Ezra Prays About Intermarriage

Ezra Prays About Intermarriage

Now when these things were done, the princes came to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the people of the lands, doing according to their abominations, even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites.

Ezr. 9:1

princes came to... Not all the princes, for in Ezr. 9:2 many were the chief offenders. Some of the leaders came to me suggests that these were men who had previously returned to the land under Zerubbabel and had established themselves as leaders and had looked into the problem.

have not separated... The Jewish leaders reported to Ezra that some Israelites had been involved with their pagan neighbors’ detestable practices (cf. Ezr. 9:11, 9:14) which meant they had married Gentiles. One of God’s major prohibitions was that His people were not to marry outside the community of believers.

Fourteen-fold Revival of Religion under Ezra

1. Sin discovered:

(1) Intermarriage with heathen (Ezr. 9:1)

(2) Committing the abominations for which others were destroyed (Ezr. 9:1-2)

2. Grief over sin (Ezr. 9:3)

3. Trembling over sin

4. Prayer and confession of sin (Ezr. 9:5-15)

5. Public weeping and prostration (Ezr. 10:1)

6. Confession of the people (Ezr. 10:2)

7. Covenant to separate from sin (Ezr. 10:3-5)

8. Continued fasting and prayer of Ezra because of the sin of the people (Ezr. 10:6)

9.Proclamation for public assembly, or excommunication (Ezr. 10:7-8)

10. Public assembly and trembling of the people (Ezr. 10:9)

11. Sermon by Ezra demanding separation from all sin (Ezr. 10:10-11)

12. Willingness of people to conform to demands of the law (Ezr. 10:12-14)

13. Examination of the people (Ezr. 10:15-17)

14. Roster of all who had taken strange wives and of those who were now conforming to the law (Ezr. 10:18-44)

to their abominations... A repetition of what had caused the captivity (Ezr. 1-2; Exo. 34:12-15; Deut. 7:1-3). It seems their lesson had not been learned. However, from the verses that follow, they became willing to do the right thing as demanded by the law, and finally did so (Ezr. 9:2-10:44).

For they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons: so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those lands: yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass. Ezr. 9:2

the holy seed... Israel was not to intermarry with other nations; they were to keep themselves a separate people (Exo. 19:6; 22:31; Deut. 7:6; 14:2).

rulers hath been... This has been true of so many apostasies. When the chief men of a city or nation lead in righteousness, most of the common people will follow.

And when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my mantle, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down astonied. Ezr. 9:3

I heard this... Rending the garments, plucking out the hair, and sitting down astonished were signs of inward mourning over some great calamity (Ezr. 9:3, 9:5; Jos. 7:6; 1Sa. 4:12; 2Sa. 1:2; 13:31; 2Ki. 18:37; Job. 1:20).

I rent my... Ezra’s response was typical of the response of godly people in the Old Testament when they found out about sin. Tearing his tunic and cloak was a sign of mourning (cf. Num. 14:6; Est. 4:1), and pulling hair from his head and beard was a sign of unusual grief or of intense anger (Isa. 22:12). He was appalled (astonied) because of the people’s sin (Ezr. 9:4).

Then were assembled unto me every one that trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the transgression of those that had been carried away; and I sat astonied until the evening sacrifice. Ezr. 9:4

of the transgression... Ezra knew that it was for just this sort of sin that his nation had gone into captivity (cf. Ezr. 9:7). Perhaps he was afraid they would go into captivity again (cf. Ezr. 9:8).

And at the evening sacrifice I arose up from my heaviness; and having rent my garment and my mantle, I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands unto the LORD my God, Ezr. 9:5

I arose up... Eight acts of Ezra:

1. Heard about the sin (Ezr. 9:3).

2. Ripped his garment.

3. Plucked out hair.

4. Sat down astonished.

5. Arose from his heaviness (Ezr. 9:5).

6. Fell upon his knees.

7. Spread his hands out to God.

8. Prayed (Ezr. 9:6-15).

at the evening... The evening sacrifice was around 3 p.m. Ezra’s physical position (on his knees with his hands spread out to the Lord) showed that he was throwing himself on the mercy of God. Ezra knew that the nation was guilty (Ezr. 9:6-7; cf. 9:13, 9:15) so he assumed a position of begging before the Lord. There was no excuse for the people’s actions. Ezra’s prayer was made at the temple with weeping (Ezr. 10:1).

Ezra’s prayer reveals much about him. He identified with the nation in their sin even though he himself was innocent of the offense (cf. Dan. 9:5-6, 9:8-11, 9:13, 9:15-16). Ezra understood that the nation stood together under the covenant and that this breach of responsibility, especially since it had been led by leaders of the nation, could jeopardize the entire nation before God.

And said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens. Ezr. 9:6

O my God... Ezra’s Prayer

1. I am ashamed and blush at our sins that have grown up to heaven (Ezr. 9:6)

2. We have sinned from the days of our fathers until now (Ezr. 9:7)

3. For our sins we have gone into captivity and confusion as at this day (Ezr. 9:7)

4. You have showed us a little space of grace for our restoration (Ezr. 9:8)

5. We are slaves, but our God did not forsake us; He has given us favor in the sight of the kings of Persia to rebuild the temple and Jerusalem (Ezr. 9:9)

6. We have forsaken Your commandments

7. You have punished us less than we deserve (Ezr. 9:13)

8. You have given us deliverance

9. Should we do again the things that we were destroyed for?

10. Should You not destroy us again even more completely than before?

11. You are righteous, for we remain escaped, as it is today (Ezr. 9:15)

12. We are before You in our trespass; we cannot stand before You because of this (Ezr. 9:15)

I am ashamed... Ezra confessed the continuing problem of sin among the people of the nation. He reacted to the sin with embarrassment, using terms such as ashamed and disgraced. He felt embarrassed because it was for guilt like this that the nation had gone into captivity in the first place at the hand of foreign kings (viz., Sargon II and Nebuchadnezzar).

Since the days of our fathers have we been in a great trespass unto this day; and for our iniquities have we, our kings, and our priests, been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to a spoil, and to confusion of face, as it is this day. Ezr. 9:7

Since the days... The Captivity was to be a method of purifying the people and reestablishing a close relationship between them and God. Apparently the Exile had not accomplished its purpose because of the people’s tendency to stray from their covenantal obligations. Like a flood their sins, Ezra said, had engulfed them for their sins were higher than their heads (Ezr. 9:6).

And now for a little space grace hath been shewed from the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage. Ezr. 9:8

And now for... Ezra acknowledged the grace of God in allowing the people to return to the land. He reminded God and himself that it was the Lord’s graciousness that allowed the kings of Persia to grant the Jews freedom to return to the land of promise to rebuild the temple.

us a nail... An expression of security.

For we were bondmen; yet our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage, but hath extended mercy unto us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us a reviving, to set up the house of our God, and to repair the desolations thereof, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem. Ezr. 9:9

For we were... To the Chaldeans when in Babylon, which was more than the Jews in the times of Christ would own (John 8:33).

yet our God... Had not left them to continue in it always.

but hath extended... Moved them to have pity and compassion on them, and release them.

to give us... While in captivity, they were as in their graves, and like the dry bones in Ezekiel's vision (Eze. 37:1-14), but revived upon the proclamation of Cyrus, and the encouragement he gave them to return to their own land.

to set up... Both to rebuild the temple, and to restore the worship of it.

And to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem. Not to set up the walls of Jerusalem, and of other cities, which as yet was not done; but rather the walls of their houses, which they had rebuilt. They had walled houses given them in Judah and Jerusalem; though the word signifies a hedge or fence, such as is about gardens and vineyards, and may denote the protection of the kings of Persia, which was a fence to them against the Samaritans and others. And especially the hedge of divine Providence about them, which guarded and defended them (see Job 1:10).

This was an amazing thing how God had extended mercy to them again. It was almost unexplainable why the Persian kings had suddenly decided to let them return to their homeland. It was even more unexplainable, why they would give all the gold and silver to rebuild the temple. The only answer was that God put this in their hearts to do. Ezra is in essence saying, God has done all of this for us to give us a new start, how can we fail him by sinning again?

And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? for we have forsaken thy commandments, Ezr. 9:10

what shall we... Question 7. Next, Ezr. 9:14.

for we have... Ezra then confessed the men’s present sin of intermarriage. Ezra asked, What can we say after this? By this question he was acknowledging that the nation had no excuse before God (cf. Ezr. 9:6). No explanation was given for the leaders’ disobedience.

Which thou hast commanded by thy servants the prophets, saying, The land, unto which ye go to possess it, is an unclean land with the filthiness of the people of the lands, with their abominations, which have filled it from one end to another with their uncleanness. Ezr. 9:11

Which Thou hast... They had broken God’s commands to remain pure before Him, and to separate from the corruption and detestable practices (cf. Ezr. 9:1, 9:14) in the land. They had directly disobeyed the clear Word of God.

Now therefore give not your daughters unto their sons, neither take their daughters unto your sons, nor seek their peace or their wealth for ever: that ye may be strong, and eat the good of the land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children for ever. Ezr. 9:12

give not your... Foreign marriages contaminated Israel, fostered the foreigners’ prosperity, weakened Israel spiritually, and decreased her opportunity to enjoy the land’s crops.

may be strong... Three things giving strength and security:

1. Living free from uncleanness (Ezr. 9:11)

2. Living separated from marriage to pagans

3. Not seeking to perpetuate the well-being of the wicked (Ezr. 9:12)

And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trespass, seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and hast given us such deliverance as this; Ezr. 9:13

come upon us... The conclusion Ezra reached was that God would be totally just in destroying them in His anger so that no remnant would be left (cf. “remnant” in Ezr. 9:8, 9:13, 9:15).

hast punished us... They deserved even greater punishment than God was giving them (cf. Ezr. 9:6).

Should we again break thy commandments, and join in affinity with the people of these abominations? wouldest not thou be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us, so that there should be no remnant nor escaping? Ezr. 9:14

Should we again/wouldest not thou... Questions 8-9. Last in Ezra.

join in affinity... That are guilty of abominable idolatries, and of all uncleanness.

wouldest thou not... It might be justly expected.
so that there... Any left or suffered to escape the wrath, of all that was consumed by it.
Ezra was aware that God is a loving God. He was also aware that He was just in His judgments. He feared that the punishment this time would be death for everyone. Ezra felt they should expect death for these terrible sins they had committed.

O LORD God of Israel, thou art righteous: for we remain yet escaped, as it is this day: behold, we are before thee in our trespasses: for we cannot stand before thee because of this. Ezr. 9:15

Ezra’s prayer included no specific request; he simply threw himself on God’s mercy. By this he concluded his prayer in the same way he began. He acknowledged that no one in the entire community was worthy to stand before the righteous God. In his prayer Ezra affirmed several attributes of God: grace (Ezr. 9:8), kindness (Ezr. 9:9), anger (Ezr. 9:14), and righteousness (Ezr. 9:15). Ezra was asking God to be merciful on the basis of His loyal love for the nation.

for we remain... That they remained yet escaped out of captivity, and escaped the wrath and vengeance of God, was not owing to any deserts of theirs, but to the grace and mercy of God, who had not stirred up all his wrath, as their sins deserved.
behold, we are... To do with us as seems good in thy sight; we have nothing to plead on our behalf, but cast ourselves at thy feet, if so be unmerited favor may be shown us.
for we cannot... This evil of contracting affinity with the nations; we cannot defend ourselves. We cannot plead ignorance of the divine commands. We have nothing to say for ourselves why judgment should not be passed upon us. We leave ourselves in thine hands, and at thy mercy.
God is full of mercy. His righteousness was from generation to generation, but so was His mercy. There was no way they could stand and face God with these sins not atoned for.

And would appear to be so, should Israel be entirely cut off, and utterly consumed for their iniquities.

In a nutshell, Ezra was describing the position of all mankind before God. As people disobey the Word of God they stand under His wrath in their guilt and punishment will be righteously administered.