Ezra: Faith and Action preacher April 11, 2021 Ezra 10:1-12

Here we have the Jews returning to Jerusalem After their exile in Babylon. After the Persia conquest of Babylon, King Cyrus of Persia gave the Jews permission to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. Ezra was in the second wave of Jews to return to Jerusalem. Ezra was well versed in the law of Moses that the Lord God had given. Ezra was determined to study the law and obey the law. He also had a great desire to teach the laws to the Israelite people.

Ezra was informed by the Jewish leaders that many of the Jewish people including some priests and Levites married some foreign women. In chapter 10 we find Ezra in the court of the temple mourning Israel’s sins. He was also praying and confessing the people’s sins. He threw himself before the House of God. A large group of Israelites- men, women and children gathered around him. They also wept bitterly with Ezra. The priest Shekaniah stood up as the spokesman of the group. His father, Jehiel and several of his uncles likely married foreign wives. Shekaniah acknowledges that they have sinned against God by marrying these foreign women. But he acknowledges that in spite of that there was still hope for Israel. He relies on the fact that Israel serves a merciful God. Shekaniah urges the people to make an agreement with God to put away all their foreign wives and all the children they had with the foreign wives. 

They agreed to follow the commands of God.

They looked to Ezra for guidance on how to set everything straight with God. Ezra stood up and demanded that the priests, Levites, and all the people of Israel abide by the oath to put away their heathen wives. And they all took the oath to do this. Meanwhile Ezra went into the room of Johanan, son of Eliashib the high priest, and continued to mourn for the unfaithfulness of Israel. And he took no food or water. Ezra was not through yet. He issued a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem, for all the exiles to assemble in Jerusalem. Anyone failing to report within three days could lose his property and would be expelled from the assembly. Within three days all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered in Jerusalem. They were sitting in the square before the House of God distressed because of the seriousness of the charge and because of the rain. Then Ezra stood up and spoke to the men. He told them that they have sinned because they married foreign women. Ezra urges them to confess their sins to God and do his will. He tells them to separate themselves from their foreign wives. Then all the men responded with a loud voice, ‘You are right! We must do as you say!”

They agree to separate themselves from their foreign wives!