Today's Readings and Stuff -- Saturday, 28 July 2018

Happy Saturday.
It's been one of "those" weeks, lots of running around, focusing on the "urgent" rather than the "important" stuff for the most part.  And some of it just doing things, like "watching" the great-nephew and great-niece, that needed to be done and no one else is available.  So we did it, and will again, and perhaps we're planting some good memories with them.  Perhaps.  Not the sort of thing that is memorialized in speeches, but perhaps has good long-lasting effects.

We'll be heading out again in a few hours.  Friends of long standing, they've all but adopted me into their family, are having a surprise birthday get-together, a 75th birthday, and our presence is requested.  It's about a 35 minute drive from here, and we intend to go.  On the way back, we'll try to run by the Pharmacy and  pick up another of Wife's meds, and also find a UPS drop-off to send something out that was incorrectly shipped to us.  And we hope that will be It for the day.



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Today, the completion of the short book of Ezra.
There is, throughout this short book, a lot of attention paid to things like genealogies.  Why?  WE don't do things like that any more, right?
Well, primarily because the Lord Himself had put import on these things for that people, culture, and time.  So, for example, only certain descendants in one tribe could be priests.  People of one tribe were to live in this area,  others in another tribe were to live in that area, and inter-tribal marriage was forbidden.  So, when the effort was being made to rebuild the Temple and to re-initiate the practices of offerings and worship, and day-to-day life as well, it was important that these things be done totally in obedience to the Lord's specific commands.  All around them were the visible signs of the results of ignoring those commands, a lesson that was not (hopefully) lost on them.
One of those commands dealt with avoidance of certain contacts with the heathen nations around them.  A command that was, obviously, not always honored.  And, as verse 2 of chapter 9 recounts, the princes and rulers had been enthusiastic in this disobedience.  That hasn't changed, has it?  Some of the more contentious teachings in the New Testament are about the dangers of being "unequally yoked", of making common cause including marriage (but not limited to that) with unbelievers.  I hear on a too-frequent basis from some, including a few that I've known my whole life, pushing for common efforts, to include "pulpit-sharing" with demon-besotted heathens like the Moslems.  Some, and I have some portions of the American Episcopalians in mind, are quite enthusiastic in this, some castigating as "bigots" those who may have even slight reservations on the matter.  But the cries of "bigotry" and "discrimination" are often heard.  In the time of Ezra, such "enlightened" phrases were not heard, probably, but the urge to be like everyone else, as well as plain old lust, sufficed.  With lasting damage. 

I do think that it's important to note the order of things here.  In chapter 1 of Ezra, repeating the words in 2nd Chronicles, we see the order to rebuild the Temple.  With it, the recreation of the Jewish nation and culture.  But I use "nation" as meaning "people group", not "kingdom" or "government" or that.  The Temple.  Yes, as we will see, the walls of Jerusalem will, eventually, be rebuilt and the gates set up.  But first things first.  Would we be as wise?

Ezra 9

1Now when these things were done, the princes came to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the people of the lands, doing according to their abominations, even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites.

2For they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons: so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those lands: yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass.

3And when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my mantle, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down astonished.

4Then were assembled unto me every one that trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the transgression of those that had been carried away; and I sat astonished until the evening sacrifice.

5And at the evening sacrifice I arose up from my heaviness; and having rent my garment and my mantle, I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands unto the Lord my God,heaviness: or, affliction

6And said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens.trespass: or, guiltiness

7Since the days of our fathers have we been in a great trespass unto this day; and for our iniquities have we, our kings, and our priests, been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to a spoil, and to confusion of face, as it is this day.

8And now for a little space grace hath been shewed from the Lord our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage.space: Heb. momenta nail: or, a pin: that is, a constant and sure abode

9For we were bondmen; yet our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage, but hath extended mercy unto us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us a reviving, to set up the house of our God, and to repair the desolations thereof, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem.to repair: Heb. to set up

10And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? for we have forsaken thy commandments,

11Which thou hast commanded by thy servants the prophets, saying, The land, unto which ye go to possess it, is an unclean land with the filthiness of the people of the lands, with their abominations, which have filled it from one end to another with their uncleanness.by: Heb. by the hand offrom…: Heb. from mouth to mouth

12Now therefore give not your daughters unto their sons, neither take their daughters unto your sons, nor seek their peace or their wealth for ever: that ye may be strong, and eat the good of the land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children for ever.

13And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trespass, seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and hast given us such deliverance as this;hast punished…: Heb. hast withheld beneath our iniquities

14Should we again break thy commandments, and join in affinity with the people of these abominations? wouldest not thou be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us, so that there should be no remnant nor escaping?

15O Lord God of Israel, thou art righteous: for we remain yet escaped, as it is this day: behold, we are before thee in our trespasses: for we cannot stand before thee because of this.

Ezra 10

1Now when Ezra had prayed, and when he had confessed, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there assembled unto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children: for the people wept very sore.wept…: Heb. wept a great weeping

2And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered and said unto Ezra, We have trespassed against our God, and have taken strange wives of the people of the land: yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing.

3Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of those that tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law.to put…: Heb. to bring forth

4Arise; for this matter belongeth unto thee: we also will be with thee: be of good courage, and do it.

5Then arose Ezra, and made the chief priests, the Levites, and all Israel, to swear that they should do according to this word. And they sware.

6Then Ezra rose up from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib: and when he came thither, he did eat no bread, nor drink water: for he mourned because of the transgression of them that had been carried away.

7And they made proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem unto all the children of the captivity, that they should gather themselves together unto Jerusalem;

8And that whosoever would not come within three days, according to the counsel of the princes and the elders, all his substance should be forfeited, and himself separated from the congregation of those that had been carried away.forfeited: Heb. devoted

9Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered themselves together unto Jerusalem within three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month; and all the people sat in the street of the house of God, trembling because of this matter, and for the great rain.the great…: Heb. the showers

10And Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto them, Ye have transgressed, and have taken strange wives, to increase the trespass of Israel.have taken: Heb. have caused to dwell, or, have brought back

11Now therefore make confession unto the Lord God of your fathers, and do his pleasure: and separate yourselves from the people of the land, and from the strange wives.

12Then all the congregation answered and said with a loud voice, As thou hast said, so must we do.

13But the people are many, and it is a time of much rain, and we are not able to stand without, neither is this a work of one day or two: for we are many that have transgressed in this thing.we are many…: or, we have greatly offended in this thing

14Let now our rulers of all the congregation stand, and let all them which have taken strange wives in our cities come at appointed times, and with them the elders of every city, and the judges thereof, until the fierce wrath of our God for this matter be turned from us.for this…: or, till this matter be dispatched

15Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahaziah the son of Tikvah were employed about this matter: and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite helped them.were…: Heb. stood

16And the children of the captivity did so. And Ezra the priest, with certain chief of the fathers, after the house of their fathers, and all of them by their names, were separated, and sat down in the first day of the tenth month to examine the matter.

17And they made an end with all the men that had taken strange wives by the first day of the first month.

18And among the sons of the priests there were found that had taken strange wives: namely, of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren; Maaseiah, and Eliezer, and Jarib, and Gedaliah.

19And they gave their hands that they would put away their wives; and being guilty, they offered a ram of the flock for their trespass.

20And of the sons of Immer; Hanani, and Zebadiah.

21And of the sons of Harim; Maaseiah, and Elijah, and Shemaiah, and Jehiel, and Uzziah.

22And of the sons of Pashur; Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethaneel, Jozabad, and Elasah.

23Also of the Levites; Jozabad, and Shimei, and Kelaiah, (the same is Kelita,) Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.

24Of the singers also; Eliashib: and of the porters; Shallum, and Telem, and Uri.

25Moreover of Israel: of the sons of Parosh; Ramiah, and Jeziah, and Malchiah, and Miamin, and Eleazar, and Malchijah, and Benaiah.

26And of the sons of Elam; Mattaniah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, and Abdi, and Jeremoth, and Elijah.

27And of the sons of Zattu; Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, and Jeremoth, and Zabad, and Aziza.

28Of the sons also of Bebai; Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai.

29And of the sons of Bani; Meshullam, Malluch, and Adaiah, Jashub, and Sheal, and Ramoth.

30And of the sons of Pahath–moab; Adna, and Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezaleel, and Binnui, and Manasseh.

31And of the sons of Harim; Eliezer, Ishijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,

32Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah.

33Of the sons of Hashum; Mattenai, Mattathah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei.

34Of the sons of Bani; Maadai, Amram, and Uel,

35Benaiah, Bedeiah, Chelluh,

36Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,

37Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasau,

38And Bani, and Binnui, Shimei,

39And Shelemiah, and Nathan, and Adaiah,

40Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,Machnadebai: or, Mabnadebai, according to some copies

41Azareel, and Shelemiah, Shemariah,

42Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph.

43Of the sons of Nebo; Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jadau, and Joel, Benaiah.

44All these had taken strange wives: and some of them had wives by whom they had children.