Dave's Diary

Daily Readings: Ezra 10 and Psalm 12

Ezra 10 is a confusing and disturbing chapter. A significant number of Israelite men had entered into illicit marriages with pagan wives. Such marriages were illicit because of the express Law of God outlawing them – for religious (not racial) reasons. They had known before entering these marriages that they were doing so in direct rebellion against God, but they had prioritised their desire for these women above their desire to please God. It was this very same rebellion against God that had started the national rot that led to the exile in the first place. Had they learned nothing from history?

Ezra the priests was so desperately disturbed by the sin of these men that he was “praying and confessing, weeping and throwing himself down before the house of God” (v.1). His despair quickly spread among the Israelites and soon there was what we might call a “national spirit of repentance” and a wide-spread determination to set things right and return to God in faithful obedience. This nationwide repentance was a glorious move of the Spirit – drawing the hearts of God’s people back to Him. How desperately we could use such a national revival in our own day and age. If we take nothing else from this chapter, we should take a commitment to pray for revival in our nation!

Were they right to express their repentance by sending away their foreign wives and children? It certainly feels all wrong at first glance. But perhaps we should recall that a foreign wife did not have to remain a foreigner. Like Ruth the Moabite had done centuries before, these women had the option to abandon their foreign gods and convert to the worship of Yahweh, the LORD God Almighty. If the Jewish men had not put this choice to them before, they now had time to do so. For some it was a matter of a few days, for others it took a full two months before their turn came to appear, but each foreign wife had time to consider the option of converting to faith in Yahweh. It seems that this is what happened for many! The 114 sent away in the end were those who had been more faithful to their pagan gods than the Israelite men who married them had been to Yahweh, and refused to convert. There really was very little doubt that in time they would indeed have led their husbands’ hearts astray to the worship of their idols. Lukewarm commitment to the LORD is really no commitment at all.

Heavenly Father, I confess that this chapter rattles me. But it also clearly calls me to a more wholehearted commitment to You, Your will and Your ways. Help me, Holy Spirit, to discern accurately what that commitment implies for my life. I thank You for Your presence and Your guidance which is permanently available to me through Jesus. I also pray for a nationwide move of the Holy Spirit, turning the hearts of millions to the LORD and bringing them to genuine repentance from sin and salvation by grace through faith in Jesus. Amen and amen!