Ezra
10
Sin
always develops from a root of disrespect. By comparison, confession
and its accompanying repentance always spring from a higher view of
God and an awe of His holiness. In response to Ezra's public prayer
contrasting God's faithfulness with Israel's habitual waywardness,
many people within the Jewish community joined him in mourning their
sins. Their brokenness before God became the first step in restoring
the community to its calling as God's people.
“You
cannot change character or behavior and leave beliefs intact.” -
Dallas Willard (American philosopher and Christian writer).
Ezra 9–10 is a
notoriously difficult Bible passage that upsets our emotional
instincts. Admittedly intermarriage between Jews and pagans was
wrong, but was it really necessary for families to be broken up? Did
fathers have to send away their children forever? Did restoration
really need to be this painful?
Then,
too, the events of Ezra 10 seem to contradict our biblical and
theological commitment to the sanctity of marriage. Through the
prophet Malachi, who prophesied around the time of Ezra, God said:
"For I hate divorce," says the LORD, the God of Israel,
"and him who covers his garment with wrong," says the LORD
of hosts. "So take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal
treacherously." (Malachi 2:16). Even though the people had
broken God’s law by marrying foreign wives, was it right for them
to divorce these wives? Did two wrongs make a right?
Was
Ezra correct? Did God in fact approve of divorce for the inter
married men of Judah and Benjamin? Here we are caught on the horns of
a dilemma. We know that the men married contrary to God’s revealed
will, and we know that their actions placed the holiness of Israel at
risk. We also know that they should never have married pagan wives,
but, on the other hand, we know that God does not approve of divorce.
Centuries later Christ Jesus confirmed that God never commanded men
to divorce their wives. He only regulated divorce because of the
hardness of the human heart (Mark 10:1–12).
Was
Ezra correct? Did God disapprove the continuation of pagan marriages
even more than breaking them up? I am not sure, but the way I read
the Scriptures the answer is yes, He did. I read of a pastor who
faced a pastoral crisis in his ministry. A woman who came to him for
counseling was the victim of extreme verbal and physical abuse. Her
husband would get drunk and then beat her, often quite severely. He
was completely unrepentant and uninterested in any sort of
counseling. This woman asked him simply: “As a Christian, what
should I do? Am I ever permitted to divorce my husband?” the pastor
had absolutely no hesitation in encouraging the woman to get away
from her husband immediately, to move into a “safe-house” for
battered women. But he was still plagued with the question: If
restoration of the marriage never happened, and if her husband never
changed, would God sanction her divorce? Questions such as these are
difficult and perplexing, especially when the Scriptures do not
address them directly.
This
brings us to our first point this morning.
1.
A Consensus (vs. 1-6)
Chapter
10 begins right on the heels of 9:15: “Now
while Ezra was praying and while he was confessing” (v.
1). During his time of prayer “a
very large assembly of men, women, and children” gathered
around him, weeping “very
bitterly” (v.
1).
Ezra’s
public confession had drawn the masses into an attitude of profound
grief and repentance for their sins. It seems that Ezra recognized
the power of a public action. Rather than deal with the situation in
private, either by himself or with a few select leaders, Ezra brought
the issue into the open. It became a matter of concern for the
community, especially the devout. In this Ezra gained support for his
following actions.
Without
explanation, chapter 10 shifts from a first-person to a third-person
account of Ezra’s actions. The editor of Ezra– Nehemiah may have
reworded the account from Ezra’s memoirs, or he may have utilized
another source for this part of the story.
Shechaniah
(shek-an-yaw')
whose father Jehiel (yekh-ee-ale')
may
have been one of the offenders, spoke on behalf of the weeping crowd.
Like Ezra, Shechaniah,
identified
with the misdeeds of the minority and publicly acknowledged, “We
have been unfaithful to our God by marring foreign women.”
Shechaniah,
who
admitted the gravity of Israel’s sin, nevertheless proposed a
solution to the problem (v. 2). He recognized that the people had
“trespassed
against our God,” or
literally, “been
unfaithful to our God.” Yet
he held out “hope
for Israel in spite of this” (v.
2). Shechaniah suggested that the sinning men “put
away all these wives and those who have been born to them” (v.
3). The verb translated as “to
put away”
is not the standard Hebrew verb for divorce, though this is certainly
its sense in verse 3. Continuing on, Shechaniah suggested that this
should be done, “according
to the advice of my master” (Ezra),
and “according
to the law” (v.
3).
No
Hebrew law demanded or explained how one should divorce foreign wives
and children. Either Shechaniah saw the divorce of pagan wives as an
implication of the law prohibiting mixed marriages, or he meant that
the divorces should occur according to the regulations for divorce in
Deuteronomy 24:1–4. Having offered his suggestions for action,
Shechaniah placed the responsibility to carry them out with Ezra:
“Arise,
for this matter is your responsibility” (v.
4). Sensing Ezra’s hesitation, Shechaniah added a word of
encouragement, “We
also are with you. Be of good courage, and do it” (v.
4).
The
first step, public admission was complete. Ezra was encouraged to
take the next step. As
chief magistrate, Ezra took Shecaniah's (shek-an-yaw')
proposal and offered it publicly. If the process was to continue to
resolution, all those involved needed firm commitment to the end. An
oath bound them to follow through.
Then
Ezra retired to a room belonging to Jehohanan
(yeh-ho-khaw-nawn),
probably
located in the temple. There he continued to fast and to mourn
because of the “guilt”
of
Judah (v. 6). Although he appeared to accept Shechaniah’s “hope”
for Israel, it would seem that Ezra still felt anguish over the
situation and for Judah. His private mourning emphasizes the utter
authenticity of his earlier display of grief. He had not grieved
publicly merely to put on a show for the people, but, rather, that
they might be drawn into a spirit of repentance also.
The
Bible realistically portrays people struggling for answers. Sometimes
they find and sometimes they fail to find God’s will. It is the
same for us, there are many excuses as to why we do not find God's
will for our lives. But usually it boils down to one of two things,
we are not listening or not willing to do what God asks of us.
Ezra
did not unilaterally consider the problem, decide how to solve it,
and compel the people to obey. Although he could have chosen this
course of action, he opted instead for a far more participatory
process.
First
of all, he drew other people into his mourning over national sin. His
example of mourning encouraged widespread confession and bitter tears
of repentance. Second, he allowed others to participate in the
decision-making process. Shechaniah (shek-an-yaw')
actually
proposed the solution (vs. 2–4), not Ezra. This prompted group
ownership of the proposal (v. 5). Then, when the plan stumbled over
practical difficulties, Ezra allowed the people to suggest a strategy
for implementation of its details (vv. 13–14). Thus, although Ezra
had the authority to work independently, he chose to draw others into
all facets of the problem-solving process. He and his fellow Jews
faced the tough issue of intermarriage together. The leaders of
Judah, not just Ezra, “issued
a proclamation” that
called all the people to gather in Jerusalem immediately.
2.
The Assembly (vs. 7-17)
Official
assemblies such as this one had precedent in Jewish history and
served as a type of mandatory conference during which opinions could
be voiced between the people and their leaders. Whoever failed to
appear within “three days” would forfeit all of his property and
would be excommunicated from the nation (v. 8). Community life and
character were at stake, and this required the involvement of
everyone. This proclamation would certainly have received the
attention and compliance of the people. It underscored how seriously
the leaders viewed this situation. The time had come for national
repentance and action!
Ezra
never had to exact any punishment; everyone showed up. If these
events occurred within the larger context of Ezra's reading of the
law, then the people's sensitivity to God's commands was already
heightened, creating a desire for obedience. In the context of this
passage, how high is your sensitivity to God's commands? Ezra
addressed the assembly, beginning with a brief statement of their
sin. Unlike two months earlier, there was no great celebration or
praising God. This time the scene was one of dreary foreboding. Even
the weather seem to match the people's mood.
Ezra
explained the situation: You have been
unfaithful; you have married foreign women.
Even though out of the thousands gathered, only a hundred or so were
guilty; Ezra indicted the whole community. Sin always has a long
reach of blameworthiness because sin rarely indulges itself alone.
The people of Jerusalem and the surrounding area were guilty of
communal negligence. As much as it may hurt, as much as it may cause
heartache, and even though it may cause problems with family and
friends, when it comes to sin we can not be negligent.
The
gathered assembly responded with a strong affirmation of Ezra’s
command. But rather than make hasty decisions that would disrupt
lives, the assembly offered a proposal of their own (vs. 12–13).
The number of transgressing men and the terrible weather made
instantaneous obedience to Ezra’s command impractical, so the
people asked for the implementation of the command to be delegated to
leaders in the various cities, to “the
elders and judges” (v. 14).
Apparently
Ezra concurred and only a handful of people opposed “this”
suggestion (v. 15). It was not because
they opposed the divorces but the proposed method by which a
commission would decide each case. These men had a “getter done”
mindset. They wanted an immediate ruling rather than a prolonged
process.
Whether or not we agree
with their solution, we see in Ezra, Shechaniah (shek-an-yaw'),
and the others a heartfelt desire to do what was right and to make
what was wrong, right. We also see how costly and difficult
restitution can be. Doing what is right can be costly and difficult,
but God will see you through it.
We
do know that the people acted upon the plan. In the next three and a
half months Ezra and other leaders questioned all who had “taken
pagan wives,” to make sure that they
had put away their wives and children (vv. 16–17).
Lets
close out this study with some reflections of Ezra chapters 9 and 10.
3.
Reflections on Ezra 9 –10
As
Christians, we are the body of Christ together. Certain members of
the body are placed in positions of special authority within the
church. But I believe that too often these members find themselves
making tough decisions alone. People look to their pastor for
example, for answers that he cannot always provide. Nor should he
even try to do so by himself in many cases. Although a pastor should
not shirk his authority to teach God’s truth, I believe that
corporate decision-making almost always leads to better decisions,
particularly when the issues at hand are complex.
Individual
Christians and Christian communities alike will face ever more
difficult moral choices in the days to come. In some of these
situations, leaders of the church are responsible for the process of
discernment. However I believe that Ezra models a participatory
process that we can all imitate to great benefit.
Conclusion:
Confession and forgiveness may happen in a moment. This is certainly
true in our relationship with God, and is often true in human
relationships as well. But complete healing and restoration may take
considerable time and effort.
How
easily we tend to give up on righteousness! With things in our world
so chaotic, with brokenness and evil everywhere around us, it is easy
to surrender any hope of seeing God’s justice or healing. That
seemed to be Ezra’s conclusion at the end of chapter 9, but
Shechaniah’s hopefulness and his zeal for righteousness made a
difference, not only in Ezra, but in the nation of Judah. Oh that we
would all become like Shechaniah in our willingness to stick our
necks out for what is right!
now
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