Now after these things in the reign of Artaxerxes king of the Persians, Esdras the son of—counted fifteen generations between—Aaron, the priest from the beginning.
With a direct line to Aaron, Esdras is a pure-blooded priest for sure!
Was faith a ‘trial-and-error’ method back in biblical times?
This I wonder as the seemingly grievous sin in this passage is simply marrying outside the faith? Was that part of Moses’ law? Surely not one of the Ten Commandments.
What is there to be learned here?
For even a prophet of the Lord was too ashamed of his belief in the Lord to ask for help?
For I was ashamed to ask the king for aid and for horsemen, to defend us from the enemy in the way: because we had said to the king: The hand of our God is upon all them that seek him in goodness: and his power and strength, and wrath upon all them that forsake him. And we fasted, and besought our God for this: and it fell our prosperously unto us.
Is mixing the holy seed really a sin?
And after these things were accomplished, the princes came to me, Saying: The people of Israel, and the priests and Levites have not separated themselves from the people of the lands, and from their abominations… For they have taken of their daughters for themselves and for their sons, and they have mingled the holy seed with the people of the lands. And the hand of the hand of the princes and magistrates hath been first in this transgression.
While I understand God is in control of all and we know not His Ways, aren’t we always supposed to be trying to do the right thing? And is there a commandment to seek not peace?
I am confused even as to how this one ended: in death or forgiveness? Made an end? Gave their hands.
…and the people wept with much lamentation… let it be done according to the law…
And Esdras rose up from before the house of God, and went to the chamber… and entered thither: he ate no bread, and drank no water: for he mourned for the transgression of them that were come out of the captivity.
The all the men of Juda, and Benjamin… trembling because of the sin, and the rain.
And they gave their hands to put away their wives, and to offer for their offence a ram of the flock. And of the sons of… And of the sons of… And of the sons of… All these had taken strange wives, and there were among them women that had borne children.
I have shivered in the rain but never trembled just because it was raining, lightning and thunder, yes I have trembled but not just because it was raining!
Esdras’ Confession & Prayer to the Lord:
My God, I am confounded and ashamed to lift up my face to thee: for our iniquities are multiplied over our heads, and our sins are grown up even unto heaven, from the days of our fathers: and we ourselves also have sinned grievously unto this day, and for our iniquities we and our kings, and our priests, have been delivered into the hands of the kings of the lands, and to the sword, and to captivity, and to spoil, and to confusion of face, as it is at this day.
And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken thy commandments, which thou hast commanded by the hand of thy servants the prophets, saying: The land which you go to possess, is an unclean land, according to the uncleanness of the people, and of other lands, with their abominations, who have filled it mouth to mouth with their filth.
Now therefore give not your daughters to their sons, and take not their daughters for your sons, and seek not their peace, not their prosperity for ever: that you may be strengthened, and may eat good things of the land, and may have your children your heirs for ever.
And after all that is come upon us, for our most wicked deeds, and our great sin, seeing that thou our God hast saved us from our iniquity, and hast given us a deliverance as at this day, that we should not turn away, not break thy commandments, nor join in marriage with the people of these abominations.
Art thou angry with us unto utter destruction, not to leave us a remnant to save?
And now knowing the story of Esdras, I look within and see the need for more Spiritual Renovation with hopefully more direction and power of the Will of God in my life along with His love compassion, grace, mercy, and forgiveness.
Amen! Alleluia!
Day 159: Reading The Bible with a TROML Perspective; The Story of Esdras & the Spiritual Renovation!
Read and inspired by the Old Testament, The First Book of Esdras, Chapters 6-10 (END)
Bible Notes:
The book describes the return from exile of a large group of Jews under Zorobabel and their rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem. The last three chapters tell of the return and spiritual renovation of another group of exiles under Esdras, the holy doctor of the Law from whom this book takes its name.
1 Esdras Chapter 6: Darius finds the lost decree of Cyrus; Darius orders the building resumed; Completion of the Temple; Dedication of the Temple; Observance of the Passover.
…and there found in Echatana, which is a castle in the province of Media, a book in which this record was written. In the first year of Cyrus the king: Cyrus the king decreed, that the house of God should be built, which is in Jerusalem… And also let the golden and silver vessels of the temple of God… be restored, and carried back to the temple of Jerusalem…
Now therefore Thathanai… Stharbuzanai, and your counselors, who are beyond the river, depart from them, and let that temple of God be built by the governor of the Jews, and by their ancients, that they may build that house of God in its place… That is any whosoever, shall alter this commandment, a beam be taken from his house, and set up, and he be nailed upon it, and his house be confiscated. And may the God, that hath caused his name to dwell there, destroy all kingdoms, and the people that shall put out their hand to resist, and to destroy the house of God, that is in Jerusalem. I Darius have made the decree, which I have diligently complied with.
And the ancients of the Jews built, and prospered according to the prophecy of Aggeus the prophet, and of Zacharias… and they built and finished, by the commandment of the God of Israel, and by the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes kings of the Persians.
And the children of Israel… kept the dedication of the house of God with joy… And they offered… a sin offering for all Israel twelve he goats, according to the number of tribes of Israel… as it is written in the book of Moses.
And the children of Israel of the captivity kept the phase, on the fourteenth day of the first month… And the children of Israel that were returned from captivity, and all that had separated themselves from the filthiness of the nations of the earth to them, to seek the Lord the God of Israel… And they kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy, for the Lord had made them joyful, and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them, that he should help their hands in the work of the house of the Lord the God of Israel.
1 Esdras Chapter 7: Genealogy of Esdras; Journey of Esdras to Jerusalem; Artaxeerxes’ commission to Esdras; Esdras thanks God.
Now after these things in the reign of Artaxerxes king of the Persians, Esdras the son of—counted fifteen generations between—Aaron, the priest from the beginning.
This Esdras went up from Babylon, and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the Lord God had given to Israel: and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the Lord his God upon him. And there went up some of the children of Israel… to Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king. And they came to Jerusalem… according to the good hand of his God upon him. For Esdras had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do and to teach in Israel the commandments and judgment.
And this is a copy of the letter of the edict, which king Artaxerxes gave to Esdras the priest… the most learned scribe of the law of the God of heaven… that are minded to go into Jerusalem, should go with thee… And to carry the silver and gold, which the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose tabernacle is in Jerusalem… do it according to the will of your God… how much soever thou shalt have occasion to spend, it shall be given out of the treasury, and the king’s exchequer, and by me… I Artaxerxes the king have ordered and decreed… that whatsoever Esdras the priest, the scribe of the law of God in heaven, shall require of you, you give it without delay… that you have no authority to impose toll or tribute, or custom upon them… for them who know the law of thy God, yea and the ignorant teach ye freely… And whosoever will not do the law of thy God, and the law of the king diligently, judgment shall be executed upon him, either unto death, or unto banishment, or to the confiscation of goods, or at least to prison.
Esdras: Blessed be the Lord the God of our fathers, who hath put this in the king’s heart, to glorify the house of the Lord, which is in Jerusalem, and hath inclined his mercy towards me before the king and his counselors, and all the mighty princes of the king: and I being strengthened by the hand of the Lord my God, which was upon me, gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me.
1 Esdras Chapter 8: Those who returned with Esdras; Esdras secures priests; Esdras proclaims a fast; Keepers of all treasures; Esdras arrives in Jerusalem; Weighing of the treasures; Holocausts are offered.
Now these are the chiefs of families, and the genealogy of them, who came up with me from Babylon in the reign of Artaxerxes the king… Of the sons of… Daniel… David… Exechiel… Adan… Isaias… Joab…
And I gathered them together by the river… and we stayed there three days: and I sought among the people and among the priests for the sons of Levi, and found none there. So I sent… Nathan… wise men… and I put in their mouth words that they should speak… that they should bring us ministers of the house of our God. And by the good hand of our God upon us, they brought us a most learned man of the sons of Moholi the son of Levi the son of Israel (Jacob)… Isaias… all these were called by their names.
And I proclaimed there a fast by the river Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before the Lord our God, and might ask of him a right way for us and for our children, and for all our substance. For I was ashamed to ask the king for aid and for horsemen, to defend us from the enemy in the way: because we had said to the king: The hand of our God is upon all them that seek him in goodness: and his power and strength, and wrath upon all them that forsake him. And we fasted, and besought our God for this: and it fell our prosperously unto us.
And I separated twelve of the chief of priests… And I weighed to their hands… You are the holy ones of the Lord, and the vessels are holy, and the silver and gold, that is freely offered to the Lord the God of our fathers. Watch ye and keep them, till you deliver them by weight… into the treasure of the house of the Lord.
…and the hand of our God was upon us, and delivered us from the hand of the enemy and of such as lay in wait by the way. And we came to Jerusalem… offered holocausts to the God of Israel, twelve calves for all the people of Israel…
1 Esdras Chapter 9: The sins of the Jews; Sorrow of Esdras; Esdras’ confession and prayer.
And after these things were accomplished, the princes came to me, Saying: The people of Israel, and the priests and Levites have not separated themselves from the people of the lands, and from their abominations… For they have taken of their daughters for themselves and for their sons, and they have mingled the holy seed with the people of the lands. And the hand of the hand of the princes and magistrates hath been first in this transgression.
And when I heard this word, I rent my mantle and my coat, and plucked off the hairs of my head and my beard, and I sat down mourning. And there were assembled to me all that feared the God of Israel, because of the transgressions of those that were come from the captivity, and I sat sorrowful, until the evening sacrifice.
Esdras’ Confession & Prayer to the Lord:
My God, I am confounded and ashamed to lift up my face to thee: for our iniquities are multiplied over our heads, and our sins are grown up even unto heaven, from the days of our fathers: and we ourselves also have sinned grievously unto this day, and for our iniquities we and our kings, and our priests, have been delivered into the hands of the kings of the lands, and to the sword, and to captivity, and to spoil, and to confusion of face, as it is at this day.
And now, as a little and for a moment, has our prayer been made before the Lord our God, to leave us a remnant, and give us a pin in his holy place, and that our God would enlighten our eyes, and would give us a little life in our bondage. For we are bondmen, and in our bondage our God hath not forsaken us, but hath extended mercy upon us before the king of the Persians, to give us life, and to set up the house of our God, and to rebuild the desolations thereof, and to give us a fence in Juda and Jerusalem.
And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken thy commandments, which thou hast commanded by the hand of thy servants the prophets, saying: The land which you go to possess, is an unclean land, according to the uncleanness of the people, and of other lands, with their abominations, who have filled it mouth to mouth with their filth.
Now therefore give not your daughters to their sons, and take not their daughters for your sons, and seek not their peace, not their prosperity for ever: that you may be strengthened, and may eat good things of the land, and may have your children your heirs for ever.
And after all that is come upon us, for our most wicked deeds, and our great sin, seeing that thou our God hast saved us from our iniquity, and hast given us a deliverance as at this day, that we should not turn away, not break thy commandments, nor join in marriage with the people of these abominations.
Art thou angry with us unto utter destruction, not to leave us a remnant to save?
O Lord God of Israel, thou art just: for we remain yet to be saved as at this day. Behold we are before thee in our sin, for there can be no standing before thee in this matter.
1 Esdras Chapter 10: Esdras orders dismissal of strange wives; Esdras assembles the people; Dismissal of foreign wives; Those who had married foreign wives; The priests; The Levites; The people.
…and the people wept with much lamentation… let it be done according to the law…
And Esdras rose up from before the house of God, and went to the chamber… and entered thither: he ate no bread, and drank no water: for he mourned for the transgression of them that were come out of the captivity.
The all the men of Juda, and Benjamin… trembling because of the sin, and the rain.
And Esdras the priest stood up, and said to them: You have transgressed, and taken strange wives, to add to the sins of Israel… And now make confession to the Lord the God of your fathers… According to thy word unto us, so be it done… until the wrath of our God be turned away from us for this sin… to examine the matter. And they made an end with all the men that had taken strange wives by the first day of the first month.
And they gave their hands to put away their wives, and to offer for their offence a ram of the flock. And of the sons of… And of the sons of… And of the sons of… All these had taken strange wives, and there were among them women that had borne children.
NOTE: Spiritual renovation is the process of being renovated, renewed, re-created, by the love and presence of God-With-Us. It’s more of a story to enter into than a definition really – it’s God’s story and we’re being written into the pages. Our debut is the forgiveness we have been given through Jesus Christ and the story unfolds as the Lord continues to work on our souls, renewing our character, setting us free from the old addictions that plague us. (Google Search).
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