Those Guilty of Intermarriage

  

Ezra 10:18-44

 

March 28, 2021

 

Those Guilty of Intermarriage

Now there were found some of the sons of the priests who had married foreign women: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah, some of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak and his brothers.  They pledged themselves to put away their wives, and their guilt offering was a ram of the flock for their guilt.    Of the sons of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah.   Of the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah.   Of the sons of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah.

Of the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (that is, Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.   Of the singers: Eliashib. Of the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri.

 And of Israel: of the sons of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Hashabiah, and Benaiah.   Of the sons of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah.   Of the sons of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza.   Of the sons of Bebai were Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai.   Of the sons of Bani were Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth.   Of the sons of Pahath-moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh.   Of the sons of Harim: Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,  Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah.  Of the sons of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei.   Of the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel,  Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi,  Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,  Mattaniah, Mattenai, Jaasu.   Of the sons of Binnui, Shimei,  Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah,  Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,  Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph.   Of the sons of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah.   All these had married foreign women, and some of the women had even borne children. 

 

Leadership is key to stability!  God sent Ezra to lead His people back to Him, why because the priest who was their leader had by their action led the people into breaking God’s commandment, given to them by Moses. As we study the Scriptures we see many examples of leadership or the lack of it.  King David was a man after God's heart but who did not lead his family, and it came at a great cost to him and the nation of Israel.  

 

From the beginning, God has put the man in the role of headship or leader of his home, but the example is many of the lack of leadership by the dad and the damage that has taken place from lack of leadership.  It always begins with the man, and it matters not what role he is given, dad, owner of a business, preacher, priest, deacon, or elder, Senator or Congressman, and President.  When they do not lead by example, you have instability that brings insecurity to a nation, a church, a business, or a family.  Pray that God will take mercy on His Church, and raise up Ezra to lead us back to a fear of the Lord, and when the Church follows God’s commandment, we once more will see the hand of God and the power of God using us in a mighty way.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice