Disastrous Marriages

Disastrous Marriages

What would become of the next generation?

IN 458 B.C. Ezra arrived in Jerusalem from Persia with a large group of exiles, joining those who had returned earlier from the Babylonian captivity. Ezra, a Jewish priest, likely held an office in the Persian government equivalent to the commissioner for Jewish affairs. He was responsible for enforcing the observance of the law of Moses (Ezra 7:1–8:36).

Four months after Ezra’s arrival the Jewish leaders came to him complaining: “Many of the people of Israel, and even some of the priests and Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the other peoples living in the land. . . . For the men of Israel have married women from these people and have taken them as wives for their sons. . . . To make matters worse, the officials and leaders are some of the worst offenders” (9:1-2).

Intermarriage would be catastrophic for the Jews because foreign wives committed to the gods of their own nations would influence their children and threaten the survival of the Jewish faith. At best it might result in a religion mingled with idolatry that God would certainly judge.

When Ezra heard the report, he expressed his distress in the custom of the day, tearing his clothing and pulling hair from his head and beard. He sat in shock until the evening sacrifice in the temple and then fell to his knees, lifted up his hands to God, and prayed:

O my God, . . . Our guilt has reached to the heavens. Our whole history has been one of great sin. That is why we and our kings and our priests have been at the mercy of the pagan kings of the land. . . .

And now, O our God, . . . once again we have ignored your commands! Your servants the prophets warned us that the land we would possess was totally defiled by the detestable practices of the people living there. . . . Now we are again breaking your commands and intermarrying with people who do these detestable things. (9:6-14)

As Ezra prayed this prayer of confession, a large crowd of people gathered around him and wept. Then one of the leaders of Israel said to Ezra: “We confess that we have been unfaithful to our God, for we have married these pagan women of the land. But there is hope for Israel in spite of this. Let us now make a covenant with our God to divorce our pagan wives and to send them away. . . . We will obey the law of God” (10:2-3).

In response, Ezra stood up and demanded that they all do as their leader suggested, and they all agreed with a solemn oath. A proclamation was then circulated throughout the area ordering all returned exiles to come to Jerusalem. “Those who failed to come within three days would, if the leaders and elders so decided, forfeit all their property and be expelled from the assembly of the exiles” (10:5-8).

Within the three days everyone had gathered in Jerusalem’s temple square, scared to death. Ezra stood before them and intoned: “You have sinned, for you have married pagan women. . . . Confess your sin to the Lord, the God of your ancestors, and do what he demands. Separate yourselves from the people of the land and from these pagan women” (10:10-11).

Then everyone cried out in response, “Yes, you are right; we must do as you say!” (10:12).

By March 27, 457 B.C., their leaders verified that all the men who had married pagan wives had divorced them (10:17).

Reflection

What is your reaction to Ezra’s requiring the Jewish men to divorce their pagan wives? Without this drastic step, the next generation of Jews would have been taught to worship foreign gods by their mothers.

Do not make treaties of any kind with the people living in the land. . . . If you make peace with them, they will invite you to go with them to worship their gods, and you are likely to do it. And you will accept their daughters, who worship other gods, as wives for your sons. Then they will cause your sons to commit adultery against me by worshiping other gods.

Exodus 34:15-16