Ezra 9:1-10:44 Comments by Stephen Ricker
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You Have Punished Us Less Than Our Sins Deserve
Comments for Study 6

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Outline
CHART SHOWING OF THE MOSAIC FEASTS
OLD TESTAMENT BOOKS TIMELINE
A MAP OF THE PERSIAN EMPIRE in 500 B.C.
ISRAEL'S HISTORY FROM BABYLON TO ROMAN TIMES ISRAEL'S HISTORY

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I. Judah's New Sin (9:1-4)

>1. What command did those who returned break? (1-2; Deut. 7:3-4)

* Ezra 9:1-2 "After these things had been done, the leaders came to me and said, "The people of Israel, including the priests and the Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the neighboring peoples with their detestable practices, like those of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians and Amorites. They have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, and have mingled the holy race with the peoples around them. And the leaders and officials have led the way in this unfaithfulness."

* Exodus 34:15-16 "Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land; for when they prostitute themselves to their gods and sacrifice to them, they will invite you and you will eat their sacrifices. And when you choose some of their daughters as wives for your sons and those daughters prostitute themselves to their gods, they will lead your sons to do the same."

* Deuteronomy 7:3-4 "Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, for they will turn your sons away from following me to serve other gods, and the LORD's anger will burn against you and will quickly destroy you."

* Joshua 23:12-13 "But if you turn away and ally yourselves with the survivors of these nations that remain among you and if you intermarry with them and associate with them, then you may be sure that the LORD your God will no longer drive out these nations before you. Instead, they will become snares and traps for you, whips on your backs and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land, which the LORD your God has given you."

* During the year 458 BC Ezra brought a second group of Jews from where they were exiled to Jerusalem. When he arrived he was made aware that some had married those who did not believe in nor worship the Lord God. They married neighbors who practiced detestable practices of idols and false gods. This was forbidden in Exodus 34:15-16, Deuteronomy 7:3-4, and Joshua 23:12-13.

Ezra as the high priest and leader of the people confessed this sin to God. Then he addressed his fellow Jews. He said those who married woman who did not believe should divorce them. This was good. However later this turned into social pride and prejudice. Jesus would rebuke them for this. Even in his lineage where Gentile woman who became believers.

Paul in 2 Corinthians 6:14-16 warned not to yoke together with unbelievers, that is those who do not love Jesus. As a single man I am to keep this in mind.

Someone recently quoted this verse not knowing the person in question does believe in Jesus. And a long time ago, when I was 20 someone believed that I was not a follower of Jesus and was wrong. She broke off our relationship at the advise of her parents. This caused me, a new believer much confusion. When considering to follow this rule it is important to not judge others improperly. Nor am I to think I am better than others. I am a sinner too. Just because someone falls in their walk with Jesus, does not make them an unbeliever who is to not be yoked to. As Jesus said if all the fruit in someone's life in bad, then I should seriously consider the decision I make.

It is also important to be the right person to address a believer who is making this mistake. Only a mentor or mature Christian should mention this verse to someone they are friends with and only after prayer and careful consideration and motive introspection.

>How did Ezra receive the news?

* Ezra 9:3 "When I heard this, I tore my tunic and cloak, pulled hair from my head and beard and sat down appalled."

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>Who else reacted this way?

* Ezra 9:4 "Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel gathered around me because of this unfaithfulness of the exiles. And I sat there appalled until the evening sacrifice."

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>How does this apply to us? (2 Cor. 6:14-16)

* 2 Corinthians 6:14-16 "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people."

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II. Ezra Confesses Judah's New Sin (9:5-15)

>2. Who did Ezra turn his attention to? (5)

* Ezra 9:5 "Then, at the evening sacrifice, I rose from my self-abasement, with my tunic and cloak torn, and fell on my knees with my hands spread out to the LORD my God"

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>What did Ezra confess? (6-7)

* Ezra 9:6-7 "and prayed: "O my God, I am too ashamed and disgraced to lift up my face to you, my God, because our sins are higher than our heads and our guilt has reached to the heavens. From the days of our forefathers until now, our guilt has been great. Because of our sins, we and our kings and our priests have been subjected to the sword and captivity, to pillage and humiliation at the hand of foreign kings, as it is today."

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>When we sin why is confession important? (1 John 1:8-10)

* 1 John 1:8-10 "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives."

* James 5:16 "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."

* Romans 10:9-11 "That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame."

* Acts 19:17-18 "When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor. Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed their evil deeds."

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>3. What had the Lord done for those who had returned? (8)

* Ezra 9:8 "But now, for a brief moment, the LORD our God has been gracious in leaving us a remnant and giving us a firm place in his sanctuary, and so our God gives light to our eyes and a little relief in our bondage."

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>How could they be slaves even though they were able to return to Jerusalem? (9)

* Ezra 9:9 "Though we are slaves, our God has not deserted us in our bondage. He has shown us kindness in the sight of the kings of Persia: He has granted us new life to rebuild the house of our God and repair its ruins, and he has given us a wall of protection in Judah and Jerusalem."

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>Are those who believe in Jesus slaves or freed from slavery? (John 8:34-36)

* John 8:34-36 "Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."

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>4. Consider Ezra's confession in verses 10-12. What can be learned?

* Ezra 9:10-12 "But now, O our God, what can we say after this? For we have disregarded the commands you gave through your servants the prophets when you said: 'The land you are entering to possess is a land polluted by the corruption of its peoples. By their detestable practices they have filled it with their impurity from one end to the other. Therefore, do not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters for your sons. Do not seek a treaty of friendship with them at any time, that you may be strong and eat the good things of the land and leave it to your children as an everlasting inheritance.'"

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>Why is it so hard to be honest about our sins? (John 3:19-21)

* John 3:19-21 "This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."

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>5. How did the Lord show grace to those who returned and committed this sin? (13)

* Ezra 9:13 "What has happened to us is a result of our evil deeds and our great guilt, and yet, our God, you have punished us less than our sins have deserved and have given us a remnant like this."

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>Is sin able to stand before the holy God?

* Ezra 9:15 "O LORD, God of Israel, you are righteous! We are left this day as a remnant. Here we are before you in our guilt, though because of it not one of us can stand in your presence."

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>How does God's grace and holiness work together?

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III. The People Repent (10:1-17)

>6. What did the people continually do?

* Ezra 10:1 "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 around him. They too wept bitterly."

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>Was their hope for Israel?

* Ezra 10:2 "Then Shecaniah 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."

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>How?

* Ezra 10:3-4 "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. Rise up; this matter is in your hands. We will support you, so take courage and do it."

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>7. When the Israelites agreed to the proposal how did Ezra respond? (5-6)

* Ezra 10:5-6 "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. 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."

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>How were they compelled to show up at the assembly? (7-8)

* Ezra 10:7-8 "A proclamation was then issued throughout Judah and Jerusalem for all the exiles to assemble in Jerusalem. 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."

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>What was the decree stated at the assembly? (9-11)

* Ezra 10:9-11 "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. Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, "You have been unfaithful; you have married foreign women, adding to Israel's guilt. Now make confession to the LORD, the God of your fathers, and do his will. Separate yourselves from the peoples around you and from your foreign wives."

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>8. How did everyone respond? (12)

* Ezra 10:12 "The whole assembly responded with a loud voice: "You are right! We must do as you say."

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>What did they propose?

* Ezra 10:13-14 "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. 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."

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>Who opposed this and why?

* Ezra 10:15 "Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah, supported by Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite, opposed this."

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>9. Did the exiles keep to the contract?

* Ezra 10:16-17 "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, and by the first day of the first month they finished dealing with all the men who had married foreign women."

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>Why is it important to follow through with plans we have made with and before the Lord?

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>10. What must have it been like to be one of the priests who participated in this?

* Ezra 10:18-19 "Among the descendants of the priests, the following had married foreign women: From the descendants of Jeshua son of Jozadak, and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib and Gedaliah. 19 (They all gave their hands in pledge to put away their wives, and for their guilt they each presented a ram from the flock as a guilt offering.)"

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