SERIES O --- RETURN TO THE LAND --- LESSON 05

CONFESSION

HEATHEN WIVES

From Ezra 9-10

The work of bringing the temple treasures and the people from Babylon was completed. But now a new problem arose, for a disturbing report came to our ears. [The people of Israel, even the priests and Levites, have not remained separate from the heathen people of the land,] the report said. [They have accepted some of the heathen customs of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, and Amorites. Some Israelite men have married heathen wives, and others have let their sons marry heathen wives, polluting the holy people of YHVH. Our leaders have been some of the worst offenders in this matter.] When I heard this, I tore my clothing and pulled hair from my head and beard and sat down appalled. I remained there until the evening offering, while all those who feared Adonai gathered around me. At the time of the evening offering I arose from my humiliation, with my clothing torn, fell on my knees and stretched out my hands toward Adonai. [I am so ashamed, O YHVH,] I prayed. [I am ashamed even to lift my face toward You, for we are over our heads in sin, and our guilt reaches as high as the heavens. We have been in great guilt since the days of our ancestors. It has caused our kings and priests to fall by the hand of heathen kings, to be killed, captured, plundered, and brought to shame, as we are today. [Now You have shown us a moment of mercy, permitting a remnant to return here from captivity to set up a base in this holy place. You have given us new life and light in our time of bondage. For even though we were slaves, You have not forsaken us in our slavery, but have shown Your love to us before the kings of Persia, to revive us so that we might rebuild the house of YHVH and the walls of Jerusalem. [But what can we say now, Adonai, for we have forsaken Your Commandments which You gave the prophets? You warned us through them that this land is unclean because of its peoples, for it is filled from one end to the other with their heathen practices. You warned us not to let our daughters or sons marry their children and not to seek their peace or prosperity, so that we might be strong and eat the good of the land, leaving the land for an inheritance to our sons forever. Now, even after we have been punished for our sins, You have shown mercy and punished us less than we deserved, even permitting us to return to this land. But once again we have broken Your Commandments by marrying the heathen people who commit all these sins. Will You now angrily destroy us so that there is no remnant left to escape? Adonai YHVH of Israel, You are Righteous and Just, so what hope do we have as we stand before You in our sins?] While Ezra prayed and confessed sins, weeping and bending upon the ground before the house of YHVH, a large group of men, women, and children gathered with him, weeping loudly also. Then Shecaniah the son of Jehiel, of the family of Elam, spoke to Ezra. [We have sinned against YHVH by marrying these foreign women,] he said. [But there is still hope for Israel even though we have done this. Let us Covenant with YHVH to put away our foreign wives and children, according to your counsel and the counsel of others who fear YHVH. Let this all be done according to the Law. Now rise up and tell us what to do, and we will do it.] Accordingly, Ezra arose and made the leading priests, the Levites, and all Israelites take the oath that they would do as Shecaniah had said. Then he left the place of mourning in front of the temple and went inside, entering the room of Yehohanan the son of Eliashib. But he refused to accept food and drink there, for he continued to mourn for the unfaithfulness of his people. Then a proclamation was made throughout Judah and Jerusalem that all Israelites should assemble at Jerusalem within three days. If anyone refused to come, he would be excluded from the people of Israel and his possessions would be forfeited. All the men of Judah and Benjamin arrived in Jerusalem within three days, on the twentieth day of the ninth month, which was the fifth day of December. The people sat in the open square before the temple, trembling because of the serious matter before them and because of the heavy rain. Ezra stood before the people to speak to them. [You have been unfaithful and have married foreign wives, adding to the guilt already burdening Israel,] he said. [Confess your sin to Adonai, and do what He requires. Separate yourselves from the heathen people of this land and from your heathen wives.] [We will do what YHVH requires!] the people cried out with a loud voice. [But there are many of us, and it is raining so hard that we can’t keep standing out here in the open. Also, we can’t complete the separation in just a day or two, for we are deeply involved. Let the leaders represent us. Whoever has a heathen wife will appear at a stated time for trial before the elders and judges of his city. When the matter is finally cleared, the fierce anger of YHVH will turn away from us.] The only opposition to this plan came from Jonathan son of Asahel, Jahzeiah son of Tikvah, Meshu Ilam, and Shabbethai the Levite. That is the way it was done. Ezra chose men who were leaders of families, and they began the trials on the first day of the tenth month, about the fifteenth of December, and finished by the first day of the first month, about the fifteenth of March. There was a long list of priests who had married heathen wives, but they vowed to put them away and offered a ram as a sacrifice for their guilt. There was also a long list of ordinary citizens who had married heathen wives. In fact, many of them already had children by these wives.

COMMENTARY

THE NATIONS OF THE PERSIAN EMPIRE: PART I

A visit to the royal Persian court presented a colourful and varied picture. The sounds of many different languages filled the air. Clothes were short and long, simple and elaborate. Hair was curly, straight and braided. Skins were white, black, brown and yellow. The great variety of people represented every country that was part of the Persian Empire. At its height, the Empire stretched from India and the southern parts of modern Russia to northern Africa and the shores of Greece. Some of these people were government officials, for Persians granted defeated countries a fair amount of self-rule. Others were present to pay their country’s tribute, or [king’s tax.] Countries often paid their tribute with measures of silver or gold called [talents.] During this period, a talent weighed about seventy-five pounds. Other forms of tribute came as horses, donkeys, bulls and sheep. The more exotic contributions might be Lydian antelopes, Ethiopian okapis, Susian lions, Bactrian and Arabian camels, and even young boys and girls to be used as eunuchs and concubines. India, the most highly populated country in the Persian Empire, paid the greatest amount -- three hundred sixty talents of gold dust. Only the citizens of Persia proper were exempt; they had to pay no tribute whatsoever.