Some of God’s servants seem to have instant success. Others walk right into trouble. But God…
Ezra’s task of sorting out the “holy seed” (Ezra 9:2) in the Israelite marriages—where “holy” doesn’t mean sinless, but separated from the nations for God’s purpose—was extremely difficult. It was compounded by the fact that it wasn’t just the common people who had intermarried with Israel’s enemies, but “the priests and the Levites” (v 1) as well. “Indeed, the hand of the leaders and rulers has been foremost in this trespass” (v 2). No wonder we read Ezra’s personal account: “When I heard this thing, I tore my garment and my robe, and plucked out some of the hair of my head and beard, and sat down astonished” (v 3). The word “astonished” (Heb, šâmêm), means stunned, numb, appalled, devastated. What had to be done? Malachi, the last of the Old Testament prophets, had to deal with another problem regarding marriages, where the men were not being loyal to their wives. In that setting, he wrote, “the Lord God of Israel says that He hates divorce” (Mal 2:16). If so, why had He allowed it in certain circumstances? Because there are some things worse than divorce! Sexual abuse, abandonment, acts of violence—and corrupting the Messiah’s line—these are worse than divorce. In the closing two chapters of Ezra, this is the big issue, which shows us that books like this must be inspired by the Spirit. Wouldn’t it be nice to finish off with some encouraging anecdotes of people who had responded positively to the Word? But what do we expect when we get serious about the Lord after years of neglect? After fasting all day, at the time of the evening sacrifice, Ezra writes, “I arose from my fasting; and…fell on my knees and spread out my hands to the Lord my God” (Ezra 9:5). In trouble, our God is the Go-to God.