20140912 Friday, September 12 2014
Ezra 09: Why Did Ezra Ban Marriage To Idol Worshipers?

by Wayne Blank
See also 1 Year Holy Bible Reading Plan

"Should we again break Thy Commandments, and join in affinity with the people of these abominations?"

The people of Israel and Judah were created from the nations all around them (see also The First Nations Of The New World). There was nothing genetically special or superior about the Israelites because they were descendants and cousins of all of the nations of the world.

Abraham (as well as Noah, and Adam and Eve) were natives of Iraq (see The LORD's Seed Covenants With The Two Men Of Iraqand A Biography Of Abraham: From Ur To Canaan).

The fathers of the tribes of Israel, including Judah, were born in Syria of four Iraqi-Syrian mothers (see A Biography Of Jacob: The Jacobites Of Syria).

The first Jews had Canaanite mothers, after Judah married two Canaanite women (see The First Jews). All Jews are as much descended from Canaanites as they are from Judah.

Ephraim and Manasseh were born in Egypt of an Egyptian mother - who was almost certainly a black woman (see The Adoption Of Ephraim and Manasseh).

Ruth, a key ancestor of King David, was an "Arab" from Moab (see Ruth: Building The House Of Israel).

There was no "exceptionalism" (except as their excuse to be blatant hypocrites when their behavior was far more morally-rotten than those that they claimed to "lead") of the Israelite people themselves because "Israel" was a prophecy of the coming Kingdom of God that will be composed of all people who repent and obey the LORD (see The Kingdom Of The LORD God).

Why then did Ezra (see The Letter From Artaxerxes To Ezra and Ezra's Journey From Babylon) ban marriage of the people of Judah to people of other nations - when Israel and Judah were themselves those same people?

The answer is found in what Ezra actually banned - marriage to unrepentant people of heathen religions. It was the very reason that Israel was divided in the time of King Solomon (see What Caused Solomon's Idolatry?) and it was the reason that Judah was corrupted in the time that the LORD (Who was and is Jesus Christ - see Genesis 1: In The Beginning Was The Word and The Kingdom Of The LORD God) had them taken away into the Babylonian exile (see Why Did Judah Fall To Babylon?). The "holy seed," which referred to the Messiah, was already composed of people of other nations. It was the defiling of the line of the Messiah with heathen religion: "that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those lands ... doing according to their abominations" that was outlawed.

"9:1 Now 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. 9:2 For 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.

9:3 And 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 astonied. 9:4 Then 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 astonied until the evening sacrifice.

9:5 And 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, 9:6 And 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. 9:7 Since 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.

9:8 And 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. 9:9 For 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.

9:10 And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? for we have forsaken thy commandments, 9:11 Which 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. 9:12 Now 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.

9:13 And 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; 9:14 Should 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? 9:15 O 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 9:1-15 KJV)

Fact Finder: When and where did idol religions begin?
See The History Of Idolatry