at all, but no matter. What did God say? What did their history in this tell them? Was this across the board or exclusive? No and yes, Boaz married Ruth in a blessed union and she was a Moabite. The harlot Rahab is part of the lineage of David, go figure, so no, it was not across the board. Yes, it was exclusive, it excluded those who broke away from the faith and those who would keep to the gods of their land. This here was a slow process though, for you had to hear out each case, discern who made a profession of the true God and denounced their idols. God doesn't care about cultural or geographical forms of worship and ideologies. God pulled Abram from a place and a culture, having him leave his home and go to a different land, following the Word of One God. He owns creation, so there is nothing off limits, no statute of limitations, but He is truly kind to us in our ignorance and gives grace to those who humble themselves. The local women were ignorant of this covenant, and they themselves were probably polytheist, not excused from original sin, but without teaching. The Jewish men sinned against knowledge, they knew and walked in against what was written, against history, against reason, against God. 

Through the centuries, one mark of a powerful movement of the Holy Spirit among the people of God is that they are convicted of their sin and feel compelled to confess it and to put it away. The old Puritan John Trapp thought of confession as a purging of sin. “This is the soul’s vomit, which is the hardest kind of physic [medicine], but healthsomest. This the devil knows… and, therefore, he holds the lips close, that the heart may not disburden itself by so wholesome evacuation” (Trapp).

There are a lot of people standing here, willing to be evaluated, confessing their sin. This is a revival, repent and be saved, not come and feel good, be excused, rather come and die, let Abram now be Abraham, let Saul be Paul and Simon be Peter. It is a sad list, even if it is relatively small in comparison to a nation, the end of the chapter, the falling away of relationships. God does not recognize unions because men do. Now before you jump out of your chair and cry foul, this is less than the flood, and it is still against God to this day to be unequally yoked, but that may well reveal your true place of worship, your idols. If you are still desperate for God to change, then it is not God you want. Now also, if you think you have come to Christ, this does not provide an easy out, but don't try to hold onto the wind, let it go, let them stay as long as they will and everyday be a light before them, but don't worship their gods, don't bow to their idols. 

To the rest I say (I, not the Lord) that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her. 13 If any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce him. 14 For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. 15 But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called you[b] to peace. 16 For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife? 1 Corinthians 7: 12-16