The Book of Ezra
Study #18
(Ezra 10:9-44)
A National Repentance!
• The marriage problems in Ezra 9-10 began in this way.
• In the seventh year of Artaxerxes (458 b.c.), Ezra led a second group of Jewish exiles from Babylon to Jerusalem, only to learn that a serious problem existed in the community that had developed under Zerubbabel.
• Influenced by leaders of this new community, the priests and Levites, along with others in Jerusalem, had intermarried with the pagan population they had found living in the land.
• When Ezra learned this, he ripped his garments and pulled out his hair in horror and grief.
• He was dumbfounded as to what to do.
• At the evening sacrifice, Ezra fell on his knees in prayer before God, confessing his shame and guilt on behalf of his nation.
• As he prayed, others joined him in weeping and prayer.
• Suddenly, Shecaniah, one of the sons of Elam, proposed a solution: the people would acknowledge their sin and make a covenant with God that all pagan wives be put away.
• Ezra apparently agreed that this was the mind of the Lord, and so an announcement was made that in three days the putting away would take place. —Hard Sayings of the Bible
I. THE WORDS OF THE PREACHER (9-11)
A. THE CONGREGATION (9)
Ezra 10:9 Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered themselves together unto Jerusalem within three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month; and all the people sat in the street [SEE WORD STUDY] of the house of God, trembling because of this matter, and for the great rain.
• Three days after the public proclamation to come or else lose your property and your community, the people assemble.
• They are literally trembling because of:
1. REVERENCE (Heb. 10:31)
Hebrews 10:31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
2. RAIN (Gen. 7:9-12, 9:12-16)
Genesis 7:9-12 There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah. 10 And it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth. 11 In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. 12 And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.
Genesis 9:12-16 And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: 13 I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. 14 And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: 15 And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.
B. THE CONDEMNATION (10)
Ezra 10:10 And Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto them, Ye have transgressed, and have taken strange wives, to increase the trespass [NOTE: guilt] of Israel.
• Ezra lets a committee decide what to do.
• He will let the committee carry out the plan.
• He will not directly be involved.
• BUT, He will do his part in the pulpit!
C. THE COMMANDS (11)
1. CONFESSION (11A)
Ezra 10:11 Now therefore make confession unto the Lord God of your fathers,
• Confessions is step one of the journey.
• No journey can begin without the first step.
• This is what starts the wheels to spinning in your trip back to God.
1 John 1:8-9 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, [THEN!] he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
2. CLEANSING (11B)
11B and do his pleasure: and separate yourselves from the people of the land, and from the strange wives.
a. A SEPARATION TO THE WILL OF GOD
“do His pleasure”
• Our confession should acknowledge the will of God.
• Confession means to “say the same thing.”
b. A SEPARATION FROM THE WORLD
“separate yourselves”
• Our speech should be accompanied by our separation.
• The drunk that awakens from every binge and prays “Lord forgive me” is not going to get the job done.
• There must be steps.
II. THE WILLINGNESS OF THE PEOPLE (12-15)
A. THE COMPLIANCE (12; 1 Sam. 15:22)
Ezra 10:12 Then all the congregation answered and said with a loud voice, As thou hast said, so must we do.
• How blessed is obedience.
1 Samuel 15:22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
B. THE CONSIDERATION (13-15)
• Allowances and adjustments are made to the plan.
• Have you ever ran into a legalists.
• No flexibility!
• Thank God for people of balance!
• Not compromise, but balance!
1. THE REASON (13)
Ezra 10:13 But the people are many, and it is a time of much rain, and we are not able to stand without, neither is this a work of one day or two: for we are many that have transgressed in this thing.
a. THE WEATHER
b. THE WEARINESS
c. THE WEIGHTINESS
2. THE RECOMMENDATION (14-15)
a. THE RECOMMENDATION OFFERED (14)
Ezra 10:14 Let now our rulers of all the congregation stand, and let all them which have taken strange wives in our cities come at appointed times, and with them the elders of every city, and the judges thereof, until the fierce wrath of our God for this matter be turned from us.
• They were to form a committee.
• The guilty were to have appointments to come before them.
- It is just common sense not to make everyone stand in Jerusalem and wait!
• Their local elders and judges were to be a part of the process.
• Pleasing God was the ultimate goal!
b. THE RECOMMENDATION OPPOSED (15; 2 Tim. 3:12)
Ezra 10:15 Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahaziah the son of Tikvah were employed about [NOTE: Opposed to] this matter: and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite helped them. [NOTE: took their side]
• See the word study box.
• The Hebrew is ‘amad.
• It means to stand.
• Nowhere else translated as employed.
2 Timothy 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
III. THE WORK OF THE PATRIARCHS (PRINCES) (16-44)
A. THE LEADERSHIP (16-17)
1. THEIR TECHNIQUE (16A) (A COMMITTEE)
Ezra 10:16 And the children of the captivity did so [NOTE: The did what had been proposed]. And Ezra the priest, with certain chief of the fathers [NOTE: leaders of the families, the princes], after the house of their fathers, and all of them by their names, were separated, and sat down in the first day of the tenth month to examine the matter.
• It was Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, who came up with the committee.
• It was needed then, it was needed today.
• The tasks that we have assigned to committee at CBC have been completed at a stunning rate in comparison to those things done without a committee.
2. THEIR TIMING (16B-17)
a. THE PROMPTNESS (16B)
16B They convened on the first day of the tenth month to investigate the matter,
• This is eleven days after the assembly. (cf. vs. 9)
b. THE PERSISTENCE (17, Col. 3:23) Or, Performance
10:17 and by the first day of the first month they had dealt with all the men who had married foreign women.
• The commission sat for 2 months to hear these 113 cases.
• This implies that they were careful to be just and fair.
• This would be 60 days, minus the 8 Sabbaths, leaving 52 days.
• Therefore, each case received an average of nearly 2 days.
Colossians 3:23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
B. THE LIST (18-44)
1. THE PRIESTS (and their helpers) (18-24)
• As the leaders had said (9:1), some priests and Levites were guilty.
• Involved in this serious sin were 17 priests (vv. 18-22)
Ezra 10:18-22 And among the sons of the priests there were found that had taken strange wives: namely, of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren;
• Note that even the descendants of the great Joshua the High Priest from Zerubbabel’s day, have fallen into this sin.
• Family name does not give immunity.
• A Wilson is only as good as his relationship with the Lord.
• A Perry, Langston, Patterson, Moore, Burgess, Holliday, etc. is only as good as his or her PERSONAL relationship with the Lord.
Maaseiah, and Eliezer, and Jarib, and Gedaliah. [19] And they gave their hands that they would put away their wives; and being guilty, they offered a ram of the flock for their trespass.
• According to the Law.
• See Leviticus 6:4-6.
• There was to be restitution.
• Restoring fellowship with God has four elements:
1) A confession of sin.
2) A turning from that sin with one’s whole heart and mind.
3) A restitution of wrong (where possible)
4) A sacrifice for the sin. (Christ is now our sacrifice)
[20] And of the sons of Immer; Hanani, and Zebadiah. [21] And of the sons of Harim; Maaseiah, and Elijah, and Shemaiah, and Jehiel, and Uzziah. [22] And of the sons of Pashur; Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethaneel, Jozabad, and Elasah.
• Also, a total of 10 Levites (1 of which was a singer, and 3 were porters)
Ezra 10:23-24 Also of the Levites; Jozabad, and Shimei, and Kelaiah, (the same is Kelita,) Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer. [24] Of the singers also; Eliashib: and of the porters; Shallum, and Telem, and Uri.
2. THE PEOPLE (25-44)
• 84 others from around the nation (vv. 25-43).
Ezra 10:25-43 Moreover of Israel: of the sons of Parosh; Ramiah, and Jeziah, and Malchiah, and Miamin, and Eleazar, and Malchijah, and Benaiah. [26] And of the sons of Elam; Mattaniah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, and Abdi, and Jeremoth, and Eliah. [27] And of the sons of Zattu; Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, and Jeremoth, and Zabad, and Aziza. [28] Of the sons also of Bebai; Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai. [29] And of the sons of Bani; Meshullam, Malluch, and Adaiah, Jashub, and Sheal, and Ramoth. [30] And of the sons of Pahath-moab; Adna, and Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezaleel, and Binnui, and Manasseh. [31] And of the sons of Harim; Eliezer, Ishijah, Malchiah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, [32] Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah. [33] Of the sons of Hashum; Mattenai, Mattathah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei. [34] Of the sons of Bani; Maadai, Amram, and Uel, [35] Benaiah, Bedeiah, Chelluh, [36] Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, [37] Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasau, [38] And Bani, and Binnui, Shimei, [39] And Shelemiah, and Nathan, and Adaiah, [40] Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, [41] Azareel, and Shelemiah, Shemariah, [42] Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph. [43] Of the sons of Nebo; Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jadau, and Joel, Benaiah.
Ezra 10:44 All these had taken strange wives: and some of them had wives by whom they had children.
• The 17 Priests, 10 Levites and 84 People = 113.
• I am told that there were 29,000 families at this time.
• This would be .4 %.
• Not a significant percentage, but a significant problem.
Since the total number of families was something like 29,000, the size of the problem shrinks under closer scrutiny to about 0.4 percent. Nevertheless, the issue was not size but the severing of Israel's marriage covenant with God, which forbade God's people marrying persons outside the covenant.—Hard Sayings of the Bible
• What character this took.
• We are not told what happened to the women.
• Perhaps they returned to their fathers.
• We are not told what happened to the children.
• It is not certain that they were sent away.
• Shecaniah proposed this, but Ezra does not repeat it. (Compare 2,11,19)
• Perhaps they were trained in the faith and became proselytes.
NOTE: A short few years later, Nehemiah will face this problem again. What people need is not reformation, but genuine heart-felt repentance!
* A FINAL NOTE (Prov. 22:1)
Look at many of the names in this chapter. Names of Godly men. Moms who put wonderful names to their children hoping and praying that they would rise to the spiritual level of their namesake. But, as John says, you can “have a name that thou livest and art dead.”
• Eliezer (and one Eliezar) - the faithful servant of Abraham.
• Elijah - the great prophet that God took up to Heaven without dying.
• Uzziah - the great king of Isaiah’s day.
• Judah - one of the patriarchs.
• Zechariah - the great prophet.
• Hananiah - the Hebrew name of Shadrach, one of the three Hebrew children.
• Manasseh - the son of Joseph.
• Benjamin - another one of Jacob’s sons.
• Jeremiah (spelled Jeremai) - the weeping prophet.
• Nathan - the prophet that boldy rebuked king David.
• Joel - God’s prophet.
• Joseph - the great Hebrew that saved Egypt from famine.
We can tell by this little window back into time who the heroes of the exiles were. Yet though they admired these godly men, their lives were lived just the opposite! You can ruin a good name! You can dash the hopes and dreams of your parents!
Proverbs 22:1 A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.
CONCLUSION:
• The book of Ezra opens with God's temple in ruins and the people of Judah captive in Babylon.
• Ezra tells of the return of God's people, the rebuilding of the temple, and the restoration of the sacrificial worship system.
• Similarly, God is able to restore and rebuild the lives of people today.
• No one is so far away from God that he or she cannot be restored.
• Repentance is all that is required.
• No matter how far we have strayed or how long it has been since we have worshiped God, he is able to restore our relationship to him and rebuild our lives. —Life Application Bible Notes
QUOTE: The narrative ends abruptly at this point. The message of the book is complete. In order for the people to be back in fellowship with the Lord it was absolutely necessary for them to have proper temple worship (Ezra 1-6) and to live according to God’s Word (chaps. 7-10). —Bible Knowledge Commentary
That has been our title for the book:
Restoring the Place of God! (That work was done in chapter 6)
Restoring the People of God! (Now, this work is done!)
• We don’t need to worry about other churches. We have all the work we can handle right here to do these two things!
