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JULY 25
DAY 24: How does Ezra’s handling of the intermarriage situation fit into
the overall pattern of biblical teaching?

Ezra 9 and 10 record a critical time in the reestablishment of the Jewish people in their home-
land. In the years before Ezra arrived from Persia, many of the returned Jewish men intermarried
with pagan women from the area. This practice reflects no circumstances like we find in the mar-
riages of Rahab or Ruth, Gentiles who became believers in God. The pagan background of these
women was not taken into account by their husbands.Ezra received this news as part of the report
when he reached Jerusalem.
For Ezra, this was almost the worst possible news. Intermarriage with pagans had historically
been a key in the repeated downfalls of the nation.These marriages were an act of disobedience.
Ezra was overwhelmed with shame and distress over the situation (Ezra 9:3,4). His grief was open
and convicting.
Eventually,the people themselves confessed their error and decided that those who had mar-
ried pagan women would have to “put away”(divorce) these wives.
God had not changed His mind about divorce.Malachi,who lived in this time period,declared
that God hates divorce (Mal. 2:16).
Several important notes can be made about this passage in Ezra. It does not establish a norm
about divorce.It is also easy to overlook the fact that while the solution of divorce was a group deci-
sion, each of these marriages was examined individually. Presumably, cases in which the women
had become believers were treated differently than cases in which the women involved saw ques-
tions of faith as violation of the marriage agreement.
In the humility of the guilty and the care in confronting these issues, a great deal of God’s
mercy comes through. A strict interpretation of the law could have led to the stoning death of all
involved.The eagerness to set things right opened the doorway for a solution,even though in some
of the cases it involved the grief and sadness of divorce.

July 25
1:4 sat down and wept, and mourned for
many days. Although Nehemiah was neither
Nehemiah 1:1–2:20 a prophet nor a priest, he had a deep sense of
Jerusalem’s significance to God and was greatly
The words of Nehemiah the son of
1 Hachaliah. distressed that affairs there had not advanced
the cause and glory of God.
It came to pass in the month of Chislev, in
the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the cit-
adel, that Hanani one of my brethren came for the children of Israel Your servants, and
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with men from Judah; and I asked them con- confess the sins of the children of Israel which
cerning the Jews who had escaped, who had we have sinned against You. Both my father’s
survived the captivity, and concerning Jerusa- house and I have sinned. We have acted very
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lem. And they said to me, “The survivors who corruptly against You, and have not kept the
are left from the captivity in the province are commandments, the statutes, nor the ordi-
there in great distress and reproach. The wall nances which You commanded Your servant
of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its Moses. Remember, I pray, the word that You
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gates are burned with fire.” commanded Your servant Moses, saying, ‘If
4 So it was, when I heard these words, that I you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the
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sat down and wept, and mourned for many nations; but if you return to Me, and keep My
days; I was fasting and praying before the God commandments and do them, though some of
of heaven. you were cast out to the farthest part of the
5 And I said: “I pray, LORD God of heaven, O heavens, yet I will gather them from there, and
great and awesome God, You who keep Your bring them to the place which I have chosen as
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covenant and mercy with those who love You a dwelling for My name.’ Now these are Your
and observe Your commandments, please let servants and Your people, whom You have re-
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Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that deemed by Your great power, and by Your
You may hear the prayer of Your servant strong hand. O Lord, I pray, please let Your
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which I pray before You now, day and night, ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant,
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