Ezra 10 – Study

For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each passage has a four-Part approach to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: Ezra 10:1-6

1 While Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping and throwing himself down before the house of God, a large crowd of Israelites – men, women and children – gathered round him. They too wept bitterly. 2 Then Shekaniah son of Jehiel, one of the descendants of Elam, said to Ezra, ‘We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the peoples around us. But in spite of this, there is still hope for Israel. 3 Now let us make a covenant before our God to send away all these women and their children, in accordance with the counsel of my lord and of those who fear the commands of our God. Let it be done according to the Law. 4 Rise up; this matter is in your hands. We will support you, so take courage and do it.’

5 So Ezra rose up and put the leading priests and Levites and all Israel under oath to do what had been suggested. And they took the oath. 6 Then Ezra withdrew from before the house of God and went to the room of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. While he was there, he ate no food and drank no water, because he continued to mourn over the unfaithfulness of the exiles.

A. Find Out:

1. What was Ezra doing? v.1a
2. Who joined him? v.1b
3. What did Shecaniah suggest they do? v.3
4. What did he go on to say they would do? v.4
5. Who made an oath? v.5
6. What did Ezra then do? v.6

B. Think:

1. How do you think Ezra’s example prompted other people around him to join him?
2. Who else did this decision affect? How do you think they would feel  about it?
3. What does it say about the Jews’ feelings towards the Lord?

C. Comment:

     First we observe Ezra’s wholehearted expression of repentance. He clearly does not care what people may think. He is more concerned with what God thinks. He is an example here, for all of us who would consider ourselves to be leaders. Leaders lead – in all ways!

     Second, we see the response of the people around him who catch something of the awfulness of the situation, by the way Ezra is acting, and they too start to weep.

    Third, we see they covenant to put right what is wrong. It is all very well being sorry, it is another thing to put things right. It may cost a lot! In this case many of them are going to lose their wives and children.

   That may appear terrible but that merely means we do not appreciate the full significance of being out of relationship with the Lord. (Of course we don’t know here how they were going to care for the families being put away). The commitment of this people is beyond question. Read Mt 10:37

D. Application:

1. When God calls us to be holy, He means it!
2. Seeking to be holy may mean we need to take serious steps in our lives to relinquish wrong things that are there at great cost to us.

Passage: Ezra 10:7-17

7 A proclamation was then issued throughout Judah and Jerusalem for all the exiles to assemble in Jerusalem. 8 Anyone who failed to appear within three days would forfeit all his property, in accordance with the decision of the officials and elders, and would himself be expelled from the assembly of the exiles.

9 Within the three days, all the men of Judah and Benjamin had gathered in Jerusalem. And on the twentieth day of the ninth month, all the people were sitting in the square before the house of God, greatly distressed by the occasion and because of the rain. 10 Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, ‘You have been unfaithful; you have married foreign women, adding to Israel’s guilt. 11 Now honour the Lord, the God of your ancestors, and do his will. Separate yourselves from the peoples around you and from your foreign wives.’

12 The whole assembly responded with a loud voice: ‘You are right! We must do as you say. 13 But there are many people here and it is the rainy season; so we cannot stand outside. Besides, this matter cannot be taken care of in a day or two, because we have sinned greatly in this thing. 14 Let our officials act for the whole assembly. Then let everyone in our towns who has married a foreign woman come at a set time, along with the elders and judges of each town, until the fierce anger of our God in this matter is turned away from us.’ 15 Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah, supported by Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite, opposed this.

16 So the exiles did as was proposed. Ezra the priest selected men who were family heads, one from each family division, and all of them designated by name. On the first day of the tenth month they sat down to investigate the cases, 17 and by the first day of the first month they finished dealing with all the men who had married foreign women.

A. Find Out:

1. How was the seriousness of the call shown? v.7,8
2. For what 2 reasons were the people distressed? v.9
3. What 2 things were the people told to do? v.11
4. What 2 problems were there in doing this? v.13
5. How did they decide to resolve it? v.14
6. How long did it take to do? v.16,17

B. Think:

1. What had they considered they would incur? v.14
2. How would you describe the way the leaders went about this separating out?
3. What does it show about them?

C. Comment:

   First of all we see the leaders making a call for all the exiles who have returned to the land to come to Jerusalem. Failure to come would mean they loose everything. That was how serious it was!

    Second we see that their gathering was in the rainy season, and there was no putting it off until the weather got better. They were in real earnest. There is a real commitment here!

   Third, we see Ezra calling for repentance which involves BOTH confession AND putting things right, and the people responding to his call. We must not take this response casually, for this is a very costly decision, yet the people do respond and are willing to do this thing. Finally we see that they do it town by town, so they can continue dealing with the large numbers despite the rainy season. As awful as this scene may be, of families breaking up, they realise that obedience to God is more important and they must put their wrong right if they are to continue with God. This is perhaps one of the most costly acts of obedience by a large group of people seen in the Bible. We perhaps need to realise that in those days the family unit was very strong, and so it was bad news to split the family, yet the foreign wives would have been able to go back into the care of their original families.

D. Application:

1. Putting wrongs right are often quite painful.
2. Yet the overall benefit of repentance cannot be measured!