Today in God's Word—April 2023
East Tallassee Church of Christ
April 12, Ezra 9
The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands with their abominations, from the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. For they have taken some of their daughters to be wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy race has mixed itself with the peoples of the land. And in this faithlessness the hand of the officials and chief men has been foremost.” - Ezra 9:1-2
Ezra's role as a great leader of his people did not come to an end after he led the exiles back to Jerusalem. He continued to lead, dealing with issues essential to the welfare of the people. After he secured the assistance of the Persian governors in the region, he had to deal with a difficult matter that threatened the Jews’ identity and their renewed faith in God.
We've admired the sterling character of Ezra in the previous two chapters. He was prepared to assume the responsibility of leading God's people. His conduct was exemplary before the people he led. He was grateful to God and deeply aware of the hand of God in the circumstances they faced. He acknowledged that he and the people were dependent on God to establish them, to provide for them and to protect them. In Ezra 9, we find two more traits of Ezra's great personality. Ezra was grieved over sin among his people, and he approached God with deep humility.
When the people brought the report of widespread intermarriage between the Jews and the remaining Canaanites and Egyptians in the land, Ezra was astonished and disturbed. He publicly expressed his deep grief in actions typical of the time. He ripped his clothes and even pulled out some of his hair and beard. He sat in astonished grief until the time of the afternoon sacrifice, which was traditionally a time for confessing sin.
This intermarriage was a serious problem for the Israelites. It threatened their identity as direct descendants of Abraham, and it once again opened the door to idolatry that had plagued them for centuries. The law was strict and plain. There was to be no marriage or other covenants made with the other nations. They were supposed to be the holy seed of Abraham, real descendants who were separated from the other nations as God’s special people.
It's not hard to see why the returned exiles might have excused their intermarriage violation of the law. Their history suggested that it was not so bad. Israel’s most revered leaders had married outside of Israel. Moses himself married a Cushite woman. Father Abraham married an Egyptian, and the patriarch Joseph had married an Egyptian, too. His brother Judah had married a Gentile. Their kings since David had married foreign wives, often to seal treaties. Solomon married hundreds of Gentile women, and they turned his heart away from God to serve their idols. Also, their situation might have been an excuse for the unlawful intermarriage. There were probably few unmarried young women among the exiles who returned to Jerusalem.
Ezra knew their history, their law and their circumstances. None of those things excused the leaders’ disobedience. They led the people back toward idolatry when they disobeyed God's law about marrying pagans. Ezra also knew their history told the awful consequences that disobedience and idolatry had brought to his people. So he prayed a prayer, offering no excuses but only humble confession to God for the sins. A great leader is able to identify with the people for whom he prays. He didn't pray, "they have sinned." He prayed, "We have sinned.” He pleaded with God to not allow this transgression to ruin their return and the progress they had made. He did not want God's wrath to be poured out on them and finally consume them. He admitted they deserved worse than God had done with them. He was
completely humble before the Lord as he confessed.
Like the prophets, Ezra was strong with God's strength to name the sins of the people and call them to repentance. A great leader must be able to lovingly lead people and to firmly rebuke sin. Israel's intermarriage with the pagan neighbors endangered their faith and their future. Ezra acted with godly courage to preserve them and their heritage as the people of God.
Copyright © 2023 by Michael B. McElroy. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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